The Roots of a Riff

It's one of the most famous guitar riffs in music -- Johnny Marr's tremolo-laden riff in The Smiths' "How Soon is Now".

When we first heard it in 1985, it sounded like nothing else out there. It still sounds totally unique, despite being covered and sampled over the years. The other day, I was tooling around YouTube and found an interview in which a Rickenbacker-toting Johnny Marr cites the reference points for the riff -- Hamilton Bohannon's Disco Stomp, Bo Diddley and Can. It's around 2 minutes in on this clip:

So let's go back in time and listen to the influences Marr cites. First, here's Hamilton Bohannon's "Disco Stomp":

Here's Bo Diddley's "Hey Mona":

And finally, Can's "I Want More":

The influence of all three is clear, but Marr's riff is hardly derivative. And when you look at The Smiths through this prism, you really can hear the funk influences in the band, despite its otherwise white-bread appearance.

By the way, I feel like I should explain why I'm devoting so many posts to things relating to Johnny Marr. First, I'm listening to his solo album The Messenger a lot. Second, I'm reading Tony Fletcher's terrific book about The Smiths, A Light That Never Goes Out. I'm more than 100 pages in and the band hasn't even formed yet -- Fletcher spends generous amounts of time on the cultural mores of Manchester in the 1970s as both Marr and Morrissey come of age. It's an excellent read.

Song In My Head

This is REALLY obscure. It's the Greenlandic rap group Nuuk Posse with "Oqariatuut (The Message)". And no, it's not a Grandmaster Flash cover.

I first heard of these guys about 10 years ago and instantly wanted to film a documentary on them. Rappers from Greenland? No way. I actually tracked down someone at the record label ULO to see about working with them and he was interested but it never went anywhere. I mean, try getting to Greenland.

In any case, to me they truly are the poster children for the universality of hip-hop. But they're more than a novelty -- they're actually really good. I don't understand what they're saying -- they rap in Kalaallisut, Danish and English.

And the more I listen, the more I want to expand this post. I love their song "Qitik" as well. And the video is wonderful -- a bunch of guys from Greenland in San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees hats. And the fact that one guy's wearing a Public Enemy jacket while another one has a custom Nuuk Posse jacket is priceless. Please give this a good listen:

The Message about The Messenger

I picked up Johnny Marr's The Messenger when it came out this week, but I haven't had a chance to really listen to it until today. I had heard three songs off the album, which I posted about earlier, and pretty well liked what I heard. But I wasn't knocked out. Until I heard this track:

That's "New Town Velocity" and it's everything I'd hoped for from a Marr solo track. I plan on giving this record a lot of time in both the car and the iPhone (and also in the basement!) -- which reminds me of my dilemma about this album: Should I download it on iTunes or buy the actual CD? I choose the latter. I wanted to own something tangible, and I wanted to listen in the car (I don't have an AUX input.) And, despite being forced to jump through many additional hoops just to enjoy the music I bought, I was able to get it onto the iPhone as well. I think I'm rebelling against our digital world.

No doubt I'll have more on Johnny's solo album in the days ahead.

Song in My Head

Man, it's a ghost town around here.  Anyway, I woke up with Split Enz "Six Months in a  Leaky Boat" in my head.  I have no idea why.  It's not their best song, nor have I listened to it in a while.  Oh, well.

Johnny Marr AND New Order!

New Order have confirmed that Johnny Marr will join them for two warm-up shows this Spring -- on in Vegas and one in Santa Barbara. Could it be that they'll play some Electronic songs? (Is Neil Tennant available?)

Also, New Order is teasing more American shows later in the year. Does that mean Marr may join them for an East Coast swing? One can only hope.

The 55th Grammys - My Take

8:24 - fun. sounds like Queen if Freddy Mercury couldn't sing. Seriously, bad live performance, guys. How many notes did Nate Ruess miss?

8:28 - And then to underscore the sellout nature of fun. -- there's the Taco Bell commercial featuring "We Are Young" en Espanol.

8:32 - Jon Mayer and Bonnie Raitt. There's one woman Mayer hasn't been linked to.

8:33 - My wife just informed me that Miranda Lambert likes to shoot cans in her backyard. Our research department is checking on that one... but her nails certainly seem to suggest that it's true.
UPDATE: OK, so Miranda Lambert may not shoot cans in her backyard, but she did shoot her own deer for her wedding meal. Which beats hitting it on the road and scraping it up for dinner.

8:38 - LOVE the vintage LL on Bandstand

8:39 - Miguel and Wiz Khalifa -- Wiz Khalifa may be the only rapper EVER from North Dakota (He was born in Minot in 1987.)

8:42 - Rihanna is there with Chris Brown?!? Scandalous.

8:48 - Is it me or is the commercial for the Microsoft Surface Pro trying too hard?

8:50 - Song of the Year -- If ubiquity was the criterion, "Call Me Maybe" would win. Or "We Are Young". See? I told you.

8:52 - The debate is raging in our house -- are fun. hipsters? Or just hipster poseurs? Is there a difference?

8:53 - Hey! No one told me Keith Richards was going to be here... oh, that's just Johnny Depp.

8:54 - Mumford & Sons -- See Mark E. Smith's critique here. My critique would be that the new stuff lacks the bite, the energy of the first record. I agree with John's take that they're on their way to irrelevancy, a la The Strokes.

9:02 - I liked it better when Beatles songs weren't allowed to be used by commercials. Now "Good Day Sunshine" will remind me of a Lisa Loeb lookalike drinking orange juice.

9:03 - There. We just heard the best piece of music on the show so far: "99 Problems" on the intro to Beyonce and Ellen Degeneres.

9:05 - Why the digital effects on the Timberlake performance? Just because you can make something black and white doesn't mean you should...

9:06 - ... unless Jay Z's about to come on stage.

9:07 - But JT's retro shtick is really annoying. I wish he'd use his considerable talents to do something I haven't seen yet. Is he singing "Just a little push of love, girl"? Because lyrics like that aren't helping.

9:12 - Best Urban Contemporary... my money's on Frank Ocean, but I've been impressed by Miguel tonight.

9:13 - So Frank Ocean gets in a fight with Chris Brown over a parking space, and then beats him for the Grammy.

9:18 - Big push for Justin Timberlake tonight -- I'm sick of the new album already.

9:21 - And Bruce Springsteen doesn't win the Rock Performance award.

9:22 - I have no use for Maroon 5. Or Alicia Keys. At least I can understand her appeal. Could someone explain the big deal about Maroon 5? What are they doing that's so terrific?

9:24 - Sadly, my beef with Alicia Keys has little to do with her music. (But Sheila E. is on line one and wants her act back.) Here's my beef with Alicia Keys -- this obnoxious credit card commercial where the guy gets dumped by a girl who calls him boring and then thinks he has a life now that he uses his credit card to get backstage pass to an Alicia Keys concert. I mean, that's living? Really?

9:50 - The Black Keys performance is the best thus far of the night.

10:09 - Sting and Bruno Mars -- The crowd seems to know Bruno's stuff... but not Sting's.

10:10 - I am a Ziggy Marley fan. "Tomorrow People" remains a terrific song, and my kids even like his family stuff.

10:19 - The Lumineers may be talented neo-folkies, but tonight they look like the most annoying people at the party.

10:20 - Sorry, that award might just have to go to Taylor Swift. Yes, Taylor, we know you know all the songs... thanks for singing along on every cutaway shot.

10:24 - Jack White playing a baby blue Fender Telecaster -- same guitar as the one I goof around on. Only his costs about $10,000 more and he can play it about that many times better.

10:27 - How does fun. win Best New Artist when they've been around about 12 years and before that they were Queen?

10:41 - Nice pick for Record of the Year -- Gotye is deserving -- and his song was the best of that crop of tunes that seemed like they were everywhere.

10:51 - Hanging in at least until Adam Yauch is recognized.

10:54 - Why does Leroy Sugarfoot Bonner of the Ohio Players have to share biling in the In Memorium video? Why does Earl Scruggs?? And Doc Watson??

11:14 - Waiting for Frank Ocean to take us somewhere here...

11:17 - Not sure I'm allowed to say anything here about Mumford And Sons. I was impressed with them two years ago at the Grammys but I feel the wind has been out of their sails ever since.

11:22 - I'm about to call it a night but Chuck D with LL Cool J intrigues me...

11:29 - Finally, some real love and respect for MCA Adam Yauch and the Beasties... and then the Grammy credits roll. Oh well.

Goodnight!

The 55th Grammy Awards - a running diary

It's time for our annual Grammy running diary...so here we go!

8:00 - Last year we opened with Bruce Springsteen.  This year a crazy Alice in Wonderland Taylor Swift opening.  Stupid.  I liked it better 25 years ago when Tom Petty tried it.

8:06 - LL Cool J is back again.  I didn't realize he was so good last year, that he was needed to come back again this year.  Yes, I'm feeling snide this year.

8:10 - I give Ed Sheeran a little credit for writing a catchy little song about drug use.  I'm sure he felt honored that Sir Elton wanted to perform it with him.  Too bad EJ is murdering the song.

8:20 - I can't...it's too easy.  J. Lo is crazy, Pitbull is..., and Adele - what a dress!

8:22 - Fun. is much like the Hold Steady or early Springsteen: very wordy.  I respect that they are a live band, and I have read in multiple sources they are a decent live act.   The lead singer's outfit isn't earning him points though.

...and it rains.  My 11 year old thinks it's a cool effect. Enough said.

8:32 - Katy Perry doing her best to keep John Mayer in check.  Wait, is John Mayer the joker?

8:33 - My son Nick: "This girl's huge.  Who is she?"  As you can see, country music isn't big in our house.

8:39 - LL Cool J on AB is a highlight: skinny showing who's "bad."

8:40 - Wiz Kalifa's outfit is Grammy approved & auto-tuned! Nice.

8:43 - American Idol makes stars.  Too bad I never heard the song before.

8:53 - Johnny Depp is doing his best Jim Morrison.  And what is with the drinking this year?  Is this the People's Choice Awards?

8:56 - my prediction: Mumford & Sons will go they way of the Strokes & Franz Ferdinand.  Nice sound, but their follow up sounds EXACTLY the same.  Record #3 will amount to nothing.  Shame, they do have talent.

9:15 - Hi, My name is John.  I am 41 years old.  One month from today is my birthday.  I announce I am officially out of touch with current popular music.  I was bored & could care less about JT & Jay Z.  At least last year featured Glenn Campbell.

9:18 - CBS puts up its "Cool alternative girl" to present with Mr. Cool Dave Grohl. I liked "Lonely Boy" & the video a year ago, but it became the mos mainstream/alternative song out there.  Much like the Re Hot Chili Peppers & MGMT, you can hear them on any FM rock radio station.

9:38 - I am not a Rhianna fan.  I find her to act immature.

9:40 - Ne-Yo.  By FAR my LEAST favorite artist out there.  That sing/talk rambling has to go!

9:43 - A joke by Jay Z  highlights the night.  I know what my overall highlight will be, and I'm sticking around just for that.  Otherwise, I think I'd move on.

9:50 - I am being critiqued on twitter that I am too negative - sorry.  @discordants, @bigjohnny2

9:50 - My interest just got piqued.  A pretty raucous version of "Lonely Boy."  Is that a random Indian Chief sitting in with the band? Like the horns too.  There, a true positive.

9:53 - I'm not a fan, but Kelly Clarkson can sing.

10:06 - Bruno Mars just owned the Grammy's.  The star-studded crowd is eating him up.  Sting coming out is icing on the cake.   The song sounded like a Police song, nice touch Bruno.

10:11 - I was hoping for a medley of Bob Marley songs for the tribute.  A little disappointed.

10:19 - The Lumineers is something I enjoyed.  Nice little love song.  Transitions into Jack White.  Two artists who made my best of 2012.  The Grammys have been improving since getting called out.

10:23 - love that Jack White just went off the grid.   My wife is wondering why he's "so white."

10:28 - It's fun's night.  It could be worse.

10:31 - Checking posts, D. Mazepa just proclaimed Jack White the savior of rock & roll.

10:37 -  are the dress effects supposed to draw me in to Carrie Underwood - not working.

10:40 - was that a little Sexy MF I was hearing!  AWESOME!!!

10:41 - Prince likes Goyte.  Glad he won.  Overplayed, but great song. Prince looked truly touched by the complements Gotye gave him.

10:49 - Glad to see Dave Brubeck get his due.  Very talented Jazz artist.

10:55 - RIP Adam Yauch.  No question the biggest applause for the deceased.

10:58 - If I didn't know better, I would have thought Zach Brown was a member of the Band.  That guy is beloved by so many I know.  Never got into them.

11:15 - Sorry to so many, but I just don't get Frank Ocean.  Simplistic keyboards with lyrics about Forrest Gump?   I was honestly trying.

11:16 - Rolling Stone just tweeted a Yauch retrospective through the years.  Maybe I'm not THAT out of touch.

11:18 - The Grammy's seem to honor those who have put together a collection of decent work instead of the work itself.  Mumford & Sons previous record far surpasses this one.  Springsteen is now a Grammy favorite, when his best work couldn't get a nomination.  Jethro Tull anyone?

11:24 - Chuck D and Tom Morrello - ok! I'm liking this.  Travis Barker seems to be a celebrity drummer for hire - but he is playing well.  Morrello is a guitar god, to me.  I lov RAGTM.  I also love that he toured with Springsteen.

11:28 - a shout out to MCA.  Thanks LL Cool J.  Great to see how influential Yauch was.

Interesting night, I'm out.  Look for some "three for the road's" this week.