Soup

[Fred]

I was watching Much Music the other day and to my surprise they said Blind Melon sold out. The show was about one hit wonders and Blind Melon was one of them. I tend to disagree. The album "Soop" was awesome in my opinion. Does anyone else like that album? Download the song "Walk" if you want a little taste.

[Mountain_Marc]

Yeah I think it's a fantastic album! I don't buy many CDs, I only buy what I consider classics and Soup is one of them!

[dcentral]

I wouldn't say they sold out. There's bands from that era that were more guilty of that then Blind Melon. Also putting them in with one hit wonders is a little bit unfair as well.

Selling out is so objective too.

I wouldn't put them in my classics list or my favorite list of all time for that matter. They weren't that different then everything else that was going on at the time. There's other albums I liked more from around the same time period.

[granite_grrl]

I could see Blind Melon being called one hit wonders. There is only really one song that many people know by them.

As for the album Soop, I throughly enjoy it when I listen to it, but I'm not always in the mood for it.

[thicks]

Absolutely not did they sell out. They just changed a little bit between albums, which is not only understandable but needed if a band is going produce more than two good albums.

Besides, they had other things to worry about. Like Shannon Hoon and heroin. Did you guys know that the band had a bodyguard employed to do nothing but follow the lead singer around and make sure he didn’t shot up? And then he did and died. But anyway, they released another album after his death, named Nico(great album-maybe the best), which was the name of Shannon’s child and all the proceeds from that album went to the child’s University fund. What kind of band sells out then gives heaps of money away?

You want a perfect example of a sell out? Black Eyed Peas. Their last two albums have been radio sensations, aka - hip hop for our 50 year old parents. You want to hear a great friggin album check out Bridging the Gap by BEP. Now that is quality…. but not anymore…

[dcentral]

Saying the Black Eyed Peas sold out might be pushing it a little. THat's probably more of repackaging then anything else. When Blondie started out she was punk. Played with the Ramones and the Talking Heads, and then got repackaged into heart of glass.

[thicks]

Stacy Ann Ferguson or Fergie played with the ramones and the talking heads? The talking heads broke up in '91 too, which meant she would have been around 16 when she sang with them? I know she was in the girly band Wild Orchid or something but that is a far cry from a coked out David Byrne/The Talking Heads.

Whatever, I should meantion too that I really cant blame bands for repackaging or going mainstream. Since we all download music instead of pay for it these days, I cant blame musicians for aiming for more sales. Or for selling their music for advertising. Musicians need money too. But there is a topic for a different post all together.

[thicks]

ahhh yes, Blondie as in Deborah Harry and band, not blondie as in the newest blond haired member of the black eyed peas. it is all falling into place now....

[dcentral]

A pretty bad offender of selling out is Sugar Ray. They had their old style which was pretty fast and loud. Then came out Fly and it was all down hill from there.

Or The Offspring. Despite their inability to play live music, their first three cd's were good. Their songs had decent lyrics. Then it went down hill after Dexter cut his hair. However their record label does have a lot of really good bands on it so +1 for that.

[thicks]

The Offspring, I agree 100%. They lost whatever they ever had, and for the record, they are not pretty fly for a white guy. Sugar Ray though, I cant say for sure as I have never listened to any albums but someone told me once that they sold out in a way on purpose. He suggested they put 2-3 very pop-ish type songs per album just to get the radio play/sales in the first place, and then the rest of the album is where they played the music they wanted to. Interesting way to work the system i thought though. Not sure though because I have never listened to any of their albums but anyone that takes a job with ET isnt exactly denying popular culture...

[dcentral]

Yeah that's exactly what they do, which I think is pretty lame -- and is kind of the definition of selling out. I'd like to see the reactions of some people when they buy their albums expecting fly and they get mostly heavier songs.

[Fred]

that guy from sugar ray (forgot his name, Mark something...) is like the wizard of pop culture. Have you ever seen him on Rock and Roll Jeopardy? He cleaned house.

[dcentral]

Is that show still on TV? I haven't watched tv regularly on a tv in at least two years.

[Fred]

I don't know if it's still on TV but I saw that episode quite a while ago. Before he joined Extra (Is it Extra or ET?)

[dcentral]

Anyone listening to anything new and/or new and cool or just cool?

I just found Explosions in the Sky. They play really cool ambient instrumentals.

[Fred]

Arcade Fire

[dcentral]

I can't wait hear where they go with their second album.

[dcentral]

has anyone checked out http://www.last.fm its pretty cool.

[thicks]

The Flamming Lip, Madvillian, BlackStar, The Streets, The Dears, and Luther Right and the Wrongs did a blue grass version of PF's the Wall that i cant stop listening too. and that is a pretty cool website.
cheers
T

[dcentral]

l like MADVILLIAN, took me awhile to get into him though. I however cannot stand The Streets. That monotone wank-star rap drives me insane. The beats are alright but that's pushing it.

I just check out Atmosphere, and Jedi Mind Tricks recently both are all right. Couldn't really say they are my favorites though.

I do like the new transplants album.