I found the motives behind record collecting discussed last week interesting in terms of my flatmate, who has a large record collection. A few days after the lecture, she launched into a long and tedious story about her search for hard to find Rolling Stones albums. As she rambled on, I noticed she displayed the classic symptoms of a record collector that Nabeel spoke about. These included the thrill of the hunt, displaying wealth and knowledge and the pleasure taken from the ritual of cleaning and cataloguing the records.
I assumed she had a great passion for music to rigorously keep up such an expensive hobby. I also assumed that we did not regularly hear her record player blasting because she was worried about damaging her prized possessions. However, when I asked her what her favourite Rolling Stones song was, she stared at me blankly and slowly replied, “Well I don’t know… they’re all kinda good”. After a long silence it was obvious that my flatmate couldn’t name one song, let alone her favourite. It seems as though while she no doubt has an impressive knowledge about records, she actually has no interest in the music at all. Since then Nikki has often tried to casually drop in interesting music related facts to redeem herself. I just find it fascinating how one can be so consumed with such a hobby and yet have little interest in the music to begin with. It seems that it’s definitely not always all about the music.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Letting The Radio Play
In relation to previous comments made about how naturalized the constant presence of music is in everyday life, I would like to suggest that in terms of gendered habitual practices of listening to music, I found by asking around that my male friends are far more expressive about their music collections than my female peers. I discovered that most of my male friends were reluctant to listen to the radio, yet overtly asserted the right to display their music collection weather it be cd’s or MP3 format. Something composed by them, for themselves. Selectivity (or lack of it) was the main issue I identified whilst talking to my fellow peers about their listening habits in relation to Radio V.S MP3.
The notion of the radio denies the listener the option of specific choice and control over the tracks that are played. Upon further interrogation I learned that it is this lack of choice and control over personalization’s such as volume leveling, track order and selection of genre compositions that most put male listeners off selecting the radio as a main medium for listening to music. Another common complaint was the amount of conversation engaged with the radio dj’s that merely “occupied empty space” where music was suppose to be. Surprisingly, this seemed to bother male listeners more than radio commercials! Now I am perfectly aware that all radio stations are not formatted in the same way (or created equal in my opinion) and there will be variation between which stations what gender tunes in to. For this purpose I selected the most commonly identifiable radio stations in this peer group, aged 20-25, out of my male and female friends, namely ZM and The Rock. The majority of these male peers who did tune in regularly (weekly) did only for one Sunday night heavy metal radio segment. Selectivity of genre. Female peers tended to turn on the radio in the morning, or whist getting ready to go out somewhere as it meant that they could engage in distracted listening practices yet enjoy the atmospheric pleasure the presence of music brought. They also tended to listen to the radio predominantly while driving, instead of MP3’s. Music can be thought of as a hobby or recreation, or both simultaneously, but listening practices so far as selectivity and collectivity surrounding the choice of MP3 over radio reveal the presence of differentiating listening practices between the genders.
Letting The Radio Play
In relation to previous comments made about how naturalized the constant presence of music is in everyday life, I would like to suggest that in terms of gendered habitual practices of listening to music, I found by asking around that my male friends are far more expressive about their music collections than my female peers. I discovered that most of my male friends were reluctant to listen to the radio, yet overtly asserted the right to display their music collection weather it be cd’s or MP3 format. Something composed by them, for themselves. Selectivity (or lack of it) was the main issue I identified whilst talking to my fellow peers about their listening habits in relation to Radio V.S MP3.
The notion of the radio denies the listener the option of specific choice and control over the tracks that are played. Upon further interrogation I learned that it is this lack of choice and control over personalization’s such as volume leveling, track order and selection of genre compositions that most put male listeners off selecting the radio as a main medium for listening to music. Another common complaint was the amount of conversation engaged with the radio dj’s that merely “occupied empty space” where music was suppose to be. Surprisingly, this seemed to bother male listeners more than radio commercials! Now I am perfectly aware that all radio stations are not formatted in the same way (or created equal in my opinion) and there will be variation between which stations what gender tunes in to. For this purpose I selected the most commonly identifiable radio stations in this peer group, aged 20-25, out of my male and female friends, namely ZM and The Rock. The majority of these male peers who did tune in regularly (weekly) did only for one Sunday night heavy metal radio segment. Selectivity of genre. Female peers tended to turn on the radio in the morning, or whist getting ready to go out somewhere as it meant that they could engage in distracted listening practices yet enjoy the atmospheric pleasure the presence of music brought. They also tended to listen to the radio predominantly while driving, instead of MP3’s. Music can be thought of as a hobby or recreation, or both simultaneously, but listening practices so far as selectivity and collectivity surrounding the choice of MP3 over radio reveal the presence of differentiating listening practices between the genders.
Post-Research Essay – Keep On Blogging!
- Hi Everyone,
Keep on blogging after the Research Essay!
