GAME CHANGERS.

You find things in life that instantly set you on a path. Sometimes these things are serious and sometimes they are not.

Let's focus on the not so serious things.

I've heard a lot of people say Star Wars changed their lives. On the surface it sounds crazy, but I totally get it. JJ Abrams has said this and last I checked he was doing pretty good.

I think I've had a few things in life that have changed my path and made me a person that I would not have been otherwise. Star Wars is on that list, as is Marvel Comics.

Though when I think of music, I can still remember specifically a particular song and video that changed me forever. It made me realize that there was more to music than what the radio played me and it made me curious about what else was out there. Because of this weird little song I went on to find The Clash, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols. Which led to Minor Threat, Black Flag, the Misfits. Which led to Funkadelic, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys. Which led to Nick Cave and the Birthday Party, DEVO and so on and so on... til eventually I said, "hey, I want my own band!"

Funny, I wonder where I would be and what I would be doing had I not turned on the TV and saw this!

ONE FROM THE VAULTS!

Offering some rare and exclusive stuff in the coming months!! Exciting!

http://shop.ebay.com/pm5know/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

WATCH THIS.

Another home run from Drew Daywalt!

HERE'S WHAT IS WRONG WITH MUSIC.

OK, It's no secret that the Grammys were never on the cutting edge and generally only honor the most commercial and safe music (yes, kids, Lady GAGA is pretty safe). That's fine, no big deal, that doesn't bug me.

What does bug me is that everyone cloaks their performance in shit that isn't even relevant to their music. Look, I love artists with strong images and even gimmicks. I love Kiss, DEVO, David Bowie, Daft Punk. Shit, I'm the guy with a band that wears Robot helmets. Though to me all the theatrics of these bands make sense, all part of a larger statement. It worked in harmony with their lyrics, sonics and life style.

So, please someone tell me what relevance there is to Pink swinging around upside down like she is in cirque du soleil or Green Day turning into a Broadway musical (I could just feel Joe Strummer turning over in his grave) or The Black Eyed Peas trying to represent some vision of the future. Nothing felt the least bit authentic. It all just seemed like a distraction.

I'm not going to pass judgement and tell you that you shouldn't listen to any of that music or claim that it is crap. I'm a firm believer in liking what you like and that's it. It's not a matter of something being popular or commercial, I love tons of commercial music, in fact most stuff that I do listen to would be considered pop.

I'm no elitist. I'm no hater. I just want to hear, see and feel something real.

I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE GRAMMYS...

but she has.

WHAT YEAR IS IT AGAIN?

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance 2010

For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.

Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

Bob Dylan

Track from: Together Through Life

[Columbia]

Change In The Weather

John Fogerty

Track from: The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again

[Verve Forecast]

Dreamer

Prince

Track from: LotusFlow3r

[NPG Records]

Working On A Dream

Bruce Springsteen

Track from: Working On A Dream

[Columbia]

Fork In The Road

Neil Young

Track from: Fork In The Road

[Reprise]

IGNORE EVERYBODY

The following is from a book called 'Ignore Everybody' by Hugh Macleod. I heard about through Blasko's blah blah blog.
http://blasko666.blogspot.com/
I haven't read the book but the title hit home for me and the passage is dead on. Find out more here.

http://gapingvoid.com/books/

1. Ignore everybody.
You don’t know if your idea is any good the moment it’s created. Neither does anyone else. The most you can hope for is a strong gut feeling that it is. And trusting your feelings is not as easy as the optimists say it is. There’s a reason why feelings scare us.

And asking close friends never works quite as well as you hope, either. It’s not that they deliberately want to be unhelpful. It’s just they don’t know your world one millionth as well as you know your world, no matter how hard they try, no matter how hard you try to explain.

Plus a big idea will change you. Your friends may love you, but they don’t want you to change. If you change, then their dynamic with you also changes. They like things the way they are, that’s how they love you- the way you are, not the way you may become.

Ergo, they have no incentive to see you change. And they will be resistant to anything that catalyzes it. That’s human nature. And you would do the same, if the shoe was on the other foot.

With business colleagues it’s even worse. They’re used to dealing with you in a certain way. They’re used to having a certain level of control over the relationship. And they want whatever makes them more prosperous. Sure, they might prefer it if you prosper as well, but that’s not their top priority.

If your idea is so good that it changes your dynamic enough to where you need them less, or God forbid, THE MARKET needs them less, then they’re going to resist your idea every chance they can.

Again, that’s human nature.

GOOD IDEAS ALTER THE POWER BALANCE IN RELATIONSHIPS, THAT IS WHY GOOD IDEAS ARE ALWAYS INITIALLY RESISTED.

Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it.