There are lots of reasons why different singers and bands collaborate with each other: to gain crossover potential, to feature an up-and-coming artist, or simply just for the sake of name-dropping. These are all pretty standard reasons why it’s hard to find a hit track nowadays that isn’t “featuring” someone else. And while most collaborations usually turn out pretty decently and some even become defining songs of a generation (ex. ANYTHING J. Lo or Ashanti did with Ja Rule back in the early 2000′s), some music collaborations just leave us all wondering “…why?” Read More »

In my experience, musicians are vain, self-absorbed creatures who live for their instruments (much like any art form).  Since one of my majors is studio art, I am constantly surrounded by self-proclaimed artists and their idiosyncrasies.  Therefore, I can understand why some people in the music business act in a certain way.  They can’t help it, they’re artists!

The art department of any university is a strange place and it takes a special kind if person to put themselves through the torture that is any art class.  I’m sure the music business is the same way.  That is why when I see “artists” like The Pussycat Dolls or P. Diddy, I’m not exactly surprised.  However, once in a while there comes a person who is so terrifically self-absorbed that it shocks (and annoys) even other artists.  Enter:  Kanye West.  And John Mayer.

This installment of Celebretard Showdown could easily be called The Douchebag Edition, considering our subjects.  Who is more pretentious?  Who has talent and who just has a big mouth?  So many questions, so little time (let’s face it: there’s only so much time you can spend reading Kanye West quotes before losing all faith in humanity and wanting to smash something). Read More »

Does this mean anything to you?:“Post punk/indie/English geek/Rock”

Maybe?

Well, let it mean this to you now: the Young Knives.

Young Knives are an English band stirring up a bit of a buzz these days. With a name erroneously taken from a book and a bassist who goes by The House of Lords, they’re quirky and simultaneously artistic. The members of Young Knives all have a long history of dancing in front of mirrors and competing for the spotlight, but singer Henry Dartnall maintains that they all show off in their own ways.

“Well, I’m the loudest, ‘look at me!’, one…” Henry says, going on to explain that his bassist and brother, Thomas (The House Of Lords guy), can put on a quiet and shy act all while he’s well aware of the fact that all eyes are on him. Read More »

Mix carrots, kale, celery, pumpkins, cucumbers and leeks and you get one fantastic soup. You also get a world renowned orchestra from Vienna who have made it their creative mission to use vegetables –and only vegetables– to create music.

The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra is made up of 11 musicians, a sound engineer and video artist, who together create a creative experience that most of us have never even conceived.

What’s exciting about this orchestra is that no genre is left untouched. They have been known to cut tracks ranging from experimental electronic to free jazz and anything in between. Along with their live performances a video portion is exhibited at the end for the audience…just another medium for these artists to get their message to you.

And what do they do with all of those vegetables after the show? They offer each member of the crowd some soup.

Of course!

What is it about musicians?

As I write this, I’m sitting in a tiny room, surrounded by instruments and coffee cups and crumpled paper a few people practicing for an upcoming show. I’m here because I have to be—an end of the school year stage managing gig—but now that a few of the dudes in this place have opened up their mouths and started singing, I no longer mind the cramped space and the fact that every time someone opens the door they slam me and my chair and my left arm. Really fucking hard.

The boys in question, singing in perfect harmony as I put these words down, are not exactly the hottest things I’ve ever seen. I mean, they’re not bad. One of them is actually a little bit famous, but it’s not because of his slightly nondescript face and strange habit of squinting whenever he hits high notes.

It’s because he’s a musician.

It’s the Musician Factor. Read More »