The topic of my Research Assignment was –‘Popular Music and Television Commercials’.
In my last blog I referred to the new Television One Network ‘Channel Promo’ which uses the song called ‘Light Surrounding You’ by the pop group ‘Evermore’.
The TV-One prom is called ‘We are One’.
And to view a great mock-up version of the of TVNZ’s ‘We Are One’ media promotion see:
http://www.throng.co.nz/tvnz/hilarious-updated-tvnz-promo-we-are-one.
The mock-up version is titled ‘We Are On E’, and the music track by ‘Evermore’ has been replaced by the ‘Whistle Song’.
I included this resource in my Research Essay, but just thought you’d like to access it as well!! ;->
Bests,
Andrea Francesca
Student – FTVMS 323
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Media Recycling
In the contemporary era of endless technology, the possibility of learning about, appreciating, and reliving the past is easily possible. This cultural recycling is clearly demonstrated in Ghost World. Enid’s nonconformist attitude and cynicism is just her unwillingness to adapt to the reality of her world. Instead, she searches the garbage pin of the cultural past for new identities in order to put off her need to grow up.
Just as Enid collects past styles like 1970s punk and all retro clothes, Seymore collects blues records as a way to protect himself from actually creating his own life with another person. Enid prefers records instead of cassettes or CDs, and constantly criticizes contemporary popular music, illustrating her insistence on living in an era that existed before she was born. This nostalgia is not confined to the collective cultural past, but also her own past. For instance, she runs away from home while packing up her room and listening to a small children’s record, which she found in her closet. This record illustrates her own discomfort with the present, and her taking comfort in old music as a coping mechanism. Unlike Rebecca who works at a coffee shop and actually rents an apartment, Enid is afraid of starting a new life, and looks to the past as a way to avoid it.
This fear is also illustrated by Enid’s inability to develop her artistic talent. Just like Seymore who collects the past to avoid life with another person, Enid is afraid to create art that reflects her identity. Her art’s inspiration is of old media icons like Elvis and Don Knotts illustrate the recycling of the past into the present. Although the art’s inspiration lies in the past, it is something completely new and shows how influences from the past are always recycled into the present. Media is constantly being recycled and adapted, and can transform into something completely new.
Just as Enid collects past styles like 1970s punk and all retro clothes, Seymore collects blues records as a way to protect himself from actually creating his own life with another person. Enid prefers records instead of cassettes or CDs, and constantly criticizes contemporary popular music, illustrating her insistence on living in an era that existed before she was born. This nostalgia is not confined to the collective cultural past, but also her own past. For instance, she runs away from home while packing up her room and listening to a small children’s record, which she found in her closet. This record illustrates her own discomfort with the present, and her taking comfort in old music as a coping mechanism. Unlike Rebecca who works at a coffee shop and actually rents an apartment, Enid is afraid of starting a new life, and looks to the past as a way to avoid it.
This fear is also illustrated by Enid’s inability to develop her artistic talent. Just like Seymore who collects the past to avoid life with another person, Enid is afraid to create art that reflects her identity. Her art’s inspiration is of old media icons like Elvis and Don Knotts illustrate the recycling of the past into the present. Although the art’s inspiration lies in the past, it is something completely new and shows how influences from the past are always recycled into the present. Media is constantly being recycled and adapted, and can transform into something completely new.
Music in Your Everyday Life
Last week I had an unfortunate accident which involved my Iriver (mp3 player) and a floor (very hard) which resulted in me having to make the commute home from university without the usual library of music at my fingertips. At the time I was initially reasonably annoyed at myself (for my own clumsiness) but as the commute began things went from bad to worse.
First the walk from uni to the train station seemed to take twice as long without my music shutting out the sounds of the evening traffic. I realised i've become so accustomed to having music playing whilst walking around town that the distances between places aren't as noticeable, as the music seems to distract me from my surroundings.
Next came the train ride. It was horrible. 50 minutes of torture. The piercing squeal of the trains breaks, the inane chatter of the office ladies, the loud rubbish someone was playing on their mobile phone (this must have annoyed people other than me) were all things which really started to bug me. Usually having my own music with me has allowed me to escape the noise of the public, and even the train when I turn it up loud enough. I spent the train ride frowning at my own reflection in the window.
Then there was the 20 minute drive from the train station to home. I had to listen to the radio. It was rubbish. I never listen to the radio in the car. I didn't know the majority of the songs, but instantly loathed them, which is perhaps a bit unfair due to my prior irritations. I couldn't sing along like I usually do to my music during the drive home, so I passed the time by glaring at speeding drivers passing me.
I'm told I was visibly not in a good mood when I arrived home.
Looking back at last week its clear my music has become an important part of my every day life:
It speeds up chores.
It allows me an escape from my surroundings.
It even keeps me calm.
