Culture Blues

Clef Notes #3

Every Friday, or at least until his spectacular rock star flameout, Giovanny will be  dropping a week’s worth of music knowledge on you with Clef Notes, proof positive that he’s a one man music magazine. 

NEWS 

 

 

Things to do in Illinois when you're an ignorant Insane Clown Posse fan:  Last weekend's Gathering of the Juggalos (Insane Clown Posse's annual music and shitfest) in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois has yielded considerable legal fallout. First on the docket is Tila Tequila (Ngyuen) vs. Juggalo Gathering LLC (the festival’s producers). Ms. Tequila claims that concertgoers pelted her with rocks, glass bottles, firecrackers, and human excrement during her performance (she’s a rapper now), and is seeking all sorts of legal damages.  The Juggalo camp has released a statement which reads (in part):  “Ms. Tequila was made aware, in advance, of her unpopularity with many Juggalos at the Gathering, but she insisted on performing.” It seems the producers paid her upfront, and even assured her that she could leave the stage if she became uncomfortable at any point during her “set.” The festival’s producers claim that the performer aggravated the situation when she “removed her top, exposing herself, which seemed to mock and further antagonize the crowd.” Wait, what? They kind of lost me with that one. Anyway, the world being what it is,  TMZ has some photos of Ms. Tequila post-attack (allegedly), and there is some shitty/short iPhone video of the event. I am sure this won’t be the last we hear of this suit or this festival. (Ed note: but hopefully it is!) 

 

Round Two:  The other high profile suit that may result from the aforementioned Gathering of the Juggalo festival will be filed by Method Man (Clifford Smith... face it, you wish you didn’t know that was his name). While onstage with longtime compatriot Redman, Meth was hit in the face with a full can of beer (there is video to prove this one). Because Method Man is intensely gangster, he shrugged off the blow, waved off medical personnel and shouted "Start the music, we're continuing the show. Let's fuck these motherfuckers up!" Unlike Tequila, it has taken Meth and his camp some time to pursue legal action, but in a recent interview with (you guessed it) TMZ, he stated that “we're suing, we just don’t know who yet."  The rapper then went on to discuss his dedication and passion to his craft by adding “It takes a lot of heart and balls to continue performing after you’ve been hit in the face.” He is totally right, Axl Rose would have never stood for that shit. 

They should tell us what they really think:  “Shocking, shocking, shocking.” That is how Lady Gaga’s Moroccan-Swedish mix mastering mega-producer RedOne (the man behind hits like Just Dance, Poker Face, Bad Romance etc.), in a recent interview with Billboard magazine,  described her upcoming studio album. RedOne has revealed that he is working on at least two of the tracks on Gaga’s next release, and claims the record’s sound will be unexpected and eye opening. This is just the newest salvo of hyperbole surrounding the Lady’s follow-up LP - the pop-star herself has claimed that this will be the "absolute greatest work [she’s] ever done," "utter liberation," and an "anthem for my generation for the next decade." All of these words are just adding to the juggernaut of anticipation that is heralding this record throughout the music industry. At this rate, the world will be consumed in an absolute frenzy by the time the record drops (some time next year), wherein the most fanatical Little Monsters will be elevated to cult leader-like status, and we will all be dressed absurdly. 

Now Beyonce can get those shoes she's always wanted:  Forbes.com gave the world its annual Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, which ranks the year's top twenty rap moneymakers, and the top earner over the last twelve months was (surprise!) Jay-Z. According to Forbes, the original Mr. Carter (aside from Travolta’s, I guess) racked up 63 million dollars since their last bean counting, more than double the sum of  second place mogul Sean Combs. It is easy to see how Jigga tops the list when you consider all of the various aspects of his empire; there is the clothing line, the partial ownership of the Nets, the record label, the hit Broadway show (Fela), various real estate investments... and let's not forget the tour that was bringing in over 1 million dollars a night. This is great news for Jigga, who was running low on things to brag about (the whole married to Beyonce thing just isn’t enough), and is in the process of building his own money bin a la Scrooge McDuck. As all of his wealth just grows and grows, Jay should remember the sagacious and oh-too-true words of one Christopher Wallace, who taught us all a valuable lesson. 

State of the industry:  Eminem’s Recovery reclaimed the number one spot on the Billboard countdown this week, with album sales of over 130,000. Although the record’s sales dropped 13% from last week, it still managed to return to number one for the sixth week since its release, making it only the second record to have accomplished such a feat this year (the other was Susan Boyle’s aural atrocity). Recovery also passed the 2 million mark in total sales this week, making it only the second record to push that many units this year (it’s currently second behind Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now, a record that none of you own). Of course, it should be noted that no record had cracked 2 million at this point last year. This week also saw the meteoric fall of Arcade Fire’s record sales as The Suburbs fell to number two, with a catastrophic 66% drop in sales in its second week on the shelves. I guess you cool kids have already moved on to the next thing. Or you found out that Rococo was about you.

