Music – Resistance – Fight The Power

Resistance

“The act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.”

Music has been massively influential in many resistance movements I feel it has saved lives and brought communities together , It magically talks to people and makes people listen and stand up. Musical resistance Is a strong vocal points for many pinnacle times of resistance through history exploring, Race , Gender , Political, Ethical and more recently dietary.I have explored a few artists a scenes I follow relating to this subject.

 

– Gill Scott Heron – the revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be televised.

Gill Scott Heron was a revolutionary person , he is so influential for so much of the cultural positives of freedom and freedom of speech today , poet and musician , we here the classic Spoken Word from Scott-heron here he continues to exploit current racial issues with the ” the revolution will not be televised” he sent a strong and power full  message inspiring and pushing talking out giving the Black community a sense of strength and resistance , this has gone on to influence so many aspects of music it has completely been a comping founder for rap music culture and black culture we are blessed with today.As well as this person a great musicians could really connect with the people in all aspects of music though movement and word a true revolutionary.

            https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/26/gil-scott-heron-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised –

Riot Girls – 

” Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that originated in the early 1990s in Washington state and the greater Pacific Northwest. It also had origins in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia”

“Riot Grrrl is an international underground feminist movement that emerged from West Coast American alternative and punk music scenes of 1990s. Initially women played a marginal part in these male dominated scenes. But the gender balance began to change in the late early 1990s through the formation of feminist, all-female and mainly-female punk and new wave bands, such as Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile and Bikini Kill. These bands called for Revolution Girl Style confronted music scene sexism head on and upheld the anti-consumer do-it-yourself ethic of punk.”

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/doityourself/riotgrrrl/riotgrrrl.html

 

 Bikini Kill

“Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that was based in Olympia, WA and Washington, DC, forming in 1990 and breaking up in 1997. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (a.k.a. Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Sometimes they switched instruments. Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90’s via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live show.”

http://bikinikill.com/about/  (Bikini Kill)

 

 

Flo and Eddie Keep it Warm

Interweb – Fact –

• Simon & Garfunkel did not write this about the Vietnam War, but by the time it became popular, the war was on and many people felt it made a powerful statement as an anti-war song.
• PROSTITUTE – SPUNK

 

The Punk scene see’s many form of resistance as the scene it the fiery spit of resistance its self , Both British and American kicking the system in the teeth , From bad brains black flag ,Suicicdal Tendencies ,The Decendents , Circle Jerks , to Sex Pistols the beetles and Joy division .

DEATH – Politicians In My Eyes

We also see grates like Micheal Jackson who has a couple of songs promoting racial issues and world issues using his music to send a message and join the people together to resist negativity Also Bob Marley another highly respected preacher who sent his message of love and resistance , their have been thousands of musicians who have fought for the power of opposing and withstanding.

 

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/doityourself/riotgrrrl/riotgrrrl.html

http://bikinikill.com/about/  (Bikini Kill)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/26/gil-scott-heron-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised

Music Cultures ( My History Of Pop )

Week 1 – Music Culture

 

 

The Start of Grime naaaa – Check the boy in the corner of the video [ WATCH] rocawear stylieeee.

 

 

 

 

-Fan memorabilia

During this session each of the class homies was asked to bring in a piece of memorabilia to class that had a greater meaning to us , we were introduced to a variety of different artefacts which all had a story attached to them the memorabilia meaning much more than just its form as an object. Discussing our objects with different members of the class explaining the story that went along.

Experiencing a variety of different music fans and a variety of genres during this session , I was introduced to different experiences. In my selected group we discussed are Item , there was a lot go gnarly stuff , the guy I spoke to had “Burial”a few of my friends listen to Burial but were not that close , so I had heard of them Tattoo’s and a Burial Knife was his chosen object I the went to find out more about his fandom and experience learning burial are infact ( Dubstep, Future garage, Ambient music ) , Also Experiencing Sam’s tickets to see ” The Game ” in 2004 – speaking very highly of Jayceon Terrell Taylor explaining the influence it had on his life.

http://phop.co.uk/about/

Also being introduced People history of Pop a website collecting fan memorabilia and memories from the the 50’s up to the naughties before cyber world came into place, here’s a better explanation by the trusty british loved BBC

“The BBC is crowdsourcing photos, ticket stubs, teen diary entries, teen band recordings, wrist bands, rare footage and more to tell the stories of British rock & pop music from the fifties to the noughties.  Whether you were into skiffle, punk, hip hop or anything in between, we want your stuff and your stories – and you can upload them ”

After exploring the site I found it quite interesting there was a variety of memories and old songs and posters  people lists of there favourite bands it was pretty breezey, there are a variety of genres which is awesome because you can indulge into everything and find some interesting stories and hidden Gem songs that can be found.

