Indie Music

GregK · Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: Are Rock Heroes Still Around?

Am I just getting too old, losing touch with the world- or could it be that the “Rock Heroes” are something equated with yesterday and a time now passé’?
When I was growing up, I heard all the great voices of rock and roll. My parents would play albums by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, CSN&Y, Three Dog Night and countless others who helped instill a passion for pop and rock music into my earliest years. During the seventies it was an arsenal of rockers who defined a new, harder type of rock music and put FM radio on the map. My bedroom had every inch of wall space covered in posters of KISS, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Bowie and Alice Cooper. Everywhere you looked had t-shirts, posters, magazines, toys, comics and pinball machines ad infinitum of these Rock Heroes. As the seventies evolved into the eighties these heroes became larger-than-life and rock and roll became like a personal religion with MTV giving the daily-dose of televangelism. Video and Radio disc jockeys were avant-garde and people would stay up late at night to listen to their shows. Being a DJ was an art form as a feeling could stretch for an hour by following one song with another.
Perhaps this is just mere reminiscence, pining for yesterday. The last few individuals to qualify as possible “Rock or Pop heroes” were Kurt Cobain, Britney Spears and Marilyn Manson- that was some time ago. As immense corporate conglomerates have plundered the radio and TV, I can only wonder if the Rock Hero even exists any more. The only ones that seem to be out there are the ones that have been there for eons. They still get radio play, but now it’s pre-programmed play lists or the 500 cd jukebox. There are a few new faces showing up on the cover of the guitar magazines- but not enough. Are the heroes still out there? Are there any new heroes? Will you grab your guitar or microphone, step up to plate and strive to be the next? Sure we have American Idol which is good for the 15-minute hero or the “one season” hero- and that fills a need- somewhat..where are the rest of ‘em? Maybe I’m just thinking about the good old days- maybe they really ARE gone.. until society serves up a reasonable answer I’ll keep playing guitar, hoping to change the world and always hoping to run into a KISS pinball machine because some of us still want to believe in heroes. –GregK.

Greg · Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject:

In my mind, I think becoming a rock hero is partly based on how long they were able to produce great music.

One-hit wonders shouldn't earn that status, unless the song was so thought provoking that it could better the world.

There will always be heros, but maybe we'll always be looking back at the past 30 or so years to identify them.

An "idol" on the other hand can exist immediately. But I really appreciate looking back in history, and remembering what inspired me in my younger days, and still speaks to me now.

Reconsiderate · Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: Are Rock Heroes Still Around?

On one hand, it's true that Rock n' Roll reached its height sometime before I was even born. (1980) So the true legends of Rock are people like the ones you've listed, Greg: The Beatles, KISS and etcetera.

On the other hand, those rock stations that only play classic rock... and actually only play about 20 of the same songs (Comfortably Numb, Stairway to Heaven and so on)... they're missing the point of music. It's not supposed to be the same as it was 30 years ago. It's supposed to be different. So the new heroes aren't Rock; they're disco or rap or techno or whatever.

Parents used to hate Elvis. So their kids loved him. Then they grew up and hated The Beatles. So their kids loved them. Then they grew up and hated Metallica. So their kids loved them. Then they grew up and hated rap. So their kids loved it. And on and on and on...

There are people who are truly into music, and there are people who are just into certain bands and certain songs.

GregK · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

So..you're saying that I woke up and found myself GETTING CONSERVATIVE... holy crap..when did THIS happen?? I used to be cool!! Ohmygod.. I cut off my hair, got rid of my concert t-shirts, started wearing shirts that actually have a COLLAR on them- got rid of the El Camino and now drive an SUV, went sober- now I drink a lot of Starbucks ..and I work for local government.. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I STILL LISTEN TO RUSH OR IRON MAIDEN ON MY WAY TO WORK..AREN'T I STILL COOL???!! LOL.

1undread · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject:

As a music teacher I can definately say that there is a new generation coming up playing rock music. Music is cyclical so the rock hero will return. Our problem at the moment is the overwelming corperate precence in music but even the heads of record companies change to make way for the next generation.
band

Kotrof_Wizzard · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject:

A new rock hero is born every minute,....well, maybe every week. Anywho; in my mind,back in the day when a rock hero was based on what the media said we had to listen to, it was easier to pick out a rock hero, because there weren`t that many "mainstream" bands. Plus I think it was probably a little more costly "porportionatly speaking" than what it is today to make somthing noticable enough to get heard....my rock hero`s are really too numorous to really be hero`s they are just folks, kinda` like all of us that were fortunate enough to be heard by the right ears when luck came calling.....I am my own rock hero,....and alot of YOU guys are pretty damn good too....peace out....Drop The Sun

Reconsiderate · Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 8:20 am Post subject:

artpaul · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 12:48 pm Post subject:

Rock Heros ?

Don't you mean Rock Freaks ?

I went to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and you should see some of the weird clothing Rock N Roll Stars wear.

The Who would break their guitars and Jerry Lee Lewis set his Piano on fire and then Jerry married his 13 year old cousin.Kiss spitting Blood and Ozzy cut up a chicken.

I think you and I could mention a whole lot more but those are the only ones I can think of right now.

