Is music an endangered species?

We all know all about the issue with the selling of music. "Music is free" the artists shout, "how can we keep making it if we don't get paid for it?" And they're right, you know.

But there's something bigger and even more ominous than the "freeing" of music. People just don't engage with music like they used to. Music is not near the center of our cultural sphere anymore. Social media and television, iphones and video games have taken center stage. After a long day of meaningless work (I have written and will continue to write at length about this subject) the sheeple head home to plop down in front of their TV to watch Top Chef while they browse Facebook. I know this is what we do because this is, very often, what happens in my house. There was a time, arguably before I was born, before computers got awesome and television really figured out how to get us to watch advertisements, when music was everything to a lot of people. A new record came out and it was THE THING that everyone talked about. There were Black Friday-like lines at record stores for Led Zeppelin II and live music was something that everyone engaged in.

I'm optimistic. In my career, specifically as part of The Stringdusters, I continue to see more people out at the shows and every well run, well intentioned festival continues to grow. I may be wrong about this endangered species thing, actually. But I have a sense that ours may be the last generation that craves music, that needs the kind of experience and community that you get from being a fan.

What is to be done? We need to spread the word, turn our family, friends and co-workers on to what moves us, drag the couch culture out of the house and drop them in the front row of our favorite band and make a habit of going out to see music at local venues. Perhaps more importantly, we need to get our children stoked about music, it should be part of their culture. Let's cultivate music, help it grow and make it better, before it vanishes.

Road to Boulder

The Stringdusters have just released an EP, Road to Boulder, to benefit flood victims from the September flood in Colorado.  The song Road to Boulder features the incomparable Bruce Hornsby on accordion and the EP includes three songs recorded at Bluegrass Underground.  This is an easy way to help those in need and get some good music in your ears.

The Road to Boulder Tour kicks off December 4th with stops in Columbus, Madison, and Lawrence before two nights at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado.  The road FROM Boulder goes through Austin, Fayetteville, Chattanooga, Chapel Hill and Wilmington.  Full details and tickets available at thestringdusters.com

Honduran Goodbye

"People are thrilled that you showed up, but no one really cares that you’re leaving."

In my circles we call it the Honduran Goodbye.  I hadn't ever thought about it being derogatory, as it's actually a really thoughtful, considerate, and efficient thing to do.  A friend forwarded this great blog post, I won't be redundant, I'll just drop you a link.  

Our Founding Fathers

My bandmates and best friends Panda and Falco have a new project, The Founding Fathers.  I don't really know how to describe the music... programmed beats, electric guitars...  They've made some live tracks available on their website, it's really really good stuff, worth the stream while you're getting into what else you're getting into on the internets today.

http://www.foundingfathersmusic.com/

Music Update

Rediscovering the e-bass at The Festy IV

Motivation and inspiration hit hard sometimes.  The last few weeks have added so much fuel to the fire that it can barely be contained.  I'm charging ahead with my solo project with a planned release date sometime in January, Sunliner's decided to cut a 45 or a single (two sides) this week or the next and the final session for the upcoming Stringdusters album less than three weeks away (and I've been charged with the task of writing another song for that session).

Post Festy, pre Holiday Tour was intended to be downtime but it's quickly become as busy as any other time of the year.  It's not only recording, Sarah and I are doing a few duo shows in Asheville, Roanoke and Ashland and I'm playing with her on her mini-tour in support of the re-release of her epic album Covered (see earlier blog post for more on that) in Boston and New York City.  Solo shows take a back seat this fall but January is going to be busy around the record release.  More on that later.

Albums of the Year

This year is not over yet (thank God) but Blue Ridge Outdoors prompted me to share my favorite albums of the year and the process got me thinking about all the great music I've uncovered in 2013.  Two in particular have been hitting me hard in the last few months, thought I'd share.  Hope you like badass pop.

LEAGUES:  You Belong Here

I’ve been a big fan of Thad Cockrell’s since my wife and I landed a brilliant Holiday record of his a few years ago.  He was living in Nashville at the time (as was my wife and I) and they shared some of the same social circles.  I hadn’t heard Thad in a few years before Sarah played me the Leagues debut album but his voice immediately brought me the same sense of joy I had when I first “discovered” his music several years before.  I’m a sucker for badass pop/rock music and this record is as good as it gets.  

DANIEL TASHIAN: Arthur

This record was released in 2011 but I only just uncovered it when my lovely wife, Sarah, coupled it together with the latest Silver Seas record, Alaska, (2013) for a cross-country journey I took late summer.  The Silver Seas are my favorite band, simply put, and Tashian one of my favorite songwriters.  I can sing every line of every song of every record.  I didn’t read the writing on the disc, just put it in and immediately fell in love with what I thought was the latest offering from the Seas, but when track 10 rolled around and the chorus of Alaska hit, at first I thought “oh, how creative, the title track last” but then the track ended and another began and I realized my error.  I had been listening to Arthur.  Hook after hook, shameless pop and devastating bridges (I once laughed for at least 20 minutes straight at a cocktail party as Tashian riffed on a joke about opening a business on Music Row called Bridges Inc. where all the songwriters co-writing on the row, struggling with the bridge would drop by to get their bridges written for them)... Arthur’s the best thing I’ve heard all year.

The Festy part IV

The calm after the storm.  Neither rain nor wind nor conditions more akin to Scotland than Virginia could keep the Dust down at The Festy's 4th edition.  Despite a steady but soft rain compliments of a tropical storm that simply refused to push north, The Festy easily and handily achieved the designation of "best Festy yet."

Friday Marco Benevento blew my mind.  I think his bass player was David Dreiwitz.

Saturday Sunliner debuted and surprised ourselves with the rock potential of a power trio.

Saturday night, the John Scofield Uber Jam had me so fired up I had to walk away lest I burn every ounce of energy I had.  Scofield sat in with the 'Dusters later that night, first backed on his own tune, Kelpers, then trading solos with Chris Pandolfi on Fire.  Sunday I kicked back and enjoyed the music and the sights.  Already making plans for next year, The Festy part V.  Hope to see you all there.

 

Photo's by Brian Band and Pati Bobek except Sunliner photo, no idea where that came from.