I simply found it interesting that we can become so accustomed to music, and that it can have that much of an effect on ones every day life, to the point where its abesence has such noticeable effects on ones moods and behaviours.
Has anyone experiened anything similar?
First the walk from uni to the train station seemed to take twice as long without my music shutting out the sounds of the evening traffic. I realised i've become so accustomed to having music playing whilst walking around town that the distances between places aren't as noticeable, as the music seems to distract me from my surroundings.
Next came the train ride. It was horrible. 50 minutes of torture. The piercing squeal of the trains breaks, the inane chatter of the office ladies, the loud rubbish someone was playing on their mobile phone (this must have annoyed people other than me) were all things which really started to bug me. Usually having my own music with me has allowed me to escape the noise of the public, and even the train when I turn it up loud enough. I spent the train ride frowning at my own reflection in the window.
Then there was the 20 minute drive from the train station to home. I had to listen to the radio. It was rubbish. I never listen to the radio in the car. I didn't know the majority of the songs, but instantly loathed them, which is perhaps a bit unfair due to my prior irritations. I couldn't sing along like I usually do to my music during the drive home, so I passed the time by glaring at speeding drivers passing me.
I'm told I was visibly not in a good mood when I arrived home.
Looking back at last week its clear my music has become an important part of my every day life:
It speeds up chores.
It allows me an escape from my surroundings.
It even keeps me calm.
I simply found it interesting that we can become so accustomed to music, and that it can have that much of an effect on ones every day life, to the point where its abesence has such noticeable effects on ones moods and behaviours.
Has anyone experiened anything similar?
YouTube phenomenon
Since the rising of YouTube, which has bring up a YouTube phenomenon that many internet users are now enthusiastic about filming and sharing their clips on internet and stimulated the advance of the internet website.
According to America recent survey, 42% of the American internet users indicates they like to watch the internet clips, and for those who like to view the YouTube website, one third even indicate, due to the clip viewing, they decrease the time on watching television, therefore there are more and more traditional media viewers such as newspapers, television and magazine started to flow to the internet, I think because the rise of the YouTube, which had blurred many boundaries between the medias, such as the boundary between the ordinary citizen and news media, in the past democratic society, public gives the mission of monitoring the government to the news media and sees them as the watcher of the government. But after YouTube being established, internet users can start to upload anything that they think is unjustified onto internet and started a public monitoring phenomenon. YouTube has also blur the boundary between the advert and consumer, on YouTube website, many people use this platform to “sell” themselves and commodities, therefore promoting does not require the traditional media and advertisement anymore.
I think after the rising of YouTube, the users within this universal village are more close together, which increase the speed of globalization, people around the world can view the clip from different countries and allow them to understand different culture and different thoughts, by doing this it increased their universal view, and also because many people starts to post different homemade clips, therefore there are often many creative ideas about certain events or commodities has been generated, it also had stimulated the creativity of the people world wide, therefore creating is not the privilege of the designer anymore.
Monday, May 7, 2007
gender and technology
The topic of last weeks lecture I found particularly interesting as I have often contemplated the gender dynamics towards technology but did not realize there had been academic writing done in this area. In a women’s studies paper I learnt that a research found that when class technology goes wrong for a male lecturer the students believe the technology was not working correctly, however when female lecturers have the same technological problems the students believe the (female) lecturer did not know how to use the technology correctly. These results reveal that the gender stereotyping of male competence with technology and female incompetence with technology extends beyond music equipment and in to day-to-day technology. I believe this gender stereotyping extends into film technology as well. The films I have worked on as an actress have all had heavily male dominated crews and the, now dated, terminology such as cameraman is most likely a result of this. As a student I was given the opportunity to work behind camera, something I was eager to do, but as I was the only female in the group it was presumed I would act while the boys had directorial control. This is what led me to choose to work solo on the following project; it was a way of insuring that I would get to experience working behind camera. But how is this gender stereotyping constructed? Perhaps it is the gender-coded interests we are infiltrated with as children. Boys are given toy cars, trucks, tools etc; all of these involve the construction and workings of man-made equipment and thus they are closely tied to technology. Are computers and stereos the grown up versions of transformers? After all technology does have a strong presence at exposes like ‘Big Boys Toys’. So perhaps men have a socially constructed cultural advantage; the cultural capital that comes from being raised a boy in modern society. What I have observed in women’s interaction with technology, myself included, is that is treated more as a means to an ends. So on my laptop I know how to write essays, use the Internet and email and play DVDs. That’s about it because that’s all I use it for. However when my boyfriend got his laptop he spent several days familiarizing himself with it and discovering virtually everything it was capable of. Whatever the cause men on the whole appear to have a genuine interest in technology, which I think that women, for whatever reason, just don’t have to the same extent. This of coarse is a hugely generalized statement, something difficult to avoid when discussing gender.
Roll Call and Admin.
Hello everybody.
