Tracks – Spotify playlist

“Dark Necessities”
Red Hot Chili Peppers

It doesn’t sound quite like anything else.

I didn’t even know this was out until I got an email about it from somebody.

This is intriguing, listen to it. The worst part is Anthony Kiedis’ vocal, not that it’s bad, but the rest of the sounds resonate so, especially Flea’s bass, but also the sounds that you can’t quite place the genesis of.

This is a work track, not the kind of thing that you hear once and have to hear a hundred times, I doubt it will escape the Active Rock ghetto, but if you don’t listen to that format, and few do, you’ll be surprised how entrancing and inviting this is. Credit Danger Mouse. Sometimes you’ve just got to mix it up, but best to work with someone with experience, that’s Donald Trump’s number one weakness, his lack of experience. You wouldn’t want an amateur to perform surgery after watching YouTube videos and if you’re a superstar act, and the Chili Peppers certainly are, you want to work with someone who’s been there, who you have faith in.

But I don’t understand the release paradigm here, it’s so last decade.

In the old days you released a single way in advance and then ramped up publicity to generate first week sales. But now it’s about continuing streams. Your first challenge is getting people to be aware of your music, the second is to get them to listen to it.

Which is why people drop their albums with no advance warning all on one day, the sound waves from the bomb erupt, it’s the best way to create awareness these days.

I’m not a fan of the Chili Peppers, I thought they were done when Frusciante left for good, but this not only gives me hope, I LIKE IT!

“Fragile”
Prince Fox, featuring Hailee Steinfeld

I discovered this by listening to Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist.

I’d like to tell you I heard a ton of winners, but I heard a ton of me-too tracks. Today it’s all about incorporating non-organic sounds, it’s become formulaic. Although this is a bit different, more EDM, and if I didn’t know Ms. Steinfeld was an actress I’d cut her a break, she’s good here.

This is on Republic (Casablanca to be exact, but same thing). And it’s having almost zero impact. Is it because the track doesn’t resonate or it hasn’t been worked yet.

I’m leaning more towards the latter.

The YouTube clip only has 25,806 viewings as of this writing, it’s got more impact on Spotify, where it’s got 492,209 streams, but it begs the question whether YouTube is really the premier platform.

But what I’ll tell you after listening to the New Music Friday playlist is today music discovery is overwhelming. There are a ton of playlists and even if you know which ones interest you, there’s still too much to digest. Hell, I clicked on Afternoon Acoustic and didn’t know one single artist. The sounds were good, but the songs were not revelatory, did I really want to listen to them all to uncover the couple of good ones, couldn’t someone do this for me?

We’re still at the advent of curation. Used to be radio culled the best tracks and those outside the formula got a lot of ink. The universe was comprehensible, now it’s not.

“Adore”
Jasmine Thompson

This is a bit better than the Prince Fox track, maybe that’s why it’s got 23,258,655 views on YouTube…AND I’VE NEVER HEARD OF IT!

But today I got an email about it clicked through and immediately liked it.

What hope do I have in this world?

Granted, this track had no chart impact in the U.S., although it did go to number 4 in Poland…

Doing my research I found out that Ms. Thompson made her bones by singing covers on YouTube, the means of success are in your own hands, it’s like the actors who start off in commercials, you can’t be afraid to begin at the beginning, doing stuff theoretically beneath you, finding yourself along the way.

Unlike “Fragile,” “Adore” did not come out last week, it was released almost a year ago. Thompson is signed to Atlantic. And something is going on, “Adore” has 21,443,192 streams on Spotify, it grabs you immediately, it’s hooky, it makes me want to see her live, to bask in the sound, the mood, the introspection, the darkness.

P.S. I just discovered on Spotify there’s an acoustic take of this song, it’s got a second side of “Tumbleweed Connection” feel, and that’s a good thing!

“Stay Downtown”
Cole Swindell

I found out the new album was out on the Spotify new release page and I immediately put it on my phone, I was a big fan of his track “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey.”

Like Keith Urban’s new album, “You Should Be Here” ain’t really country, not by the traditional definition. There’s not the upfront banjo and fiddle, although Swindell does have a twang, but without it this would be classic AOR music.

The best song on the new album was already a hit single, “You Should Be Here,” check it out, it’s got a great sound, and a great message, although it could use another verse, that’s a problem with too much of the material on the new album, it’s unfinished, it could use more. And it’s safe, but that’s Nashville today. Still…

I’m listening and thinking this is another Nashville booty call song, you know, like Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” but it’s not.

