Your Favorite Little Podcast: Episode Six
Published July 31st, 2007 in Obligations, Treasure Tags: Music, Personal, Podcast.
“My world is just that small,” as my wife would say.
A couple of Tuesdays back, I got a new job — a promotion, actually. Nothing too amazing there; getting it was the easy part. The tough part will be filling the position I just vacated. Unfortunately, I can’t hire myself, so I guess I’m kind of screwed. But what’s really odd is the same day I got the job, my old partners in crime got started on their second act as well. Now that they released their “comeback” album, they’re well on the way back into the hearts of guitar rock fans everywhere. Of course, I “declined to participate,” as the reviewers tell me. And it’s true. I can’t imagine giving up sleeping in my own bed every night — and even getting paid for the privilege (with benefits) — to go back on the road and work the same club circuit I played 20 years ago.
Just the same, I got less congratulations for the promotion than people coming up to me, telling me how excited they were to see my picture in the papers (apparently, some of these newspapers need to update their photo archive). I tried to be as gracious as I could, but I silently thanked my lucky stars that no one’s interested in airing my dirty laundry in public.
But there was another second act that week: Internet radio got a stay of execution. It’s a somewhat dubious one, with ominous strings attached, but it’s the only one we’ve got, so it will have to do. But another group of independent content providers was not so lucky. Without the benefit of the news blitz afford to new media, independent print publications took their lumps in the shadows, losing their campaign to overturn a ruling raising their postal rates by twelve to fifty percent. Many people didn’t even find out about this one until the rates took effect — coincidentally enough, on the same day royalty rates were supposed to kick in for online broadcasters.
Like my wife says: “small world.”
Episode Six Track List:
“Clearway” - Saint Etienne
“Gone With the Wind” - Frankie Randall
“Love Me For a Day” - Davy Jones
“Discontented Disco Children” - Rock City Boys
“Window Shopping” - Magic Disco Machine
“Seaway” - Brian Fahey
“Under the Sea” - Doodletown Pipers
“This Is Love” - Archies
“Faraway Music/The Girl With The Sun
In Her Hair/Crossroads” - Alan Hankshaw
“Ask Me What You Want” - Terry Baxter
Derrick,
Congrats on your new job.
I’m not trying to pick on your old band, or really single any one act out, but there is something that strikes me as vaguely sad about all these 80s alterna-rock reunions. But what I find more sad still is the recent trend of bands devoting entire tours to recreating albums that they released 20 years ago. I guess there is a market for this, but I personally don’t get it. I felt ripped off when I went to see Husker Du back in 1987 and all they played was Warehouse Songs And Stories in its entirety. But at least the Huskers were promoting something new, instead of a deluxe 2 CD reissue or whatever.
Perhaps I am only bothered by this because it makes me feel old. 20 years ago I could dismiss Sgt. Pepper fetishism as symptomatic of the onset of boomer senility. It is not so easy for me to rationalize the golden glow of nostalgia that now surrounds albums like Slint’s Spiderland.
I’m keeping the pressure on my Senators and Congressman on internet radio–hope others are doing the same.
Unfortunately, music is a business, and as such, musicians use it as a vehicle for putting food on their tables. You can hardly blame musicians for trying to stave off the wolf at the door as long as possible. Many of them wouldn’t want to do anything else — I know that’s the case for my boys. I don’t happen to share that opinion, but I’m probably in the minority.
My wife and I actually travelled across the Atlantic to see one of those “full album” shows; in this case it was Teenage Fanclub performing “Bandwagonesque,” reunited with the drummer from that album. While I admit to a certain bit of head-scratching over the concept, I can tell you that the love in that room was palpaple. From all acounts, the Puppets shows are no different.
And that’s what it’s all about for the fans: “feeling the love.” Hell, it beats blowing up innocent women and children.
I think my comment came off as harsher than I intended–I should have articulated the aspects of the situation that make me sad. I certainly hope everyone of these bands makes all the money they should have made back in the day. The sad part is they most likely won’t. It may not be the case for the Kirkwoods, but my sense is that some of these bands are doing it again today because they lack other good options. It’s unfortunate that many of these artists are hitting the road in their mid-40s without health insurance (something no one in this country should have to worry about).
Teenage Fanclub is one of my favorite bands, and Bandwagonesque was a great album. But they released a dozen or so great albums after that one that hardly sold. Their last album, Man Made, was a great one, so were Howdy! and Songs From Northern Britain, etc. I wish those albums had been shown a little more love. I’m not blaming the musicians for giving the people what they want–I just don’t understand why so many people seem to want to only hear music from one “classic” album.
I completely agree with both of your paragraphs’ assessments!
BTW, “Discontented Disco Children” is an amazing find. That is one of the more bizarre things I have heard in a long time–the lyrics almost seem like something that would show up in a song-poem. The fact that the song itself utilizes a disco beat makes it doubly bizarre. Where did you dig that up? Very nice.
I’m afraid that track was sent to me by a friend on a compilation, so I know nothing at all about it. It IS very nice though!
Congratulations on your promotion, Derrick!
-Bob Crain
Thanks Bob! And thanks for leaving the link!