I have heard some REALLY bad covers lately, and although I'm not opposed at all to bands paying homage to songs they like, it is nice when it is pulled off successfully instead of making you want to climb into the radio and strangle someone. If done well, the cover should offer an updated perspective on a song that the new band respects. It can even serve the original band by reminding people about the song. I'm posting a cover that I think was successful. Both versions are old now, but goodies...the original by New Order & the cover by Orgy: please enjoy these versions of "Blue Monday."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
VMA's this Sunday!!!
Compare to MTV's VMA website at http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/I find it ironic that a channel that only shows music videos in the early morning hours still feigns to respect them.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
I Want my MTV! Project Proposal
I Want my MTV: A Proposal for the Validity of Research on the Cable Music Channel
I want my MTV! Unfortunately, my MTV no longer exists. When my generation tuned in for the first broadcast from the music channel in 1981 and saw a music video for “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, we were instantly hooked on the new medium. MTV combined music, visual art, and theatricality to produce memorable videos that reflected and in turn influenced popular culture. Much has changed since the early days, when viewers could call 1-800-DIAL MTV to request a video from a VJ, or “Video Jockey,” 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. MTV rarely airs music videos any longer, but instead a string of insipid reality shows that are distinctly low-culture. Perhaps the airing of the first season of The Real World in 1992 led to the channel’s musical demise. While music videos can still be found on other cable channels such as VH1, VH1 Classic, Fuse, and MTV2, among others, even these channels are increasingly relying on non-video programming. If video killed the radio star, what is killing the video?
MTV still holds great influence over younger generations through a wide range of media outlets. MTV is online, where users can access videos and information about MTV shows. MTV channels are broadcast in several languages and countries. The annual Video Music Awards celebrate artists and their video contributions. Fans can receive updates via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or mobile phone from MTV. With the development of the internet and wider access to cable channels, more people can obtain content from MTV than in the early 1980’s. Clearly, even though the content of MTV has changed, its ability to reach young people has only increased over the years.
MTV’s appeal to tweens, teens, and young adults proves its relevance to our culture and makes it worthy of study. Countless topics could be explored through the MTV phenomena. The evolution of music videos and how they depict the race and gender issues of the time they are created is worth study. The fact that the music videos on MTV imitate society, although in exaggerated forms, and that society in turn mimics what it sees in music videos is an interesting cycle that should be considered. The evolution of the channel from an art showcase of music videos to a platform for reality TV shows could be explored. What was the cultural driving force(s) for the change? MTV strongly affected the careers of many artists, both positively (as in the case of Madonna), and adversely when an artist’s videos were not aired on the station. The question of just how much those video selections shaped the musical tastes of the nation could be explored. Music videos leveled the talent field in the sense that an artist who was not particularly talented or a good singer (I will use the example of Madonna again here) could become a superstar based on good video production and appearing cool, beautiful, or sexy. Clearly there are numerous research options available on the subject of MTV, and its cultural significance cannot be denied.
With these examples in mind, I propose to write about how the female gender has been depicted since the creation of MTV, using the channel as the artifact that has helped to create and reflect society’s expectations of women. These gender depictions range from female empowerment to exploitation to empowerment through self-exploitation. The transition of MTV programming from music videos to a focus on reality TV is a prime example of the changing expectations of women in the entertainment field. Therefore, this line of research will help to explain much of the evolution, or devolution, of MTV.
I want my MTV! Unfortunately, my MTV no longer exists. When my generation tuned in for the first broadcast from the music channel in 1981 and saw a music video for “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, we were instantly hooked on the new medium. MTV combined music, visual art, and theatricality to produce memorable videos that reflected and in turn influenced popular culture. Much has changed since the early days, when viewers could call 1-800-DIAL MTV to request a video from a VJ, or “Video Jockey,” 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. MTV rarely airs music videos any longer, but instead a string of insipid reality shows that are distinctly low-culture. Perhaps the airing of the first season of The Real World in 1992 led to the channel’s musical demise. While music videos can still be found on other cable channels such as VH1, VH1 Classic, Fuse, and MTV2, among others, even these channels are increasingly relying on non-video programming. If video killed the radio star, what is killing the video?
MTV still holds great influence over younger generations through a wide range of media outlets. MTV is online, where users can access videos and information about MTV shows. MTV channels are broadcast in several languages and countries. The annual Video Music Awards celebrate artists and their video contributions. Fans can receive updates via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or mobile phone from MTV. With the development of the internet and wider access to cable channels, more people can obtain content from MTV than in the early 1980’s. Clearly, even though the content of MTV has changed, its ability to reach young people has only increased over the years.
MTV’s appeal to tweens, teens, and young adults proves its relevance to our culture and makes it worthy of study. Countless topics could be explored through the MTV phenomena. The evolution of music videos and how they depict the race and gender issues of the time they are created is worth study. The fact that the music videos on MTV imitate society, although in exaggerated forms, and that society in turn mimics what it sees in music videos is an interesting cycle that should be considered. The evolution of the channel from an art showcase of music videos to a platform for reality TV shows could be explored. What was the cultural driving force(s) for the change? MTV strongly affected the careers of many artists, both positively (as in the case of Madonna), and adversely when an artist’s videos were not aired on the station. The question of just how much those video selections shaped the musical tastes of the nation could be explored. Music videos leveled the talent field in the sense that an artist who was not particularly talented or a good singer (I will use the example of Madonna again here) could become a superstar based on good video production and appearing cool, beautiful, or sexy. Clearly there are numerous research options available on the subject of MTV, and its cultural significance cannot be denied.
With these examples in mind, I propose to write about how the female gender has been depicted since the creation of MTV, using the channel as the artifact that has helped to create and reflect society’s expectations of women. These gender depictions range from female empowerment to exploitation to empowerment through self-exploitation. The transition of MTV programming from music videos to a focus on reality TV is a prime example of the changing expectations of women in the entertainment field. Therefore, this line of research will help to explain much of the evolution, or devolution, of MTV.
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