The vast majority of the people I had no names for have sorted themselves out through contacting me (thank you) or through me getting access to a more up-to-date class list.
Those still outstanding are:
Meil
Madison
Isyana
Josh
If these folks could send me an email with their details, that'd be great. I have some information to suggest that these may be people who are reading the blog but not actually taking the course. This is all fine, but if that could be confirmed in a response, that'd be brilliant.
For general admin, it's great to see so many people turning up in the last weeks. As I mentioned last week, if you made your first post on or before Sunday the 6th of May, then you're still eligible for full marks on the blog. You just need to make 1 post per week until the blog is handed in.
Since the blog is due on on Thursday the 31st of May this means that the last week for submission runs from the 28th of May to the 31st inclusive. It is thus shorter than the others, so don't forget.
Some people have contacted me about technical problems which prevented them from posting by midnight last night: that has been taken into account, don't worry.
Good luck for everything, and if people have questions, ask away.
- Kevin.
The vast majority of the people I had no names for have sorted themselves out through contacting me (thank you) or through me getting access to a more up-to-date class list.
Those still outstanding are:
Meil
Madison
Isyana
Josh
If these folks could send me an email with their details, that'd be great. I have some information to suggest that these may be people who are reading the blog but not actually taking the course. This is all fine, but if that could be confirmed in a response, that'd be brilliant.
For general admin, it's great to see so many people turning up in the last weeks. As I mentioned last week, if you made your first post on or before Sunday the 6th of May, then you're still eligible for full marks on the blog. You just need to make 1 post per week until the blog is handed in.
Since the blog is due on on Thursday the 31st of May this means that the last week for submission runs from the 28th of May to the 31st inclusive. It is thus shorter than the others, so don't forget.
Some people have contacted me about technical problems which prevented them from posting by midnight last night: that has been taken into account, don't worry.
Good luck for everything, and if people have questions, ask away.
- Kevin.
Forever Vinyl
This is a bit late but thought I'd mention a neat video on 45s and girls who collect records, Cornershop's 'Brimful of Asha'.
I remember it from those weekend chart programmes and MTV's blink-and-you'll-miss-it first appearance here in 1996 or 97. The video is totally retro, with the girl and her stacks of 45s straight out of the 60s and 70s. I think it was part of the 90s fixation on the grooviness of that era, especially with the girl's hyper listening style. I think the band featuring within the 45s sleeves (probably some hi-tech term) is a kind of remediation, with the picture sleeves referencing the original records and their iconographic significance. Being a record collector myself, I agree with the idea of the record as a gendered technology and hobby. I often get weird looks from older guys when I'm going through the record shelves and they see me carrying a stack of LPs from the 'oldies' section. Maybe I was too young to invade their territory. That's where I think it's an age and gender combo. Vinyl consumption is either archaic or ironic, but with a lot of collectors I think it's just because some material is unlikely to be transferred on to CD and MP3.
I also remember TV3 featuring an item on a 'Vinyl Comeback' late last year. They featured clips of teenagers in Real Groovy skimming through the imports and discounted 45s. I think there was an even spread of girls and guys. Ultimately, it's just about going after the music you enjoy and not worrying about falling into a certain stereotype by being too retro. I agree with the earlier posts on records and MP3s and identity construction. Where the record is tangible and offers a visual connection through the grooves and noise (both kinds with reissues), MP3s are all liquid and more convenient and offer a different kind of physical closeness, like a McLuhanesque extension to go back to 203. 45s are pretty handy though, they're just like a CD single, it's just a matter of lifting the needle, and there are also those snazzy automatic players.
I know a lot of collectors lament the digitisation of record catalogues, but I think it's a nice marriage of retro and modern. One LP I searched over a year for I found on a record store's website for their in-store stock overseas. They even gave me free postage for being a Kiwi!
Another interesting example of girls and their records is Dogfight (1991). The protagonist, Rose, is a folksy sixties girl and Vietnam pacifist. She has posters of folk singer Joan Baez on her wall and cries while listening to her phonograph, much like Robertson-Wojcik's shot of Holly, after discovering she was a 'dogfight' contestant (male chauvinist soldiers gather so-called 'ugly-ducklings' and the winner receives $50).
To tie back to the ideas of commodity fetishism and gender, I think part of the allure of record collecting lies in its authenticity. Record users inscribe multiple layers of meaning on to the record covers and the vinyl itself, and its 'relic' status kind of sees the listener give animate qualities to the record. But I think girls who buy records today are often dismissed as the descendents of those crazed teen idol fans of the 1950s, when just about every male film star churned out a hit 45. Record collecting can also be more communal than MP3 consumption, which seems to envelop the listener in their digital world of 'personalised' content. A few collectors' books I've read seem to privilege the male collector and their experience, even ones published over the last four years, but I think that's more a product of genre trends, rather than deliberate exclusion.
