Bone Thugs N Harmnony

Bone Thugs N Harmony, to me one of the greatest if not the greatest rap group that has ever existed in the rap and hip hop scene.  But I just can't make this bold statement and not back it up with any evidence.  This is a group that I've been listening to since I was 10 and I still continue to listen to their great music.  Well let me begin by letting you know who Bone Thugs N Harmony are.  They are all from Cleveland, Ohio and the group consists of five members.  They Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Lazie Bone, and Flesh n Bone.  By now you can see that they don't have usual names,  I'm sure that is not their real names but to this day I know them by that.  While starting their music career they wanted to go big and went to Los Angeles to meet with the one and only Eazy E.  They were able to impress him so much that they got a record deal with Ruthless Records and the music career for Bone Thugs had begun.  Their debut album Creeping on ah Come Up was released in 1994.  While at first it had a slow start it was able to kick off and hit the mainstream of rap music.  Their single "Foe tha Love of Money" was one of their hits and featured the great and famous Eazy-E.  While the release of their first album was mainly violent rap lyrics their release of their second album E 1999 Eternal showed a whole different side to Bone Thugs.  It showed the diversity of their lyrics and stylings.  It debuted at #1 and it sold more than 307,000 records its first week.  Their single "Tha Crossroads" reached #1 on the Billboards Top 100.  This was it for Bone Thugs, they were able to successfully take the rap scene by suprise.  With their fast paced rap flow and their creative lyrics they started a whole new style for hip hop.  Bone Thugs N Harmony were able to release a number of later records all of them being successful.  They mixed with a whole number of different rappers including the great Notorious BIG and 2pac.  Well if any of you haven't given Bone Thugs N Harmony a try I say you get out there and give them a moment of your time, even if your not a huge rap fan I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

Kanye West

I wanted to change up my blogs a bit and write about a whole different genre of music.  Out of all the blogs I've posted I haven't mentioned any rap music or hip hop.  But in this one I'll be going over one of today's greatest and unique rappers, Kanye West.  While Kanye was a small child his parents divorced and him and his mother moved to the city of Chicago.  I always thought this was cool because I grew up about 20 minutes away from the city of Chicago.  Well anyways, Kanye attended school at the Chicago State University but later dropped out to continue his music career.  While pursuing his music career he gained some fame by producing for major rap artists like Jay Z, Common, Pall Wall, and Janet Jackson.  After producing for artists Kanye went off to start a music career of his own.  While returning one day from the music studio West was involved in a almost fatal car accident that inspired a lot of his music in his debut album College Droppout.  His faith in his religous views can be seen in songs on this album such as "Through the Wire" and "Jesus Walks".  What seperated Kayne from the rest of the rappers during this period was the really everything.  Kayne was really nothing like any other rapper.  He had a unique lyrical base to his songs and flowed his beats and rhymes so well to create a powerhouse of rap.  Most rappers were just flowing about drugs, money,  power and they all seemed to be the same, but Kayne was putting more soul in his music and thought.  He wasn't following the typical rapper path, he was creating his own.  Well the release of his gained him great fame and it looked the rap scene had a new star rising.  During this period Kayne was not only just working on his music he was still producing for the rap artists, such as Twista and Brandy.  He then went on to release his second album Late Registration which like his debut album received great acceptance by the fans and critics.  There were some great songs on this album including "Gold Digger" which was featured in Jaime Foxx's movie Ray.  This album went for further show Kayne West's great musical ability, not only in his lyrics our rhythm but in his ability to produce his music.  On the release of his album Kayne had a little race going with the rapper 50 Cent, on who can sell the most albums on the day of the release.  Kayne's album Graduation Day was able to sell more records and was the winner of the race.  I was able to experience the great music of Kayne West at Lollapalooza 2008.  He put on a great live performance and his music was even greater on stage.  I'm sure all of you have heard Kayne West's music but incase you really haven't go out there and give him a try, he's not the everyday rapper, he's a whole different story.

