Is Donald Trump Using Music Inappropriately At His Rallies ?

From the launch of his 2016 presidential campaign to the more recent reelection campaign for 2020, is President Trump using music “inappropriately” at his rallies?

By: Ringo Bones

The Rolling Stones might be the latest of a growing number of musical artists launching their own cease and desist directives to the Donald Trump presidential campaign after their songs are used inappropriately in his rallies. Even though the Stones had been telling Trump to stop using their songs since 2016, the iconic band finally issued a legal action for Trump to stop.

Donald Trump had been exploiting loopholes in the BMI’s Blanket Political Entities License Agreement law in being able to play a number of classic Rolling Stones, Queen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pharrell Williams, Rhianna and Adele just to name a few. But a growing number of artists are complaining and had launched their respective legal cease and desist orders from their lawyers because their songs are used in a Trump rally for very inappropriate lessons.

Earlier this week, the family of the late Tom Petty posted on the band’s official Twitter account saying that the Trump campaign’s use of his song is “in no way authorized,” adding that he: “would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate.” Pharrell Williams’ Oscar nominated “Happy” was played at a Trump rally hours after 11 people were killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue back in October 2018.

This more than just pointing out the preexisting thinking of hard right conservatives not giving a rat’s ass about copyright laws since the launch of Fox News, being tone deaf to the social injustices endured by non white Anglo Saxon Protestant musicians is one thing, but keeping silent while Trump uses their songs inappropriately in the era of the renewed Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd was killed in an act of police brutality is just unforgivable. It’s high time to vote Trump out of the White House this November 2020.

Is Robbie Williams a Secret Trump Supporter?

Despite being debunked for four years, does former Take That member Robbie Williams’ belief that the Pizzagate conspiracy is real make him a “secret Trump supporter”?

By: Ringo Bones

In the wake of the reinvigorated Black Lives Matter protest brought about by the application of excessive force during the arrest of George Floyd, admitting publicly that you subscribe to debunked bizarre conspiracy theories put forth by white supremacist could be tantamount to saying publicly that you are an unabashed Holocaust Denier. Sadly, former member of a popular 1990s era boy band Take That, Robbie Williams, just recently did that in a recent interview.

The 46-year-old sat down for an interview with journalist Anna Brees, and in a teaser clip from the second part of the interview, the Rock DJ singer appears to question the validity of a conspiracy theory alleging that several high-ranking members of the U.S. Democratic Party and U.S. restaurants were involved in an alleged human trafficking and child sex ring. That theory was widely debunked during the 2016 US Presidential Election following an investigation by the New York Times and the fact-checking website Snopes. Although various American far-right and white supremacists groups still believe to this very day that the Pizzagate Conspiracy is real and proof that – according to them – the US Democratic Party are composed of sex deviants, while denying President Trump’s association with convicted billionaire-paedophile - the late Jeffrey Epstein.

As well as the Pizzagate Conspiracy Theory being debunked by a number of investigative journalists, no alleged victims came forward and no physical evidence supporting the theory was ever found. Sadly, it caused the defeat of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Presidential Election that resulted in subjecting America into over three years of social trauma that culminated in the COVID 19 response mismanagement and the systemic racism of US law enforcement that resulted in the resurgent Black Lives Matter protests. Let’s just hope this is nothing more than Robbie Williams’ sad attempt to be famous again to the 18 to 24 crowd who are now heavily into Billie Eilish and peacefully marching in Black Lives Matter protests.

Black Lives Matter: The Musical?

Given that the so-called modern music is predominantly influenced by African American culture, should the music industry lend a voice to the Black Lives Matter cause?

By: Ringo Bones

From a musicologists’ perspective, modern popular music is largely influenced by black American or African-American culture. I mean when was the last time a hit song had forgone that signature singing back-and-forth between the tonic and the suspended fourth – i.e. the Pentatonic Blues Scale? Fortunately, our contemporary online digital music streaming providers immediately took notice and avoided from being on the wrong side of history by launching Blackout Tuesday.

Blackout Tuesday was a collective action to protest racism and police brutality in conjunction with the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. The action was originally organized within the music industry in response to excessive police action that led to the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breona Taylor. It took place on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Streaming services taking part were encouraged to abstain from releasing music and other business operations. Some outlets used blacked out, silent or minimal programming for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time officer Derek Chauvin compressed Floyd’s neck resulting in death.

Given that Black Lives Matter protests have since gone global, maybe musicians everywhere should do their part to tell everyone that racism is still alive and well in this day and age. Not just in Trump’s America, but also in the rest of the world. Country music band Lady Antebellum recently changed their name to Lady A in the wake of the protests of the killing of George Floyd and ongoing Black Lives Matter Protests. Although if you ask me, the name change is somewhat reminiscent to the 11^th Hour urgency of one of their biggest hits Need You Now. It’s a quarter after one but the famed country music band should have changed its moniker back during the June 2013 Paula Deen racism row.