REVIEWS

 

 

If you are into the mix-tape scene then there is a high probability that you are already aware of what Curren$y is up to these days. A onetime No Limit soldier and Cash Money millionaire, Curren$y took a long and circuitous route through the hip-hop underground before he released his current stoner-rap classic, Pilot Talk. Curren$y’s major label debut is an ode to being genuine, clever as all hell, and really, really, “relaxed”. Sonically, this record is an airy and laid back affair, with most of the beats being provided by Roc-A-Fella alum Ski Beatz (Reasonable Doubt). There is no dirty south 16th note snare on Pilot Talk, nor is there auto-tune; there is just crisp and roomy accompaniment, with plenty of space for Curren$y to drop rhymes about playing NBA Live with updated rosters, while he sits on the couch all day eating Doritos (a man after my own heart). Some of the best moments of Pilot Talk are the middle tracks, and the stretch from Seat Change to The Hangover is a brilliant five song journey through “the hunger”; with mile high accomplishments, very well trained dogs, money and bitches (we are talking about hip-hop), all accompanied by an unreal amount of pot-smoke, it will no doubt leave you nodding your head, and with a killer case of the munchies. 

 

 

 

Music serves many purposes in our society; its various uses cover everything from mood alteration to catharsis to bedroom soundtrack. Of course, there are moments when it is far less utilitarian, and you just put on a record to zone out, or maybe as background inspiration for your weekly column. Does It Look Like I’m Here? by Emeralds is the perfect record to spin on days when you want your subconscious to do the thinking. Emeralds’ latest release is an electronic ambient record with an absolutely mesmerizing quality (this is what classical music will sound like in the future). Once the opening arpeggio of Candy Shoppe bubbles up from the ether, and the track builds its wonderful collage of laser beams and shimmer, you know that this is going to be a wonderful ride through a nebula of sound that will tantalize and awe you. Songs like Cycle of Abuse, Double Helix, and Summerdata are just some of the more exemplary treats on an album that is downright heavenly, when it is not being stellar. Go get this now and don’t forget your headphones. 

 

Like most youth, I was obsessed with anything that could be considered even remotely evil growing up. Thus, when my grandmother handed me some pamphlets about how the Devil’s music was corrupting the youth of America, I was instantly intrigued. Among the bands listed on the pamphlet, Iron Maiden and Kiss got the most attention, and before I heard a note I was hooked. While I  have since learned that Maiden was not truly satanic, and while a calculated marketing ploy that banks on young boys wanting to be evil is more than a little cheesy, records like Number of The Beast, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and Fear of the Dark show that doesn't matter. Alas, it has been a long time since Maiden’s primacy; their recent records have basically all been anachronistic bores. Final Frontier is no different. Everything on this record sounds dated - the scooped-mid guitar sound is dead, Bruce Dickinson sounds old, and the themes are all recycled. Yes, Steve Harris is still in the band, and so are Smith and Murray, but fretboard heroics are not enough to save songs like Coming Home or Starblind. The album's 10 minute plus closer, When the Wild Wind Blows, tries its damnedest to be a classic Maiden epic, in the vein of Hallowed Be Thy Name, and though the effort is admirable, it still falls pretty short. 

  

True Story

 

The legend of making demonic pacts for otherworldly gifts and talents has been around for a very long time. Some of you, those who have read books, already know that the most famous example of such sinister dealings is Garth Ennis’ Dangerous Habi- I mean, the German legend of Faust, and there have been numerous interpretations of that tale through the years. Music history is rife with artists that have Faustian bargains in their backstory, and no one genre is more associated with Devil deals than the blues, and probably for good reason. Since the genre’s birth, there have been countless tales of Delta-bluesmen meeting shadowy figures at crossroads, and selling their souls for the gift of six string glory. The earliest of such tales was that of Peetie Wheatstraw, a Tennessee-born bluesman, who released records under monikers like “The Devil’s Son in Law” and the “High Sheriff from Hell.” It is believed that Wheatstraw’s persona provided the inspiration for the Robert Johnson demonic pact legend. The most famous of all blues legends, Johnson’s legend has been told in numerous mediums, ranging from books to the silver screen, and to this day stands as the quintessential tale of not just its era, but of its type. Here is a quick look at this now seminal legend, and remember kids, Satan never forgets to collect. 

TOP TEN LIST 

Woe to you, oh Earth and black, for these are the top ten songs about the Lord of Darkness. 

10) Tribute - Tenacious D
9)  Hell IS Chrome - Wilco
8)  Damien - DMX
7)  Altar of Sacrifice - Slayer
6)  Shout At The Devil - Motley Crue
5)  Satan Rejected My Soul - Morrisey
4)  Hellhound On My Trail - Robert Johnson
3)  Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
2)  Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
1)  Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones 

TRACK OF THE WEEK: 

Decisions (ft.Yuskel Arslan) - How to Dress Well:  This week's track is a real challenge. I have been on a real lo-fi kick lately, which led me to Tom Krell’s How To Dress Well project; this track is a short two and a half minute burst of clipping audio and swelling frequencies, all held in place by a steady drum core. If you don’t fight it, you just might like it.

Tagged as: Curren$y, Demonic Pacts, Emeralds, Eminem, Gathering of the Juggalos, How To Dress Well, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Method Man, Peetie Wheastraw, Robert Johnson, Tila Tequila