Radiohead #2

In the previous blog I talked about the one and only Radiohead.  I went over the band members and the beginning of their career.  The most important parts in Radiohead's career are still to come.  I left off after Radiohead was gaining fame with their hit "Creep" and it seemed like this band would just be another one hit wonder band.  But it didn't happen.  Soon after the release of their first album, the band released their second album called The Bends.  Unlike their first album that had more of a pop rock feel to it, The Bends was a something more creative and imaginative.  With Thom Yorke's voice and lyrics perfectly matching the brilliant played instruments, the outcome for Radiohead had changed.  Their album was well received by critics and fans and it now seemed that the band was on to something and they weren't going anywhere.  If their second album wasn't enough of a change for Radiohead they released their third album Ok Computer.  This album was a whole completely different story then any of Radiohead's previous music.  The band did indeed pull a 180 and change completely their style of music.  Ok Computer was a type of album that don't come around to often, it was one of a kind.  With Radioheads new use of electronic instruments and strange but brilliant music, they were able to show the world their wide variety of their musical capabilities.  This album contains some of Radioheads greatest tracks like "Paranoid Android" and "Karma Police".  Great songs that were able to back up that Radiohead were musical geniuses.  The release of their fourth album Kid A was the same story as their previous record.  It showed the great variety of different instruments and different types of music they used in their music.  Songs like "Idioteque" and "National Anthem"  were huge hits for them and some of the most unique songs ever created.  After this the album went some years without any music and they seperated from the their record album.  But in the year 2007 they released In Rainbows another groundbreaking album for them.  But they released this album in a very unusual way.  They posted their whole album on their website and fans were able to pay whatever they wanted to download it.  They could pay nothing or 100 dollars, whatever they wanted.  I thought this was an awesome way to distribute your music to your fans.  One of my favorite songs from this album is "15 step" because this song has such a huge variety of different sounds, instruments, and beats that truley make it great. In Rainbows was a great album and I really hope its not their last.  Well there it is, Radiohead.  If I haven't influenced you a bit to go out and give them a listen I don't know what will, so get out there and give Radiohead a moment of your time.

Zeppelin Without Plant?

There has been no shortage of Led Zeppelin rumors circulating this year since the famed one-time reunion the band underwent last December in London. Since this lonely reunion, there has been consistent talk of a reunion tour and new recording, all which seem to be held back by lead singer Robert Plant's refusal to cooperate with the newfound ambitions. This raises the question: should Led Zeppelin replace their famed front man Robert Plant? Led Zep still has the inner circle of Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and original drummer John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, all willing and eager to continue the Led Zeppelin legacy. According to an article on Billboard.com, they may have found a solution in singer Myles Kennedy, front man of the alternative rock group Alter Bridge. According to Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider, the band is "saying [to Robert], 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid. And he can sing the shit out of Zeppelin.' And they're gonna hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'Okay,' and step in before having the lead singer of Alter Bridge out with John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham." This bold move by the members of Led Zeppelin brings up another interesting question: would people still go to see Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant? Personally, I would not pay the exorbitant amounts of money that would be charged for tickets to see the two original members, Bonham's son, and some kid. Although I'm sure the concert would still rock, I feel like it just would not be a real Led Zeppelin show. It would be nothing more than Jimmy Page playing with a cover band. From here on out I can only hope that Robert Plant will come to his senses, and make the decision to rejoin the group for a reunion tour. I believe he will make the right decision because I find it hard to believe that he could leave his brainchild, the beginning of rock n' roll, into the hands of a man who does a good impression. This has led to speculation on whether this could just be a big publicity stunt to get people riled up before a big Led Zeppelin reunion including Plant. Then, even if Robert Plant rejoins the group for a reunion tour, it has been thirty years since the group last toured together! Is it possible for the same Led Zeppelin to come out thirty years later with the same force they had in their time? Regardless of what kind of future Led Zeppelin has, it is destined to be one of the most highly publicized, and highly criticized tours of all time. So, keep your eyes open because you might miss history if you don't.

Radiohead

Well its getting close to the end of the semester and I wanted to get this blog out before it was too late. Yes the time is finally here to blog about the one only Radiohead. One of the most critically acclaimed bands in its generations, Radiohead has undergone a lot of changes throughout its career that have shown the world how diverse they are with they're music and the musical talent they have to back that up. Well like I do in my most blogs, let me start with introducing the band members to you. First to go is Thom Yorke, the singer and lyricst for the band. But don't think that this is the only thing he contributes to the band. Thom's musical ability shows in his wide variety of instruments he can play. Next there's Johnny Greenwood the lead guitarist of the band. Like Thom, Johnny has more than one way he contributes to the band. He plays the fantastic guitar but he can also play the bass, piano, and he is always messing around with some electronic device on stage to add a little something extra to their sound. Next on the list is Colin Greenwood the bassist of theband and older brother of Johnny. Colin and Johnny's dynamic brother bond has contributed so much to their bands accomplishments. The fourth member is Ed O'Brian the rhythm guitar and back up vocals for the band. Ed's style of guitar has gone along so perfect to that of Johnny and Thom's style, that its almost to perfect. Last but not least is Phil Selway, the percussionist of the band. His drum beats and fills back up the music so perfect that its extraordinary, he is truly an amazing drum player. Well now you the band members a little more, I now can go on and talk about the band as a whole, their changes throughout their career, and their many accomplishments. Radiohead was formed in 1986 in Oxfordshire, England. An unusual fact about the band is that when first formed they were initially called On a Friday, not a very good band name, but they picked it because while in high school the band would always practice in their music room on a friday. They then changed it to Radiohead because of an inspiration off of a certain song title, I think they made the right choice changing their name. Soon after the band formed they released their fist single "Creep" which did not get much attention. A year later they released their first album Pablo Honey .  The band then reissued their single "Creep" a year after this and it became a worldwide hit.  With the band only really having one hit it seemed they were going to be another one hit wonder pop band.  But this was definitely not the story, as everyone that follows Radiohead would know they became one of the most changing phenomenal band of their generation.  Thats were I'll end this blog and continue with the rest of their music career in the next blog.

