Pete

As long as the song matches your clothes I think it’ll do alright. It works for miley!

Troy

Troy: that article gave me an idea. Let’s all start our own line of clothing. Just imagine: Body Worx from Clan of the Can. WE could each design a featured piece for the line.

We could even get Protilius and Johnny UK to co-write and produce a song to promote the clothing. . . just a thought.

Laughing my @ss off regarding that Cyrus interview. Tech Trash…a man after my own heart. Hook? What hook? I tried it, and had fun with it, but am going back to what comes naturally. ;-).

Peter,
You and I are of like minds… most of my songs are lyrically hookless cause I write for me, without the worry if someone will say “wow great hook”. (BTW Poems don’t have a hook) Sure I want to connect to the listener but I won’t compromise my ART to fit some formula… cause that’s what it is… ART… Musically and lyrically from the soul like it or not. Ok that said, I must get ready to play in a tennis tournament this morning…
9 am match times suck… but we intend to kick ass…
TT

Talk about the state of the music industry…I read this little blurb about Miley Cyrus and her latest hit, Party in the USA. Here’s a bit of that article:

——

During a backstage interview before her Halloween night concert in Louisville, Ky., the gravelly-voiced teen queen, 16, was asked, probably for the umpteenth time, about the Jay-Z tune mentioned in “Party”

“I don’t know,” replied Miley, who was dressed up as Pocahontas for the occasion. “I didn’t write the song, so I have no idea. Honestly, I picked that song ’cause I needed something to go with my clothing line. I didn’t write it.

“I’ve never heard a Jay-Z song. I don’t listen to pop music,” she declared, an admission that’s likely to confuse her tweeny-bopper fan base. “It’s not even my style of music, that song.

——

Christ, I guess that kind of sums up the state of pop and country music these days! She’s purely cashing in without really leaving anything memorable behind. Ok, maybe she’ll leave behind a bunch of merchandise from Walmart that we can buy at a garage sale a few years from now. Here’s the link if you want to read the full story. http://wonderwall.msn.com/music/miley-cyrus-does-a-good-deed-sort-of-disses-jay-z-1525269.story?gt1=28135

Troy

Bruce, Stacy, Peter, Felice, PT, Troy,

couldn’t have said it better myself.

Now let’s get to work!

Nils

Swinford:

I’m with ya 100% Radio presents to the listener a small package that says “Here you go. Which one do you like?” Many of us say: “We don’t like any of it. We then go on-line to find the “unknowns” and we are satisfied. I think the internet is only going to challenge radio that much more in the future especially when people will stream on demand from their cars etc. That will grow too.

Bruce

Good Comrades of the 7th Can - Good Evening from the Eastern Time Zone. In direct response to Stacy, I have found the virtual radio stations available thru iTunes to be most rewarding.

And free of cost should you not mind occasional interruptions reminding one that should you subscribe there won’t be any further interruptions.

Literally hundreds upon hundreds of stations are streaming, not just the cliched hit-maker pablum, there is a most eclectic and broad selection of artists, bands, genres and things that fall into the category of: who-knew-you-could-do-that!

Now, let me ascend to the pulpit as we address the Gospel of Popular Music and the preachings of one Brittney Spears.

(Aaaaaarrrrggh - please excuse me while I purge and rid my body of that poison). CLAN: ask yourself, “do you wish to further the culling of our young girls and boys.” That’s the audience our supposed ‘music industry’ is attempting to sway and win loyalty.

CHILDREN, your children, everybody’s children are being spoon fed (along with their froot loops) that they want to be Brittney or have Brittney in their bed. CHILDREN are being activated as consumers by an ancient and decrepit machine.

What to do . . . what to do.

Okay. I am not someone you should ever wish upon yourself. But, I will always be an honest and supportive friend. Don’t write hits. Don’t always seek to be clever. A hook is waht you use to kill a fish.

Tell stories. Say things about you and he and she and me that you want others to learn from. Make history, put it to word and music, make it enticing to the ear, then share the truth of the life you lead and the world around. Just a thought. . .