 

TRASH TALK GIGG / 2013

It’s mEmOry Time … once up on a time ……..

how music relates to a wide variety of people and different forms of art and advertisement goods ( consumables ) are made by these musicians / artists

 

Movement and Dance .

Dancing history , music

• started in 19th century
• Plantations
• Pop culture ( coloumbused) dancing
• Whitneys windy hoppers

clouded history as dances go through transition of race and country

– 1960’sGO girl u can dance alone

• Everything is boring
• Paris is burning ( original vogue ) madonna u hoe ( willie ninja)
• Party Monster
• Re – appropriation
• Bell Hooks – Is Paris Burning
• Queer tango
• Sarah Thorton’s ides of subcultural capital
• Northern Soul
• Nicholas Brothers – the greatest dance numbers ever – cab hallway
• filmed – fred astaire.
• Music Cultures and Movement
• MTV – video killed the radio start , first ever music video on MTV
• MJ made MTV like black people
• Bowie ( interview on MTV and black Music.

 

• The Electric Slide I was recently introduced to this at 50 year family reunion , everyone over 24 literally broke out in to the formation to dance , I lost my shit It was like watching a Jamaican high school musical reunion. I kinda gotta learn that though.

Marcia Griffiths – Electric Slide-

https://boilerroom.tv/recording/ig-culture/

Experiencing Music and Movement  first hand recently , My father was visiting London and going to a reunion – (IG Culture: original bruk lynchpin steps to the fore for the penultimate stint. Classics) – dance night in Shoreditch –  I entered it was like stepping back In time I haven’t experienced breakdancing really in a club apart from that one  top geezer  from back home “up north” who thorws out the worm with his Ket wig following whist trying not to have a drunk fit, here It felt much more underground and organic people were there for one reason to dance and dance fucking well ! with A style of “brokenbeat” and some live Mc I was mesmerised by the and break dancing styles back in the 80’s and 90’s that had been such a vibrant underground culture in the UK ,being in the crowd you really experience the love for dancing and the bond that is built up , people travel from all other the country to strut there stuff at these events and theres a great vibe ,respect and love , It was a pretty crazy experience It felt like travelling back in time seeing my old geeze in his prime , This is his passion and as we see with so many other people music is a real sense of freedom and movement naturally comes along with that people bonding and enjoying the momement together, let loose quiver those thigh and knee bones.

https://boilerroom.tv/recording/ig-culture/ – live footage on boiler room. – HAVE A WATCH

https://boilerroom.tv/recording/ig-culture/

 

ITS SAFE

 

Visuals – Music Cultures- Alum Art

“Albums should be as bold and lasting as we can make them they should stand out in dealers windows screaming for attention yet always reflecting the spirit of the music inside colour should be violent and strong ”

Click to access CoveringMusic.pdf

“when Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols proclaimed, “if people bought the records for the music, this thing would have died a death long ago” (Dean 6 Howells, 1982: p. 2 3 ) , he illustrated the importance and power people place on “the look of music.” Using all forms of mass-media exposure, popular music has increasingly relied on visual style to present and sell itself. The visuals of music have been most permanently stored and most widely displayed on the packaging of prerecorded musical products-album covers. While the basic role of music packag- ing remains the protection of the prerecorded medium, it also functions as a visual mnemonic to the music enclosed and as a marketing tool.”

Click to access CoveringMusic.pdf

Alex Steinweiss – 

Before Alex Steinweiss invented the album cover in 1983 , at the age of 23 , all albums came in brown wrappers.this simple idea revolutionised the record buisness and spared a new field for illustrators also. An accomplished illustrator his style went hand in hand with the golden age go jazz , classical and popular music.

http://thevinylfactory.com/features/alex-steinweiss-the-story-of-the-worlds-first-record-sleeve-artist/

 

I was instantly drawn in by the work of “David Stone Martin ” the sketchy line and great colour along choice along with character and abstract shape , possibly my favourite styles in art work , His work reminds me of many of my favourites ,  Picasso , Basiquate , Mattieese ,and many modern illustrators that work with a similar style , I think these show a great sense of expression and almost picture a moment or movement in art history as well as music. I will defiantly take inspiration from these designs as they have reignited my passion for having an expressional experimental style.

“Illustrator David Stone Martin (1913 – 1992) was one of the most prolific and influential graphic designers of the postwar era, creating over 400 album covers. Much of his work spotlighted jazz, with his signature hand-drawn, calligraphic line perfectly capturing the energy and spontaneity of the idiom.”

http://poulwebb.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/david-stone-martin-part-1.html

http://flashbak.com/racist-records-4-vintage-albums-to-make-you-feel-uncomfortable-36626/ – some examples of racist album covers  can be explored

– Here are a section of some of my current favourite album covers from my     current Spotify playlist.

 

 

 

Music Cultures – Authenticity

Authenticity – Keep it Real

In this session we explored authenticity ” Take An artist consider how ideas of the realness in authenticity relate to them as a musician or fan.

authenticity – meaning

words accsociated – real , honest , sincere , genuine , truthful , emotion

“[1960s] the ideology of authenticity mandated that musicians appear on stage as them-selves, not as any other person or character”

Auslander, P. (2006) Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press

On authenticity

“Authenticity is a slippery concept that has recently come into fashion inscholarship on popular music (Barker and Taylor 2007; Grazian 2004;Peterson 1997) subcultures (Thornton 1995; Williams 2006) and racial/ethnic groups (Jackson 2005). Hip hop notably occupies the intersectionof all three fields.”

https://www.academia.edu/6446509/Racial_Authenticity_in_Rap_Music_and_Hip_Hop

 ” (see Basu and Lemelle 2006; Clarke andThomas 2006; Gilroy 1993), the fact remains that being black in Americais not the same as being black in England, Jamaica, or Ghana. Thus, tolump all African-descended hip hoppers into one collective authentic isto privilege race ahead of cultural difference. “

This links recently to what Samuel Jackson has said about the movie “get out”

 I think some American’s Miss understand the image they give on these circumstances growing up in the UK as a child the only thing that you would see related to my black culture was American rap video’s and the early start of grime,I am aware of the different circumstances but how can another person grasp something they are not apart of as you see african “americas” taking over with rap culture can they not see a smaller island with a less racially even population how could they understand living in a predominately white country in small numbers , much more of a smaller singular experience I like to argue.

I find it quite obnoxious they can make these claims when they have helped give black people all round the world a feel of connection and have something to look up to ,as higher up jobs seems less reachable , I think some ignorance has been shown to section them selves from something they speak to passionately about why single things out in a world that we would like to move forward from that ? Just a thought ?.

  ” Black brits vs African American. A stupid ass conflict we don’t have time for.”

British Actor : John Boyega

http://www.nme.com/news/film/john-boyega-samuel-l-jackson-2006798

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clUzTlYCIa4

                                                                           GG ALLIN

                                                                 Danny Brown –

                                                             Daniel Johnston –

https://www.hihowareyou.com/web/bio.htm

D.I.Y –

Wiley and The

– Eski-mo sound – WILEY’s sound the authentic sound of early grime. Wiley Is an artist that shows great authenticity possibly the most influential black person in the UK for this generation , a guy who founded a genre and a new pride and passion of the UK for the UK and its beautifully diverse culture , good sides and bad we see Wiley has helped create a vocal message sending sound of a generation GRIME !

– There should be text books on text books on this guy and representing a whole population of ethnic minorities across the UK.

There should be text books on text books on this guy and representing a whole population of ethnic minorities across the UK.

– Jammers Birthday 2002-

Mike Skinner – Another in my opinion a very authentic talent.

 Black artists are now using social media to defend their culture in the 21^st century. Kanye West called out Pitchfork magazine about their review of his new album The Life of Pablo. West took to twitter saying, “Pitchfork, the album is a 30 out of 10,” a lot of people mistook this for Kanye’s ego, but his tweet after was more poignant and made a lot of people think about the representation of black artists and musicians in the media. “To Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and any other white publication. Please do not comment on black music anymore … I love love love white people but you don’t understand what it means to be the great grandson of ex slaves and make it this far.”

New York pop-music critic Craig Jenkins states that it confused him as to why journalists only covered the tweet as an outburst and missed the opportunity. But it displays “white publications” covering a culture they weren’t born into and the parts of black culture that are misunderstood. Furthermore, also illustrates the lack of ethnically diverse journalists covering a music genre that they would culturally know more about. There is a distinct lack of cultural diversity in journalism and with the inclusion of more cultures we could create a bigger picture of the world we live in. Prince’s response to the lack of diversity was to specifically request black journalists to interview him.

Authenticity today Is a hard topic because nothing is really original everyday I end up being baffled by an instrumental I recognise and then its been made earlier a million times better its nuts – Todays Lesson –

( SuGaR BabE’s)

Yo eminem I want my sound back.

more music to love and experience daily.