Vinyl Notes

Everyone loves a good mix. For music lovers they become the soundtracks of our lives; there is a song for every moment.

Most of the time I just through together a semi-random selection of songs to fit my mood however, there is something special about a well thought out mix of music. Some aficionados even have mix-tape rules of engagement.  My friends at Listen In did a series on the steps to creating a good mix; all very scientific. Check it out:

Anybody can generate a smart playlist through iTunes or randomly pick songs and burn them to a CD. But every time you make a proper mix you are pulling disparate pieces together and making a whole that has never been before. You put a little bit of yourself into it and unless you were incredibly unoriginal in your song selection it's not likely that the exact collection of songs will ever exist again. Think about that as you assemble your tracks. Reflect on that as you hand off your creation. And the next time somebody hands you a carefully crafted mix, thank them appreciatively for gifting that bit of themselves to you.

As a result of this series I created my first strategic mix and it actually came out very well (if I do say so myself). I was not nearly as scientific about the process as some of my Listen In counterparts, but there were certain things I tried to adhere to.

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Women of distinction are woefully lacking within the scope of popular reggae music. There have been a few notable exceptions including Lady Saw, also known as the "the first lady of dancehall," and Patra, a moderately popular artist from the '90s. But, of the list of 100 Greatest Reggae Artists from an open sourced music information site, only one woman made rank, the self-titled "Empress of Reggae" Marcia Griffiths.

The 2008 Ragga Muffins Festival featured two women in Sunday's line-up, a young actress turned vocalist Cherine Anderson and an uplifting and socially charged artist by the name of Queen Ifrica. Part I of our Festival coverage introduced you to reggae legends Sly & Robbie (#8 on the list of 100 Greatest) who graciously offered to accompany Queen Ifrica during her set.

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Aside from the filler of the personal drama between Aubrey and Donnie, this weeks episode of Making the Band 4 was all about Ditty trying to pull emotion out of the boys. They are not going back into the studio until they make him feel it.

The thing is that Diddy already picked them based on their talent; he knows they can sing but he doesn’t want them to get too comfortable resting on their talent. One of the coaches tells them that if Diddy doesn’t feel the emotion he feels like he’s not making any money. Another tells them they are too focused on the perfection of the voice but they need to let go and give in to the emotion of the moment.

As a demonstration of what he wants, he has the Danity Kane girls each sing a short solo. “None of that whispery stuff.” Diddy tells them. “Unlike a lot of other girls out there y’all can really sing.”

kmmad

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The 2008 Ragga Muffins festival was an improvement on several fronts from festivals past. The increased presence of “earthy” people combined with the decrease in the poser/wannabe crowd (Matisyahu fans…grrrrr) was refreshing. This trend was reflected in the make-up of the vendors; homogeny and commercialization reigned but there were a few bright spots of individuality.

Speaking of the vendors, there was quite a dichotomy present in their sales approaches and wares. This year real artisans finally returned. A local artist named Jimothy, sold handmade leather purses and cuffs returned for his 3^rd consecutive year. New to the mix was a gifted metalworker from Jamaica, whose copper jewelry was intricate, unique and lovely. Though this artisan was reluctant to be interviewed we hope he returns.

In sharp contrast to the artists were several booths featuring scantily dressed booth babes hawking everything from medical marijuana to tawdry and cheap clothing. The medical mary jane babes, dressed as naughty nurses, reminded passersby that “weed is medicine.” Taking the ticky-tacky prize were the women at an undisclosed clothing vendor who were not only dressed as two-bit prostitutes but also acted like them, bending over and licking their lips copiously when men passed. These women seemed intent on selling themselves in order to sell clothes.

Switching gears, the line-up did not disappoint. There are always a few artists whose lack of experience makes for a lackluster set. However as Barbara Barabino co-founder of Ragga Muffins Productions noted, these artists are often hand picked for their potential and should not be discounted. Our highlights this year were Anthony B, Gentleman, Sly & Robbie and Capleton. Aside: While Beanie Man was a headliner, the crowd enjoyed his show with a certain detachment, but more on that later.

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Some music moves you to dance, or takes you back to an emotional moment in time…And then there’s music that simply stirs the soul. It’s hard to define and hard to describe in words (although I will try) what exactly the music made you feel, but when you soul has been touched, you just know it. The great thing about Reggae is that often compels all of these emotions with pulse and rhythm like few other forms of music can do.

As you know, I am covering the Ragga Muffins Festival with Tanya Payne, my friend and writing partner, this weekend. Although Tanya is not writing this article with me, I just wanted to share something about a particularly surprising and interesting moment last night. I should probably mention that we only like to spend enough time in the press box to be on time to take pictures. We’re almost constantly on the move unless we are interviewing someone, or until we’re too tired to move anymore (which does happen). But our preference is to sit, listen, take notes and really experience the music.

I was really looking forward to seeing Anthony B, especially since the incident in 2005 when the Matisyaho fans came and left, leaving a very intimate crowd for Anthony B to entertain. His performance was phenomenal and I thought it a shame that more people hadn’t stayed to watch. This year was different…but I don’t want to talk about Anthony B right now. I want to talk about the group that went on after Anthony B: Sly & Robbie.