PGO

I think Roy needs to talk to itunes about it…

I think for me whats frustrating is the lack of access to a variety of stations when I turn on the radio in my car. Now I hunt for music online, and I discovered a ton of great artists when I worked for Borders Books….back when they sold music. I just wish that there were radio stations around here (in Vegas) that played something different. I love Americana and folk -I love lyrics, I am a huge fan of Dylan (my son is named after him) I hate that the stations playing the music now have whittled whats heard down to about 20 songs that get played 100 times over. I love broadjam for its variety of artists and music. I totally think there needs to be a BJ station. that would be awesome!

(smiles warmly)

Got my cast/splint off today and replaced it with an ordinary removable splint. I can play video games again:)

I made 3/5th’s a fist today… Figured a little blogging may be in order.

I’m off the meds too… which is nice. I can think clearly now. Although that was a personal choice. I still have a prescription that I could get but I just dont like being all messed up on that stuff.

I should have full mobility back in 6 months… But… its hard. Everything is stiff, swollen, and hurts like all hell when I try to flatten my hand or make a fist.

No guitar playing for me… bummer… like… I want to cry kinda bummer.

But we push through… and so will I.

It’ll take time… but this too shall pass.

Cheers:)
pro

Hi PT, Glad to see you are feeling alot better and back in good form here on the blog. Your ideas about music today is very interesting and very true. That’s why the Cover Can was so much fun to do. You really couldn’t mess up what already perfection especially lyrically. Some great interpretaions came out of the Can in the Six Pack.

And yeah…

Radio has a pretty established formula when it comes to what the labels and distributers like to back…

But it doesn’t mean the artist or producers involved have accomplished something great. It just means they have a formula that makes money… and they’re sticking to it.

I think the trick is edging you’re way into that formula while maintaining a level of artist integrity. Its the difference between being the next Gravity Kills versus the next Stone Temple Pilots.

Producing art that fits the format is a challenge… but as many of us have already realized… Its not always about what you can do… But more so who you know thats gonna put it out there.

Can’t we buy radio time here on BJ?

If you shake enough cash at anything… you can make it happen. I think its all about establishing a demograph and milking it.

The work could feasibly suck… but if you buy enough airtime… there’s bound to be “someone” out there willing to buy it.

Heck… after I press “Solutions in anarchy,” I’ll be banking on it.

Lyrics:

Sometimes it only takes a line, other times it takes the story, but one thing I’ve learned is that repetition in your verses isnt always good… and music with a message is key if you ever hope to be immortalized. Otherwise… you’re just another one hit wonder that’ll be known as “the love shack band, the I would walk a 1000 mies band, or the roof is on fire guy.”

Who wants that right? Especially when we all have so much more to offer.

Sure… you can nail a hit single with a mindless hook, and maybe you should, but I think artist that aim for that mindless hook are becoming more and more abundant due to the availability of professional tools at hobby world prices. And you’ll need more than “lets party” to move ahead of the pack… Although if you can find a way to sing “lets party” better than the last guy… you’ll be in business.

Anyone can do it… sure. Sometimes I actually get pissed off that it “really is that easy” yet here I sit without a single example of how easy putting a polished platinum worthy track out there really is.

The simple lyrics found in our cover can are evidence of a dynamically changing playing field regarding fresh sounds and fresh hooks. Things that were doable years ago aren’t exactly the best option in todays market. But perhaps the things we’re doing today would never have worked back then either.

Radio friendly is a really grey concept for this. We push new boundaries every year regarding exceptable phrases, words, or ideas.

I think there are many artist that shaped genres early on that would tank in todays market. Which brings me to the only point worth making regarding this topic…

We are literally future music in the making… One person’s water is another’s wine… and there should be no rules regarding what any of us do… mearly guidelines.

So long as its not mindless thrashing on a keyboard or into a mic… Its gotta be worth something. Right?

Just give it a home…

protilius

TT:

Ok. I will concede to that- probably because Dylan didn’t care whether his tunes were popular or not. You are right when you say he didn’t write his songs thinking about a lyrical hook. He came at the right time considering the anti establishment groups in the 60s etc. - and 40 plus years ago they were not so concerned about bridges,(bridges were almost non existent in rock) hooks etc. And yes the emphasis on “hooks” are more obvious today more than ever. It definitely has to be “catchy”.

I still say his style would not fit the Idol template.