Stella
I remember it from those weekend chart programmes and MTV's blink-and-you'll-miss-it first appearance here in 1996 or 97. The video is totally retro, with the girl and her stacks of 45s straight out of the 60s and 70s. I think it was part of the 90s fixation on the grooviness of that era, especially with the girl's hyper listening style. I think the band featuring within the 45s sleeves (probably some hi-tech term) is a kind of remediation, with the picture sleeves referencing the original records and their iconographic significance. Being a record collector myself, I agree with the idea of the record as a gendered technology and hobby. I often get weird looks from older guys when I'm going through the record shelves and they see me carrying a stack of LPs from the 'oldies' section. Maybe I was too young to invade their territory. That's where I think it's an age and gender combo. Vinyl consumption is either archaic or ironic, but with a lot of collectors I think it's just because some material is unlikely to be transferred on to CD and MP3.
I also remember TV3 featuring an item on a 'Vinyl Comeback' late last year. They featured clips of teenagers in Real Groovy skimming through the imports and discounted 45s. I think there was an even spread of girls and guys. Ultimately, it's just about going after the music you enjoy and not worrying about falling into a certain stereotype by being too retro. I agree with the earlier posts on records and MP3s and identity construction. Where the record is tangible and offers a visual connection through the grooves and noise (both kinds with reissues), MP3s are all liquid and more convenient and offer a different kind of physical closeness, like a McLuhanesque extension to go back to 203. 45s are pretty handy though, they're just like a CD single, it's just a matter of lifting the needle, and there are also those snazzy automatic players.
I know a lot of collectors lament the digitisation of record catalogues, but I think it's a nice marriage of retro and modern. One LP I searched over a year for I found on a record store's website for their in-store stock overseas. They even gave me free postage for being a Kiwi!
Another interesting example of girls and their records is Dogfight (1991). The protagonist, Rose, is a folksy sixties girl and Vietnam pacifist. She has posters of folk singer Joan Baez on her wall and cries while listening to her phonograph, much like Robertson-Wojcik's shot of Holly, after discovering she was a 'dogfight' contestant (male chauvinist soldiers gather so-called 'ugly-ducklings' and the winner receives $50).
To tie back to the ideas of commodity fetishism and gender, I think part of the allure of record collecting lies in its authenticity. Record users inscribe multiple layers of meaning on to the record covers and the vinyl itself, and its 'relic' status kind of sees the listener give animate qualities to the record. But I think girls who buy records today are often dismissed as the descendents of those crazed teen idol fans of the 1950s, when just about every male film star churned out a hit 45. Record collecting can also be more communal than MP3 consumption, which seems to envelop the listener in their digital world of 'personalised' content. A few collectors' books I've read seem to privilege the male collector and their experience, even ones published over the last four years, but I think that's more a product of genre trends, rather than deliberate exclusion.
Stella
Ipod v Record - who will win?
As we enter the age of the digital, we at the same time enter the age of the depersonalised, the material, the object. Digital 'objects' such as ipods, computers, mp3 players and cellphones have somehow taken precedence over the cd, the casette, and more importantly, the live performance and quality of the music itself. It seems that having a huge collection of songs on your computer which you can compellingly scroll through (regardless of whether you have listened to the entire collection or not) has become more important than knowing the songs, and knowing the performer. What usedto be described as fandom for the performer or song, has been replaced by the fetishised need to display Mp3's, ipods, and downloaded caller tunes in order to fit into this materialistic society. Whereas once it was natural to know obsessive amount of facts on an artist, how they made their songs, how they became a musician etc. (for example, 'Beatlemania'), it has now become naturalized to compete for who has the largest number of songs/downloads in their collection. How can we bring back the nostalgia for the cd, the cassette, even the record when we are constantly competing with these giant electronic empires?!?! HELP!
Are we living in a Ghost World?
If anyone is interested in punk culture, or at least the scene that exists within Auckland, I’m sure you’ll also be aware of how fickle it has become in trying to determine the “true” meaning of punk. From what I’ve seen over the years, bands and fans who are united through the history of punk rock, are divided by the definition of what it means by today’s standards. Those who share a stage and those who pay to watch them, have all erupted into a pathetic two-faced internet squabble over who’s punk and who’s not - as was always seen on the forums of www.punkas.com; a New Zealand site dedicated to the genre. I myself have not read the forums for years, because it just became too frustrating to try and understand how close-minded people could be within a scene that professes the very opposite.
Through viewing Ghost World and witnessing Enid’s experimentation with music, a whole new level has been added to my frustration of the “rules” of the scene and those stupid few who determine themselves the gatekeepers of it. Enid has varied musical tastes, as is reflected in her personal style - she is obviously influenced by historical notions of music scenes, as is evident in her transformation into “an original 1977 punk” rocker. Through her observation of the punk scene having origins, she is obviously aware of its development and metamorphosis since 1977; into something that is quite different from what it was spawned from. Progression however seems to be a concept that is lost on the self-professed rule makers of today’s scene; who instead choose to argue about the politics of a culture which will never again be as straightforward as it was when it originally emerged.