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The 27^th annual Ragga Muffins Festival is this weekend, one of the largest reggae festivals in the US and quite possibly one of my favorite events of the year. For nearly 10 years I have been a festival regular, and this year will be no different…except, I will be sharing the experience with you, dear readers.

When the festival started in 1981 it was shortly after the death of Bob Marley, one of the most prolific reggae stars of all time. Back then it was named for Bob Marley and was a way for those who were close to him and the music to honor Marley and recover from the loss. Over time it evolved beyond the catharsis and became a way to showcase reggae artists from around the world.

Last year’s festival marked a return to the festival roots with Barbara Baribino, the leading lady of Ragga Muffins Productions, remarking that she remembered why it had all started in the first place. She had begun noticing that the changing demographic and the craft fair lacking cultural wares. So frustrated was she in the commercialization of reggae culture, last year’s crafts fair was much smaller than in previous years.

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The music business can be a dirty game, especially when there is sentimentality involved. One such case is the news that Yoko Ono has decided to file a lawsuit against an up and coming artist named Lennon Murphy for using…get this…her own name.

When Murphy was signed to Arista Records in 2000 (Sony BMG), she and her A&R people requested Ono’s blessing to use “Lennon” as her stage name. In 2003 Murphy was granted official trademark ownership of the name, but now, just before the registration is scheduled to expire, Ms. Ono has is challenging this ownership, claiming that Murphy was causing confusion amongst the John Lennon fans by using the name. How very mean and petty of Ono.

In a distressed statement to her fans Lennon Murphy had this to say:

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I have something to admit…a music lover’s guilty pleasure of sorts. I have been sucked into the MTV reality television show, Making the Band 4 (Season 2). I’ll give you a second to boo me and discuss how tired of reality TV you are…go ahead…

Okay now that you’ve got that out of your system, I’m going to explain why I like the show and why Making the Band is back for a fourth season. Diddy has a huge ego but he does not play when it comes to quality. It has always been my opinion that he has a great eye and ear for talent. Whether or not you like pop music, when watching Making the Band you begin to understand that Diddy is serious about putting out the best pop music possible. He will not except anything less than a hit, every time his artists go into the studio.

This season, Diddy has set a goal for the most recent winners of Making the Band to make and release albums at the same time, harkening back to the Bad Boy hay day, when Biggie, Total, Mase, and 112 all had simultaneous hit records. So the cast is Donnie, a singer who impressed Diddy so much that he was awarded a solo recording contract; Day 26, an “all male super group” picked on the first season of Making the Band 4; and Danity Kane the girl group from Making the Band 3, who made a platinum record after being shaped and molded by Diddy.

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As far as I’m concerned, most award shows are about hype, especially the Grammys. There was nothing truly inspired by this year’s awards. Yes, Amy Winehouse has a phenomenal voice and Back to Black was her breakout album, but her first one was better. True enough The Pretender by Foo Fighters was in constant rotation, but it was by no means the best rock performance of the year. And someone please explain how Alicia Keys won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “No One”? C’mon people, seriously!

Since I really have nothing good to say about the Grammys, I invite you to have a good laugh with the Listen In writers at Newsvine and their first annual Blammy Awards:

 

“Roll out the red carpet! The Grammys are a farce, so we at Listen In have decided to host our very own music awards show. We'll laugh… we'll cry… we'll take aim at some of the more vulnerable targets available. We'll even hand out a few awards. We're calling it the Blammys.”

kmmad 

Hello and welcome to Vinyl Notes, a brand spanking new music blog on the Know More Media network. I’m your author, Kimberlee Morrison. In addition to being an editor for Know More Media, I am also an avid music connoisseur, which is why when I found out that we were going to create a music blog, I practically begged to be the author.

What qualifies me as an expert on the subject? In addition to recording music, performing as a vocallist at local venues and various other capacities, I have always listened to music with a critical ear. I have also developed a very eclectic taste in music ranging from Jazz and Neo-Soul, to Electronica and Dance, to Rock and Hip Hop. My love for music borders on fanaticism, not for the artists per se but the feeling that great music can create, for the poetry in the lyrics, the composition in the songwriting. I have spent a good part of my freelance writing years covering music, arts and entertainment. 

When it comes to the music business, everything starts with the artist and ends with the fans. With such a zealous love for music, it has been impossible for me to ignore the business process of creating music. I have even spent a couple years in various studios, recording music, only to find that my true passion lay in the writing and critiquing the music instead of making my own.

I can assure you that on this blog you will get an honest and well thought out opinion about a wide range of issues related to the music industry, from album reviews to artist profiles to examining the digital music and piracy controversy. Sometimes I’ll rant and sometimes I’ll rave. Sometimes you’ll agree with my opinion, and sometimes you won’t (and I invite you to disagree with me openly). I'm slightly irreverent so my critiques will sometimes be harsh, but if you listen closely to the things I point out, you'll find that most of the time, my analysis is dead on. Regardless of whether or not you agree with what I have to say, I hope you enjoy the read and that we can embark on a discovery of music together, from the artist to the fans.