Junior League Band is the real deal
The funny thing is at the Examiner website, my topic is Canadian music, which is a large and broad topic, however, I’m not allowed to write about anything else. This of course leaves out many great musicians/indie bands out there. So, I’ll use this blog to put up some cool new “foreign” music that I’m not allowed print at the Examiner.com/Canada.
You know that saying, “when you least expect it, you get it!”, well that saying goes far in explaining how I got introduced to this next band’s music. Normally, it’s myself trolling through the internet, music sites, listening to songs, looking for that group that just shines & sparkles. Oftentimes it’s few and far between. This time the band, found me on Twitter. I usually find my way listening to most of what people send me, but realistically I only time to write about a certain number of acts.
There are many ways to look at indie: just starting out & trying to find their sound; those that are starting to turn heads & have the talent, and are gigging like mad to make it (at this time they are pretty much ready); Indie/underground groups that have been around so long that they are very respected, but shameful they didn’t break through into the mainstream.
I would class the Junior League band in the second category, as they certainly are up and coming, but they bring a throwback roots/americana/country/acoustic sound. The Lissy Rosemount (the singer) stands out from the pack as her soulful voice that is truly unique, & the band has that polished sound that comes with many performances together. Anyway, you can check out their videos for yourselves. I chose: South Carolina Blues and Kiss You In The Morning b/c. they are more their “music videos”, the other clips are more raw performances.
Junior League Band- South Carolina Blues
Junior League Band – Kiss You In The Morning
If you want to see more, or leave a comment with them, check out these links:
Junior League Band’s Official Homepage: http://www.juniorleagueband.com/
Junior League Band’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JuniorLeague
Junior League Band’s Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/juniorleagueband
Junior League Band’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/JrLeagueBand2
~ Jason Chu
Canadian Music Examiner
Jason Chu’s Twitter
Reflections: pop music vs. classical music
Pop music vs. Classical
I’m not sure what it is, however, there has been an “elitist” bias among practitioners of classical music (and jazz to an extent) towards pop music. With their complexities, and often times, numerous years of study at music programs, classical musicians reverence of historical catalogues, yet it doesn’t improve their popularity among the masses.
On the other hand, pop music (in this case all popular music) keeps growing in popularity with the advent of the internet. Sometimes there has been collaborations like Metallica’s orchestral performances, or anytime you bring in a string section in a pop tune ballad.
Classical music activists say there is no interest to classical/jazz music & that in many ways it’s dying (sales of songs/albums). Critics blame it on the public for not appreciating the greatness of the music. Meanwhile, pop musicians like Miley Cyrus and Linkin Park sell tons of albums, itunes, merch, and ticket sales for tours. Today I checked ticketmaster and the top billed ticket price for Bonjovi concert was over $1,100 (and those were sold out within 10 minutes). And no offense, but I’m not sure if any pop artist will last as long as a Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin.
#1 Music is music & it needs be promoted through press, given publicity, shared, passed on to each successive generation. It doesn’t happen by osmosis.
My point, is that in my experiences as a music writer, I have got a lot of positive response from the pop music community and silence/ignored by the classical/jazz community. Now, I admit I don’t search out classical or jazz as much as pop music, but I have a beef with the “Classical” mindset.
Simple example, whenever I have contacted pop musicians/bands about doing an article or contacting them for background info, etc., I have usually been given a positive and response. They seem to welcome publicity and press. So, I’ve been sent many press releases, invites to shows, and made contacts within the pop music world.
On the other hand, whenever I have contacted classical/jazz musicians or venues about writing articles and giving some press on this genre of music, I’m usually “stiffed at the door.” I have contacted Koerner Hall multiple times, which is the new performance hall in Toronto specifically made for the RC (Royal Conservatory).
My beef is that I contacted them through the appropriate channels knowing that the 1st season of this concert hall is a big deal for Toronto. The thing is they didn’t get back to me with any response after taking my info down & saying it would be passed to “blah blah” and I think that’s poor that they don’t get back to me with at least an explanation as to why it’s a “no”.
