Not an HD toy

The quality of digital music is a relative hot potato within the industry. Veteran rocker Neil Young has claimed Steve Jobs wanted on increasing the quality of digital music before his untimely death.

Speaking at the All Things D conference 2012, the mutton chopped Young effectively criticized and defamed a whole generation’s work in the digital music field. His main point of argument was the quality listeners are forced to hear from modern MP3 files. Just 5% of the original data is present in a standard MP3 file and Mr. Young says there should be an option for those who wish it to listen to the other 95%.

However, as is often the case with ivory towered celebrity thinking, there are some important issues that Young failed to understand. The logistics of creating a device culpable of playing the supposed missing 95% would be severely hampered by essentially all of the things that make an iPod and digital music so popular.

Firstly, convenience. In order to have the quality that Neil Young demands, upwards of thirty minute download times for single tracks would be a very real possibility. Caused by the high resolution and gargantuan file size this would create, there are very few, if any, things that the average music listener or computer user will wait thirty minutes to download. In the modern world as a whole, there are very few things anybody would wait thirty minutes for.

Putting this into perspective and based on these hypothetical figures, Neil Young’s Harvest would take over six and half hours to download. Bizarrely, this would take longer than getting to the nearest record store, buying the album, getting home and listening to it in full back in 1972, the year of the album’s release. To ask users to wait thirty minutes per track seems like an almost impossibly futile, retrospective throwback to an age that has long gone.

The practicalities of such a venture would also be almost futile. The iPod classic has a maximum capacity of 160 Gigabytes. This equates to 40,000 tracks, 4000 albums on average, based on the current sound resolutions of most MP3 files. To transport songs of a higher resolution, as high as Neil Young wants, would result in the same iPod only storing thirty albums. This massive leap in sheer quantity alone would be more than enough to put off even the hardest core of audiophiles, who are more likely to own over thirty albums.

Unfortunately the numbers, statistics and practicalities do not add up. However, there is method to the madness in many respects. In the first decade of the 21^st Century, society has become obsessed with bettering all that it has. It is no longer acceptable to have a television with a cathode ray tube or even five standard channels to watch on it.

Food, clothing, news and even relationships can now be bought at the click of a track pad and keyboard. If your not digitized your not anything in the world of tomorrow, which conveniently is now today. The digital age has also afforded mass consumption of better quality good and luxury to the masses, so to speak, unlike any other time in civilization. So why, then, do listeners have to make do with only 5% of the audio quality of their music.

Neil Young has a valid point to make in that the digital option should be made available. However, this may be yet another classic case of thinking beyond our means. Young’s arguments may be flawed in other ways, most notably his overkill estimations of resolution speeds and potential improvements. However, had Steve Jobs’ untimely death not occurred, who knows what we’d be listening to or how we’d listen to it.

Ultimately, music comes down to the music itself. There is no point in high quality audio files if the lyrics and musicianship are sub standard. Despite change sin formatting, branding and accessibility, talent is still the watermark by which an artist and consumer are judged.

Jonathan Whitelaw

So basically I’ve been having a real shit time dealing with depression and all that kind of jazz. If anyone has ever had problems with this brand of mental health they’ll be sure to know that it’s crucial to hold on to the positives when they happen, no matter how rare they may be, this is where “Songs to Cure Depression” comes in. I’m going to (hopefully on a weekly basis) put up a song that has give me a moment of happiness, no matter how brief, and hope that it helps to bring anyone else who hears it out of the pit of depression, if only for a few minutes. Sometimes they’ll be awesome, sometimes they’ll be cheesy, sometimes you’ll love them, other times you won’t.

The first, and perhaps the best, instance of this new feature comes from singer/songwriter/generally really nice guy Jonah Matranga, billed under his earlier moniker, OneLineDrawing. The best part of the song is the how Jonah vocally builds the song back up at the end after the breakdown, utilising his incredible vocal range and power. The video was originally released in 2007 through JadeTree Records but was re-uploaded by Matranga himself a few months back with the gratuitous tag “thanks Jade Tree!” Enjoy!

You can check out all of Jonah Matranga’s wares here.

The year is not a month old yet but already the music community is in mourning. The very sad news that Etta James, the First Lady of Blues and Soul, has died aged 73. Having battled through leukemia and dementia towards the end of her life, James’ contributions to 20^th and 21^st Century popular music will stand as a lasting tribute to one of the very finest performers of her generation.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California, young Etta began her musical career at the tender age of 14, singing with local bands. A move to San Francisco would ultimately lead to a recording contract with Chess Records in 1960 and what would go on to be one of the most recognisable and successful careers in music.

