Attention Deficit Delirium

View from the ground floor of the Hard Rock Cafe in NYC on Grammy night, January 31, 2010. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

One of the perks of being a voting member of the Recording Academy is that I can attend special seminars and screenings, go to Q&As with major industry talent, get discounts to conventions and be part of the annual members viewing party for the Grammys in NYC. For 2010, the Recording Academy held a free event with food and drink at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square that was packed to the gills with members and governors. It was fun to watch the event on a giant video projection screen with a big sound system to outdo my big screen TV. WPLJ DJ Christine Richie hosted and gave away prizes.

As for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards show itself, there were plenty of flashy numbers (particularly Pink’s impressive suspension act), surprise pairings and one-liners from host Stephen Colbert to keep people watching, and it was entertaining to witness the entire crowd in the Hard Rock singing along to “Livin’ On A Prayer”. Then again, we were in the NY/NJ area. But I have a complaint: While I applaud the musical diversity (especially non-pop) that the Recording Academy embraces, from blues to jazz to classical, I wish there had been more rock ‘n’ roll in the show. While Jeff Beck’s tribute to the late Les Paul was warm and heartfelt, the rest of the night was mostly powered by pop, and a lot of it bland. Bon Jovi doesn’t really count as hard rock anymore, and their choices were pretty safe. I’m not even sure that the unorthodox pairing of Jamie Foxx and Slash made a difference in the edginess department.

Slash and Jamie Foxx rock the house. Sort of. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

As a lifelong fan of metal and hard rock, I’m disappointed at how few true rock performances there have been over the past few years, and how the awards for those two aforementioned categories don’t even get mentioned during the telecast anymore. I also find it funny how groups like the Black-Eyed Peas can have a dance troupe outfitted in the most ridiculous costumes, yet many people would probably mock equally (or even less) cheesy metal attire.

Last year Kid Rock and Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl took the stage in the rock department, but admittedly the songs were crowd pleasers. It was cooler when the Foo Fighters jammed with Chick Corea a few years ago because it felt more improvised. And even if you’re not a fan of either group, Linkin Park and Nickelback sell oodles of albums and accounted for some of the biggest sellers of the ’00s. What, are they too big to play? And hey, AC/DC and Judas Priest won their first Grammys ever this year, and AC/DC’s last album Black Ice sold 2 million copies in America alone.

I say let’s bring back the rock next year. As a lark, someone I know suggested that GWAR play to stir things up. An interesting thought. I think it would be awesome to see Muse shake the Grammy rafters.

The Hard Rock marquis on Grammy night. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Inside the party on the upper level. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

WPLJ DJ Christine Richie chats up the crowd and gives away cool goodies, like $100 Master Card gift certificates and a new iPhone. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Christine Richie during one of the commercial breaks. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Only the lucky ones, get to dine at the show. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Stealing a moment alone on the red carpet. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Monitoring the mix while host Stephen Colbert gives thanks for his award for Best Comedy Album. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

Paul McCartney's bass because, well, it's Paul McCartney's bass. (Photo ©2010 by Bryan Reesman.)

The current issue of the Village Voice, which includes coverage of the 2009 Pazz & Jop poll.

My Top 10 albums list for 2009 (along with Top 5 songs) is included in the online results for the annual Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll. This past year many groups that could loosely be put under the Goth/industrial/darkwave umbrella captured my attention; specifically here, slots #1, 2, 3 and 8. I’ve been wondering when we might see a Goth revival in the mainstream, and given the recent co-opting of its image by the emo scene, the popularity of dark fashions and the return of post-punk and New Wave musical aesthetics, I think it might finally be due.

As anticipated, the Pazz & Jop 2009 results were compiled and analyzed by a site called Furialog to compare critics’ choices in terms of how they voted and how their choices compared with each other and rated in terms of the top ranked albums in the poll. With regards to how I compared with the overall critics pool in terms of centricity, I ranked #676 out of 692. (Usually I hit the Bottom 10; hey, I rose out of it this year!) What does this mean? Simply that my choices are very individualistic and not aligned with the mainstream, which is fine by me. While some of my choices are on major labels, they are not typical Top 40 fare. And isn’t exploring and exposing people to new things what being a music journalist is all about? It’s not just about what’s popular or a name brand; it’s about what each of us thinks is good.

