Vinyl Notes

The 28th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach drew a smaller crowd – could be the economy, or not enough mainstream artists to draw the parade of hipsters, pretty people and meat-heads so prevalent three years ago. In keeping with the festival’s oft spoken of return to its roots, this year’s line-up was about uplifting your spirits, not just shaking your booty.

In our preview we touched on the contributions of Lee “Scratch” Perry and Tony Rebel. On Sunday we got a history lesson on Leroy Sibbles…given by Sibbles himself.  A legend by most standards, Sibbles is not attributed for his contributions to reggae (most notably his famed baseline popularized in “Pass the Dutchie”).

Well, we can give Sibbles credit for injecting the day with energy and establishing a collective desire for communion. As he repeated the refrain, “love is in air” we could see it was, as strangers danced together and refreshments were shared freely.

Sibbles set left the audience well primed for Pressure, a performer who may lack wrinkles but does not lack depth. It was obvious he enjoyed performing as much as the crowd was feeling him. When the crowd started singing his lyrics, Pressure couldn’t resist a smile and wink, reveling in their energy.

Great performances abounded, but this Bob Marley Day clearly belonged to Stephen Marley. The acoustic gig had an ethereal power, commanding the crowd’s attention from a seat in center stage. The crowd was enraptured and reverent, receiving his music like an offering. Festival goer Addison Alkire said it best, “this feels like church.” While Marley’s rendition of his father’s songs were true to form, his use of flute & sax imparted his own resonance.

At the end of the set Ziggy and Julian joined their brother onstage. The audience responded with exuberance, appreciative to have so many Marley’s back.

It wasn’t all roses though. Introduced as “the son of a legend”, it seemed the Marley name got Julian a better time slot than he merited. Tanya even speculated that dubious intro might be foreshadowing. The audience was not impressed with his lineage and zoned out after the second song, missing repetitive melodies and gratuitous face grabbing.

By contrast, up-and-comer E-Dee’s energetic exhibition would have benefited from better placement; his was the first set on Sunday. He delivered songs heavy on bass with danceable beats, but it was like trying to light a wet match. After the set E-Dee acknowledged his attempts to draw audience, saying “If you don’t get hype the audience won’t.”

Another notable, Etana, also had a lackluster response, though for entirely different reasons. She blamed inadequate time for failing to get her message across; we humbly submit our own hypothesis. The instrumentation overpowered her voice from the start. As time went the strain on her voice was evident, perhaps from the effort of singing over the music. Even so, we must bear witness, she sings with grace, free of superfluous vibrato. And onstage she is regal.

Onto non-musical details. There were fewer vendors this year, but that was not a bad thing. Gone were the mass produced Bob Marley onesies sold at a dozen booths. When asked about the improved quality of the cultural wares, festival organizer Barbara Barabino said, “I was tired of the crap too.” She went on to say that she prioritized vendor selection this year, personally inviting real artists to “bring it back.”

Despite lower attendance, the 28th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival was a success. Buju Banton, Saturday’s headliner, said he makes music “to uplift, educate and eradicate negativity from the minds of the people.” That charge may well be applied to the real purpose of reggae music. This weekend that promise was fulfilled.

I noticed a bit of an (accidental?) meme running through my feedreader and decided to share with you, dear readers, some of my favorite things.

Favorite Band: Right now I am really digging Nico Vega. I’ve raved about Aja’s voice on more than one occasion, and their show at the Viper Room was the best concert I have been to in my life (no I’m not exaggerating). This underground band out of LA has landed a place on my list of all time favorite bands, joining the ranks of Nine Inch Nails, Outkast, and the Raconteurs. I’m also listening to Gnarls Barkley, Kid Sister, Lykkie Li and The Last Shadow Puppets

Favorite Movie: I’ve been a Tarantino fan since Reservoir Dogs, I’m surprised when people who seem to be movie fans, don’t like his movies. To each his own…Kill Bill kinda came out of no where, but as soon as I saw it, no other movie has replaced it as my favorite. Aside from the obvious creativity and QT signature dialogue style, I could not resist Uma Thurman as the baddest femme fatal since Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones. One of my favorite scenes is when Elle Driver and Beatriz Kiddo duke it out in Bud’s trailer. Check it out: (more…)

If you follow this blog (hi mom!) you may have noticed things have changed a bit. Well, when Know More Media closed it’s doors, they passed they gifted me Vinyl Notes. I’ve made the necessary transfers, but the design is still a work in progress.

If this is your first time seeing this blog, welcome, stick around, experience my music blogging compulsion.

It’s been a few weeks since my last update, but you know…in transition and all. I will be getting back into the groove, posting here, at Listen In Music, Convicted Artist Magazine and ShePlaysMusic.

As one door closes, another door opens…

Until next time.

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.