Through viewing Ghost World and witnessing Enid’s experimentation with music, a whole new level has been added to my frustration of the “rules” of the scene and those stupid few who determine themselves the gatekeepers of it. Enid has varied musical tastes, as is reflected in her personal style - she is obviously influenced by historical notions of music scenes, as is evident in her transformation into “an original 1977 punk” rocker. Through her observation of the punk scene having origins, she is obviously aware of its development and metamorphosis since 1977; into something that is quite different from what it was spawned from. Progression however seems to be a concept that is lost on the self-professed rule makers of today’s scene; who instead choose to argue about the politics of a culture which will never again be as straightforward as it was when it originally emerged.
Hip Hop Flop: Age of the Lollipop Rappers
“Talkin bout how much money they got, all y’all records sound the same.I’m sick of that fake thug, r & b, rap scenario all day on the radio.Same scenes in the video, monotonous material” – Hip-Hop by Dead Prez
From the days of Run DMC and Public Enemy, hip-hop was a new breed of music mixing the minds of lyrical genius, beat and rhyme into a genre that remains today. Gangster rap, a sub-genre of hip hop developed during the late 1980s with the popularity of artists such as Dr. Dre and his album The Chronic. However, the representation of hip hop, particularly gangster rap, has changed.
In the naissance of gangster rap where one was divided by the East or West, Crip or Blood, no collaboration between the two existed. Nowadays, the magnitude of image can be shown with someone like The Game, member of the Piru Bloods, collaborating with Snoop Dogg, a declared Crip. The way in which rap was seen as a socio-political platform does not resemble that of today’s music. Gangster rap of the past described the rapper as being a casualty of urban squalor. However with the way gangster rappers portray themselves in music video today is definitely hedonistic with them showing off expensive jewellery, cars, clothes, and women.
Self-proclamation of the image has taken the genre downhill in the ways of mimicking the past and materialising the future. The genre of gangster rap has always been accused of homophobia, misogyny, racism, materialism and promiscuity. However, those were not the only factors that contributed to the field. Gangster rap voiced opinion as well as fast vocal, clever lyrics and black American history.
From the days of Run DMC and Public Enemy, hip-hop was a new breed of music mixing the minds of lyrical genius, beat and rhyme into a genre that remains today. Gangster rap, a sub-genre of hip hop developed during the late 1980s with the popularity of artists such as Dr. Dre and his album The Chronic. However, the representation of hip hop, particularly gangster rap, has changed.
In the naissance of gangster rap where one was divided by the East or West, Crip or Blood, no collaboration between the two existed. Nowadays, the magnitude of image can be shown with someone like The Game, member of the Piru Bloods, collaborating with Snoop Dogg, a declared Crip. The way in which rap was seen as a socio-political platform does not resemble that of today’s music. Gangster rap of the past described the rapper as being a casualty of urban squalor. However with the way gangster rappers portray themselves in music video today is definitely hedonistic with them showing off expensive jewellery, cars, clothes, and women.
Self-proclamation of the image has taken the genre downhill in the ways of mimicking the past and materialising the future. The genre of gangster rap has always been accused of homophobia, misogyny, racism, materialism and promiscuity. However, those were not the only factors that contributed to the field. Gangster rap voiced opinion as well as fast vocal, clever lyrics and black American history.
The juxtaposition of song in Charlie's Angels and the vagueness of time as marketing ploy?
I was watching the Charlie’s Angels film (released in 2000) over the weekend and couldn’t decide whether the film was set in the 1970’s or in 2000. Through the juxtaposition of song in particular, Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give It Up and Destiny’s Child’s Independent Women for example, the accompanying compilation soundtrack served both as a reminder of the films roots in 1970’s popular culture and as a vehicle to situate the film as contemporary cinema, to create a fusion of past and present. The film’s sits between a homage and a reworking of the original television series, situated in an “Angel World” (to borrow a term from J. Michael Riva; the films production designer), an alternative reality where a mythologised and stereotyped representation of the 1970’s has been adapted into a filmic ‘style’ which separates its cultural references to the 1970’s from the actuality in which they occurred. Of particular interest is the inclusion of Deee-lite’s ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ (released in 1990) in the soundtrack and its distinctive 1970’s funk and soul flavour which contributes to the film’s retro style and comments on the vagueness of the films time. This is perhaps representative of obvious commercial incentives that open the film’s appeals to original fans of the television series and to a new wave of fans from Spice Girls-‘girl-power’ and post-feminist descent. It also follows the trend set by films like Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Boogie Nights which established the retro cinema of the 1990’s.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
A music video film?
