Pop songs for a Saturday, that I heard last night on WYEP.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I Believe You Mean "Freak Flag"
Still, this is pretty good writing. Got to give credit where it's due.
"Through the Eighties and Nineties, as the rock business became more nimble at exploiting rough sounds and raw styles, the same basic formulas were applied to a variety of different rock bands playing in a variety of genres, from gangsta rap to grunge. A familiar scenario went like this: First came an outpouring of enthusiasm, as media mavens got excited about hearing kids push the limits of their all but nonexistent musical abilities. (The enthusiasm was more intense if the band first recorded for a small, independent record label.) Then came a solemn projection of the broader social implications, as a music usefully associated with yet another colorful tribute of rebellious young people was presented to the marketplace with subversive flags flying. (The press had a crucial role to play here, since rock journalists ever since the Sixties have wanted to see themselves as custodians of subversive social significance—this is about the only thing that keeps the job interesting.) Last but not least came the commercial apotheosis and simultaneous critical backlash, provoked when some specific band, perhaps one with uncommonly talented or especially good-looking young musicians, actually succeeded in the mass market—thus ‘selling out,’ and betraying the subversive flags that had been flying."
-James Miller, Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977
"Through the Eighties and Nineties, as the rock business became more nimble at exploiting rough sounds and raw styles, the same basic formulas were applied to a variety of different rock bands playing in a variety of genres, from gangsta rap to grunge. A familiar scenario went like this: First came an outpouring of enthusiasm, as media mavens got excited about hearing kids push the limits of their all but nonexistent musical abilities. (The enthusiasm was more intense if the band first recorded for a small, independent record label.) Then came a solemn projection of the broader social implications, as a music usefully associated with yet another colorful tribute of rebellious young people was presented to the marketplace with subversive flags flying. (The press had a crucial role to play here, since rock journalists ever since the Sixties have wanted to see themselves as custodians of subversive social significance—this is about the only thing that keeps the job interesting.) Last but not least came the commercial apotheosis and simultaneous critical backlash, provoked when some specific band, perhaps one with uncommonly talented or especially good-looking young musicians, actually succeeded in the mass market—thus ‘selling out,’ and betraying the subversive flags that had been flying."
-James Miller, Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
At Least in the Top 20
I haven't really followed Courtney Love's career very much. What I've got for on outline is basically this:
1. Was in the band Hole
2. Married Kurt Cobain
3. May or may not have killed/ordered the murder of Kurt Cobain, but probably not.
4. May or may not have had affairs with Billy Corgan.
5. Is addressed by former boyfriend Rozz Rezabek in the hilarious film Kurt and Courtney with the immortal words: "Don't fuck with me, Courtney. I don't care if you're Jesus and your lawyers are the 12 disciples."
So apparently the big news today is that Courtney is changing her name from "Courtney Love" to "Courtney Michelle." (She was born "Courtney Michelle Harrison.") It's not quite a Puff Daddy/P. Diddy or an Ol' Dirty Bastard/Big Baby Jesus switch, but, you know, not bad for a Wednesday. But in the Salon story about this name change, they refer to her as "one of the most recognizable women in music." Hmmm. I mean, maybe that was true in, say, 1994. But I forgot my time machine today. I mean, whatever. I understand that the "one of the most recognizable women in music" was just a throwaway line, not meant to mean very much. But for fun, I thought I would come up with a list of women in music more recognizable than Courtney. So, I've got:
Madonna
Beyonce
Lady Gaga
Ke$ha (yeah, with the dollar sign and everything)
Taylor Swift
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
M.I.A.
Fergie
Miley Cyrus
Britney Spears
Erykah Badu
Mary J. Blige
Norah Jones
Amy Winehouse
Neko Case
All of these women are way more relevant to the music scene in the last five years than Courtney, whatever her last name may be. And I don't if care if her lawyers are the 12 disciples.
1. Was in the band Hole
2. Married Kurt Cobain
3. May or may not have killed/ordered the murder of Kurt Cobain, but probably not.
4. May or may not have had affairs with Billy Corgan.
5. Is addressed by former boyfriend Rozz Rezabek in the hilarious film Kurt and Courtney with the immortal words: "Don't fuck with me, Courtney. I don't care if you're Jesus and your lawyers are the 12 disciples."