Spotify For Your Pets, Anyone?

Aimed by the Swedish audio streaming site for their subscribers who felt guilty leaving their pets alone at home, does a Spotify playlist and podcast list for your pets actually offer positive benefits for your pets?

By: Ringo Bones

The Swedish audio streaming site has pitched the scheme specifically for those who felt guilty leaving their pet(s) alone at home Spotify is now making curated playlists specifically tailored for your pets to enjoy. Often referred to as “Spotify For Pets”, it’s been around for over two weeks now and many subscribers swear by it given that the app’s algorithm generates a music playlist that is more or less “liked” by their pets.  But for pet owners with a semblance of knowledge on how the science behind their pet’s auditory system works compared to theirs, are the “Spotify Pet Playlists and tailored podcasts are really backed by science that they offer positive benefits to your pets, never mind if they can even hear them at all given the physiological differences between the human auditory system and your pet’s?

Well, there was a study published by Australian researchers a few years ago that dog breeds used for sheepherding prefer to listen to acoustic guitar based campfire music and even seem to feel relaxed while listening to such repertoire. But what about the more exotic pets mentioned in Spotify’s pet playlists, like iguanas and probably snakes whose auditory system are more sensitive in the low frequency or bass region compared to humans? Would such pets prefer electronic dance music with a surfeit of bass – maybe Meghan Trainor’s All About the Bass perhaps?

Rough Trade Records: Selling More Records Than Ever?

The legendary record label and independent record shop says it has sold more records than ever in the second decade of the 21^st Century, sign that the vinyl LP revival is alive and well?

By: Ringo Bones

When the BBC ran this story a few days ago, I thought that it was part of their “This Week In History” series and they were featuring a mid 1990s vinyl LP revival news story that features the legendary Rough Trade record label. Stranger still, it was a current report on the state of the vinyl LP revival in the second decade of the 21^st Century. But what makes Rough Trade records so special?

Rough Trade records occupies a special place in the hearts of everyone who’s into hard-to-find alternative rock and punk rock albums, or just about any album censored by the Reagan Administration that won’t be displayed at your local K-Mart during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by Geof Travis, it serves as a launching point of independent rock bands that were later signed into a major label. But during the 1990s, Rough Trade was often seen as the “British equivalent” of the American Go-Kart record label that was famous for the NYC based punk rock band Lunachicks.

I don’t know how the under 30s perceive Rough Trade records in its current form but for anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, the Rough Trade record label will forever be associated with Scrawl, Young Marble Giants, Miracle Legion and Mazzy Star. Though newer bands – as in post 9/11 era bands – like Alabama Shakes, Arcade Fire and British Sea Power are also signed with Rough Trade records. And to audiophiles pushing 50, Rough Trade records was better known during the 1980s for their “rough-sounding” CDs because virtually all bands in this era signed to Rough Trade were submitting their digital master tapes on the early JVC DAS-90 digital recording system.

The Beatles’ Abbey Road 50th Anniversary: An Album Way Ahead of its Time?

Often derided by critics of the excessive use of compression, was The Beatles’ Abbey Road one of those 1960s era albums that were simply “way ahead of its time”?

By: Ringo Bones

Overuse of compression in the recording studio had recently received a bad rap due to mainstream rock and pop records sounding worse and worse in the attempt to make them have the impression of sounding louder. Well, it seems like de rigueur post 9/11 worsening sound quality of mainstream rock and pop music when the recorded drum-kit sounds like it is made of latex rubber that make those late 1970s early 1980s rap / hip hop recordings sound audiophile by comparison. But without compression, The Beatles’ Abbey Road would not have sound like the Abbey Road that Beatle-maniacs with good audio-gear are familiar with.

Back in 1969, producer George Martin at the time of Abbey Road’s recording sessions creative use of compression in the recording studio made the bass guitars and drum-kit sound as if they were in front of you given the limitations of multi-track analog tape recording technology at the time. Often mistaken that it was recorded in 1989 – as opposed to 1969, Abbey Road is simply one of those 1960s era albums that’s way ahead of its time in terms of technical excellence during its production.

The Beatles’ Abbey Road album’s 50^th Anniversary fanfare was kicked off with the reenactment ack in August 8, 2019 of the iconic August 8, 1969 photo shoot of the album cover in front of the Abbey Road Studio’s zebra crossing where the “Fab Four” posed for the iconic zebra crossing that eventually became the album cover. Abbey Road is also well known as the last Beatles album were all of the four band members worked together in the studio.

