Death Cab For Cutie Sounds Like Falling In Love

It's true. There's really not much more to say about it. I've only heard their two latest albums: Transatlanticism and Plans, and perhaps that makes me "not a real fan, because I've only heard what they've done after they got popular not before when they were all indie and so much better," but whatever. I like them. I also like Ben Gibbard's other band The Postal Service, which is like Death Cab in da club. I guess it's Gibbard's vocals (which don't sound unnatural until you realize that he's 31 not 21) and lyrics. They're good. Anyway, nothing profound here to say except that I like them. Some songs to check out would be "Transatlanticism" and "What Sara Said." They're good. Like them.

Also, buy records.

I need you so much closer,

Who's gonna watch you die,

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

What do you think about music?

Since about the turn of the millenium, there has been a huge sales slump in record sales. Sales keep getting worse and worse and it doesn't seem like the sales of records are going to rebound any time in the forseeable future. Mostly this seems to be because people can get music for free even if they do it illegally. So the big question in the music industry is how to monetize music now that people expect it to be free. Many like Bob Lefsetz say that when the record companies attack people for free downloading, they are only hurting themselves because the consumer has already made the decision that music should be free and record companies should be thinking of ways to monetize free music. Many in the music industry see record companies and physical products (CDs) completely dying out in the very near future. They predict that music could become a utility, like water where you pay a flat rate and get whatever you want. That's all well and good and it may well be true, which to me kind of sucks. But I have a question: does no one really value music anymore? Do you really think music is worth nothing? I personally love having CDs both because I feel like I'm supporting the artists I like (even if they don't get a lot of money from it, album sales figures can be a form of support) and because I feel like I own something tangible. When you download a file, do you really have anything? If your hard drive gets wiped out, all your files are gone, but if you have a CD it's easy to just rip it again. I mean if there are no more CDs then will there really be any incentive for artists to create good, artistic work, or will the market become even more throwaway, catchy single-driven than it is now? Albums are good because they are works of art. If all people make are files, what's the incentive to make something worthwhile? Integrity maybe. But the people who have integrity will be pushed aside by the people with the latest "Crank That" that comes out and people who have spent time and effort making real music will just be left with a bunch of debt and rage at a system that has rendered them obsolete. I'm not saying that there will be no way for good artists to exist without CDs, but I just don't know how they will do it. I'm sure someone will find a way. Hell, before the invention of the album, all people made were singles - and there were talented stars like Jimmie Rodgers, The Carte Family, Hank Williams, and Robert Johnson. But few of these were really ever huge stars and it was pop acts who dominated the charts as they always have. So I guess good music will just have to remain on the periphery, which is kind of sad because I wish everyone could enjoy good music, but if people don't want to I guess there's nothing I can do to stop them. Maybe the industry will find a way to go on without having records to sell, but as of now I'm not too excited about the prospects. To me there's no better feeling than going out and buying a new record and listening to it, but apparently I'm greatly in the minority with that opinion. What do you think about music? I have a poll to see what some people think. Leave comments if you want to tell me anything insightful.

If you value music, please buy records.

Oh and Kathryn, I was thinking about what you said about The Killers not being able to do justice to the Dire Straits "Romeo and Juliet," and I've realized it's a silly thing for you to have said. I think it's pretty easy to do justice to a Dire Straits song. Mark Knopfler is an amazing songwriter and guitarist and an interesting singer in his own way, but if you get someone who can really sing beautifully, they could do a lot of justice to that song. Brandon Flowers, however, kind of gets stuck trying to sing like Knopfler, so it's not amazing, but it's still great to listen to. It's not better than the original, but it's still really enjoyable.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Some Things About Music: Steel Guitar, Autotune, and The Killers

Ok, so here are a few things I think about music today:

