Cellar Sessions: Kasey Anderson – The Dangerous Ones August 8th, 2018 City Winery New York

This is what is wrong with the mainstream music business. A song like this cannot get signed, cannot be promoted, it does not fall within the strictures, the boundaries of the “hit” music business, and therefore it is ignored.

It is not 2012 anymore. There is no “Gangnam Style” virality, not even one manipulated by the record labels in concert with the promotional machine. There are too many messages, too many people looking for attention who don’t deserve it. So, you can hide in plain sight. If you make it, that does not mean they will come. It can be great, and go unnoticed.

Like “The Dangerous Ones.”

I didn’t find out through the media, I got hipped in e-mail. That’s the underground economy, we don’t trust the purveyors, tied in with the PR people shoving stuff down our throat that does not really deserve attention.

And when I clicked I expected to unclick in a matter of moments.

But I did not.

Because of the honesty, because of the humanity, because of the reality.

I’ve got no problem with electronic music, no problem with machines, but the fact they are squeezing out human life bugs me. That only one kind of music an exist and be amplified.

I had no idea who this guy Kasey Anderson was, but upon starting my research it became clear, he was not making a living playing music, not one of any stature. Either he had a day job or lived at subsistence level. And the funny thing is despite all the technological development, you cannot live on minimum wage, you need to live with your parents, and if you complain about income they tell you to get a job when you already have one, even though you can’t make the ends meet.

And I love that you can make music on your computer, but that does not mean you should be unable to make it on traditional instruments, this is not like film photography, with little use today, both machine and acoustic music should be able to exist side by side.

But they don’t.

The above video was recorded in 2018. It hasn’t changed, hasn’t been remixed, it’s the same as it ever was. But it’s only now getting attention because Kasey Anderson’s song “The Dangerous Ones” has been used in a new campaign film by Eleven Films. It’s got 1.1 million views already, better than synching your music to an advertising campaign, this clip has MEANING!

https://twitter.com/Eleven_Films/status/1278733040903008256?s=20

So why does this song work?

Because of the chorus!

We’ve thrown over melody for beats. Why can’t both coexist? Melody goes back to the beginning of time, but now it’s a second-class citizen?

Furthermore, who said lyrics have to be about lifestyle, why can’t they have meaning?

Now I’m not saying that Kasey Anderson will suddenly be on the front page. Nothing spreads that far. The system isn’t built for this. It only promotes that with a marketing team, outlets don’t want to hang it out there alone.

As for Mr. Anderson himself, he spent two years in jail for wire fraud, there goes that money issue again.

Being a songwriter is an honest profession, if you’re as talented as Kasey Anderson.

It’s not only our government that’s screwed up.

“The Dangerous Ones” touches your soul…and isn’t that what great art is all about?