Originally released in September 26, 1969 in the UK and October 1, 1969 in the United States, a 4 CD and 4 LP 50^th Anniversary boxed set reissue of Abbey Road is scheduled in September 27, 2019 where additional tracks mixed by record producer Giles Martin – son of the late George Martin. Audiophile Beatles fans could judge for themselves on how the new remixes stand up to the original George Martin produced ones with the iconic Abbey Road style vacuum tube compression.

The Mid 1990s Australian Alt-Rock Music Scene: The Glory That Was?

Maybe it was the convergence of great-sounding affordable hi-fi and bands “accidentally” composing their best stuff, but is the mid 1990s Australian alt-rock scene nothing more than a faded glory?

By: Ringo Bones

From the perspective of my audio-buddies, it seems that there’s a consensus that the years between 1995 to 1997 - whether by happenstance or design - the Australian alt-rock music scene managed to compose music way, way, way better than their American and British counterparts and with a sound quality way above average than the ones by the Americans and Brits. Which is no mean feat indeed given it is not easy to record a realistic sounding drum-kit on a 24-track analog tape running at 30 inches per second, especially when tone-warming compression is involved. Maybe my idea of a realistic sounding rock music recording involves what Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant hears on stage just a few feet away from John Bonham’s drum-kit, but hey we all have our preferences. And the Australian recording engineers managed to produce the magic of sound realism around this time period too.

One of the stand-out groups of the time was Deadstar with Caroline Kennedy on vocals and Barry Palmer of Hunters & Collectors on guitars. Seen by many as a so-called “supergroup”, Deadstar largely evolved from the previous success of Hunters & Collectors with their Ghost Nation album in the college radio scene in the United States near the end of 1989, and given that Hunters & Collector’s frontman, Mark Seymour is the brother of Nick Seymour of Crowded House who also got big in the States with the runaway success of their Don’t Dream Its Over single back in 1987. Although Barry Palmer is not one of the original members of Hunters & Collectors when they started out in 1981, many Deadstar fans see Barry as better off with Deadstar during the mid 1990s and maybe this is primarily the reason why he left Hunters by 1998. But most Deadstar fans see Caroline Kennedy and Barry Palmer as the glue that holds the band together back then. Even though Caroline Kennedy is still composing new music, to me, the mid 1990s is probably their very heyday and given that through the prism of time given how long ago that was, I often confuse the video of Deadstar’s Don’t It Get You Down with some other video where some girl who looks like Caroline Kennedy was wearing a Lunachicks t-shirt was sorting a bunch of 6L6 vacuum tubes with a tube tester.

Another stand-out band of the mid 1990s Australian alt-rock music scene is Pollyanna. With the runaway success of their Long Player album back in 1996, most of their non-Australian fans who I knew back then often commented “why can’t Americans write good stuff like this anymore…” which speaks for itself. But as for me, I’m just too busy rocking out to Keep Me Guessing and Potomac and their other hits back in July 1996.

And who can forget Sceamfeeder, with their runaway single Dart. I now forgot who said it, wheter it was one of my ex girlfriends or my little sister, but back in 1996 when Maayim Bialik’s TV series Blossom was still airing on NBC, but after seeing the music video of Screamfeeder’s Dart one of them commented “now I know what Mayim Bialik with a nose-ring looks like" after seeing Screamfeeder’s bass player Kellie Lloyd on the Dart music video. I think Screamfeeder is still around and touring.

Another stand-outs of the time was Moler, with Infatuation, Mustang Bass and Red Light Disco in continuous airplay back in 1996 to 1997. Back then Moler more or less became the de-facto Hale-Bopp Comet viewing soundtrack. Weird fact, it was often overlooked by radio DJ’s and TV video music jocks that the “uncensored” version of Moler’s Red Light Disco was the one being played. I think Moler just released new stuff this 2019.

Probably one of the most “interesting” bands of the mid 1990s Australian alt-rock music scene was Rebecca’s Empire. On lead vocal duties were Rebecca Barnard and her then domestic partner Shane O’Mara on lead guitar duties. Often referred by their overseas fans as the “Australian Liz Phair”, the band was active from 1994 to 2000 – although Rebecca Barnard performs solo from time to time. Their album The Way of All Things was seen by many at the time as the best Australian alt-rock album and the single Empty is probably the best known of the group at the time. 

And let’s not forget Snot with their catchy and rocking Cromagnon Man. And even though Snout had other songs with nice music videos, most of their mid-1990s era fans remember them for Cromagnon Man.

Other bands of the time also include Nancy Vandal with their “green party approved” remake of Mӧtley Crϋe’s Kickstart My Heart. Frenzal Rhomb probably gained international exposure around this time period and some say Australian musical icon Yothu Yindi did their best touring performances during the mid-1990s. Maybe You Tube is the closest thing we have so far of reliving the glory days of the mid 1990s Australian alt-rock music scene, unless of course if one has access to a working time machine – or maybe I just took it all for granted how good it really was back then.