onegoodmove

The Grammys are really getting stupid. The Dixie Chicks' album was okay, but five Grammys? They also gave a Grammy to the song "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas, which has got to be one of most idiotic, tedious pop songs in the last decade.

The Academy Awards regularly nominates performances from pretty obscure films (e.g. Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson), but the Grammys can't seem to even consider anything that wasn't in the Billboard top ten in each category.

i've got no quarrels with dendes' points about " grammy relativity" except that i'm surprised he gives a damn one way or the other about the grammys. of all possible ways for musicians to receive accolades, the grammys are one of the least "real" and meaningful in terms of the music itself. (does wonders, of course, for the career).

but i wanted to thank you for the dixie chicks tune. i don't have the record and don't listen to the radio much anymore, so it was pretty fresh for me. i've got a real soft spot for those women, regardless of politics (really) and even if you don't like country music: those chicks are among the very finest singers and instrumentalists i have EVER heard. their songwriting is sometimes uneven, but both professional and heartfelt, and their choice of material is immaculate. the album "home" meant a lot to me at a rough time in my life. so, a non-political hats-off to the ladies.

Jonathan, My boyfriend is a musician who listens to mostly jazz, techno, classical and rap. He can't stand country or bluegrass. We saw the Dixie Chicks on the television the other day and actually liked them. I was shocked! And he knows nothing about the politics surrounding them.

Frankly I think it's hilarious how easy it is to sucker a crowd: just pretend that you care about what they care about, write a goofy song about it, and get awards. Worked for the Chicks (mundane, tedious pop-country nonsense turned into political activism); worked for Dylan (well he's always been a mundane activist singer/songwriter so no big change); worked for Neil Young (has-been morphed to modern voice against whatever you're against). People are so predictable.

Frankly I think it's hilarious how often Average Joe, Indpendent, Thetiethatblinds, or just anonymous posts silly comments. I've got your number Joe, and I'm putting you on the list. Troll elsewhere old friend.

I don't know that I care all that much about the Grammys (I don't watch them), but they are considered the biggest music awards in mainstream American culture. So to that extent it matters. The point about film was that it is possible for mainstream culture to honor artistic performances that were not necessarily huge commercial successes.

When I actually started listening to a few Dixie Chicks tunes I was also surprised how good they were. I bet the reason people are surprised at how good they are is that they have a really dumb name. It's right up there with Big and Rich and the country singers who call themselves The "Musik Mafia".

Vince Gill, Allison Kraus and the Dixie Chicks are about the only mainstream country I can stand, though. Alt country like Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch and Nickel Creek is really better. How many Grammy nominations did Ryan Adams's Cold Roses get last year? Squat.

Even if the Grammys are supposed to be the best of the ultra-mainstream, they're still a failure. The most memorable songs of 2006 are by and large not songs that won or even got nominated. "Not Ready to Make Nice" is nowhere close to becoming a country classic.

Re: the '68 anti-LBJ film by Kimball. Interesting that Ward Kimball was the only one of Disney's inner circle of so-called "nine old men" who ever made an independent film. Plus, he was the only person of that group Walt ever praised as a genius. Had Walt lived to see this movie, however, chances are that he would have greatly displeased with its graphic antagonism towards the military industrial complex, juxtaposed against Battle Hymn Republic.

dende, sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on some of the better stuff thats out there. i've never heard of nickel creek, thanks for the tip.

i agree with you that "not ready to make nice" is no classic, but its still an endearingly spunky statement, imo. may i recommend the tune "long time gone" from the disc "home"? THATS gonna be a classic, and already is in my house. if i understood correctly a remark you made recently at another thread, you don't drink... but you might like it anyway. :) the singer hits a note there with such passion and certitude, it makes opera sound flat and formulaic.

oh, hey, jo ann, good to see you again. sorry to hear your involved with a musician, i know what a drag that can be. :) jk lol

Hey, as a retired musician, I resemble that remark. :)

Anyone into progressive rock?

well, just checked out the "long time gone" video on youtube. save yourself the trouble-just crank it on a good stereo and listen. it never ceases to amaze me how a lame video can suck the life out of a musical masterpiece-and, for that matter, how a great video can make a piece of crap sound brilliant. the video for the song, which i had never seen, falls unfortunately into the former category.

erick, don't know if you're kidding or not,but i was hugely into yes, kansas, elp and king crimson for many years. here's a new video from my drummers OTHER band. for better or worse, it doesn't sound anything like when he plays in my band. they're getting pretty popular in europe. about 3 times a year i have to find a temporary replacement for him while he goes on tour.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=z-NqgCpbv-c

Jonathan - I think you would like a band a friend of mine plays in Ten2Nine

Re: "Homosexual Agenda"

Aaargh! I know I'm probably (hopefully) preaching to the choir here but seeing gay people talked about like that really gets my goat.

The logical fallacies employed by the anti-gay crowd I won't bother wasting time refuting, but the overall attitude is just disgusting.

Do black people have an "agenda"? Jewish people? Native Americans?

Only bigots and crazies attach "agendas" to types of people.

Some groups of people have agendas: Christians or environmentalists, for example. But to say (or imply) everyone of a certain demographic is in a secret club with a devious plan, is just paranoid insanity.

My favorite right now is the Mars Volta.

Here are some of my favorites:

Televators

Intertiatic ESP (You'll get better audio here)

Eriatarka

Regarding the abstinence only sex diseducation in the US. I wrote a series of articles about this a couple of years ago and while the stats have probably only gotten worse since then, there was a very marked statistical difference between countries where comprehensive sex ed is taught, and the dUS where abstinence only was gaining ground.

In short all of the objects AO attempts to reach are actually reached in countries with comprehensive sex ed, while the US continues to fall behind in all the categories matched.

Teens exposed to abstinence only start having sex earlier, are less likely to use protection, more likely to have kids out of marriage, have greater levels of stds and HIV and Hep C.

Abstinence pledges have no effect except in very small towns and groups. It has zero effect when taken in large groups like entire schools or large church groups.

Inessence, Abstinence Only actuall creates the very 'sins' and by products there of, that they claim to be working against. Mean while, in countries like Canada and in the EU where religion is kept out of schools and comprehensive sex education is taught, have demonstratable positive track record re reducing teen pregnancie, raising the age of first sexual activity, and reducing std and HIV rates.

erick, can't get the last 2 links to work-gets stuck loading. but the televators clip is REAL nice. i should warn you, i've been out of the loop for awhile so you could bombard me with new stuff and i'd go off like a pinball machine. that is NOT an invitation. can that guy sing like that live? and has he ever sung with the dixie chicks?:)

Well the links worked for me, I don't know. If you search them on myspace music you can hear more of them. The Eriatarka video is live and he can sing really high pitched which impresses me. Hmm...hormonal pills perhaps? lol

Speaking of "faith-based" sexual education:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17077920/?GT1=9033

As further support for ThomasMcCay last post:

Many Youths Disregard Their Virginity Pledges, Harvard Study Says

According to interviews, more than half have sex within a year. But one pro-abstinence group disputes the findings....

By Elizabeth Mehren, Times Staff Writer May 7, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-virginity7may07,1,6880552.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

BOSTON — Virginity pledges, in which young people vow to abstain from sex until marriage, have little staying power among those who take them, a Harvard study has found....

More than half of the adolescents who make the signed public promises give up on their pledges within a year, according to the study released last week.

The findings have raised the ire of Concerned Women for America, a prominent conservative organization that advocates adolescent sexual abstinence...

...Virginity pledges were introduced in the early 1990s as part of the Christian Sex Education Project. Their adult champions hail the promises, which rest solely on the individual's word, as being a major step toward reducing teen pregnancy and raising moral values....

... The 14,000 survey subjects were interviewed in 1995 and reinterviewed in 1996 and 2001. They ranged in age from 12 to 18 and came from across the country.

Rosenbaum found that 52% of those who said they had signed virginity pledges had had sex within a year. And of those who had sex after telling the first interviewers they had taken the pledge, 73% denied in the second interview having made the pledge.

"This may indicate that they are not that closely affiliated with the pledge," Rosenbaum said...