After a lot of soul-searching (not really) I've decided to wind up the League Table. I know it had only been going for a month but it hasn't attracted the sort of attention or interest I had hoped it would, and frankly it's just too much work to do every week for the benefit of a small number of people. So sorry to you few who enjoyed it; had your interest been mirrored in a larger percentage of the members here I would have had no trouble putting in the hours, but as it is it's just too much work for too little reward --- whaddya mean, just like writing a journal?
Anyway, sorry about that but rest assured we'll be keeping this update thread as interesting as possible, with two new sections starting this week, of which more later. Right now though, time to see what's being churned out down at ye olde journal factory...
Hang out the bunting! Give everyone a day off work! Let the church bells ring out in triumph, for the marsupial one is back! Yes, after some considerable absence due, he tells us, to his amazing talents being in demand elsewhere (and who would doubt it?)
Anteater has come back to us to create
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...n-dollars.html, with reviews of sometimes-forgotten metal band Crimson Glory starting us off. Looking forward to this one! Welcome back, big guy! Have a bag of ants!
Antonio is also back!
VICTORY SCREEEECH! as he'd say himself. And this week he's having a hard time understanding people who don't like certain music or artistes because, to quote him, they're an
asshole. Could see some debate rising about this one! Visit
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ng-ground.html and give him your opinion.
Someone who never left us, and hopefully never will (does that sound gay? I don't care!) is
the Batlord, and nobody, and I mean no-body does it better than him when it comes to trumpeting the glory that is True Metal, and smashing a thousand poseurs at a single blow. Head to
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...t-schemes.html to read the latest, greatest episode in "The return of the Kings of Metal"! You've only yourself to blame if you miss it! Over at his other journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...lks-about.html and he's working through the discography of Death Angel, so more extreme metal ahoy!
YorkeDaddy continues to give us a fascinating glimpse into the workings of a band as they strive to create the next musical masterpiece in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sterpiece.html. I must admit, to my shame, that I haven't had the time to read through all his entries in depth, but I'm going to have to make the time. What's
your excuse?
Chrysalis is reviewing albums by Felt, Eric Fourman and the Doors in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html
And as he promised when he offered us
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...chameleon.html a few weeks ago,
DJ Chameleon is talking about Fo'Sho Radio, which he appears to have been part of (sorry DJ, I'll read it all soon but at the moment I just can't spare the time) and he's also running a section he used to run on the radio show, called Razor's Edge, where he would stream a newly-released album in its entireity. Only legal release of course! The first one he's looking at here is Letlive's "The Blackest Beautiful". Shaping up nicely, DJ!
On a serious note,
Engine is trying to rearrange his drinking habits and has begun a new journal.
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...las-vegas.html will chronicle his attempts to cut down, though not give up, the daemon drink, and we wish him all the best in his endeavours. Always a top-notch writer, his work is something you really should experience, so drop in and lend him your support.
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...use-songs.html is the hive of activity and interest we've come to expect from the man, and this week is no different, with the second part of his special on No Wave as well as a review of a new album by Camera Obscura.
You can get not only
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...anderings.html over at her journal this week but also samples of her music! And she is good, man! Whaddya mean, prove it? Step this way, and bring your wallet...
A year later ... Yeah, after some serious internet problems which he warned us he was going through,
Mondo Bungle is kickstarting
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...istortion.html again, presumably now hooked up to a 10 TB fibreoptic line, or something. He's looking at one of his heroes, Mike Patton, in his first entry after coming back from the abyss. Welcome back man! Look forward to more of your work.
There's another example of
Pedestrian's incredible prose in "Freetalk", which of course you all as ardent fans of hers know you will find in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sswalking.html, so why am I bothering to tell you? Ah, you know, just in case you forgot...
Screen13 is continuing the Singles Club over at
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...all-music.html with a good one from Elvis. No, Costello.
As for me, well my own journals have suffered a little this week, mostly due to the fact that I've been sampling quite a few classic albums. So
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html has just the one entry, another "Great moment in history set to music", while
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html brings you the third episode of "The Onedin Line" and the final episodes of season one of "Supernatural".
Ah, but those
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ver-heard.html! Now that's a different story! There's Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, ABC AND Judas Priest! Oh, and speaking of classic albums, the one I review in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html is certainly not a classic, and is in fact the only album the weirdly (but perhaps appropriately) named Eniac Requiem ever released before splitting up.
Unknown Soldier is still
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html in 1976, and this week he's reviewing albums by The Babys, Aerosmith and also running off another list of bands who didn't make the cut for this year. Hey, is it just me, or is that Trapeze album cover uncomfortably highlighting the word "rape"? Is that just an unfortunate coincidence?
Wolverinewolfweiselpigeon is certainly going hard at it! In
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-tripping.html she's looking at the work of R Stevie Moore as well as Belle and Sebastian, the Antlers and more.
So to our Showcase. This week I'd like to talk about someone I mentioned returned to us last week, and who has been working pretty hard ever since. I don't think I'm overstating the case either to say that she appears to be one of the most loved members on Music Banter, and certainly everyone has missed her. Glad you're back with us!
Starting her journal in 2009, a year before I did, Lateralus has covered a wide range of topics, from fanbases to bass guitars (see what I did there?)
and you're sure to find something to interest you. Like this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lateralus
Lateralus' Guide To...
Music Festivals
I love music festivals, and I go to at least a couple every year, and this summer I've got a few great ones lined up. However, I always find myself coming across people at the festivals, or bringing friends with me who know nothing about music festival etiquette and find themselves not having a good time because of this. So I thought I'd put together a survival guide of sorts.
1. If you're attending a multiple-day music festival which involves camping, DO NOT under any circumstances set up camp anywhere near the portable toilets. It may seem convenient at the time, but as the hours wear on you will understand why it is not a good idea... also bring your own toilet paper!
2. Set up your camp near a landmark or something that stands out so you can remember where your tent is. Stumbling around probably intoxicated and trying to find your tent when it is dark, crowded and smelly is NOT fun.
3. Dress sensibly. Especially if you are a girl, because girls tend to be the stupidest when it comes to music festival attire. If you were high heels, your feet will not only be sore but probably bloody and mangled. If you wear a miniskirt you will most likely be groped by herds of guys for the duration of the festival. Wear something comfortable that you don't mind getting dirty.
4. If you plan on drinking, make sure to brings LOTS of money. Drinks will most likely be overpriced and taste like piss. If you plan on eating, the same rule applies. Don't waste all your money on booze and remember to have water handy.
5. Be prepared for: mud, dust, sunburn. Also, dancing in the mud like a dirty hippie may seem like fun at the time but you won't think so when you realise you have to spend the rest of the weekend looking like this:
6. Avoid taking cameras and video recording devices into the crowd, and if you have a mobile phone keep it in your pocket. Not only do these objects risk getting crushed, but as I learnt the hard way one year, the crowd is often sprayed with large amounts of water.
7. Get an itinerary! There's nothing worse than missing a great band at a festival because you didn't know which stage they were playing at and at what time.
8. If you can, try to volunteer to work at a festival you're really keen about. You get to go for free, often get special backstage access, and only have to 'work' for a couple of hours and then get to use the rest of the time to enjoy yourself!
9. Bring as little valuables as you can, and if you do bring valuable items keep them on you at all times or keep them locked and hidden in your car. Tents and campsites are a huge target for invasion and pinching things. If you're camping with friends and have a few tents between you, set them up so they the entrances are all facing each other - seems simple but is a pretty nifty security trick.
10. And as a final checklist, make sure you also remember to bring: ID, fully charged mobile phone, a hat, sunscreen, water, food that doesn't need to be refrigerated, toilet paper, lamps or torches, portable chairs, warm blankets, a backpack (can often double as a pillow), and a good attitude! Yay, I'm lame!
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Now, as I mentioned, to no doubt the sound of raucous cheering, the League Table is no more. I do however want to replace it, and so this is what I've come up with. Similar to the Showcase, "Young Guns and Old Hands" will afford an opportunity for both those just starting out on their journals and those who have been at it for years to showcase their work. Each week, assuming there are enough new journals to go round --- which going by the last few months should not be a problem --- I'll introduce you to a new journal and remind you of one that is a bit more established. Whether you check them out afterwards is up to you, but this section will hopefully give you an idea what you're missing, perhaps remind you to check out an old journal or maybe even give you the spur to start your own, when you see what people just like you (but with less fingers maybe, and only one head) have created.
I'd like to kick this off with a journal that was mentioned in the above update, and which is showing great promise. The idea of "shadowing" a band while they create their album --- which could turn out to be huge --- is an interesting premise for a journal, and YorkeDaddy, who already has the quite inspired "YorkeDaddy revisits albums he used to hate" journal, seems to be pouring all his energies into this. And a fine job he's doing too. Here's a truncated example of the kind of thing you can expect to find for just the click of a mouse...
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sterpiece.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy
Entry 3A: There’s No ‘I’ in “Let’s Make an Awesome Album”
So entry 2 was written by Schuyler, but now we’re back to Bryan (YorkeDaddy) for this next entry.
We have our concept developed, but relatively loosely. Handcuffing yourself when trying to create art is one of the worst things you can do. From here the only place to go is to the actual writing process itself! While most musical acts formally or informally declare one band member or outside source as the designated writer, we like to take a different approach.
The best way to describe our methodology is as a Lennon and McCartney relationship without the occasional George or Ringo. Now, I’m not comparing us to Lennon and McCartney, I’m saying that we tackle writing an album at about a 50/50 split, and both of us have different writing styles that contribute to the sound that comes out of those speakers when you listen to our music.
Let’s go into further detail and into some of my deeper philosophies that encompass songwriting. I believe that there are two ways of writing songs, and neither way is fundamentally better than the other, nor is one of the methods more “difficult” or “impressive” than the other. I believe you either write music from the heart or from the mind.
That’s not to say that music from the ‘mind’ isn’t heartfelt or that music from the ‘heart’ isn’t intelligently thought-out. I just believe that in songwriting, the music will either flow naturally and sporadically (writing from the ‘heart’), or the music will be more intellectual or technically sound (writing from the ‘mind’). If I were to classify existing artists to provide examples of what I’m trying to describe, I would say that acts such as The Antlers or Neutral Milk Hotel write from the ‘heart’, while acts such as Radiohead or The Beatles write/wrote from the ‘mind’. All four of those acts are remarkable bands that have released brilliant material, but the writing and subsequently the emotions I feel when listening to them differ tremendously.
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Now, in case you're wondering "what about the rest of it?" I want to make it clear that unlike the main Showcase, these will only feature a literal extract, not a full post, so as to hopefully give you the incentive to seek out the full thing. Which you can do, by clicking the link above.
As for the Old Hands, well who's older than Urban? Other than me probably. You never quite know what you're going to find in his journal, but one thing is for sure: it will never be boring. This man has a way of making even a single line entry fun and quirky, and he doesn't need reams of copy to get his point across, unlike others we could mention, Trollheart!
Anyhoo, I'd like to present to you one of my favourite entries from his journal, and if I say the words "kitchen" and "spam", and you don't know what I'm talking about, then read on...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?
Posting In The Style Of Other Posters
Each month I pretend to be someone else on the forum.
Hello youarelucky welcome to musicbanter. I'm sorry that you had your last 23 accounts banned and I'm sorry that profanity was used when you last tried to tell us about your wonderful kitchens. It would be nicer if you can share your knowledge of kitchens in a less hostile environment here and I welcome your contributions to the discussion on the forum should any kitchen related conversation where your much needed expert opinion would be much welcomed.
I had a look at some of your kitchens. Before I went to your website I researched what a kitchen is and it said this.
Kitchen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What is a kitchen
Also did you know that the surname Kitchen means
Family Facts for: Kitchen
I often wondered if the actor Michael Kitchen had any ancestors in his family that worked in kitchens. I think a few culinary delights have come out of his family over the years
I particularly enjoyed your White High Gloss Shaker Style Kitchen
This looks very vegan friendly due to the peppers on display in it, or Bell Peppers or Sweet Peppers or Capsicums as they are known as throughout the world. I'm disappointed that you have what looks like a joint of roasted meat in the background. Have you ever considered using the peppers for a delicious healthier meal instead? |
Again, to read the full thing --- and you really should, and his other entries --- wander your mouse over to the link above the entry and just depress the button. What? I don't know: tell it it's getting fat and nobody loves it I suppose! You want me to do
everything for you?
So that's the latest from the world of journals, old, new, and, er, not so old or new. Don't forget if you want to start your own journal yadda yadda yadda you know the drill by now. This pre-programmed, automated response will terminate in three, two, one....
Toodles!