Tag Archive: music

How Public Enemy Changed the Way I See the World

December 1, 2016 22 Comments

It may seem like hyperbole to say that a music act can alter one’s worldview in a significant way, but anyone who knows me knows that music is an incredibly important, often powerful part of my life – and “powerful” is as apt a term as any for what Public Enemy has to offer. After all, Public Enemy changed the way I see the world. For those only passingly familiar with them, Public Enemy is a now legendary hip hop group best known for songs like Fight the Power, Bring the Noise, and 911 Is a Joke. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, making them a crossover powerhouse who may not have burned up the charts – they’ve…
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Music, Politics

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The Secret To Making Yourself Into A Better Musician

August 31, 2016 2 Comments

Contributed Post Pexels Photo Being a musician is one of the most rewarding pastimes in the world. No matter what level of experience you are, there is a huge amount of joy to be had in the simple act of playing music. This joy can be magnified many times if you also get a chance to play with others. No matter how good you are, however, chances are you are always keen to improve. Most musicians find that they are rarely happy with where they are. There is a real joy in learning new techniques for whatever instrument you are playing. What’s more, the more you play and practice with others, the better a musician you become in an all-round sense. In this article, we…
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Contributed Posts, Music

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Beat is for Eric B and LL as well

May 2, 2016 5 Comments

It’s not often that music changes your life, but Public Enemy managed the trick for me. I quote the more famous “Bring the Noise” in the title, which was covered by metal/thrash band Anthrax, but the song and video (because during this time videos were a HUGE part of music) that really blew my mind was “Night of the Living Baseheads.” Check it out, and see how video could be seen as an art separate from song, but one that worked together with music to create something entirely new: To this day I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about this that shook me and awoke me. I think it was how explosively the video and song blew up the racial stereotypes accepted in the…
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Music, Videos

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The most punk rock thing Nirvana ever did was play MTV Unplugged

April 5, 2016 2 Comments

Twenty-two years ago today, Kurt Cobain killed himself. He was still just a kid, really, talented and tortured and burdened by a weight he wasn’t equipped to handle. Nirvana’s music left a mark on people, but they left as quickly as they came. How strange to disappear when still at your peak. Cobain was a little playful, a little rebellious, and a little punk rock – he taunted jocks, smashed instruments, and thumbed his nose at his fame – but the most punk rock thing he ever did was strap on an acoustic guitar and play one of the most intimate, revealing sets of music of the last 30 years. The boldness wasn’t just in the stripped down set, despite it being unusual for a…
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Music, Videos

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These are the 5 Best Christmas Songs. Deal with it

December 24, 2015 3 Comments

Look, if we’re honest with ourselves, Christmas songs kind of suck. “White Christmas” is an exception because it has one of the greatest melodies ever written — that’s an objective FACT — but otherwise? Christmas music is awful, awful, awful. There are exceptions, though, and I’ve identified the five best, because I am awesome. Not as awesome as these Christmas songs, but it’s pretty damn close. 6) U2 – Christmas, (Baby Please Come Home) You thought this list was going to be “edgy,” right? (Get it?) This one throws that assumption right out the window (though admittedly, it’s a red herring). Sure, it’s the most traditional one here, originally done by the amazing Darlene Love, but whatevs, yo! Bono’s grating earnestness is PERFECT here. Their…
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Music, Videos

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