She calls, but he tells her to stay in the bar, downtown.

How refreshing.

I’ve been there, you know you’re gonna get laid, but you know your heart is gonna hurt thereafter, otherwise you’d still be together, doing it on a regular basis.

But I like this, I like Cole’s sound.

“Getaway Car”
Alyssa Micaela

I discovered this about a month ago, on the Spotify Hot Country playlist, I was waiting for it either to fall off or to blow up, so far neither has happened. But I felt the same way about Jana Kramer’s “I Got The Boy,” which I heard on Sirius XM’s Highway back in February of 2015 and didn’t break on terrestrial radio for nearly six months, that’s what’s wrong with terrestrial, it’s so slow, so far behind!

And what the Highway and Hot Country have in common is John Marks, who left radio for the streaming service, he champions new artists, he’ll take a chance.

Kramer’s song is an almost classic country lament, of regret, that someone else got her man, but she was there first, she got something. It’s a ballad, with clever lyrics, whereas…

“Getaway Car”‘s a tear.

Well I heard you’re gettin’ married
How far along is she?

Ha! I love a woman with sass. Obviously she’s pissed, but she’s spinning it her way, positively, and continues to do so.

My god you’re only twenty and she’s not even pretty

It’s guys who focus on looks, but women always play the looks card when they want to put someone down.

I’ve got the getaway car, I’m thankin’ my lucky stars
Top down, foot on the gas
Nothin’ here to hold me back
Don’t wanna catch what’s goin’ around
‘Cause everybody is barefoot and pregnant in this town

HILARIOUS!

Why is it the women in Nashville are clever, but the men are dullards. This is right out of Miranda Lambert’s playbook, if she sang it, it’d be a hit.

What is a hit?

Something I like?

Something everybody else likes?

Something radio plays?

Something that gets awards?

I’ve got no idea, I want to belong, but I can’t find my club.

YouTube links:

“Dark Necessities”

“Fragile”

“Adore”

“Adore” (acoustic)

“Stay Downtown”

“Getaway Car”: not on YouTube

It’s all about access.

Today people want to reach out and touch you, Facebook has flattened the earth, everyone feels equal, and if you stand above the fray…

It’s only a matter of time before you’re taken down.

This is how Donald Trump can get away with the sappy comments about his family, and his inane statements regarding minority groups, i.e the taco bowl, and the uneducated…people speak first and are analyzed never online. It’s only the old wave players, working the refs, who believe that gotcha politics still plays. That’s so last century, today you keep talking and adjust along the way. Everybody makes mistakes! Social media is riddled with the cookies of your humanity, being inappropriate, misstating facts, but we all know the truth will out in the end. At least enough of it to make a difference. Wikipedia rules the fact-based world, even though there are inaccuracies on my own damn page, but better the wisdom of the crowd than the wisdom of Karl Rove and the rest of the fat cats who think they can sway society. That’s what’s utterly laughable, the big time news media and inside the beltway movers and shakers who have utter faith, however misplaced, that they can shape the minds
of Americans.

No, we’re all a compendium of our influences. Most of us are riddled with falsehoods, because there’s truly no consensus, most people won’t go to Wikipedia, they don’t want to be shown up, but when the issues become really important, then it’s necessary that we shine light upon the truth.

And Hillary Clinton has done a poor job of doing this.

But Elizabeth Warren is a Power Ranger, a member of the Fantastic Four, she’s beating Donald Trump at his own game.

Trump owns Twitter. Anybody on the site knows that accumulating followers is a long hard slog. But you can get a leg up by ATTACKING someone with a ton of followers. Who, of course, could refuse to acknowledge your poke and leave you in the wilderness but…

The Donald can’t do that.

Elizabeth Warren took on Trump on his own turf and eviscerated him.

IT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS!

That’s right, even if you can’t comprehend Twitter, you heard about the war. How could Warren be so smart and Hillary so dumb? Hillary’s so busy triangulating that she’s not even playing. As for Bernie… Love ya man, but some people are just too elderly, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and most boomers, today’s alta kachers, have all the technology but are clueless as to how to use it. But the truth is this is a battle amongst the younger generation, the ones who not only have downloaded Snapchat but know how to use it. And they’re aware of this Twitter war. It may not be as high profile as Kanye’s shenanigans, but it’s much more important.

Trump is Kanye. A guy most people hate but think everybody loves because he’s all over the news and constantly get a pass. But Warren is not afraid. She waded into waters she did not need to and then walloped the Donald.

Who even knew she had a Twitter account?

