Festival Peak
experiencing music.
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Music Festivals are a Symbol of Privilege
There was a time when music festivals were inexpensive affairs. The cost to attend Woodstock ’69 was 6.50 for one day, $18 for all three…days. Adjusted for 2016 dollars that translates to $42 for one day and $116 for all three days. ¶ These days, many festivals cost a lot more than that. But it makes sense — things simply cost more in general. ¶ But the one thing that rings true is that, in order to attend a music festival, you must have attained or been conferred some sort of privilege, or adjusted your priorities such that attending this festival is something that you will make happen no matter what.
james CANTUSMar 31
Music Critics
I was walking back from the chic little grocery store on the corner when I was caught by the light. Naturally, I swore a bit. This was the…intersection of two wide and busy streets, and the city had just shrugged its shoulders and programmed the traffic signals to give each side a small eternity to cross. I’d be facing the Don’t Walk sign for an epoch or two, while addled drivers stared at text messages on their damned phones, and their irritable brethren honked behind them. ¶ The roar of motors filled the air as shiny metal crowded the intersection.
Richard RisembergMar 12
The Fugees’ “The Score”: A 20th Anniversary Retrospective
After failing to strike gold their first go ‘round, the Tranzlator Crew took control of their own destinies. They descended upon East…Orange, NJ, entered the Booga Basement and emerged with a classic album that set the stage for more timeless music to be created for years to follow… ¶ The Fugees’ 1st LP on Ruffhouse/Columbia “Blunted On Reality” was released in early 1994 after their lead single “Boof Baf” failed to make any noise. Fact of the matter is the single sounded fairly dated even in the Winter of 1993 and much of the album did as well.
Dart_AdamsFeb 13
Update: This is Now a Song
Update: This is Now a Song
Michael Aquino — who composed the music to my lyrics on “My Amen” (featured here on Crossing Genres) — has taken the poem I wrote and…turned it into a song. ¶ Hear it here: ¶ And here is “My Amen”: ¶ This makes our sixth song collaboration together (hear our previous work here). Aside from these songs — composed for the February Album Writing Month challenge — Aquino recently released his own debut album Giants Will Fall available at michaelaquino.com.Ernio HernandezFeb 15
Godspeed You! Black Emperor — the full transcript
Godspeed You! Black Emperor — the full transcript
“Our cities are broke, they lay patches on top of patches of concrete, our forests cut down and sold to make newspapers just to tell us…about traffic that we get stuck in. You get a parking ticket and you waste a day in line. Cop shoots kid, kid shoots kid, homeless man dies waiting to see a doctor, old men lay in hospital beds while a broken bureaucracy steals away what’s left of their dignity. Folks flee to our shores, running from the messes we’ve made in their countries, and we treat them like thieves. Mostly it feels like whatever you love is just going to get torn away.Steve DekorteFeb 4
Janet Jackson’s “Control”: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective
Janet Jackson’s “Control”: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective
The princess of American Pop royalty steps out from under the shadow of her famous family to find her true voice, forge her own identity…and with the help of purveyors of the Minneapolis Sound Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis craft one of the most influential albums of the past 40 years… ¶ Janet Jackson had been in the public eye since her father added her to the family act back in April 1974 when they did a two week stand at the MGM Grand. There was a subsequent variety TV show called “The Jacksons” which aired as a summer replacement series in the Summer of 1976 on CBS where a young Janet rehashed her role in the family’s Las Vegas…Dart_AdamsFeb 4
Music about Noam Chomsky
Music about Noam Chomsky
Composition pour Piano, percussions, xylophone, clarinette et clarinette basse.La prise de contrôle de la démocratie par : Noam Chomsky ¶ Pour étouffer par avance toute révolte, Il suffit de créer un conditionnement collectif si puissant…. ¶ English: ¶ Composition for Piano, percussion, xylophone, clarinet and bass clarinet. The takeover of democracy by: Noam Chomsky to suppress any revolt in advance, simply create a powerful collective packaging…Lovisolo FrankFeb 7
3 missteps in Rihanna’s #ANTI campaign
3 missteps in Rihanna’s #ANTI campaign
To everyone’s amazement, Rihanna finally released ANTI yesterday. More than a year after she dropped “FourFiveSeconds,” she launched both…the first single (version 2.0), “Work,” and the album on the same day. ¶ It was an ANTI-climatic end to a long and tiring campaign, to say the least. ¶ What went wrong? Three reasons: ¶ 1. Lack of strategy ¶ Rihanna is one of the world’s hottest pop stars. She is up there with Beyoncé and Adele, in terms of name recognition. However, her album campaign looked amateurish when compared to the release of the BEYONCÉ and 25 records, from the aforementioned artists.Carlos DiazJan 28
Because of Punk
Because of Punk
Because of punk I never had a real job.Because of punk, when I encountered the internet I knew what I was looking at. ¶ Because of punk I’ve been collecting books all my life because I never wanted to stop knowing new things. ¶ Because of punk I’ve never been scared to do anything. ¶ Because of punk I’ve always hated bullies and looked out for the bullied. ¶ Because of punk I’m dead broke. ¶ Because of punk I understood why David Bowie was so important.ivanpopeJan 28
Let’s cut musicians some slack.
Let’s cut musicians some slack.
Last week I attended a country music festival of sorts (I say “of sorts” because it was in Cancun and for some reason that doesn’t feel…like a ‘festival.’) First, let me be clear — IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!! I met new people from around the world and enjoyed as much free Corona that my liver could tolerate. ¶ In addition to the festival last week, I have frequented many concerts, festivals, stampedes, etc. Why? I love live music. I live for it. There is nothing better than seeing an artist perform a song that’s literally changed your life.JulieJan 28