So apparently the big news today is that Courtney is changing her name from "Courtney Love" to "Courtney Michelle." (She was born "Courtney Michelle Harrison.") It's not quite a Puff Daddy/P. Diddy or an Ol' Dirty Bastard/Big Baby Jesus switch, but, you know, not bad for a Wednesday. But in the Salon story about this name change, they refer to her as "one of the most recognizable women in music." Hmmm. I mean, maybe that was true in, say, 1994. But I forgot my time machine today. I mean, whatever. I understand that the "one of the most recognizable women in music" was just a throwaway line, not meant to mean very much. But for fun, I thought I would come up with a list of women in music more recognizable than Courtney. So, I've got:
Madonna
Beyonce
Lady Gaga
Ke$ha (yeah, with the dollar sign and everything)
Taylor Swift
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
M.I.A.
Fergie
Miley Cyrus
Britney Spears
Erykah Badu
Mary J. Blige
Norah Jones
Amy Winehouse
Neko Case
All of these women are way more relevant to the music scene in the last five years than Courtney, whatever her last name may be. And I don't if care if her lawyers are the 12 disciples.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
It's Come Down to This
The list-serve for the American Musicological Society just posted an announcement, under the heading "JOB: Summer internship in Musicology, Brandeis University":
Rebecca Cypess, Assistant Professor of Music History at the New England Conservatory of Music, will begin a critical assessment of the work of Devora Ascarelli, a 16th-century Roman Jewish writer. Little is known about Ascarelli other than the information from her book L’abitacolo degli oranti (Venice, 1601; 1609/R). The book--apparently the first published work by a Jewish woman--consists primarily of Italian translations of Hebrew texts (some in prose and some in verse) including piyyutim and other works apparently intended for liturgical use. Also included in Ascarelli’s book are two original poems in Italian, including one based on the Apocryphal story of Susanna.
Dr. Cypess’ project will consist of an edition of and commentary upon Ascarelli’s L’abitacolo degli oranti, and will consider the possibility that translation may shed light on the persona of the writer that Ascarelli’s works contain elements of the translator’s voice. It will also attempt to understand the performative aspects of Ascarelli’s works--especially those in verse--by assessing them in the context of musical-poetic practices of the Italian Renaissance and of the Jewish communities of Renaissance Italy.
The HBI research intern will work on transcription (and, if language skills allow, translation) of both the Hebrew and Italian texts of L’abitacolo degli oranti. The intern will also assist in the preparation and assembly of a bibliography on Jewish women in Renaissance Italy. In addition to transcription and work on the bibliography, some photocopying will be required. The project may take longer than just the summer, but it is expected to produce a publication, for which the intern will share credit.
PROFILE OF APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE
- Strong word-processing skills, including Hebrew fonts and formatting
- Hebrew essential; Italian helpful, but not required
- Library research skills, including familiarity with Rambi and other research databases
- Demonstrated initiative
- Strong organizational skills
The internship lasts for six weeks (June 8-July 15); the HBI provides housing at Brandeis and a small stipend of $250, as well as an academic advisor to assist the students with their own projects.
Additional details and application instructions:
http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/internship/details.html
I have to admit that I've never heard of an internship in musicology before, and I like to think that I'm usually pretty well kept up with all the email list developments. I was also intrigued that this email showed up right after the New York Times published a story about internships, suggesting that many companies use unpaid internships as free labor, a system which keeps them from hiring a worker who would earn an actual wage. But unpaid internships do more than just boost the unemployment rate. They also undercut something many colleges and universities have taken on in recent years. The Times explains:
"While many colleges are accepting more moderate- and low-income students to increase economic mobility, many students and administrators complain that the growth in unpaid internships undercuts that effort by favoring well-to-do and well-connected students, speeding their climb up the career ladder."
Not to toot my own horn, but I've been talking about this for years. It was pretty obvious to me as a Columbia undergrad during the Hedge Fund Era (2001-2005) that certain people could afford to take an unpaid internship over the summer at a financial institution or a film company and support themselves in New York City and certain people couldn't. And while Columbia at least didn't give academic credit for unpaid internships (or any internship, for that matter), they also clearly had an idea of what their students (at least the poorer ones) were supposed to be doing over the summer: "Summer earnings" were factored in my financial aid package as part of my family contribution.
Now, I'm sure that Professor Cypess' project is going to be great and that working on it will be a great opportunity for whomever ends up being her intern. I'm also sure that the $250 stipend provided will more than cover a roundtrip cab ride from Logan Airport to the campus of Brandeis. And maybe a Red Sox cap, too.
I don't mean Professor Cypess any ill will. No doubt she's doing the best she can. This is the work she wants done, this is the money and the resources she's got to spend. That's the way the world works, I dig. Still, it seems like the successful candidate for this internship will be a pretty accomplished person, fluent in at least two (or possibly three) languages, an experienced researcher in the field of Jewish Studies (I had to look up the RAMBI database), and some decent paleographic chops. All I can say is that if I were hiring such a person, I would sure want to be able to give them more than 250 bucks and a room for six weeks in a college dorm. I'm sure Professor Cypess would too, but again, we play the hands we're dealt sometimes.
So good luck to whomever is applying for this, hopefully it will work out great for you. But I will say that in a year in which, by one estimate, job openings are already down 20-25% from last year (hardly a boom year), it kind of sucks that this is what we've got to be excited about.
Rebecca Cypess, Assistant Professor of Music History at the New England Conservatory of Music, will begin a critical assessment of the work of Devora Ascarelli, a 16th-century Roman Jewish writer. Little is known about Ascarelli other than the information from her book L’abitacolo degli oranti (Venice, 1601; 1609/R). The book--apparently the first published work by a Jewish woman--consists primarily of Italian translations of Hebrew texts (some in prose and some in verse) including piyyutim and other works apparently intended for liturgical use. Also included in Ascarelli’s book are two original poems in Italian, including one based on the Apocryphal story of Susanna.
Dr. Cypess’ project will consist of an edition of and commentary upon Ascarelli’s L’abitacolo degli oranti, and will consider the possibility that translation may shed light on the persona of the writer that Ascarelli’s works contain elements of the translator’s voice. It will also attempt to understand the performative aspects of Ascarelli’s works--especially those in verse--by assessing them in the context of musical-poetic practices of the Italian Renaissance and of the Jewish communities of Renaissance Italy.
The HBI research intern will work on transcription (and, if language skills allow, translation) of both the Hebrew and Italian texts of L’abitacolo degli oranti. The intern will also assist in the preparation and assembly of a bibliography on Jewish women in Renaissance Italy. In addition to transcription and work on the bibliography, some photocopying will be required. The project may take longer than just the summer, but it is expected to produce a publication, for which the intern will share credit.
PROFILE OF APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE
- Strong word-processing skills, including Hebrew fonts and formatting
- Hebrew essential; Italian helpful, but not required
- Library research skills, including familiarity with Rambi and other research databases
- Demonstrated initiative
- Strong organizational skills
The internship lasts for six weeks (June 8-July 15); the HBI provides housing at Brandeis and a small stipend of $250, as well as an academic advisor to assist the students with their own projects.
Additional details and application instructions:
http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/internship/details.html
I have to admit that I've never heard of an internship in musicology before, and I like to think that I'm usually pretty well kept up with all the email list developments. I was also intrigued that this email showed up right after the New York Times published a story about internships, suggesting that many companies use unpaid internships as free labor, a system which keeps them from hiring a worker who would earn an actual wage. But unpaid internships do more than just boost the unemployment rate. They also undercut something many colleges and universities have taken on in recent years. The Times explains:
"While many colleges are accepting more moderate- and low-income students to increase economic mobility, many students and administrators complain that the growth in unpaid internships undercuts that effort by favoring well-to-do and well-connected students, speeding their climb up the career ladder."
Not to toot my own horn, but I've been talking about this for years. It was pretty obvious to me as a Columbia undergrad during the Hedge Fund Era (2001-2005) that certain people could afford to take an unpaid internship over the summer at a financial institution or a film company and support themselves in New York City and certain people couldn't. And while Columbia at least didn't give academic credit for unpaid internships (or any internship, for that matter), they also clearly had an idea of what their students (at least the poorer ones) were supposed to be doing over the summer: "Summer earnings" were factored in my financial aid package as part of my family contribution.
Now, I'm sure that Professor Cypess' project is going to be great and that working on it will be a great opportunity for whomever ends up being her intern. I'm also sure that the $250 stipend provided will more than cover a roundtrip cab ride from Logan Airport to the campus of Brandeis. And maybe a Red Sox cap, too.
I don't mean Professor Cypess any ill will. No doubt she's doing the best she can. This is the work she wants done, this is the money and the resources she's got to spend. That's the way the world works, I dig. Still, it seems like the successful candidate for this internship will be a pretty accomplished person, fluent in at least two (or possibly three) languages, an experienced researcher in the field of Jewish Studies (I had to look up the RAMBI database), and some decent paleographic chops. All I can say is that if I were hiring such a person, I would sure want to be able to give them more than 250 bucks and a room for six weeks in a college dorm. I'm sure Professor Cypess would too, but again, we play the hands we're dealt sometimes.
So good luck to whomever is applying for this, hopefully it will work out great for you. But I will say that in a year in which, by one estimate, job openings are already down 20-25% from last year (hardly a boom year), it kind of sucks that this is what we've got to be excited about.
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