If given press access, I would’ve went to the “9’s” in writing about all the great classical, jazz, world music performances that are going on there. And I really don’t understand it, because classical/jazz is definitely in the decline and a lot less popular than pop music, which get’s most of the music press.
So, I’ve got the beef out & it’s done. No grudges, I’ll even leave the link to Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall, so you can check out their shows & go to them if you are in the GTA region (Greater Toronto Area). If you want to get the younger mainstream audiences into classical/jazz, you need all the promo you can get.
I just wonder if classical music society purposely want to keep the concerts small, quiet, in order to…have the masses stay away.
The Royal Conservatory: http://performance.rcmusic.ca/
~ Jason Chu
http://twitter.com/Chodidees
http://www.examiner.com/x-19981-Canadian-Music-Examiner
http://www.myspace.com/chodidee
Back from the commercial break…
Jason Chu (summer 2009)
As I’ve reminded myself, this blog site is mainly for me to goof off, and give me an outlet to speak. I’m not concerned by “views” and ad revenue. Hardcore music fans will find this blog, and check out what they want.
I’m gonna spend more time putting up music that I think is worth checking out. In the past month, I’ve heard tonnes of new music and bands/singers/DJ’s…whatever! I look forward putting up reviews and posts on many of these rising indie, underground, and unsigned musicians.
Also, believe it or not posting any poetry, kinda hurt my creative writing. Poetry is just something I need to do to make sense of some of my thoughts and feelings about my life and the world around me.
I took a break from blogging (almost a month) because I needed a break, and just wanted to regroup and decide what I wanted to do with this blog. I didn’t want to write stuff that could be used against me at a later date (i.e. getting too personal with my life), so I spent the month focusing hard at “The Examiner/Canada” where I am one of the Canada Music Examiners writers. Check it out if you want: (http://www.examiner.com/x-19981-Canadian-Music-Examiner).
So, look for this blog to get active once again! You can leave comments if you want, but if you want to get a hold of me e-mail me at: jayzchu@gmail.com
~ Jason Chu
Misuse Abuse 
New trend…that I’ve seen in YouTube videos
November 9, 2009 at 6:28 pm (Musings) (Chrisette Michele, comments, forum board, fresh, more popular videos, New Trend, off topic, Radiohead, topical, unrelated to video, uploaders, watchers, Youtube)
As you probably know I have a YouTube channel, and for the first 2 1/2 years, I rarely used or touched it. With jumping headlong into the social media abyss, I decided to re-start/re-brand my YouTube channel as one that purely focused on music. I’ve structured it with all “Uploads” being mainstream popular music (music live performances – that will probably get more views). So, with the idea that my uploaded videos bring in viewers, all my “favourites” are than my indie, underground, unsigned music artists.
That wasn’t the trend I was talking about, you see on more popular videos (thousands, hundred thousands views, etc.), the video at first is the draw – people want to see the video (it’s fresh/new). It gets piles of views & record companies and concert-filming uploaders are happy. This is where the switch happens…after awhile when there is a fair number of comments, it becomes more like a forum board, and about the exchanges and interchanges through comments! Not only that, sometime the comments may be on a topic unrelated to the video (i.e. anything MJ).
I wasn’t aware of this before b/c. I didn’t have any videos that drew that many views. Why do they do it? I don’t really know, maybe they think they will get more attention to their own channels by posting comments? Some are just fans and like talking about the artist, other times the YouTubers get into arguments that get quite heated.
So, if you think that the only reason people use YouTube is to watch cool videos, that’s clearly not true. Another point to support that, is a lot of YouTubers are just “watchers” not “uploaders of videos”. I don’ t know the stats, but it’s true. So, a lot YouTubers come to watch & talk. Here are some samples.
My current most popular YouTube video (look at all the comments, it’s like a forum on the artist Chrisette Michele)
Chrisette Michele – Blame it on Me (Letterman – Song only version)
Radiohead – Reckoner (Live from the Basement) *The comments become dialogues & questions with each other*
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