1) Steel Guitar - One of the oddest things about country music today is its use of the steel guitar: modern country songs DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE STEEL GUITAR!!! Which is quite a shame, because the steel guitar is one of the signature instruments of country music. I was listening to some Rascal Flatts song that Kathryn had the other day and the steel guitar was playing some crazy thing in the background that sounded like it should be a synthesizer. It's like country musicians today need to just throw steel guitar in songs to convince people "Oh yeah, this is definitely a country song, see - there was the steel guitar." The thing is, however, that most modern country music isn't country music. It's either pop or southern rock or something else. The Carter Family, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash: that's all country music. And it's not like it's just because all those artists are older. A lot of artists that are still around are making country music, but they're on the periphery. Bob Dylan is making country music (along with pop, jazz, rock, folk and whatever else he wants to - the important thing is that he knows how to use the steel guitar). Often the extent of the presence of steel guitar in a song today is just a little riff at the beginning of the song and then the steel guitar virtually disappears in the rest of the song. If you listen to what Bob Dylan does live these days, he has a steel guitar player who plays in almost every song who uses the instrument as a secondary source of melody during fills and a way to create a sweet country ambiance by playing softly under the vocals. The point is, though it may be hard to describe, steel guitar serves a function when it is legitimately used in country music. It doesn't just serve as a signifier that the music is country music. Modern acts like Ollabelle or even Say Anything have used a steel guitar for good not evil lately. Anyway, to summarize this largely incomprehensible rant - steel guitar shouldn't be the only thing separating Carrie Underwood from Kelly Clarkson, it should have its own legitimate usage in music like it used to. Real country music, however, has almost always existed on the periphery of popular music except briefly when stars like Hank Williams make it big. You make think country music is popular today, but that stuff they call country music isn't really country music.

2) Autotune is basically computer software that corrects pitch in recorded music. You can clearly hear the effect on Cher's song "Believe" and some Kid Rock song, I think its "Only God Knows Why." Anyway, Autotune is controversial because many people say that those who use it are only masking the fact that they can't really sing, but recently I have heard a few indie pop acts who use it to a good effect: Hellogoodbye and The Secret Handshake. These two acts use autotune like any other band would use distortion or phaser on guitar. It is simply something that enhances the experience without masking any singing deficiencies. They make the voice sound like an electronic instrument within their already electronic-heavy songs. You can already tell how well these guys sing. They use autotune as a creative tool rather than a crutch. So anyway, sometimes if you're not very good (like Cher or Kid Rock) you can use autotune to try to make you sound better, but you don't fool anybody. You can alternatively use autotune for good to make youre music more interesting. Go Hellogoodbye and The Secret Handshake!

3) The Killers are awesome, please buy their new B-Sides Compilation Sawdust

This album is full of B-Sides which show many things. First of all - The Killers still have a sense of humor. After the seriousness of their last album, one might have thought they were taking themselves too seriously, but listen to the hidden track "Questions With The Captain." Another highlight is their cover of the Dire Straits "Romeo and Juliet" - mostly because that song is awesome anyway, but also because they do it justice. A third thing this record shows is that The Killers can continue to be creative: they reinterpret some of their older B-Sides, and while not changing all that much about them, I've always admired acts who think they can breathe new life into old songs and change them around while still making them meaningful. The new version of Sam's Town really shows this process the best. I like it when artists think of songs as ideas, not simply concrete recordings that cannot be changed or rearranged. The new song with Lou Reed also shows them pushing their creative barriers (It's not my favorite song on the record, but I still appreciate growth musically).

Think about music and love it.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

A Journey Through The Halls Of Memory: Artwork By Me

As you all know, I'm a great artist. But let's all take the time to remember just how great I am.



Ah yes, what a classic - how mean Ashley is, but how dum Kathryn is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how dum twitter is, but how way cool my blog is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how trying The Boss is, but how crying am I. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how bleeding the CD is, but how shooting the gun is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how tiger are my slippers, but how lion are Mike's. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how shirtless Mean Ashley is, but how blue the world. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how dead everyone is, but how mullet the cockroach. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Memories have a wonderful way of reminding us how amazing life can be. I can only hope that I have made everyone's life infinitely more amazing than before they met me.
Hope yer having a nice day.
Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

"People Don't Appreciate What I Do Enough: An Open Letter To Everyone" Revisited

"Dear Everyone,
Why do you suck so much? Don't you realize how awesome my blog is? Have you ever seen the level of artistic strength presented in my blog anywhere else? The answer is no. I always have really awesome pictures all drawn by myself. I have really awesome content about how mean and dumb my friends are, how awesome some music is, how bad other music is, how stupid the music industry is and how it wants me to not have a job, and how awesome I am. I understand these things and I'm sure all my dedicated readers do too. The problem is they don't tell me enough. No one ever says, "Hey, Sean, that picture you drew of Ashley was spot on, that's totally what she's like, she never wears shirts," or "Hey Sean, I loved that picture of you and Mike's slippers and your artistic rendering of it totally made my life complete," or "Hey, yeah Say Anything can get sexual too." I know everyone is thinking those things, but no one ever says them to me and it hurts. I'm very disappointed in you all.
Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

"

Just thought everyone needed a little reminder of how much they ferget about me.
Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Poll Fulfillment #2: Ashley is so mean/Kathryn is so dumb that...

