AIGA'S MY MTV: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

THURSDAY 10 JUNE 2010 6:30–8:30PM

MY MTV: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

AIGA/NY Presents: “My MTV: Where Are They Now?” and takes a look at the work and creative legacies of those that helped create MTV’s world-renown visual identity. 6/10/10, 6:30–8:30PM at Tishman Auditorium

FROM ELVIS TO LADY GAGA: PLAYING WITH SHOCK VALUE IN MUSIC

From NPR music:



Musicians have long used shock value to pump up interest in their music. Elvis Presley swung his hips, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat, Madonna sang about her nonexistent virginity and Marilyn Manson named himself after a convicted killer. But how much has shock value changed since the days when Osbourne supposedly bit the bat? And what would have happened if the Internet had been around?

The story is something of an urban legend, and that's part of its power, says Tavia Nyong'o, a professor of performance studies at New York University. No one had cameras in their phones back then, so the shock came from repeating the story. "Did you hear? Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat!"

Read more.

DETROIT'S DANCE SHOW, 'THE SCENE' WITH NAT MORRIS... AND GUMBY

This is a real shout out to Detroit. With all the mayhem, devastation, and death the media claims to be running the city right now, here is something that hollers back to the “olden days” of the city. This was a time when jobs were plentiful and Mayor Coleman Young was still alive to see the city being run with love. The city has its own local television and radio station, channel 62 and 107.5 WGPR. And after you got off at the plant, you could hear MOJO, one of the baddest DJ’s ever to spin a record on the radio. But on the TV channel, you were privy to The Scene, the local dance show hosted by none other than the infamous Nat Morris. Young people gathered to show off their best moves, clothes and be entertained by the latest local group or national sensation.

Yeah, those were the days when the city popped. I’m not saying that there wasn’t any crime because that element of Detroit has been known for a long time in the place I like to affectionately call the D. But, in 1987, the community still stood strong. The Pistons reigned supreme in basketball; even against the best, Mr. Michael Jordan. There wasn’t a Hockeytown downtown, there was no Comerica Park or Ford Field, just Joe Louis arena, Cobo Hall and Tiger Stadium and the authentic people of the city who liked to have a good time after 5pm when the whistle blew for many at the Big 3.
The Scene was on and on this day, we were watching Gumby Live. Enjoy, Detroit.

-J.C. Brooks

IS AMERICA'S 'RACE MUSIC' PAST HURTING JANELLE MONAE?

From over at theroot.com:



Is America's 'Race Music' Past Hurting Janelle Monae?
How a segregated music industry makes it almost impossible for genre-busting musical talent to succeed.

By: Latoya Peterson

Kitschy, socially conscious singer and songwriter Janelle Monae has all the tools for a successful debut music career--interesting and dynamic production, a melodic singing voice, an interesting look, a new dance--and one of hip-hop's heavy hitters (Big Boi, of Outkast fame) as her mentor and co-collaborator. So why hasn't her new single torn up the airwaves? Is it because the world isn't ready for Monae's tuxedoed swagger and retro-meets-R&B supersonic sound? Or is it the music industry's stubborn adherence to narrowly defined genres, coupled with monopolization of the airwaves? As an independent artist, Janelle Monae's fresh sound may actually be her downfall. Since her music crosses conventions, a logical conclusion would be that the Atlanta-based singer/songwriter has a broad appeal. Unfortunately, thanks to a system where music is market tested and distilled down to appeal to just one demographic, ''innovating'' means ''liability.'' Our current state of musical affairs stems from America's racial past.

Before euphemisms like ''urban'' took hold, music was strictly divided among racial lines--black music for black audiences, white music for white audiences. These boundaries began eroding in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as music consumers would twist the radio dials in search of their favorite sound. However, as racial boundaries fell, new barriers sprang into place. The music business began tightening its model for ''success.'' Instead of allowing artists to organically flourish from record to record, the industry started favoring bands that would churn out hits. And musical artistry has suffered for it.


In The Hip Hop Wars, scholar Tricia Rose discusses the commercialization of music, and the influence that consolidation has had on playlists, noting, ''Commercially established major-label acts, because of their visibility and notoriety, are easily packaged for a national audience and easily transportable across regions. Thus they dominate their genre specific playlists across the country'' (p.19). In conjunction with overall control of media shifting to just a handful of companies, this move effectively discouraged stations from taking risks with their content. While most regions have been able to hold on to a small hour or so in the daily programming to promote local music and local artists, the vast majority of airtime is dedicated to artists who have the backing of major labels, artists who fit a certain type of sound.


Read more.

OHIO PLAYERS' "LOVE ROLLERCOASTER" [LIVE ON 'MIDNIGHT SPECIAL' SHOW IN 1975]

While watching this performance by the legendary funkateers, the Ohio Players, take note of the pop-lockin' dancers who take it to the stage when the band breaks down the groove.And if you did not know, Midnight Special' was a dope live music performance show from the 70s.

Enjoy!

























And for some more info on the Ohio Players you can cop a back issue of Wwaxpoetics magazine (or cop the issue, issue number 40, at your local newsstand if they've not replaced the issue yet).

http://www.waxpoetics.com/2010/03/wax-poetics-issue-40/

MALCOLM MCLAREN (BORN 1946 – DIED 2010) PART II: UK PUNK ROCK AND THE SEX PISTOLS

Below are some more pictures from the work, times and life of the late Malcolm McLaren. McLaren, who would go on to become noted for his work with Rap music and Hip-Hop culture with his work with The World Famous Supreme Team, first gained notoriety with the UK Punk Rock group The Sex Pistols in the late 1970s. The Pistols, being managed by McLaren, had its origins formed in the clothing store McLaren owned with his then business partner, fashion design partner and life partner, Vivienne Westwood (with whom he owned the SEX clothing shop and where the Pistols garnered their group's band name).

THE MUSIC THAT B-BOYS AND B-GIRLS DANCE AND BATTLE TO: FORCEFUL, PERCUSSIVE, FUNKY

Love this picture... and the classic life affirming quality of the uptempo Afro-Funk music listed. Check out the beats on NPR's web site at the below link.

Hit The Floor: A B-Boy/Girl Workout Mix

Hear Five Tracks In The B-Boy Canon

THE ART OF C'BABI BAYOC (OR ‘CREATIVE BLACK ARTIST BATTLING IGNORANCE’ ‘BLESSED AFRICAN YOUTH OF CREATIVETY’)

I stumbled upon this brother's work years ago at the Drawing Board/Def Jam while reading through an issue of Rap Pages or Blaze magazine- one of them joints. Loved his work so we reached out to him to do the album packaging for the 'THE VIOLATORS' [Violator records/Def Jam]. He did a great job on the illustrations for the package. The renderings of Fat Joe w/Big Pun were hilariously on point. And the Busta illustration is a classic representation. Don't think I've seen a better illustration of him than C'Babi's.

FYI: His work was also featured in the Cey Adams and Bill Adler book DEFINITION: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop back in 2008.

More of C'Babi Bayoc's work is below.

Visit C'Babi here.

ERYKAH BADU'S "NEW AMERYKAH II: RETURN OF THE ANKH" AS ENVISIONED BY EMEK ("THE THINKING MAN'S POSTER ARTIST")

From Emek's web site on his work for Erykah Badu:

In this day and age of high speed internet and robotic carrier pigeons
what kind of musician would fly an artist halfway across the country just to discuss the ideas of the album cover in person? and then cook them a wonderful vegan meal and play charades with her kids?
Erykah, thats who.
I have worked with hundreds of bands, and i have to say that she is pretty unique.
The amount of time and energy she spends on all aspects of her life. She is very creative and hands on, but also respects and encourages the creativity in others.
The album cover came about by listening to her music...
My previous album cover I made for her, focused on politics and social conditions in the world today
things that were weighing on her mind
this album is more personal.
political elements of the first album are still there, healthcare system in the toilet, police brutality, flawed justice scales, war, etc.

and also a few new elements, foreclosed homes and a teabag, etc., but all of these elements have fallen down, lying in rubble behind her..
her song lyrics "You built a wall 20 feet tall / But if I get off my knees / I might recall I'm 20 feet tall” was an inspiration to draw her to be a large face. She is 20 feet tall.
also, she is wearing armour to protect her from the harsh realities of life..
Her lyrics "out my mind, just in time", inspired the concept of her climbing out of the old shell, fresh and innocent and powerful, and the tree of life is also growing from there.
The color purple of the tree and the sky represent the 7th chakra- the crown chakra, right above her third eye shield, this chakra represents peace, wisdom, spirituality. She is reborn.
her tuning fork is summoning the vibrations of the universe..
or does that ripple mean the whole scene is underwater?
from out of all the rubble, lush exotic plant life is growing.
her lyric from "window seat" about her "music, lover and my babies" was one of several lyrics that inspired the symbolism of 3's
3 moons
3 hidden babies
3 trees
3 ankhs

and the ankh itself is a symbol of duality, of life /death, immortality... but what is life without Love? so i made the ankh heart shaped...

working with erykah always brings out the best in me and i am proud to be her friend and artist.

the vinyl LP record though is really the one to get, the inside of the record has more cool art in it, and as both Erykah and I were raised without a TV in our house, we grew up on record cover art

-emek march, 2010

EMEK


ERYKAH BADU'S "NEW AMERYKAH" AS ENVISIONED BY EMEK ("THE THINKING MAN'S POSTER ARTIST")

MALCOLM MCLAREN (BORN 1946 – DIED 2010)

In the past week UK Punk Rock impresario and early 1980s Rap/Hip-Hop taster Malcolm Mclaren passed on. In the days ahead we'll explore some of the musical moves, along with the acts he managed, Mclaren made- a few of his musical experiments were groundbreaking, some revolutionary.

TOM BURRELL'S BOOK "BRAINWASHED: CHALLENGING THE MYTH OF BLACK INFERIORITY"

THE PRACTICE AND STUDY OF
"NIGGEROLOGY"?


Someone with maximum credibility in the arena of the American advertising industry (Mr. Tom Burrell, founder of Burrell Communications) has put the work in, done the knowledge, dropped the science and compiled the history of the brainwashing of North America's (US) Black folk (AKA Negros!).

And what does this have to do with music and images created for them/of them?

Do you really have to ask?





The schoolin'.

NNEKA's "WALKING"

Nneka - Walking
Uploaded by FourMusic. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.


Below is all that I can make out from the lyrics of Nnemka's song "Walking"-- my new favorite banger, jam, joint, song.



Yes. Black. Blackness. The Black side of me. C'mon. Listen up.

... We belong together... We ain't givin' up.

See my people on the road walking I'm not sure as myself where we're headed to... We're going so fast. We're going so fast... Cause they made the rules we're living in today... It's all good 'cause there is one who sees you ever... Take heart... We belong together... We ain't givin' up...

You have no trust in the fact that of being strong... ...and though you lack physical riches... you have achieved spiritual growth. This is what counts. So don't worry about all these things that pass away 'cause the grace of God is sufficient for you. Don't go astray... We belong together...C'mon... We ain't givin' up. Keep on walkin' baby. Keep on movin' like me... We belong together... C'mon... We ain't givin' up.

ERYKAH BADU'S MUSIC VIDEO FOR HER SONG "WINDOW SEAT"

"They play it safe. Are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs, ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become. Afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change, to love our self, to evolve."

--Erykah Badu





Any questions?


And if you do have some questions Natalie Hopkinson has an interesting post on theroot.com about the above music video.

Freeing the Black Woman’s Body

Erykah Badu bared all in her latest video. Is this progress?

By: Natalie Hopkinson

PHOTOGRAPHER JIM MARSHALL: 1936 - 2010

MUSIC INDUSTRY PHOTOGRAPHER

JIM MARSHALL
1936 - 2010


From the music news page of the NPR web site:

"I'm not sure that the art world appreciates music photography adequately, but they will become more and more appreciative," he says. "And as we get further and further away from the remarkable maelstrom of music that Jim Marshall walked through and photographed in the '60s and '70s, we will see how truly unique and singular those people and events were, and his viewpoints on it will be the way we see it."


Some of his iconic photos can be found below.

JIMI HENDRIX

JIMI HENDRIX

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND "THE BIG MAN"

CHARLES MINGUS

ANGUS YOUNG [AC/DC]

MILES DAVIS WITH ACTOR STEVE MCQUEEN

JOHN COLTRANE

RAY CHARLES


You can learn more about the life and times of photographer Jim Marshall here.
You can see more of the music photographs of Jim Marshall here.