Here are the albums that rocked my world in 2009. Video clips for each release are collected here.


1. APOPTYGMA BERZERK Rocket Science (Sony Germany) — Apop’s last couple of albums have leaned in a strong synth-rock direction that is a change in trajectory from their original EBM-based sound. While some long-time fans are allegedly unhappy with that shift, I’m enjoying it immensely. This album’s a bit angrier (fallout from divorce, concern over world affairs) but still catchy as all hell, and the guest vocal appearances from Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden and the Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer are interesting and apropos choices. (ADD feature on Apop here.)

2. FAITH AND THE MUSE :ankoku butoh: (Mercyground) — Inspired by Japanese folklore and art, the first album in six years from this dynamic dark duo is one of their best works yet. It combines their penchant for interweaving Goth, post-punk and folk sounds, not to mention Monica Richard’s occasionally ethereal vocals, and adding in a great new element: Japanese taiko drumming! Add a book and a DVD culling live and promo clips along with interviews, and you’ve got a delicious package to go along with the fantastic music. (ADD feature coming soon.)

3. EMILIE AUTUMN Opheliac [Deluxe Edition] (The End) — She’s the current darling of the Goth/dark music underworld, even though she would never label herself Goth. It’s not easy to categorize what vocalist/violinist Emilie does; suffice to say it is a mesmerizing, often aggressive collision of rock, pop, Goth and classical sensibilities spiced with lyrics about bipolar disorder, abuse, self-mutilation and more. You know, the happy stuff. She also puts on a wild show. (ADD feature on Emilie Autumn here.)


4. JOHN GORKA So Dark You See (Red House) — While Gorka is my favorite folk singer (I’ve seen him eight times in concert), I confess that I’ve fallen behind on his recent releases. When I picked this one up last Thanksgiving weekend, I found that he had not lost any of the charm, insight or whimsy that have characterized his work over the last 25 years, and he still offers a nice turn of phrase at pivotal moments. From delicate ballads to bluesy numbers, Gorka knows how to bring the pathos. And some funny.


5. LEAVES’ EYES Njord (Napalm) — The third album from this German metal ensemble (with Norwegian siren Liv Kristine at the helm) proves that they are still the best of the Goth/symphonic metal bands out of Europe. Fueled by passion and romanticism while walking the line between musical beauty and brawn, this larger-than-life album will transport you back into the age of the Vikings without the cheesiness commonly associated with power metal. (ADD feature coming soon.)









6. MUSE The Resistance (Warner Bros.) — Small group, immense sound. Inspired by George Orwell’s 1984, album number five from these British successors to Queen is as grandiose, epic and hard rockin’ as their last two efforts. The new wrinkle this time is the three-part, neo-classical “Exogenesis: Symphony” suite that closes the album and summons the spirit of Mozart. It’s no surprise that this super power trio was asked to open up for U2 last fall.



7. KRISTEEN YOUNG Music For Strippers, Hookers, And The Odd On-Looker (Tony Visconti Productions) — I hear that singer/pianist Young hates comparisons in relation to her music. Fair enough. Her manic, powerful, confrontational performance style — sample song title: “He’s Sickened By My Crude Emotion” — gives this album a special life of its own, enhanced by Tony Visconti’s buoyant production. (He worked with Bowie back in the day.) But if I have to be annoying about it, I’d say think Kate Bush on overdrive with Keith Moon on drums. And then some. Young’s piano-fueled fury is not for lightweights.

8. COLLIDE These Eyes Before (Noiseplus) — A long-time staple of the Goth-industrial underground, this L.A.-based duo finally unleashed a full-blown covers album. Yeah, many bands use this concept as a stop-gap release for when they’re out of ideas, but I feel like Collide got their rock back with this one, serving up engaging takes on tunes by Pink Floyd, Chris Isaak and The Beatles, among others. Plus there’s a great version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk,” complete with marching band. (ADD feature on Collide here.)


