The-Dream has been on my radar since I first hear Rhianna’s Umbrella. That drum beat/production was enough for me to take to Wikipedia and take a closer look at The-Dream. Recently the man has been perhaps more famous for being in the tabloids than for his music alone. But all personal bullshit aside, Terius Nash [...]
I just finished Life by Keith Richards. Not surprisingly Richards talks about songwriting in a similar way as Bob Dylan and Neil Young. They all say that they’re not sure where their great songs have come from, but they acknowledge that they appeared when they got out of the way of the song. Paul McCartney woke up [...]
I will freely admit to being a fan of most reality TV. So when I heard about Jewel’s participation in a reality TV show about Songwriting I was definitely going to give it a view. It hit the torrents recently and unfortunately it’s pretty lame, but the good news is that you can use the [...]
As the Fleet Foxes get ready for their next world tour, Robin Pecknold, the Fleet Foxes lead singer, spoke with Pitchfork about songwriting, authenticity, touring, and more. You can read the whole article here, but below I’ve highlighted some of the more interesting things. -Do you ever get writer’s block? I write all the time but [...]
I’ve been reading up Quantum Physics. Yes, I’ve been trying to understand the mind-numbing madness that is quantum physics. As I read/watch/learn more, I keep relating the scientist who breaks new ground with the songwriter who is remembered. I started to dig deeper to understand the personal motivations of each. I’m no sociologist, but here’s [...]
Like much of the world, I’ve been tuned into Michael Jackson as of late. As per the suggestion of JL, we thought we could do a week of Michael Jackson posts in respect to his passing. I recently watched the made for TV “Life with Michael Jackson” bio where a reporter gets an exclusive insight [...]
Conscious composition is composing not only chord changes, say for instance a 4-chord progression in a pop or rock setting, but also thoughtfully writing the lyrics and melody line above it. It’s the exact opposite of “get in a room and jam.” -John Mayer Enough with the John Mayer posts right? But before you telepathically [...]
It’s been almost one year of consistent blogging here at The New Rockstar Philosophy, and we haven’t even really touched on the Metal scene. On a random YouTube search, I came across some vids of Dave Mustaine of Megadeth doing a Q & A on his life in the business. He goes on about songwriting, [...]
Indie music is a strange beast. Sometimes its intricacies are revered and sometimes they’re reviled. I present you with two examples; Vivian Girls – Lake House Wavves – So Bored Both bands are touring, have tons of fans, press, and are arguably at the forefront of a growing movement: Lo-Fi. Lo-fi is a style of [...]
Music Meaning Vs Entertainment
In one way, music is a spectacle. You go to a live show, maybe just for the show itself. The music doesn’t really matter as long as you have a good time. I’d go see Gwar even though I’m not really into the music. I’ve heard plenty of crazy things about their live show to [...]