She’s only got 426,000 followers. A mere pittance compared to Trump’s 8.18 million.

But she knows Trump can tolerate no negativity, not when it comes to his brand.

So Elizabeth weighed in.

And didn’t pull any punches.

And the Donald fell for the bait.

Mistake number one. You never punch down.

He calls her “Goofy Elizabeth Warren.”

She says: “Goofy,’ @real DonaldTrump? For a guy with ‘the best words’ that’s a pretty lame nickname. Weak”

Whew, Warren turns the have a beer paradigm on its head, she’s the one we want to hang with. By using the vernacular, she humanizes herself. But this is secondary to the fact that she’s giving it right back, demonstrating that she knows Trump’s games, with “the best words” reference, and ultimately the Donald looks small, because we all know you never win a Twitter war by calling people names, it just goes back and forth.

Warren attacks the Donald’s identity and politics and…

Trump just comes back with pejoratives, says she’s playing the “woman card,” accuses her of not doing her job, wasting time on Twitter, but he’s RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND IS ALL OVER TWITTER? And who’s running Trump, Inc?

Warren’s got balls.

And unlike Clinton, she’s not afraid to show them. Hillary’s been castigated so much for not being a milk and cookies mom that she now fakes it and says she is. No Hillary, you’re not warm and fuzzy. And we don’t want warm and fuzzy, we want to see your killer instinct, something the Donald demonstrates not only day by day, but hour by hour.

So stay off social media at your peril. If you intentionally want to be removed, if that’s your shtick, fine. But if you’re stuck in the last century doing it the old way you’re doomed. Everybody knows everybody and everything these days. Mystery is history. When you try to float above the fray you look like a doofus. Stop complaining someone moved your cheese and play by the new rules.

And Hillary Clinton… Don’t you get it? We live in a new era, talk first and think later. No one remembers what you said yesterday. It’s all about mindshare, which is why Trump tweets constantly. Hell, ever since he sewed up the nomination ten days ago it’s been all Trump all the time in the media. Hillary’s losing the war because she doesn’t know she’s in it. It’s like America not realizing guerrilla warfare can’t be defeated by bombs in Vietnam. It’s like Republican bozos asking for more warships when the future of combat is in cyberspace.

Our heroes come and go ever faster in today’s world. You establish your reputation by participating and then cement it by continuing to play. We only want winners, who are unafraid of the powers-that-be, who speak their mind, who go for the jugular when appropriate, because we all know social media is the land of bullies.

Elizabeth Warren took one down this week. When are her Democratic minions gonna wake up and follow her lead?

Keith Urban’s “Ripcord” – Spotify

It’s not country.

But the picking on the opening track, “Gone Tomorrow (Here Today),” reminds me of one of my favorite Urban cuts, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me,” which starts off on a tear and then explodes, a veritable zero to sixty run down the highway that thrills you as you hold on to your hat. The verses are generic, but this predates bro country, and the chorus is so spectacular you can’t help but smile and sing along, you know those moments when your life is perfect and you wouldn’t change a thing, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” encapsulates that, and when I’m not vying for the role of the Prince of Darkness I like to live in the land of elation. “Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)” is not quite as good, but although slower it’s got a similar energy, like Urban is fully aware of his powers and is refusing to hold back, you want to go along for the ride. Let this be a lesson, if the best track is not first, at least make the opener a killer, learn from the Rolling Stones.

And there is a ganjo on “Gone Tomorrow (Here Today),” but if you excised that the track would not make you think of Nashville whatsoever.

And I wanted to listen to “Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)” again, that’s when you know you’re hooked, but I let the album play, to see what other goodies were contained on “Ripcord.”

I skipped “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” last year’s hit single, I never cottoned to it, but it did make it to number two on the country chart.

But what came after…WAS COMPLETELY CONFOUNDING!

“Wasted Time” is closer to EDC than Fan Fair. With electronic pulsing that can’t help but bring your blood to a boil. They say EDM is dead, but it’s about as gone as disco, which didn’t disappear but ultimately infiltrated rock. We love the beat and we love the pulse and “Wasted Time” is throbbing and you’re along for the ride from the get-go. And if the lyrics weren’t so generic, so pedestrian, you’d put “Wasted Time” in the summer song canon. As it is, you can’t help but throw your hands in the air in exaltation… If only the lyrics were as realistic and engaging as those of Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.” Maybe Rock was right all along, that it’s about merging the old with the new, the rock with the country, because until you get to the break you’d be hard-pressed to call “Wasted Time” a country song. If Top Forty weren’t so afraid of breaking the formula they’d have a field day with this, because we all love an airy, happy summer song.

But then comes the piece-de-resistance, “Habit Of You,” which is closer to Hall & Oates than Brooks & Dunn. It’s almost like when the Doobie Brothers moved to the mainstream with “Minute By Minute,” put this on when you’re lying on the couch with your honey sipping wine, reflecting and contemplating getting frisky.

I could make a habit of you
Waking up in my bed
Staying up till two
‘Cause you’re stuck in my head

Whew! The story of my life, all the good things happen late at night, when the world stops intruding and you can get down to it.

And country is playing “Wasted Time,” even though it’s closer to Hot AC, there’s no twang involved, this is mainstream music.

And that’s where Keith Urban lives, on the Australian “Voice” and the American “Idol.” Moving to the mainstream for the paycheck and the attention, Urban ultimately delivered an LP to appeal to this audience, albeit hedging his bets. There are just enough country elements involved not to alienate the Nashville powers, he didn’t pull the full Taylor Swift, but he did work with Nile Rodgers, why not Max Martin, was he unavailable?

And Martin was originally a metalhead and Urban was a rocker and we live in a land of mish-mash where rock and country and EDM all fit under the same umbrella, because the world is smaller than ever before, if you’re paying attention you know all the hits, not only those in your genre. And having said that, the Rodgers track, “Sun Don’t Let Me Down,” featuring Pitbull, is execrable. Reminds me of when the Beach Boys went disco with “Here Comes The Night.” Go all the way or don’t go at all, otherwise you look like you’re dabbling, following trends, and the greats either jump feet first, like Neil Young, who is not married to the past, or they remain true blue to what got them here, like AC/DC.

And I’d like to tell you the rest of the album is incredible, but it’s closer to mediocre. “Gettin’ In The Way” is another one of those cuts that country radio might play but is really much more pop, it doesn’t have the signifying instrumentation that shows it’s from Nashville, it’s more MTV than CMT.

“Blue Ain’t Your Color”‘s got the feel of country, the old country, pre-Luke Bryan, more akin to the sixties than the twenty first century. But, it’s reminiscent of fifties pop just as much. And it’s good, but it’s not great.

“The Fighter” features Carrie Underwood, but that’s the only country thing about it. It’s more Kenny Loggins than Kenny Rogers, with a bit of “Flashdance” thrown in, but it’s too paint by numbers.

“Boy Gets A Truck” resonates sonically, but the lyrics are so pedestrian, winking so much at present day Nashville, that you wince. Still, this is more Red Rider than Red Headed Stranger. If Tom Cochrane changed the chorus he could have had a hit with it way back when.

“That Could Still Be Us” hearkens back to the sensibility of classic country but sounds like it not a whit. There’s the yearning, but not the instrumentation. And if Urban were judging the track on one of his TV shows he’d give it a solid B, but we’re looking for A’s.

And “Wasted Time” and “Habit Of You” are solid B pluses or A minuses, they’re close, but no cigar. And we’re looking to partake of the elixir of excellence.

And it arrives now and again. Justin Bieber has hit the peaks recently. Justin Timberlake and the Chili Peppers are close. But we want Lorde’s “Royals” or Avicii’s “Wake Me Up,” and there’s none of that on “Ripcord,” which is too long and plays it too safe at the same time it’s testing limits, but it is better than the dreck Keith Urban has been purveying recently in search of hits, ending up with music neither fish nor fowl.

So, what we’ve learned is the barriers are breaking down. Acts are taking risks, especially in country, they’re including raps, electronic elements, despite the bro lyrics and too much rote there are new sonic ingredients, and that’s a good thing.

If you’re a fan and buy “Ripcord” you’ll be satisfied. You won’t be overwhelmed, but you’ll be glad to go to the show and hear these songs live.

And if you’re from Nashville you’re gonna wonder if Keith was ever one of you, or was he an Aussie infiltrator who needs to be excommunicated.

But if you’re a student of the game, you’re gonna find “Ripcord” very interesting. Because you’re gonna see a guy taking chances and sometimes succeeding. And hopefully you’ll be inspired and jump completely off the cliff.

We’re waiting for you.

YouTube links:

“Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)

“Wasted Time”

“Habit Of You”

Is it 1968 all over again?

Wherein Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy put such a dent in Hubert Humphrey’s campaign that despite garnering the nomination, the Minnesotan did not win. Kinda like Gore in 2000… Humphrey was tainted by Johnson and Gore was tainted by Clinton and despite both being reasonable, upright men, albeit politicians, they were defeated by their Republican competitors, unelectable Richard Nixon, who’d been shunned by his home state of California, and doofus George Bush.

All the energy was with the antiwar protesters, the younger generation was sick of the establishment, that’s why Johnson declined to run, Vietnam was his Waterloo. And one can argue that Obama’s steered the ship with a steady hand, but that ship has left so many out, college students are burdened by debt and the working class whites have been closed out.

Yes, we’re in an economic crisis, despite all the hogwash in the papers about GDP and the number of jobs. The truth is you may be able to make it in America today, but just barely.

Trump is channeling this anger, rounding up all the nitwits and bozos who have anger but little knowledge. Whereas Bernie has rounded up the young, the educated…and these same damn people. That’s right, Bernie just killed it with working class whites in West Virginia.

And this looks very bad for Hillary Clinton.

And if you think attacking the Donald will win you the election, you’ve got no understanding of a populace scorned. Some people don’t care what you say about him, they’re sick and tired of being screwed. Carrying the water for the rich and established and getting little in return. And if you don’t think the poor pay taxes, you know nothing about payroll taxes and sales taxes and so many other charges that eat at your income besides income taxes. The rich keep boasting they’re paying so much but the truth is we’re not buying that anymore. We know as much as they pay, the super-rich do a great job of avoiding paying so much more. And this fact has wreaked havoc on the Republican establishment, the party’s been ripped apart, because giving tax breaks and business benefits to the rich whilst fighting for the social issues dear to the poor…just doesn’t work anymore. Furthermore, it turns out the social issues…gay marriage, abortion, religion…are not what’s important to the poor white voters, what they want are JOBS! That’s what all this bitching about immigration has been about, the theoretical loss of jobs. And one can say there’s net zero immigration from Mexico and that whites don’t want to do the work of browns but the truth is perception is all that matters, I can’t make it and somebody’s at fault. And that somebody is not only the immigrants, but the Congress, the party… What the Trump supporters want is to elect somebody who will DO SOMETHING!

And a huge swath of the public believes Hillary will not.

The Democrats have traditionally been the party of the working class. But on their watch not only have unions been eviscerated, the term itself has a stink upon it. This is what happens when you allow the enemy to define the terms. And so far, the enemy, the Republican party, has defined Hillary…as a duplicitous lifer out for herself who bends rules willy-nilly. Is this the truth? As we’ve established above, so many voters don’t care about the truth!

Get your own house in order, that’s what you do before you cast stones. The Democrats are lining up decrying Trump yet the truth is they’ve got so much work to do on their own side. Come on, a septuagenarian socialist is challenging an established player for the nomination? You know what happens when you play not to lose, you frequently do, just ask a golfer.

That’s right, Hillary is not playing to win. She’s not aggressive. People find no reason to believe in her. Sure, she’s a woman, but is that enough to elect her?

Do you really expect the Bernie supporters to line up behind her when she gets the nomination? This same constituency abandoned Humphrey after their McCarthy hopes were dashed. And Sanders has made much further inroads than Clean Gene.

But she’s winning it fair and square!

But everybody believes the game is rigged. Not only the nomination process, but the entire casino nation we inhabit. True or not, that’s the perception, and that’s the only thing that matters.

And the pundits and the polls have been wrong all year. Trump had no chance of winning and women and Latinos will never vote for the Donald. But is this really true?

I’m not sure Bernie could survive scrutiny, I’m not sure all of his plans are practical. But he has plans for a new deal that will aid the up and coming and the dispossessed. People believe the Bern is on their side.

It’s getting ugly out there, and the Dems have the most to lose. Trump’s got it sewn up on the other side, by time he gets to the convention it will be clear sailing, the wind will be at his back. Meanwhile, on the left Hillary will be limping into Philadelphia and paying lip service to the progressive wing all the while, and it’s not only the right that believes she lies.

What we learned is when the public voted people wanted Trump.

And what we’ve learned is the same people angry enough to vote for Trump are voting for Bernie. That’s right, the people the educated and entitled have shorn from the agenda on the left, the working class. If Bernie is done, so many of these people move over to Trump or don’t vote. If the party line meant so much Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio would have gotten the nomination. If you expect the Bernie supporters to roll over and go Hillary…

You’re probably living in the bubble.

And outside the sphere life is rough. It’s every man for himself. We’re looking for a leg up, a hand to help, and so far it’s not only the right that distrusts Hillary, but the left.

Be afraid, be very afraid.