I think Rock N Roll shows aren't just music but maybe it is seeing something that your parents or grand parents might think is just not done at church or in public.

At the circus alot of people would go to see The Freak show where they would have the bearded lady and the strong man or a person with 6 fingers.Maybe Sometimes a rock n roll concert is like this ?

Mphatic · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject:

Come on we cant limit this question to rock!

I mean I love rock and so many other genres but...

The answer to me is yes and that there are more being created and packaged every day...some of the packaged ones will last some will not...they seem to outgrow their packaging sometimes... Laughing

I am a package...LOL!! Cool

The key thing is what is happening to the music...is it growing evolving are the new heroes legitimate...?

Hmm some of the packaged stuff to make money really gets to me...I'd rather listen to "heard it though the Grapevine " anyday....

GregK · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:10 am Post subject:

You are right- maybe we should not limit this to JUST rock music- I picked rock mostly because growing up outside of Boston- that's about all that I was exposed to so I'm not as knowledgeable on other genres of music- although I listen to a lot of it! Let's see- jazz and blues have "kinda-like" heroes- but they are much more sublime- much more the "Joe everyman" without all the Pomp and circumstance of rock stars.
Freakshow?? -Yeah.. I suppose so..LOL. I remember a LOT of that crazy crap- especially back in my "Big Hair" days when I was looking at some of these clothes and some of these maybelline products and saying.."ok- I put this crap on and I get MORE RESPECT?? HUH??" -It's odd how sometimes music really doesn't have anything to do with it.. you can write bad lyrics and fart through a tuba and gargle while you sing- but if you can do it with a PINK mohawk, bunny slippers and spandex- well.. then you have a hit record! It would be something amazing in today's age if we could get somebody to a gold record status with no videos made, no shows played- no pictures of the artist anywhere, -just podcasting and radio play- so everything is based on how good the music is and nobody can be biased by fancy gimmicks.

Reconsiderate · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject:

Mphatic · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:21 pm Post subject:

Yeh! me too...LMAOROFL..!!!

You are correct -so really in essence as an example - if Bowie wasnt gay, didnt wear make up and weird costumes and do weird thngs - Major Tom would never have got any space...

You are right in that the Blues and jazz dudes were there for the music and the chops...

However where are the new heroes of theses genres today?do we even get a chance to make them heroes?

I guess I am saying they are all being consumd by non music for music lovers...??(-a postulation)...

GregK · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:28 pm Post subject:

You should be able to see- by now that I write-or-call it as I see it.. LOL.
Anthony, you had mentioned that I have a knack for this stuff- being able to just nail a difficult subject in an honest and funny way. Maybe I should add a little more humour to my work- but that is a difficult thing- example: if I do more of a humourous song- it becomes popular- then when I sing my serious pieces everybody gets upset and asks for the funny song. Also- some people actually think that a made-up-scenario type of song is an accurate depiction of the writer- I had a song that I wrote about a kid who waxoff to the fantasy of a girl- and then when he finally gets the girl he realizes she's an annoying b*tch and he likes the fantasy better- AHEM..THIS WAS NOT TRUE OR BASED ON REAL LIFE!!! I decided I'm not going to have people asking me to play that song for the rest of my life- nor do I want it to be confused with who I really am- so it sits on a shelf.. I have to be careful with putting my odd brand of humour into my songs- but anyhoo- farting through a tuba and gargling while singing on stage.. now see.. we are getting proof that here that this could be the next big money making gimmick in music.. so anybody brave enough to try this out.. remember you heard it here first- so please pay me some royalties.. LOL.

GregK · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:36 am Post subject:

Anyhow- as you can see -sometimes I get a bit off track.. LOL.
I think you guys are right in saying that music is evolving- regardless of genre- so this would mean that the music hero would be evolving as well.
OK- where the hell ARE they and what are they evolving into?
Now, I hear a decent band on the radio every now and then- maybe even see some video that looks kinda cool, but it doesn't seem to hold up to some "hero" or "Icon" image that I have in my mind. Maybe a reason for this is because there hardly seems to be anything refreshing and new.. some of Nickleback sounds like it could be 3 doors down, or maybe it was 3rd eye blind, or 7 mary 3, - mainstream pop/rock- which I ADMIT THAT I WRITE MOSTLY IN THIS GENRE- it's getting to the point where everybody is starting to look similar and sound similar. Now, perhaps this is because the radio, tv and recoding industry is mostly owned and operated by the same conglomerates?? I don't know- maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe the music industry (the majors- not US)needs to drink a big old jug of Milk of Magnesia and get it all out of their system and start fresh.. possibly. What are your thoughts on this?
(PS: also- when up above in the polls it says "I will be the next rock hero"- this is NOT a reference to ME personally- NO..I mean YOU will be the next- not ME- but since You ar reding this- in this context the "you" becomes "I" and..oh.nevermind..)

artpaul · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:50 am Post subject:

Rock Heros ?

No it's more like Rock Sex Idols.

Madonna,Janet Jackson,Britney Spears and recently I heard Paris Hilton had a CD out.Look at the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover of Rolling Stone with almost nothing on.Infact some of Rolling Stone magazine is more fleshly then it is Rock N Roll.

If Elvis hadn't wore a suit to you think he would be as famous ?