The music industry is almost as corrupt as the literary world. Anyone who believes the well-hyped stars-- Britney, Jessica, Justin, et.al.-- are the best out there are deluding themselves. One can find better performers and musicians on any streetcorner.
Within the last week I've seen two very talented Philly bands:
-the multi-dimensional Hydrogen Jukebox, fronted by crazy magician-dissident Eric "Jelly Boy the Clown" Broomfield;
-on Halloween night, at Afro Pick at the Rotunda, the Mighty Paradocs: two beautiful young women of color (one black; one beige) doing a punk/hip-hop hybrid, screaming out words of rebellion while jumping around the stage in front of an out-of-control audience. "Pissy Politicians" was one of the highlights.
There are other great bands and musicians in just this city (or frequent visitors like Don McCloskey) who are pushing the envelope of music, words, and radicalism.
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2 comments:
You're totally right on this one. In Northampton we have Joe Woolley, who plays folk and blues with an English slant better than ANYTHING we get on the radio.
And there used to be this duo who played on streets all over the county--a guy on violin and a woman with an Irish accent singing traditional folk songs in the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. I was going to write a piece about them but before I could talk to them they disappeared. When I think of people like Joe and that mysterious duo it makes turning on the radio seem almost pointless.
Bruce-- fascinating Monday Report. This is something I'd never otherwise know about. License fees to watch TV!
(We get a ton of BBC programming and news on the so-called public television stations here-- who seem to be paid for by oil companies. Most of such programming is pretty stale. "Masterpiece Theater" for instance is unredeemingly boring. English comedy on the other hand is often good.
I recently watched some TV for a spell for the first time in ten years.)
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