It is quite funny that we always say this music is from that film, but we never or at least not often say the film is famous because of its music. Even for musicals, such as Singing in the rain, Chicago, at most of time we rather to watch the film than listen to the soundtrack. I am always curious that how come no singer wants to use their music videos to make a film? Or, use three to five music videos to make a short one. Probably there is not market for that kind of production or companies would not receive enough revenue to cover the cost. But, undoubtedly, a theme song can make the film much better. I guess that is because music can touch audience more directly, and music can make audience to remember certain scene in their life. And for those theme songs, they normally would use slow melody and simple lyrics, so that, they would reinforce senses like sadness or romance. Also, film and music has cross-promote relationship, it is hard to tell which one can bring more benefits from the other. Anyway, I think record companies can use their music videos to make short films and put them on internet. In compare of film music, that definitely will cost less and probably more viewers would consume this type of music production.
Music vs. No Music
I just went to see the film Bobby (Directed by Emilio Estevez). What struck me was not the music that was in the film but rather the lack of music. Set in 1968 what music there was did have a nostalgic aspect to it, reflecting the time that is was set in. Demi Moore’s character, Virginia Fallon, was a singer which allowed for diagetic music from the band rehearsing and performing at times throughout the film. As I was watching the film it seemed to me that there was not much non diagetic music until the end when Senator Bobby Kennedy was shot. For me the effect of suddenly hearing the music was unsettling. As the film is based on fact, the ending is known from the start of the film. For me the effect of this music created a sense of uncertainty similar to the uncertainty that the characters would be feeling after Senator Kennedy was shot. I thought that by not using a lot of music or sound until the end worked in this film. Part of the effect that music has on the audience watching is to pull them into the narrative but here the lack of music had that same effect if not more so. There must be more films that are similar to Bobby that don’t fit the blockbuster style of film.
Almost Too Famous
This past week's lecture, readings and film, had an obvious theme of females associating with the listening and appreciating aspect of phonographs/music and males listening, but also collecting. While there were many examples of films and texts that tried to break or broke female stereotypes, it didn't seem like there were as many for male stereotypes. Looking back at some films people have brought up in the past on the blog, I'm resurrecting "Almost Famous." Based on Cameron Crowe's life, there is definitely a theme in the film of music appreciation as opposed to fetishism and collection. Penny Lane and her "band-aids" distinguish themselves from the groupies, because they're really there for the music (or so they claim) their affairs with the rockstars are "completely separate." More importantly though, we see the male music fans in the film as Lester Bangs and William Miller. While they do have their own record collections, it at least seems like their collections contain albums that they love to listen to, not just albums that they love to own. Does their appreciation "feminize" them or does it just attempt to break the gender stereotype? Maybe this case is completely different considering Lester and William are both music journalists, so maybe they listen to the music in a different way than the typical male. Think about though, the first time William really listens to rock music. His sister has just left home and all he has left to remember her is her music collection. It seems like it would be a form of connection, but instead it turns out to be more of a form of education. William sees the note she left "Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you'll see your entire future," and he follows these directions trying to learn from his sister how he should listen to music and appreciate it. It turns out though, that he learns this on his own through his analysis of music and through his writing. He cares more about putting his appreciation down in words than in seeing it collecting dust on a shelf. Lester on the other hand is a snobby rock critic that, as a mentor to William, helps him recognize his inner music nerd. When he goes on a radio show, he criticizes the DJ's choice in music and puts on what he thinks people should be listening to. Both characters seem to break the gender stereotype because for each of them it's a way for them to embrace their inner "losers" as Lester says. It's an emotional connection to the music that both of them have, not a physical or analytical connection. Their collections are merely just collections of music they continually listen to, not collections of dust.
Will vinyl revive? : Back to the analogue from digital
After Nabeel's lecture on Wednesday, I've researched about vinyl record and its availability. Surprisingly, and unexpectedly hundrends of results came up on the screen, and I became to realise that there are so many vinyl record shops online, in this period of 'digital media'. Personally, when I hear the words like 'LP' or 'vinyl record', the first thing that comes up on my mind is dusty, clumsy figure of records that are all piled up in one corner of our garage which seems like waiting to be thrown away. The thing is I've never experienced vinyl records what the audiophiles call the 'art of sound', so they actually mean nothing to me. But for my parents, they're more than just records. My parents never throw them away even though they don't listen to them anymore.
Now the mp3s are everywhere, not to mention the CDs, and some people even say that the CDs would disappear in the next few years. It is quite doubtful that the vinyl records are ever going to be reappear in the contemporary music market in this world of low-cost portable CD players and iPod. It is hard to believe, but nowadays teenagers are interested in the purchasing vinyl records, especially in England. Five years ago the sales volume of the records were only about 180,000 but now it is gone up to more than a million.
