Beijing Underground

Our friends at http://www.vbs.tv have many awesome half hour docs on music. I’ve just begun to explore it. Here is a link to underground rock in Beijing China. Following a post on National Identity, I have to note how there is nothing Chinese about anything musically here. Here again is a prevailing Euro-American sound. But, I need to note a few things. First, the bands get progressively better through the documentary. Second, Subs rock! Third, all these bands have great rehearsal spaces. Fourth, how come these bands all have better gear than my or friends bands? Isn’t this China!?

Special comment; Please explain to me a Chinese Skinhead band! Now I get its working man origins…but, I’ll meditate on this because they’re not straight edge either….

Anyhow, until I can afford to embed videos I hope you take advantage of the links I provide you, and if they don’t work…tell me okay?

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/vbs-music-specials/the-beijing-underground

BTW; here’s a link to Subs myspace page if you’d like a little more

http://www.myspace.com/subsband

Meet the Danglers

To those of you who don’t know about the band I’ve been playing with for the past 12 years, here’s a little video for you of us playing at WMSE 91.7 in Milwaukee. That’s David Gelting on the Bass, and John Sparrow on the drums.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1344674996?bctid=3353628001

National Musical Identity

http://www.linktv.org/video/3783/tengir-too-mountain-music-of-kyrgyzstan

Above is a link to a short documentary about the music of Kyrgyzstan. It really got me thinking about how the United States has lost much of its identity in the global landscape. I’m a bit of a historical romantic, so it should comes as no surprise to those who know me that I believe we lost our musical identity in the late 50’s early 60’s, but upon reflection I know this is not true. Certainly, Rap and House are true musical innovations from the USA, but what about instrumental based music?

Any way I slice it, Rock an American invention became a British love child as of 1964….Hell, if Hendrix going to England to break in to America isn’t evidence I don’t know what is?  However, having brown skin is 1967 was not what it is today.

Could it be said that the last vestiges of American musical identity are rooted in what created Rock ‘n Roll music?…….Jazz (America’s Classical), Country/Bluegrass, and Blues.

I’d love to know what you think….

Greetings from Jason Loveall

Hello visitor, I am Jason Loveall. So why does this endless chatter need another blog? Well, it seems as though the questions being asked in regards to music these days are absolutely the wrong ones. Do I have answers to musical issues, no. However, maybe within a forum context (so long as participants are civil) conclusions can be made about the future of our dying craft. When afforded the time to update this simple blog, I hope to talk about a range of issues, from getting paid at local shows, to what the future has in store for us as musicians and music lovers.

Full disclosure, I am a working violinist, and guitarist. I came up with the Tossers in the mid 90’s and since have played around Milwaukee and Chicago most notably with the Danglers

photo credit; Lisa Winn

www.lisawinnphoto.com