Jersey Boyz

What does a New Jersey City Councilman and Grateful Dead tribute band The Dark Star Orchestra have in common? Shockingly enough, this past Saturday night it was the government official who acted inappropriately, and not the revelers that came to see one of the best tribute bands in the jam scene today. Saturday night, drunken New Jersey Councilman, Steve Lipski, was arrested for urinating on a crowd of concert goers from the balcony of a Washington City nightclub, police and sources told JamBase reporter Rich Schapiro. "He was very drunk," the source stated, noting that this is not the first occasion Mr. Lipski has caused a problem at this notable Washington night club. "We've dealt with this man before," the source added. "He's never peed on anybody, but he gets really belligerent and drunk." The councilman, who is currently serving his second term in office, was let off easily and charged only with assault. One of the funniest things about this incident is that this is not the first time a New Jersey official has been caught with his pants down. Photos showing Jerramiah Healy, still a councilman at the time, naked and passed out on his front stoop were widely circulated in 2004 days before he was elected mayor. These facts raise some interesting questions. Firstly, how were these men able to climb the social hierarchy high enough to be elected into a position of importance to the community? Secondly and more importantly, what exactly were the voters thinking when voting to put these men into office? Unfortunately, Mr. Lipski urinated on an audience that was attending one of my favorite groups, The Dark Star Orchestra (or simply DSO). DSO gained popularity by recreating sets that include songs from nearly 2,500 that the Grateful Dead wrote over their thirty year ride. They recreate historical sets almost exactly as the Dead played them; going song for song in the same order as the original set. This may suggest they are just copying the Dead note for note, but this is not the case. Although they copy the set lists exactly, they use each song as their own vehicle for musical exploration just as the Dead used to do. To add even more authenticity, DSO rearranges their musical equipment, phrasing, and voice arrangements to the era in which they are playing. For example, if DSO is playing a show from the 1970's, they will use equipment that actually sounds like it is from the 70's. At the end of every show, the band announces the date and venue where the show they just played originally took place. This allows for a true to life performance, which allows fans to actually "see" shows that happened long before their time. Although this recent catatrophe in Washington is an unheard of situation, lets just hope the fans didn't let it put a "damper" on their DSO experience.

American Rock Music?

You might be wondering what the title of my blog means or what its referring to but I will explain myself.  I was thinking to myself the other day and started to realize something about American rock music, its not good.  When I turn on the radio I hear the same thing over and over, pop rock music that is so mainstream that it all sounds the same.  You have bands like Metro Station or Good Charolette that have one hit wonder songs and they blow up.  But why? They're songs all sound the same, this bubble gum pop rock music that sounds exactly like the song before.  They also consider themselves alternative rock or rock when they are not.  Take a good American band like Rage Against the Machine or Red Hot Chili Peppers and compare them to the hundreds of pop rock bands that are out there ruining American music.  The biggest difference between Red Hot Chili Peppers and these pop bands is the genuine and unique sound that they lack.  My thought is that most bands start off creating their own music the way they want it to be, which is great play the music you want the way you want, all power to you.  But then they hear these so called rock bands on the radio being played over and over, and then it begins.  They start changing their music to the style of these bands to make it big and bring in the money.  They sell out their musical creativity and and another band to the list.  This way of thinking about music is horrible because it crushes creativity and difference between music.  I don't know about everyone else but I like to keep my ears and eyes open to new music, and when I keep hearing the same thing being played all the time it frustrates me.  But for some reason Europe really does not have this problem.  Take the UK for example, so many great genuine bands have come out of this country, but again there's the question of why.  I don't have an answer I guess in the UK they stick by their music it doesn't matter if you like it or not, its what they play and its what they will continue to play no matter what.  Thats always been my thoughts on how music and bands should be but thats just my opinion.