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September 26, 2006
Seriously, Billy Joe Armstrong?
I would like to take a moment to address the disturbing and ridiculous fashion choices that Billy Joe Armstrong and his grossly overrated "punk" band Green Day have made. He and Bono performed for the half time show of last night's Saints vs. Falcons game, and I realized something that probably a millon other people spotted ages ago. Armstrong is morphing into Robert Smith.
What's happening, here? You know, he used to be kind of cute in his baby-faced grungy kid way in the faux hawk days, but this is just...kind of annoying. Seriously, what's the point? I thought the current Green Day following was more trendy than this - you know, Levi's and Converse and t-shirts and track jackets. Am I dead wrong? Don't the kids with all the black make-up listen to like, Korn? Did I just date myself with that reference?
Well, whatever. The thing of it is, Billy Joe Armstrong is no Robert Smith, and I wish he would cut that whole thing out. It's been done, and he just looks silly. Maybe the band wanted to distance themselves visually from the Green Day that broke onto the scene in the 90's with a song about masturbation (remember that?), and this dark and dated costume thing helps people realize that, yeah, they're totally relevant .
I'll be honest, I've never listened to entire Green Day album, and I doubt I ever will. I rarely listen to the radio, so I'm a bit out of it when it comes to what's popular, but I know what's stupid when I see it. And Green Day? You look stupid.
Posted by heidi at 10:28 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 17, 2006
21 grams
this week marks the 33 year anniversay of the passing of gram parsons the erstwhile singer songwriter who arguably had a larger influence on modern americana/country rock than any other singer before or since. his life was iconic - profoundly impacting the sound of the rolling stones and the byrds - to his work with the flying burrito brothers and his heart wrenching solo albums with emmylou harris. the events his death was legendary - after a drug overtose on september 19, 1973 at the joshua tree inn claimed his life gram's body was hi-jacked from lax by his road manager phil kaufman and michael martin. the two transported gram's body in a borrowed hearse back to the joshua tree and lit his coffin on fire.
not a bad way to go for a gangly harvard educated kid who in his own unassuming way changed the face of cosmic american music forever. if you aren't familiar with the work of gram parsons - shame on you. you should be. from the simplicity of songs like sin city to the aching beauty of a song like hickory wind his mark on the modern musical landscape is inescapable. he's nick drake in a cowboy hat and a nudie suit. he's got a story to tell and it's important and sweeping and beautiful and - if you've never heard gram and emmylou entwine their voices around love hurts then you've never really heard that song. i'm not even kidding.
the rolling stones album sticky fingers has gram's influence all over it. the song wild horses was allegedly written by keith richards as a tribute to gram. there are those who suggest that it was gram that actually wrote that song in addition to dead flowers. not that it matters - even without those songs in his canon gram parson's is a voice that demands to be heard. if you've enjoyed the music of uncle tupelo, whiskeytown, wilco, or son volt (just to name a few) you've heard gram. so next time you happen by your local record shoppe check him out and see what all the fuss is about. gram - you left us too soon. i love music.
and i remember something someone once told me/ and i'll be damned if it did not come true/ twenty thousand roads i went down - down - down/and they all led me straight back home to you.
Posted by young_christopher at 2:48 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack