| |
Tue, Nov 15, 2005 12:02 PM
The cool thing about starting your own website is that you get to do the first of everything. Of course, if nobody visits the site, you'll be doing the last of everything as well.
This first article is about why this website exists - if you're here reading, then chances are either that you love music as much as I do or you're a government agent snooping around for subversive activities.
Music can be subversive - certainly over the centuries, governments and religious institutions exercised a lot of persecutions and repressions of writers and musicians who channeled music to express our feelings and reflect honestly about the conditions in which we live. If you're motivated, read the story about Victor Jara's death at the hands of Pinochet's troops:
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1219-20.htm
That is only one aspect of the importance of music as a cultural statement, as a reflection of our hopes, dreams, fears and goals, as a celebration of our energy, our love of festive ritual and basically, our ability to party hard.
To the music industry, developing alternatives to feeding our dollars into their corporate financial infrastructure is subversive. For a more developed viewpoint on this perspective, visit Bob Lefsetz' site and read some of his archived rants about how the music biz doesn't get what today's listener is all about.
http://www.rhino.com/rzine/columnists/lefsetz/index.lasso
As you can see, I digress all over the place - getting back to the point, this site is a place where you can discover great new music and you can share your favorite music with other music lovers.
THIS IS NOT A FILE SHARING SITE!!!
When the site is more developed, I expect that some music you and I want to present can be sold from this site. We'll play 60 second samples that should provide enough of a listening experience for you to decide whether you want to make the effort to hear more.
For music providers that do not give us clearance to play samples, we'll either post links to the artists' sites or simply provide you with the name, review and how you can find the music.
So back to the concept of "The First Time". Remember the first time you heard a song that is now a very important part of your sociological, emotional, spiritual and festival existence? I remember driving my car in the late 60's when Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Suite For Judy Blue Eyes" came on the radio. Within thirty seconds of hearing Still's opening guitar line evolve into a seductive arrangement like I had never heard before, I had pulled the car over so I could just sit and drink this sound in and I hoped I could find it again.
This site is for those moments. There is a thousand times more music in the world than you'll ever get to experience on commercial radio - most of it is much more creative and honest as well. And what's the best way to figure out which songs to try out? Find out what your friends have already heard and like so much that they're motivated to share here with you. And we're waiting to hear what music shakes you out of your driving hypnosis and pulls you over to the side of the road. We trust your taste - my only request is that you are not shilling for a PR firm - that you are sharing these songs and artists here because you truly love this music.
I will add more information as I have time and as this site develops; now I have to go cook dinner for 50 people.
Matt Kramer
The Bills
October 2005
I had never heard of The Bills out of Victoria, BC.
Magically wonderful virtuoso musicians, most of them classically trained.
You can't use one label to describe the band - lots of Canadian folk and bluegrassy roots but how do you explain the elegant arrangements of Star Dust and Begin The Beguine? Or the hypnotic Slavic rhythms.
And their show is fun; very, very fun.
Their website states:
From the beautiful West Coast of Canada comes this extraordinary quintet, renowned among folk music fans of all ages for their instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, exuberant live performances, evocative songwriting, and refreshingly innovative interpretations of traditional tunes from around the globe.
In 2004, with the release of their stunning third CD, "Let Em Run", The Bills secured their place as one of the most inventive and talented acts on the North American and Western European folk music scene. Let Em Run has generated enormous praise from critics and fans alike, and was nominated for the 2005 Canadian JUNO award for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year.
Drawing musical inspiration from a broad range of North American traditions, a melange of European stylings, rhythms of Latin America, and melodies of the wandering Romany peoples, The Bills have forged a musical style all their own that transcends musical boundaries and defies simple categorization. With three main writers in the band, The Bills have developed a glorious and growing repertoire of songs that speak of their own part of the world.
Since forming in 1996, The Bills have toured theatres and festivals from Copenhagen to California, thrilling audiences with their breathtaking musical explorations and their natural onstage humour and charm.
Whether entertaining an intimate theatre audience or a festival crowd of 10,000, these five gifted multi-instrumentalists are masters at bridging the gulf between stage and audience to create a completely unique and exciting musical experience. The Bills are ready to take you on a joyous musical ride, so get on board and experience Canada's foremost roots music sensation.
To visit, click: The Bills .
Be sure to check out their video!
|
