Remember when The
All-New Mickey Mouse Club (1989-1994) gave us a new generation of young
stars like Britney Spears, Christina
Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and others? Well, if you weren’t
paying attention, the syndicated TV series Kids Incorporated (1983-1992) was
introducing to the world to new talent as well. Some of the soon-to-be-stars that
made their first national appearances on the show include Stacy Ferguson (AKA Fergie),
Martika, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mario
Lopez, Eric Balfour and the
subject of this blog entry, Rahsaan
Patterson.
Blues music has been a crucial
part of American history for nearly 150 years. Originally, the Blues genre grew
organically from Folk, spirituals, and African work songs. Since the dawn of
recorded music, Blues has traveled around the world, inspiring millions of
musicians in the process. The musical blueprint for the Blues remains virtually
unchanged a century and a half later yet musicians find new ways to interpret
it year after year. Much like an amusement park ride, the basic structure
itself never changes yet it is experienced differently by each person that rides
it. The Blues can be performed by down-trodden acoustic guitar player or a
glitzy big band and have the same effect on the listener. The Blues informs
almost every other style of music – from Rock ‘n’ Roll to modern Country and Jazz.
The Blues is understood and misunderstood in equal measures. The Blues can make
you sob but then turn around and drown you in joy. The Blues, in the hands of
the right musicians, is magical.And one
of the greatest Blues musicians/magicians was – and remains – B.B. King.
Regardless of what the Billboard charts
might insinuate, Pop Punk – AKA Punk Pop – was not born in the mid- ‘90s. The
roots of the genre first came to prominence in the late ‘70s thanks to bands like Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Dickies, and
The Undertones. The blending of the raw
power of Punk Rock and soaring, sing-a-long melodies reignited the Indie scene
and made Punk more -for lack of a better term – consumer-friendly. Pop Punk was
not watered-down Punk aggression – it was just more focused. Bands soon
realized that they could get their messages across if they packaged them in
tight, melodic musical blasts. Add a little bit of harmony here, a catchy hook
there, and, voila, Pop Punk was born. Pop Punk was never about playing it safe –
it was about communicating to their audience via raw and urgent Rock ‘n’ Roll
and melodic hooks. The movement’s popularity weakened a little bit over the
next decade but in the late ‘80s, bands like Descendents brought Pop Punk back to the surface. And then came the
‘90s…
The Mountain Goats don’t seem like a band that celebrates anniversaries. However, if they did, they’d be celebrating their 28th year of existence in 2019. Let that sink in – 28 years! Singer/songwriter John Darnielle formed the Mountain Goats in 1991, the very same year as Operation: Desert Storm, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and the death of Freddie Mercury. Time has marched on and, just like our lives, The Mountain Goats have evolved, matured, and experienced many changes. A lot of talented folks have passed through the Goats’ ranks as members or collaborators – including Kaki King, John Vanderslice, Annie Clark, Franklin Bruno, and many others – but Darnielle has remained the band’s only constant member. And like all of us, he has changed throughout the years. Much like every small town in any Smalltown, USA, the core foundations of the Mountain Goats’ sound remains the same while everything around it has changed. That is what we call life…
Initially from the college
town of Claremont, California, Darnielle and the Goats ended up in Durham,
North Carolina. With a stable line-up that includes Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster
and Matt Douglas, this is a band
that has continued to grow a dedicated fanbase while somehow remaining
independent in almost every sense of the word. Bathed in the glow of critical
success but dancing just out of reach of total world domination, Darnielle has
the luxury of doing things his way and avoiding getting caught up in the
trappings of the big music business machine. While Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes, Bonnie Prince Billy, and loads
of other bands have fallen in and out of favor on a regular basis with critics
and absent-minded hipsters, the Mountain Goats have managed to continue doing
what they want without losing any of their credibility. When it was rumored –
and later confirmed – that the Goats’ next album would be inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, the
nerd-centric role-playing game, nobody was surprised. Instead of eye-rolling
and trolling the internet, the Goats’ fanbase immediately warmed to the idea
and eagerly awaited the finished project. To have that amount of trust and
respect from his fans, Darnielle must be doing something right.
IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is
the band’s 2019 release and, as promised, it is inspired by the previously
mentioned role-playing game. However, it is something more than that. With
warmth and intimacy, these are songs that might dip into reality more than you
think, using the game as a metaphor for this troubling role-playing world of
social media that we currently live in. Then again, it could literally be about
Dungeons & Dragons. While Darnielle knows the truth, the listener will
ultimately decide on what the album means to them. IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is
remarkably tender at times, often using haunting and spacious arrangements to enhance
Darnielle’s intelligent wordplay. Other songs push those lyrics forward with a jaunty
Americana-influenced glee that mixes timeless music with timely messages. Songs
like “Possum By Night,” “Clemency For The Wizard King,” “Doc Gooden,” “Done
Bleeding,” “Cadaver Sniffing Dog,” and “Waylon Jennings Live!” are highlights
from an album that meets and exceeds all expectations. That is, if you had
expectations. IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is a thoroughly modern release that invites
the ghosts of John Denver and Jim Croce to drink at the same bar as any of
Darnielle’s Indie and Alt-Rock influences. A soundtrack to our role-playing
lives, IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is a triumph.
