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(JANUARY PODCAST 12mb 128 kbps mp3) JANUARY 2007 ISSUE #91 
James
Brown I would like to take this space to pay homage to the musical legacy of James Brown, as an enduring force in popular music, possibly only second to Elvis or the Beatles in influence and impact. As a resident of Brown's hometown, I've had many opportunities to see him in person (both onstage and off), and I can honestly say that he was larger than life until the end --- with a personality that filled up the room when he walked in the door. It's hard to assess the actual impact he had on music in general. When you really stop to think about it, would the soul music, rap, and hip hop of the past four decades even exist if it weren't for the ground he broke? I honestly doubt it. While most of his direct influence came more than 30 years ago, it still rings through to this day. Whether it's the sample of one of his drum breaks in a popular song, or the latest dance step in the clubs, chances are you can trace at least a portion of it back to him. I can remember as a teenager when I first got into JB's classic tunes. The crazy funky beats, the pre-song patter and chatter, the screams, the breaks, the horns, the absolute passion present in every track. It seemed to come from outer space, and it sure didn't sound like anything else I'd ever heard. And when I listen now, it still sounds as fresh and fun as it did then. Timeless. And that's his legacy. Not the personal issues which kept him in the news, not the stint in jail, not the eccentric way he lived in day-to-day life. Years from now, only the music will matter. MISH MASH Mandate: Ain't It Funky
About The Music Business So you want to be a rock and roll star, eh? Well, maybe not, after you read this book. Peter M. Thall uncovers and categorizes all the pitfalls of the music industry, showing you all the down and dirty secrets that the major labels don't want you to know about. Thall unravels a multitude of tangled webs, covering everything from copyrights, music publishing, picking a personal manager and attorney, managing a band's business, promotional issues, and everything you were afraid to ask about royalties. As a matter of fact, Thall devotes a large section of the book just on how the major labels will do their best to screw you (the artist) out of your royalties. If you ever wondered how an artist goes from top of the charts to flat broke on a VH1 special in a matter of a few short years, this book will probably answer that question for you. It's a great roadmap for a young band to follow, showing you how to be on the lookout for all the dangers of working in the music business. If your future is in music, then this book should be read from cover to cover. MISH MASH Mandate: Royal Pain
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Andrea Perry
Andrea Perry sings her songs in a soft, little-girl voice that rarely rises above a half-whisper. She quietly wanders wistfully through a selection of acoustic guitar-based tunes, weaving pure pop magic every step of the way. I would imagine that Perry has done her studies under the tutelage of mid-era Beatles, and perhaps a lesson or two from Brian Wilson. She knows how to put together a tight little pop song without letting its simple approach get in the way of its overall impact. In other words, the songs are larger than the sum of their parts, and they shine with brilliance. MISH MASH Mandate: Everybody Is A Star
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Erin McKeown
Erin McKeown takes an old-fashioned approach with a number of old-fashioned tunes (and one original) in this remarkable new solo effort. The songs are classic pop songs, mostly from the 1930s and 40s --- she calls them "standards" even though they aren't necessarily the most well-known from that era. McKeown recorded the songs live in the studio over a matter of days, going for the most authentic sound possible. She also isn't afraid to add her own stamp to the tunes by changing up the arrangements, such as on her take of Cole Porter's Just One Of Those Things, which starts off with a psychedelic-tinged intro. McKeown's original track, Melody, is a barn-burning hot jazz number which jumps and jives with abandon. It fits right into the mix, and you wouldn't realize it wasn't 70 years old if you didn't read the liner notes. MISH MASH Mandate: Sinners Swing!
ActionReaction is heading down the highway with one eye on the road ahead and one eye in the rear-view mirror. While the band presses on with a decidedly modern rock sound, they give a nod to their indie rock predecessors with a classic power pop foundation that stretches back through the decades. Lead singer Jason Gleason (formerly of Further Seems Forever) leads the trio with a rough-hewn voice that is at times reminiscent of a young Bono leading his band into battle. In turn, the songs avoid the dreaded pigeonholes by eschewing the standard pop rock cliches and structures. The result is an album with timeless passion and beauty that grows better upon each and every listen. MISH MASH Mandate: Reaction To Action Abernethy College Grove Spinning Gold Records 11 song CD
Joseph Abernethy's music is wrapped in a whirlwind of influences that range from Brian Wilson to Morrissey to The Alan Parsons Project to The Moody Blues. His stylized and melancholy pop is complex in execution and realization, a complex wall of sound that is built up around his haunting vocals. And Abernethy's voice is certainly the centerpiece, a half-spoken mid-range that is soothing even in its heartbreaking nature. At times it comes across almost as a chant, words flowing through in almost poetic fashion, religiously toned in spite of itself. Spinning Gold Records Website The Warehouse Sessions Self-Released CD/DVD
MISH MASH Mandate: True Blue Red Wanting Blue Website Big Digits Smoke Machines In Lazervision Bodies Of Water Arts And Crafts Records 9 song CD
© 2006 Mish Mash Music Reviews, All Rights Reserved
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