Rebecca Black and the Death of Mainstream Rock

[chas108]

and at 100 million hits, it had generated a few thousand bucks (I don't think she knew a specific figure), all given to charity if I recall.

Cool! So she probably made back her original investment. Who says you can't make money in the music business? ))

LOL! And that's my R-I laugh for the day... ;D

 

[Paul_Warren]

Ready for another laugh? The new video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" has Rebecca Black and a bunch of other really funny casting choices:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A

Rebecca probably made more for appearing in this video than her own!

 

[umtrr-author]

Just watched the video, Paul, thanks for the link.

Yes, a bunch of interesting casting choices... including (crossover from another thread!) Kenny G...

I wonder if Rebecca Black's appearance in the video represents a bit of acceptance. And whether Katy had a crush on Hanson growing up, and thinks of Debbie Gibson as an influence...

Now, for the over/under on when this video passes "Friday"... "Last Friday Night" is over 28 million hits and counting.

 

[chas108]

Ready for another laugh? The new video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" has Rebecca Black and a bunch of other really funny casting choices:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A

Rebecca probably made more for appearing in this video than her own!

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Summer Single 2011.

Timeless. Hilarious video. Some NSFW content but then again that train left the Top 40 station decades ago...

Hanson won a Rolling Stone critics award for "MMMBop" in 1997. Debbie Gibson stood head, shoulders and torso over her bubblegum contemporaries (read: Tiffany) as she too could write, produce and arrange.

Sounds like Katy doesn't take herself too seriously. I'd call that a huge plus. She might be around awhile, like Pink.

 

[chas108]

Found this link on Bob Lefsetz's newsletter this morning...ABC, the network that gave Rebecca Black her initial press, now tries to recreate the "magic" with 14-year-old Lexi St. George. And yes, Ark Music Factory is involved...

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/lexi-stgeorge-good-morning-america-pop-stars-music/story?id=13965731

I ain't hearin' it. The track is competent enough but the hook is weak and without that glue...all you have are scattered pieces.

In contrast, even Lefsetz admits the "Friday" hook is irresistible...

"I don't know about you, but I still can't get that "Friday" chorus out of my head. Sure, Rebecca Black was talentless and the verses were inane but there was a surefire hook there, that grabbed you as much as the one Vanilla Ice ripped off to make "Ice Ice Baby".

Also in the Lefsetz piece is a link to a finalist in a Rolling Stone contest to choose the cover of its 8/18 issue.

The Sheepdogs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKyJdpLIio

Here's the other finalist:

Lelia Broussard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On8Iziq7org

Talk about a clash of cultures! I can't decide whether The Sheepdogs are timeless or merely dated. I like the track, I like the musicianship, they certainly have talent, but it doesn't make me hungry for more.

Lelia Broussard's "Turn Me On" has at least two different hooks and sounds to me like it should fit right into where Mainstream Top 40 seems to be headed. Plus it sounds like she can actually sing. Hearing this makes the GMA look really bad in comparison, IMHO.

All that said...the question can be raised, how relevant is Rolling Stone in AD 2011?

I admit I've always been a sucker for a good hook...whether it's Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" or these guys who hit the "reset" button on Rock 'bout 20 years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

And who influenced that trio? Another act who could stuff hook after hook into a song: The Beatles.

Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend, one and all!

 

[chas108]

In Radio Ink this morning, courtesy of Lee Abrams...

http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2229704&spid=30800

 

[Lee Rust]

In my observation, the development of Rock as a cultural art form was inversely proportional to the development of Rock as a commercial radio format. The cumulative effect of consultants like Mr. Abrams has been to continually narrow the formatically acceptable scope of the music down to the point where further development within the genre has effectively ceased. Through the efforts of Broadcast Architecture, the same thing has happened to 'smooth jazz'.

Of course this kind of thing happens eventually, whether radio programming consultants are involved or not. They merely speed up the process. Every style of popular expression is tied to the generation that creates it and eventually boils down to a concentrated 'classical' repertoire that passes along into the future as historical artifact. This happened to the exciting symphonies of Beethoven and to the sexy swing of Ellington and it has now happened to the exotic explorations of Hendrix.

So, on Independence Day I was not surprised to hear NPR broadcast an extended excerpt of Jimi's Woodstock performance of the 'Star Spangled Banner'. After 42 years, his music is no longer a challenge to the status quo. It's simply accepted as history.

 

[SirRoxalot]

In a lot of ways, Rap and its derivatives is the new Rock - and has been for a couple of decades now. That's where you'll find the most angst, anger, alienation, and passion.

And, no, I'm not a fan of the genre...

 

[chas108]

In a lot of ways, Rap and its derivatives is the new Rock - and has been for a couple of decades now. That's where you'll find the most angst, anger, alienation, and passion.

And, no, I'm not a fan of the genre...

I'm not either SirRox, but I'm increasingly impressed with some of it. And I was very impressed with Eminem's Recovery CD.