The definition of a solo singer/songwriter has gone through many transformations throughout the years. Typically, one might think of a singer/songwriter as a lone troubadour/trobairitz armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and a catalog of sensitive, self-penned Folk-influenced songs that he/she is eager to share with their audience. From Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, singer/songwriters were proof that you could converse with your audience through music and teach them something in the process. As music has evolved, we have come to realize that a singer/songwriter cannot be defined by a genre… or an instrument. Thanks to social media, singer/songwriters can reach well beyond their local coffeehouse. From South Korea to North Carolina, anyone with a computer or smart phone can have instant access to musical messages that just might change their lives forever.
Nobody expected the 1983 motion picture BREAKIN’ to be a hit. At the time, breakdancing was quickly becoming a worldwide craze, rising from the urban neighborhoods and spilling into white-bread suburbia. Since Hollywood always loves to capitalize on current trends, TV commercials suddenly incorporated breakdancing and movies like BREAKIN’ and BEAT STREET (amongst others) were quickly put into production. BREAKIN’ was first out of the gate. The film was a commercial – and financial -success and was followed a year later by BREAKIN’ 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO. Highly entertaining some 35 years later, both films were light on plot and acting ability but heavy on music and fun. Regardless of how lightweight the films were, the soundtracks served up a healthy selection of R&B, Soul, and Funk music that was surprisingly light on the more dangerous sounds of Rap/Hip Hop. Regardless, the music introduced young movie goers to a sound and culture that they may not have experienced otherwise. The BREAKIN’ films were like extended versions of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” video – every problem can be solved by a dance-off! And what is wrong with that?
Being a ‘child star’ is a blessing and a curse. Initially, the ‘blessing’ offers the young performer early stardom and adulation. However, the ‘curse’ revolves around the child star growing older and losing their innocent charm. Sadly, the pressures of maintaining your popularity AND experiencing the trials and tribulations of your teenage years and young adulthood is a very difficult task. Some child stars cannot handle the pressure and spend a good portion of their lives drowning in a sea of drugs and alcohol. Thankfully, there are exceptions to the rule and some of those ‘former child stars’ manage to grow older gracefully while staying out of the tabloids. Some of them leave the business while others turn their attention to other aspects of entertainment (directing, writing, etc.). And then there’s Jackie Evancho. Not only has she survived child stardom, she has succeeded beyond all imagination.
When tracing the history of American music, Bluegrass is still a relatively young genre. Hollywood may have added a decade onto Bluegrass’ age by using it as the soundtrack to Bonnie & Clyde’s exploits in the 1967 film, but the truth is that the genre didn’t exist until long after the duo’s 1934 death. While variations of the sound most likely developed a few years before it became mainstream, Bluegrass became a phenomenon in the mid-‘40s and is one of the few styles of music that has continued to progress while also remaining true to its roots – the more things change, the more they stay the same. Even though modern Country Music bears little to no resemblance to the Country & Western of the ‘40s, Bluegrass is still Bluegrass – honest and pure.
Pop music is a strangely wonderful artform. On the surface, it can sound deceptively simple and carefree. However, like a calm and inviting ocean, mystery lies beneath the windswept ripples. The melodies may dance around in the ether but there are a lot of moving parts that make them seem effortless. Every beat, every bass thump, every electronic whirl, every guitar strum, and every harmony is there for a reason. It is up to you, the listener, to realize what that reason is. Yes, you can read interviews and find out what the artists’ intents are but often times, they don’t fully realize the meaning of their songs until years later. On the other hand, one song can mean something different to nearly every person that listens to it. And that, in and of itself, is one of the great mysteries of Pop music.
DAVE RAYBURN: The Infamous Stringdusters draw comparisons to the high and lonesome sound of Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Stanley all the way up to more contemporary jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish. To someone who has never heard your music before… if you had to pick three artists that, in combination, best reflect what you do… who would those three descriptors be?
CHRIS PANDOLFI: The list of collective Stringduster influences is long and very wide ranging, but the Grateful Dead are definitely toward the top of the list. The Dead are hugely influential in a musical sense, with their amazing songwriting and experimental jams, all designed to translate in a live environment. But they are perhaps even more influential in a business sense, with their tribe of loyal fans and the organic growth it creates. Another huge influence would be Strength in Numbers, the iconic supergroup of progressive pickers that pushed the boundaries of what the bluegrass instruments are capable of. I’d also put Tony Rice high on the list of influences. Tony embodies all the best parts of bluegrass music, with his astounding playing and innovative style, combined with a soul factor that outshines his unreal technical prowess. He had the songs and he had the soul, and those are both things that we are always striving to achieve in our music.