I. Ashley is so mean that...
A. She crushes innocent puppies.
B. She deletes historical musical performances.
C. She writes a blog about how cold she is when it isn't cold at all except in the South Pole where people are really suffering from real cold but does Ashley care about that? No! She's mean.
D. She mocks people that trip over and doesn't stop there but then goes on mocking them even after the tripee has gotten over it and moved on, forgiving her like a true Christian should.
E. She draws dumb pictures that she thinks are as cool as mine but are really too dumb and fancy.
6. She makes fun of people who appreciate the comfort and convenience of jean shorts.
7. She conducts nightly witchly seances in her back yard in which she tries to raise the souls of the damned just so she can have more people to help her crush innocent puppies.
H. She thinks twitter is cool and tries to waste her friends' time by forcing them (often at gunpoint) to use it while she sits backs and laughs at their folly.
9. She crushes innocent kittinz.
10. She always yells at everyone.

II. Kathryn is so dumb that...
1. She dates a gay boy.
2. She thinks rocks are fun.
3. She doesn't know how to speak right.
a. She can't pronounce the word won correctly.
b. She can't pronounce the word Taurus correctly.
c. She thought albeit was pronounced all-bite.
d. She can't pronounce a lot of other words correctly.
4. She rides a bike.
5. She eats fruits and vegetables.
6. She thinks one piece of bread cut in half with a little lettuce and tomato constitutes a meal.
7. She goes to bed early and gets up really early like an old or something.
8. She's always causing all kinds of problems.
9. She's friends with Mean Ashley and Mean Keri even though they're so mean.
10. She causes the deletion of historical musical performances by her interruptions.

Anyway, I think we should all take the time to reflect upon how mean Ashley is and how dumb Kathryn is.

Hope yer having a nice day.

Also, buy records, lots of them.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Poll Results

Some last-minute voting means I'll have to blog about how mean Ashley is AND how dumb Kathryn is. I could go on forever. What a burden! Anyway, look for it coming up. It was also declared by unanious vote that Keri would be mad about the Frank thing.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

I'm So Charming It Hurts

This is an outtake from a (very professional) live performance at Keri's house which Ashley taped for her blog and which I already mentioned. I've come to realize, however, that there is a great tragedy in this world. There is not enough existing video of my proving how awesome and charming I am. It's kind of depressing that it's so hard to find out exactly how cool I am and I believe that world is at a loss because of it. So world: enjoy what you can. Hopefully there will be more video of me one day, but until then, you're missing out.

I can also write bad songs.

Also, hope yer having a nice day.

Also, Go Dawgs.

Also, buy records... Like anything you can get your hands on by Van Morrison. A whole lot of his best stuff is out of print right now (thankfully reissues with extra songs are supposed to start coming out next year along with a new record). There are a few best of releases out, but none are that great... The Best of Van Morrison was pretty good, but it's out of print. You can still get your hands on Astral Weeks and Moondance. His 2005 record Magic Time is also very good. Sadly, some of his best records like Veedon Fleece, Into The Music, Hard Nose The Highway, and even his 2002 release Down The Road are out of print until at earliest next year. What a tragedy. The U.S. version (only 1 disc as opposed to 2 or 3 in Europe) of Still On Top - The Greatest Hits comes out this week and it's only $7.99 on amazon.com. There are some great songs on there like Wavelength, In The Garden, Dweller On The Threshold, and one of my favorites Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile), so that's actually a pretty good deal. I'd get it if you don't hate yourself or if you don't already have the 3-disc UK import (like say me). Anyway, my point is, buy all the Van Morrison records you can afford and more.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Go Blue Flashing Light And Allison Weiss

Yesterday I had my first real experience in concert promotion and production. It was pretty cool. A group of 9 of us from my Music Business class were responsible for booking a band at Nuci's Space then promoting it and helping take care of a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. I've always wanted to work in music, so this was a great opporunity for me. Thank you to everyone who came out and to Blue Flashing Light and Allison Weiss for playing for us for free and also to Nuci's Space for having the concert and all that it does.

Also, buy records like ones by Allison Weiss and Blue Flashing Light.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Fame And Fortune Have Their Downsides

Sometimes it's hard to be a celebrity.

See Ashley's blog about my latest concert extravaganza gone awry!

http://mouseinmyhouse.blogspot.com/2007/11/sean-in-concert.html

Also, if you haven't voted in the poll, you're not a good friend/blogee.



Also, buy records, like the soundtrack to I'm Not There, the upcoming weird biopic about Bob Dylan (in which 6 different people play Bob Dylan including Cate Blanchett). It has a bunch of fairly big names doing Dylan covers, plus the first official release of the great Bob song "I'm Not There (1956)." Hopefully you will enjoy it.



Also, buy other records.



Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean