MARCH MUSIC MADNESS '08

Welistenforyou brings forth the first annual MARCH MUSIC MADNESS, a 64 band/solo artist bracket where you, the reader, determines who moves on and who goes back to their fancy studios to improve their chances for next year. It took many hard fought sessions for the selection committee to narrow down a 300+ field to just 64....here is how we did it:

-They had to release an LP in the last four years.
-Couldn't have an LP before 1985.
-Have to still be a band/alive.

Criteria: discography, billing at major concerts, hype, fanfare, influence, quality of albums, top ten lists, and pure love for their sound.

If your favorite band isn't on the list, sorry, we had to make cuts and making everybody happy is very hard. Try not to pollute the comment box with, OH MAN WHY ISN'T LINCOLN PARK on there. Because we all wanted Lincoln Park, but when it came right down to it, having your sister fill out 8 brackets and bringing them to the final four just isn't worth it.

Now, the fun part, how to get your favorite band to the gold. The voting will move right alongside of the actual NCAA Men's Basketball tournament...their selection show was tonight...ours is right now. Here are the rules to play:

*Every vote is worth one point. But what about upsets? We've thought about that and each round, you the voter, will get a 2 POINTER and a 3 POINTER...so if you're a huge Arcade Fire fan and are fearing for their safety, put (3) next to their name in the e-mail and their score will be 3 rather than the normal 1 point. Each round you are allowed one use of each bonus points (bonus points can not be combined...no 5 pointers).

*There is no right way to pick a winner...if you value musical influence then vote that way. If you care about who is more "now" then vote that way. I will be voting purely off who I enjoy more...but anyone can vote however they feel like it.

*Any votes cast in the comments section will not count...we want this to be a secret vote.


HAVE FUN, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, AND MAY THE BEST BAND WIN!

RESULTS

*IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, USE THE COMMENT BOX AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU.

PROFILE: The Sea and Cake

HANK ALTOGETHER: Our friends over at Radiobutt just put up a slew of The Sea and Cake albums, so I thought a post was in order. The Sea and Cake is one of those bands I heard about in college that I've been passing along to friends ever since, which means that you're probably heard them before, but what the hell.

The Sea and Cake is the original Chicago indie supergroup. Composed of Sam Prekop (vocals, gutiar), Archer Prewitt (guitar, keys, vocals), John McEntire (percussion), and Eric Claridge (bass). Prekop and (Frankfort, KY's own) Prewitt both have solo careers. McEntire's known for his work with seminal Chicago jazz rock pioneers Tortoise.

McEntire's percussion really shines on The Sea and Cake releases. Turning what could be simple pop songs into jazzy twirling compositions. Prekop's sorta-grating, not entirely beautiful vocals are proof that sometimes clarity isn't key, but fitting the music is. There's a distinct jazz influence in The Sea and Cake's records and also a bit of a earthy techno feel to the songs. This is probably best seen on their 1997 release, The Fawn, which is prolly my favorite Sea and Cake record (tho Radiobutt hasn't posted it). The others are worth a listen, though. And you're bound to be surprised by how good they are.

True Fans

HANK ALTOGETHER: Check out this seemingly brilliant economic platform of fandom:

"One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:
A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.
A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.
...

Assume conservatively that your True Fans will each spend one day's wages per year in support of what you do. That "one-day-wage" is an average, because of course your truest fans will spend a lot more than that. Let's peg that per diem each True Fan spends at $100 per year. If you have 1,000 fans that sums up to $100,000 per year, which minus some modest expenses, is a living for most folks.
One thousand is a feasible number. You could count to 1,000. If you added one fan a day, it would take only three years. True Fanship is doable. Pleasing a True Fan is pleasurable, and invigorating. It rewards the artist to remain true, to focus on the unique aspects of their work, the qualities that True Fans appreciate."
From here.

REVIEW: Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)

Erykah Badu recently described herself as a live musician who makes records on the side. Her new album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) sounds like one extended jam session. Which is to say, it's vibrant, soulful odyssey. Badu's musicality really shines on this album. Mama's Gun was all about placement and elegant beats. This album is all about layers. Multiple vocal tracks, keyboard blips, layers of melodies one on top of the each other like someone who just learned how to use Garageband. And it turns out Badu just did.

Which is in no way an indictment of this album. It's an amazing mix of politics and personality. Held together by Badu's irrepressible joie de vivre. Just listen to "Master Teacher" where Badu weaves a Marvin Gaye sample through her percussive chorus (no one living mixes beats and melody with their voice as well as Badu): "What if there were no niggers / only master teachers?" Badu's pretty damn legendary, but she's not resting on her laurels. As resident goddess of the Soulquarians (w. D'Angelo, ?uestlove, and J Dilla [RIP]) Badu's made a name for herself and with the other members, pioneered most of the great hip-hop from the late-90s to the turn of the millennium. And if you still don't think she's inspirational just listen to Common's seminal album Like Water for Chocolate, which he wrote while dating Badu.

But there's something so timely in this album that shows that Badu's not just trying to revive the Soulquarian mystique. New Amerykah draws from her past work and takes it into a digital age. She's totally at home in this new sound. And tho it's taken 5 yrs to get to this new album. It was worth the wait.