So I saw this video today that’s going around:
I’m not sure exactly how I feel about it. I mean clearly it is pretty awful in a certain way. But it makes me think that maybe all of the horrible singer-songwriter stuff you see on an open-mic night might be the performers & not the songwriting. & also it reminds me that when the music & lyrics are thoroughly separated that most lyrics are pretty freaking awful (as I’m sure mine are). & it reminds me that I was never impressed with the music on The Wall. & that if you are going to do a cover song & don’t have the chops or equipment to pull it off, you should alter it into something thoroughly your own. I don’t know, I get the vibe that the bass player should be singing the song & the drummer should be there & no guitars at all. Strangely a few years ago I saw a band at this quality level playing a bar & my feeling after seeing them was overwhelmingly positive because I realized that despite being a hack musician in certain ways, I am really pretty happy with what I do now & have no interest in working in a cover band made up of people in their fifties. It also made me feel happy for the fifty year olds that get to play in front of people & for the people in the crowd that have a good time regardless of the music playing. Because music isn’t the center of the universe whether it’s good or bad. Music is about communication & even if the music you hear is awful to you, if it makes you start talking to somebody about it then it has helped to make the world a better place. It’s all about building a community.
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Brian John Mitchell runs Silber Records & the webzine QRD & makes music as Remora, Vlor, & Small Life Form. This is an excerpt from his blog.