9. DEAD BY SUNRISE Out Of Ashes (Warner Bros.) — Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has concocted a solid side project. Meshing elements of pop, metal, punk and grunge, this album encompasses all of the anguished themes that the singer has brought to his main group, but with a refreshing variety of styles performed adeptly by a backing band that includes members of retro ’80s rockers Orgy and Julien-K. (ADD feature on Dead By Sunrise here.)



10. STEVEN WILSON Insurgentes (K-Scope) — The mastermind/frontman behind modern prog heroes Porcupine Tree, Wilson takes a more atmospheric, ambient turn on this solo album without losing the great mixture of intellectual ruminations and tasty rock riffs that have always characterized P-Tree’s body of work. Wilson proves that he can wield just as much power with a long, dissonant guitar or keyboard chord as he can with more complicated melody lines. (ADD feature on Steven Wilson here.)





Chester Bennington with fellow Dead By Sunrise members Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh. (Photo by Travis Shinn.)

As the singer for hard rockers Linkin Park, Chester Bennington has become one of the most recognized faces and voices in modern rock. Yet while he has experienced massive success with one of the few rock bands left in the world that can still sell albums, he has had other things on his mind. His side project Dead By Sunrise — which also features Anthony “Fu” Valcic, Julien-K’s Brandon Belsky and Elias Andra and Orgy’s Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck — allows him to express a wide range of musical and lyrical ideas that he cannot get out in his main group. I recently interviewed Bennington for ShockHound and reviewed the album as well. Following is material expanded from that discussion which provides further insights into his creative endeavors.



This album has been a long time in the making.
It has, it has. It seems like it’s been forever, but really when I look at it the album actually didn’t take very long to make, it was the three years that Minutes To Midnight sucked up [in] between working on the album.

You’ve known a lot of your band members a lot longer, haven’t you?
I’ve known Ryan [Shuck] and Amir [Derakh] for 10 years, maybe more. I met them when they were working on Vapor Transmissions with Orgy and Linkin Park was still making Hybrid Theory.

Bennington belts it out live with Linkin Park.

A lot of people create side projects that sound like their main bands, but this one really crosses over a lot of different genres and styles.
Yeah, it does. It’s kind of grungy and it’s kind of got some punk elements to it as well, but at the same time it’s really poppy. It’s also got this alternative electronic sensibility to it. The album sounds like a whole album — it doesn’t feel too scattered — but it’s definitely diverse, and that was my goal, to make something that was more rock and just the kind of music I make, in addition to the kind of stuff that we write with Linkin Park.

“Crawl Back In” was used for a promo for TNA Wrestling. It seems like that dark tune would be appropriate for the dour world of the film The Wrestler rather than the larger-than-life atmosphere of pro wrestling. It makes me think of how many rock and metal fans don’t always know the lyrics to songs they like. Have you found that often with Linkin Park’s music, that some people don’t actually know what your songs are about or perhaps misinterpret them?
I do that actually. I’ve been listening to bands for 20 years of my life and probably couldn’t tell you the correct words to any of their songs, with the exception of a few. When I listen to music I just listen and just like the melody. Sometimes I get so lost in the melody and the music that when I sing along I’m just going “da-na-na-na” to the melody and don’t even know what the fuck they’re saying. Some people love to pay attention to that stuff. Some people love to sit down and listen to it and read the lyrics. Some people don’t care about any of it because they just want to listen to the guitar parts. It’s such a unique experience for everybody. I’m sure there are many people whose favorite song is “In The End” but they don’t know the words.

This album is allowing you to express a lot of other ideas that you don’t get to share through Linkin Park. Was it important for you to expand musically in as many different directions as possible?
It was almost like an accident because my intention was to write songs for Linkin Park and only Linkin Park. I have no desire to go and start another band. These songs are so different from Linkin Park in some very obvious ways and in some very subtle ways. I knew that but still felt they were good songs, even though I knew that LP would be like, “It’s a good song but it’s not really our thing.” In the beginning I took that as they were being nice and telling me they didn’t like the songs in a very nice way, but as I kept playing the songs for people — whether they were hanging out backstage and I had a guitar or if I was having at a party at my house and was playing around a campfire — people really seemed to be drawn to the songs I was writing and liked them. So I felt like I should give these a shot.