So what makes it attractive to the teens to actually purchase it out of their little money? Well, the most apparent reason seems to be the quality of the sound, the true sound of music that it brings. Some are drawn in by its actual handling of the music & the special atmosphere that it creates while playing it on the phonograph.
The question is, until when will this trend continue? Well, no one can gurantee, only the time will tell. But some people argue that people will prefer whichever they find to be the most convenient. If they are not festishizing the singer/band or their music, they will choose to listen mp3s even if they actually feel the lower quality of the music. But because of its special and prehistoric characteristics there will always be vinyl proponents & the records would never go out of style.
vinly collecting
From the beginning, record and CD collector shows have been anything but mainstream events, even if their appeal can easily be described as mainstream. The serious music collector generally will always seek out the event, while those who find music just a casual interest sporadically attend. The casually interested who do show up are almost always impressed and excited by the atmosphere and what they find there. Just as impressive to them seems to be the idea that someone would actually travel from city to city collecting and selling nothing but records and CDs. The story goes a lot deeper than that, the layers of it revealing more a way of life than a pastime.
If average people arrange their lives around their families, their 9-to-5 jobs and their weekends, then record and CD dealers are far from average. Their lives, by contrast, are centered around finding records and CDs, no matter where that leads them. They are constantly searching for not only more records and CDs, but also knowledge. Knowledge of the tens of thousands of bands and artists whose recorded output may be dozens or hundreds of songs, down to those with just one single released years ago.
Serious music collectors are also deeply involved in this obsession. It is not uncommon to find them traveling many miles to the record and CD shows and stores. Even with the advent of the Internet, to them there still is nothing quite like the thrill of the chase. Finding that rare, out-of-print record or CD, or finding something by their favorite band or artist that they never knew existed, it's all part of the draw to collect music. It isn't so much being a "treasure hunter," although that does happen frequently, as it is just finding music that they enjoy hearing.
Casual music listeners happily become more involved in music collecting once they've attended a record and CD show. Music collecting, in general, also is encouraged by the younger generation seeing vinyl collecting as "cool." Probably the most misinformed rumor has to be that "vinyl is dead." With a much warmer sound than a CD, vinyl is still sought after by many music collectors. With the sound and feel of the larger LP jacket in your hands — with photos and text that are actually readable — it isn't difficult to see why vinyl is still popular. It can even be taken to the point that you imagine it's a cold day in January 1968, and a young British group goes into a small studio in England to record their first album, one that turns out to be a cult status, legendary psychedelic masterpiece 30 years later. Think about that whole aspect. You're hearing that.
There's a wide cross section of people who collect music, all the way from the older crowd collecting what they grew up with, to the teenagers discovering vinyl for the first time, to the seasoned thirty- and forty-somethings looking to expand their horizons, to everyone in between. As long as folks enjoy listening to music, there will always be those who collect it.
Youtube's Music Problems
With the click of a mouse every video on Youtube that features a copyrighted piece of music could rapidly be removed.
As Viacom sues Youtube for one billion dollars for hosting film and television clips there is also the music companies who want a piece of the action. Since Viacoms claim, Youtube has been removing thousands upon thousands of copyrighted clips. A large proportion of all videos hosted on the site contain copyrighted musical works and youtube is in a weak position and having to make deals with the music companies.
In September of last year Youtube signed a deal with Warner music to pay royalties on the use of Warner music in hosted videos however some companies are not so keen to make a deal just yet. Industry giant Universal for instance has claimed Youtube owes it millions. They could potentially cripple Youtube should they serve takedown notices and a vast percentage of all the videos go offline. Customer confidence would plummet as their collections were decimated. Youtube has stated it has technology to find copyrighted music in the hosted videos so this could happen should talks break down. The copyright holders are in a strong position to haggle.
Popular music is very much an achilles heel of Youtube and it will be interesting to see how these deals turn out and how they change the way the site operates in the form of increased advertising or a decrease in video choice.
Google to learn more :-)
As Viacom sues Youtube for one billion dollars for hosting film and television clips there is also the music companies who want a piece of the action. Since Viacoms claim, Youtube has been removing thousands upon thousands of copyrighted clips. A large proportion of all videos hosted on the site contain copyrighted musical works and youtube is in a weak position and having to make deals with the music companies.
In September of last year Youtube signed a deal with Warner music to pay royalties on the use of Warner music in hosted videos however some companies are not so keen to make a deal just yet. Industry giant Universal for instance has claimed Youtube owes it millions. They could potentially cripple Youtube should they serve takedown notices and a vast percentage of all the videos go offline. Customer confidence would plummet as their collections were decimated. Youtube has stated it has technology to find copyrighted music in the hosted videos so this could happen should talks break down. The copyright holders are in a strong position to haggle.
Popular music is very much an achilles heel of Youtube and it will be interesting to see how these deals turn out and how they change the way the site operates in the form of increased advertising or a decrease in video choice.
Google to learn more :-)
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