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| From | "Gary Littleton" <gary@garylittleton.com> |
| Subject | Re: Punky pop ideas for a teenager with awakening ears |
| Date | Wed, 26 Nov 2003 09:00:44 -0500 |
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I remember a Harvard study that concluded the music you listen to around
the age of 14 has the most effect on what you will like the rest of your
life. I don't know how true that is, but the music around that time
certainly had a large effect on me. Anyway, I was recently asked by a
nephew what kind of music Audities covered. I told him when I originally
started Audities I was thinking of all the great songs with good hooks
and interesting lyrics I loved that seemed criminally ignored. Bands
like Amnesia, True Hearts, Pinups, Fools Face, etc. I was also
frustrated that so many great bands were putting out CDs but getting no
recognition. Since I have pretty varied musical tastes, we tried to
narrow audities originally to be a little more pop and powerpop, and
that definition got narrowed and refined somewhat by the people I chose
to write for the audities magazine and web site. People like David Bash,
Anthony Henderson, John Borack, Terry Herman, Ralph Smith, Terry
Carolan, Mark H, etc.
I've noticed the tastes are a little wider on this list, and I like that
a lot. Like Ralph Smith once told me, a great song is a great song
regardless of the style it is done in. David Bash said basically the
same thing to me once when he was talking about the diversity of 60's AM
radio. So with that thought in mind I made a few CDs for my nephew
trying to give them a diversity of songs along with a little history.
Here are the listings:
John Wesley Harding - Like a Prayer
Someloves - Melt
Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love, I Believe, You Say You Don't Love Me
Shakespears Sister - Stay, Hello Hello
Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
Steve Earle - Guitar Town, Johnny Come Lately
Eddie And The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile
Generation X - Ready Steady Go, Dancing With Myself
John Miles - Remember Yesterday (single version)
Mott The Hoople - All The Way To Memphis
Chris Stamey - Summer Sun
Summercamp - Nowhere Near
The DBs - Black and White (single version)
The Who - Pictures of Lily, I Can See For Miles
Amnesia - Ahhh
Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough
The Sweet - Action
Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
Badfinger - Apple Of My Eye, Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: audities-owner@smoe.org [mailto:audities-owner@smoe.org] On Behalf
Of Richard Metter
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 1:55 PM
To: 'Audities list'
Subject: Punky pop ideas for a teenager with awakening ears
My 13-year-old niece is suddenly embracing a lot of music that sounds
ALMOST like things I would listen to - her favorite at the moment is the
soundtrack to "Freaky Friday," which has things like Good Charlotte, the
Donnas, etc.
I remember being her age, with no sense of musical history, and it was
the precise age I began exploring musically. I've offered to make her a
CDR of some "roots" music, and she said she would give it a try.
I don't want to be didactic with her: I'd rather it be something that
just gives her a sense that there's a lot to be explored. For instance,
if you think about it, even Weezer would probably be new to her. I know
she has recently discovered some really "old" stuff in the form of Green
Day, but I wonder -- although it would be educational -- if first
generation punk stuff would really appeal to her.
I'm thinking along the lines of punky power pop, things that are the
higher quality (in my opinion -- if you like Good Charlotte and similar
bands, I don't want to argue with you, but I find it uninteresting)
cousins of some of this stuff she listens to.
Challenging stuff can wait for the third edition, when she's 15. But I'd
like to throw in SOME 1st generation punkish stuff, like maybe the
Ramones. Any ideas would be welcomed. I probably take this way too
seriously, because I'd like to be influential, and I don't want her to
just dismiss it. For instance, I think some "girl" stuff would be a
great idea, but do I play it really safe with the Go-Gos or try
something that's a little edgier like the poppier side of the Muffs
(maybe their cover of "Kids in America"?)(but can you put a band called
"The Muffs" on a 13-year old's mix CDR?). And of course there's the
question of lyrics, which obviously shouldn't be obscene or TOO angry.
Thanks,
Rich M.
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