Is it true that you originally wrote a lot of these songs on acoustic guitar?
That’s my studio. I write everything on acoustic guitar. Every single one of these songs was written on my acoustic at home, and then I brought them in [to the studio]. My theory is if I can sit down with an acoustic guitar and sing a song and people love the song, then the work is done. Now it’s just a matter of going out — you’ve made the cake, and now you can put whatever icing you want on it.

Bennington live at the Sonisphere Festival 2009 in Finland. (Photo credit: Javatyk.)

You’re remarried, so I’m assuming that the romantic “Give Me Your Name” was written for your second wife?
It was not written for my first wife. Actually, I look back at my previous marriage and don’t know how I remained married. It was so turbulent and so unhealthy. We both deserve happiness and both deserve to find the best people we can, and the two of us were like oil and water. We just couldn’t mix correctly, but luckily for me I did find the right person. I met my wife Talinda, fell in love with her quickly, and we had an amazing romance. We got married and had a beautiful child together. She’s an amazing step mother to my other children, and my family has become even closer. It’s amazing what the right person will do for you if you find them.

While tumultuous relationships can be exciting at times, they can also be emotionally draining.
That’s a good way of putting it. [laughs] Even in the worse moments people can find something good in it, and I think that’s one of the reasons why people try to stick through bad relationships because sometimes there’s something worth fighting for. But how long are you going to fight for it? Eventually the fighting stops, and usually that means you need to split. That’s what happened [with me], and because of it life has gotten a lot better.

How much touring are you going to do besides these three initial shows? Are you also going to record more music in the future?
I would like to tour as much as I can. It’s definitely something that rests upon the ability and availability to tour. Obviously I’m not going to stop doing Linkin Park [in terms of] writing or business because I’m doing Dead By Sunrise. The timing here is perfect, which is why we’re putting out the record now. But I do want to do as much touring as I can squeeze in. We’re all taking this project very seriously, and we really are a band who plans on making more records. I’ve already started writing stuff for what will be the next Dead By Sunrise album. We’re in the process of making the next Linkin Park record. This is what I do. I love making music, and I’m going to keep making music as long as much and as often as possible. Performing it is obviously the ultimate goal — when you write music, you want to get out and play it for people.

It's raining Beatles tunes! (But not iTunes yet.)

The wait is over. At long last, on September 9, 2009, 22 years after the Beatles back catalog was first released in basic, unremastered form on CD, their entire discography of official studio albums — twelve in all, plus Magical Mystery Tour and Past Masters Vol. I and II — will arrive in stores, both individually and in box sets. Plus there’s The Beatles: Rock Band video game. Its a momentous occasion, but not just for Beatles fans who want the new album mixes, liner notes and photos and the collected documentaries on DVD.  Or those who might want to role play as the Fab Four. This is a pivotal day for the major labels of the music biz.

We all know that CD sales have taken a nosedive in the last ten years, dropping 50% from what they used to be. While digital downloads are making up for part of the deficit, overall music profits have shrunk. It’s been bad news for the major labels but good news for many indie artists who have more control over their careers and profit margins thanks to the Internet.  Still, if you want to get your music out on a mass scale, you need to be backed by a company with widespread distribution. And the majors are hurting. They can’t create or break pop stars much anymore; American Idol does it far more effectively. There are few rock bands that sell massive quantities these days; many do better selling concert tickets and merchandise. Plus concert promoter Live Nation is stealing their thunder by signing megastars like Madonna and Jay-Z to multi-platform deals that include album releases and a cut of all profits.

Strawberry Fields Forever, even in the virtual realm.

What does this have to do with the Beatles? Everything. The biggest-selling band of all time, they continue to enthrall audiences nearly 40 years after they broke up. Any time a new compilation, documentary or remix project emerges, it sells well. People keep writing books about them, and magazines and newspapers keep printing stories about their history. Their recorded oeuvre came out over a mere eight years, yet it was more influential and popular than the music of bands who have had careers spanning five or six times longer, including The Rolling Stones and The Who. The Beatles are the ultimate catalog band, and while other artists may have released far bigger albums commercially, they have never had the consistent success of the Fab Four.





There isn’t anyone from the last 25 years, beyond Michael Jackson, who has exhibited such staying power. And it’s something that the industry needs to look at. After they saw CD sales soar in the mid-1990s on the backs of young talent like Alanis Morrissette, Hootie & The Blowfish and Shania Twain, the majors got lazy and greedy and seemed to care less for artist development. Album prices went up. The CD single, a collectors’ favorite and a good way to make extra cash, was gradually phased out in America; some figure it was to push the sale of increasingly expensive albums that had few if any good songs beyond the single(s). Radio narrowcasting and constricted video playlists raised the stakes, compounding the problem for music labels and their rising talent. No longer could an artist take a few albums to evolve, mature and reach platinum status. They had to make it quickly to recoup investment, or they were dropped. Sure, The Beatles rose to fame quickly (thanks to singles initially), but they were that rare, exceptionally talented ensemble that could. Most artists need time to grow, and the industry has grown impatient and nervous, preferring short-term success over long-term profitability, often to appease stockholders who want to make money right now.

There always seems to be a new Beatles story to be told or a new twist on an old tale.

Having a solid back catalog makes a difference, and young artists today usually do not get the chance to amass one. Sure, Bruce Springsteen went platinum by his third album Born To Run, but it was not until nine years later in 1984 that he would become a superstar with the fifteen million selling Born In The U.S.A., his seventh album. Judas Priest took eight years and eight records to go platinum with Screaming For Vengeance, but once they did so their previous albums started to achieve gold (500,000 units) or platinum (1 million) status. Similarly, AC/DC sold well worldwide but did not become an international sensation until their sixth album, Highway To Hell. Its follow-up, the legendary Back In Black, was an even greater success. Then, of course, there is the resurgence of classic songs, the best example being Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was used in a funny lip-synching sequence in the movie Wayne’s World that brought the song rocketing back up to the top of the charts 17 years after its initial release.

Many veteran bands are finding their catalog tracks to be lucrative today when licensing them out for movies, television shows and especially video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. (Journey is one of the big licensing winners lately.) While the idea of The Beatles: Rock Band game might sound like heresy to some, it will promote the group’s music to a new generation of fans. It is interesting to note that the game features a number of different scenarios, with the virtual Beatles performing everywhere from the Cavern Club in Liverpool to Shea Stadium. The group went through many phases and looks and explored many styles of music. Most artists today don’t do that, at least on a mainstream level, and their handlers and stylists do not want to make really radical changes because conformity is the name of the game. (And those that are followers of fashion tend to produce less interesting music.) As The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson have proven, originality sells a lot more music, not cookie cutter copycats.

Don't even think about illegally downloading us!

Perhaps the idea of originality is anathema to an industry now built on chasing trends and making a quick buck. But it is often original bands that carve out a niche for themselves and help prop up the backbone of the industry. While big sellers like Nickelback and Linkin Park are important financially (and remain viable), artists with cult-like followings such as Tool, Radiohead and Tori Amos also provide consistency, both in terms of album and ticket sales. And as the Finnish band H.I.M. proved a couple of years ago, having a charismatic frontman, distinct sound, identifiable logo and marketable imagery is also important. Look at Iron Maiden — their catalog and mascot Eddie continue to be cash cows for them, their management and their label 30 years into their recording career. And their fans are devout and loyal.

There are those who argue right now that no matter what you do, people will continue not to pay for music because once you can get things for free, why go back? The Beatles catalog, solo albums aside, has never been made available in digital form — which may change as soon as this week — but that has not hurt their credibility or their sales. We need more artists whose originality and integrity warrant that kind of respect, and we need an industry willing to deliver them to the masses. Perhaps that is a naive assumption to make in this day and age. On Sept. 9, 2009 we will find out if it still holds up.