Lady GaGa & Ke$ha

So lately i have heard that Lady GaGa is our generations Madonna. I kind of sorta agree with that except Madonna does not have that freak show sorta vibe that Lady GaGa has created for herself. In all honesty i can not help but get her songs stuck in my head and do a little dance when i hear them once in a while. I do the same with Madonna songs so that's where i see how they are alike. Also the fact that they both do not appear the way all other pop icons have sets them aside into their own similar group. Both are part of a pop culture world where people are looking for something different even though it is mainly the same. The show is what people want. When they favor an entertainer it is because they well...entertain. Singers now days are not expected to just sing and dance, they must have some other element to them and Lady GaGa seems to have just that. sure her songs are the best written and most musically complex but for those of us who were born to late to experience the Madonna days we have Lady GaGa to give us that edge we are looking for in modern day pop culture.


Now for Ke$ha. I can not stand her. Honestly i think her songs are down right annoying and should not be liked as much as they are. I hear her songs on the radio all the time and find myself asking how in the world can anyone stand this. As soon as i hear her voice i freak out. Its disgusting. She sounds like she is whining and having some problems with her organs. It is just not right. I do not understand what makes her appealing. The way she sings and the things she sings give me the impression that she is illiterate and down right trashy. Sorry if you like her but for me i am not feeling it at all. The songs are not catchy and are made only to listen to if you are drunk out of your mind in a club about to vomit. When you have to vomit her music will come on just in time to assist you.
Given both are not the best artists ever but i do give more props to Lady GaGa due to the fact that she has a very outstanding music education and attended a very well known and highly honored music school. On any day i would absolutely listen to Lady GaGa over Ke$ha.

Icon Tragedies

So lately i haven't bothered listening to the radio even for humor, it's just getting to hard to handle. It's plain horrible. Therefore this week i have decided to talk about tragic deaths and sicknesses of famous icons. We all have known of some artist(s) whom have been diagnosed with some deathly illness and/or dies by some tragic means.

One recent case involves the infamous Dio, who has currently been diagnosed publicly with cancer. Many of us ourselves have been surrounded by somebody who is or has battled cancer. Whether they win of not it is a most difficult thing to face. Throughout his life Dio has brought us captivating classics that are forever going to be drilled into music. His voice reigns all over and is instantly recognisable. Dio is well known for starting a tradition in a music scene, if you know Dio you know what I'm talking about then. No matter what happens to him, though we hope he makes it through, Ronnie James Dio is forever going to be with us.

A man who has beat cancer and publically had a stoke, at a performace none the less, is one Bobby "Blitz". Yes this middle ages monster has made it through the tretcherous cancer grounds and come out on top. After going through propper procejure to get rid of his nose cancer, Bobby has come out into the world ready to face anything. Even after his stroke on stage nothing stops him from living the life his has worked so hard to achieve.

It's always great to here that some celebrity can beat cancer because it helps to spread the word about how serious cancer is, but that there is hope for those who have been diagnosed. Getting a little of the music topic i think cancer is a serious thing that we all need to know about. You are not invincible and anything can happen to you. The best thing for you to do now is to be proactive and try with all your might to not intentionally involve yourself in something that could possible cause you to face cancer, it's not a game. Almost all of have faced cancer in some way or another and with that said, do what you can now with at least some regard to your future if you intend to have one.

I think i want to end this post differently than the subject it has pertained to. I feel as though i should, since I'm blogging about music, should recommend some music that you should listen to.

First off listen to local bands, you have to, if they're good, because they are representing where your from.

Bands/Artists:

lets go old school first and say...

Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Bad Brains, Cab Calloway, Patsy Cline, D.R.I, Venom, and Agnostic Front.

Local...

Dasha, Neurolepsy, Insubordinates, Bad Taste, Like Wolves, I Object, and Rational Animals.

Some Other Stuff That May Interest SOmebody...

Discount, Amebix, Circle Jerks, Sleep, and The Shangri-Las

^all listed above vary.

I get it, everyone has different tastes in music and some, like me, have varying tastes themselves. I can listen to almost anything good and so i find myself listening to many genres. All that i have listed fit into different genres so that you can get a taste of something you may have never listened to before or so that you can find some that you like within the genres you prefer. So maybe by chance you will stumble across something that strikes your fancy.

Another Compilation Of Random Topics

Pictures
Show photos, another great part of these events. They help to keep the memories vivid even after your mind starts to lose track. I have wanted for a while now to make albums of wonderful show pictures. Many can make a name for themselves locally, and sometimes nationally by doing so greatly. The best are those taken up close and right in the show, not off to the side or from afar. I myself have gotten down with taking pictures at shows. Although not too much recently as i would like for using a film slr is hard to do at a show when you have run out of film during a set. Honestly though film is wonderful. Not to get off track since this is a music related blog it is always a good thing to have some type of camera near by when a show is going on. Who knows, you may end up capturing a picture of a landmark moment in music.

Famous/(ish) Bands/ Musicians From Our Area

Psyopus: This band has had their albums noted in a few well known magazines. I myself have seen then play once and it's definitely strange to think that they are here playing locally on stage and were recently out of town doing another tour somewhere else. Their sound caught on as strange as it is but the difference between them and every other band is what must have set them apart and let them be able to take on being known world round.



Cab Calloway: Definitely different form the band listed above however he is still a great artists. His works can be heard in productions such a The Blues Brothers. This movie has exposed an all new generation to his works and given him an all new fan base. As you walk by the racks of a movie and see this movie think, holy crap, a musician from this band is from this area where i live right now! It's a crazy thing to think about but an inspiring thing none the less.



Another prime example would be s.o.d. Outstanding band no doubt, and still have members whom have stayed true to their roots and still attend many local shows to support the up and comings of the newer generations(and some old). I would highly recommend getting into this band if you wish to play the type of music they do for the people themselves are inspiration in the way that they live their lives.



Joe Locke
Though he was not raised in Rochester, Locke was raised here and studied at the Eastman school of music. Many apsiring musicians around our area would love to attend this school. Before even graduating high school Locke had perfromed with many astounding artists. After High school however he moved to New York City and perfromed with artists such as The Beastie Boy and Rod Stewart.



Anyone in a band with heart, talent and drive can look to these bands/artist for inspiration. They all worked hard and made it. There isn't any reason why another great band or artist from Rochester can't be brought out on top.

Show locations
soooo where are you to go form a good show...well try a local venue. Check band sites and check blogs, check websites and check street lamps. These are places you're likely to find the address of where you must head to have a good time. Unfortunately if you don't know about the specific location you see on a flyer site, etc... you may get screwed. Some venues have strict policies although this really only matters to a specific music genres. Houses can make it easier to have a show because then you set the rules and you decide what can go down. Many have been shut down or cut out by certain scenes because they don't support the ideals of the certain bands and artists. My advice if you're putting on a show, do it at a good place where people can actually enjoy themselves and not have to sit around waiting to leave, only staying because of the price they payed to get in.