Famous for her grinding vocals, monumental longevity and a style that made every lyric feel like a flaming knife stabbing listeners in the heart, Etta James was, for many, the epitome of the popular blues and soul movement. Indeed, for fans and casual listeners alike, she was the definitive figure in a world dominated by smoke choked men, rasping their way over 4 bar blues guitar and being mimicked by modern rock legends.

Her signature tracks “At Last,” and “I’d rather go Blind” are regular features on the greatest tracks lists across all genres of music. James also racked up a number of honours that would not look entirely out of place amongst the MTV Generation’s glittering trophy cabinets. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Grammy Hall of Fame to name but three of her illustrious awards, James’ lasting legacy will be her own longevity.

As a recognisable face, style and sound of an entire genre, her later years provided the luxury that artists of her caliber can enjoy in their twilight, variance. Johnny Cash and more recently Lou Reid have all made successful leaps into the worlds of hard rock, heavy metal and beyond and with her 2011 album The Dreamer, the ever venerable James, suffering badly from her illnesses, took the successful steps into country, pop and hard rock. Highlights include a brilliant cover of Little Big Town’s “Boondocks” and Guns’ N Roses “Welcome to the Jungle,” the latter a wonderfully crafted soul rendition of an excitable classic that still retains its brooding malice and tribute to all things debauched.

The passing of Etta James is both a sad and mournful occasion but one that should be interpreted in the best possible way. With over five decades of work to choose from and a back catalog that is sure to cater to anybody’s tastes, this time should be spent celebrating one of the very best recording artists who has ever lived.

Jonathan Whitelaw

After a long day at the track, The Stig resorted to making mass, generic hip hop

Some would argue this has been a long time coming. Others have said it has been a long established fact. Realistically, however, there is a simple truth behind all of the hype. Rock and roll has died and it is one of its longest serving champions who has driven the final stake through its heart.

As bold and perhaps unashamedly over dramatic as this headline is, the fact of the matter still exists that rock music is in decline. When this writer first started with Moon & Back Music back in 2009 there was a case to be made that rock music would, could and should never die. At that time, however, the music industry was a different place.

The top earners in global events and gigs were all traditional rock acts. AC/DC, U2, The Eagles, Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, it was an eternal list of the glitterati who have lit up stereos and music systems the world over for the past five decades. January 2012, however is a very different and bleaker outlook.

Causing this is one particular track. The hugely popular William James Adams, Jr, aka will.i.am is the sometimes eponymous “singer” of the even more popular Black Eyed Peas. For those readers who are unfamiliar with this group’s work, they are the hip hop act who appeal to those discerning and music conscious consumers who do not wish their hip hop to be dangerous, threatening or indeed hip hop in any way shape or form. He is also a producer, rapper, actor, songwriter, dancer and creative director, managing to balance all of these talents along with being the single softest person in music.

With his latest offering now gaining widespread recognition from a baying public, he has systematically brought about the final death knell for rock music and its widespread popularity. It is, as usual, the typical air brushed, photo shopped, auto tuned out of it’s tiny little mind, nonsense we have all come to expect from Mr Adams Jr. Entitled, “The Hardest Ever” said artiste stumbles through four mind numbingly dull minutes hopping from trains to trucks to helicopters to fighter jets and eventually into a space ship fleeing from an as yet unrevealed foe, possibly speakers one hundred feet tall blasting out his “greatest hits”

As with any master criminal, he has an accomplice, somebody in which to turn to for undying support when the question “is this bad enough yet” crosses his Botox filled lips. Where Bonnie had Clyde, Adams Jr has Jennifer Lopez, once again airbrushed and crammed into clothes perhaps better suited for a woman not in her 60s. Her collaboration is limited, thankfully, to a rehashed vox pop that could not have taken any longer than five minutes to record, indeed a fraction of the time it must have taken her to scrub up for her appearance in the video.

But is with great pity, shame, horror and regret that we reach the final offender on the list. Yes, as hard as it is to believe that such a throw away piece of forgettable populous nonsense could take three recording artists to produce, the last name on this venerable hit list is none other than Sir Michael Jagger. Shock, gasp, save the children, the Knight of the Realm appears at the end of an elaborated graphic sequence in which will.i.am has traveled through a Clarke/Kubrick 2001: Space Odyssey esque star gate flooded with more multicolored J-Los than Ben Affleck’s worst acid trip.

For what purpose this serves in the overall narrative of the video and song is anybody’s best guess. In the movie/novel this was seen as a watershed movement towards a higher place of evolution for the human race. The first five callers to get the answer correct for this interpretation will win tickets to King Crimson. Fans will be glad to know there is no homicidal on board computer, only the million screaming voices of terror as the track is unleashed on the universe.

Jagger’s appearance at the end of this sequence, in what can only be described as a blathering, incoherent rap/rant, symbolizes a transitional moment in music. As sales figures and general consensus grow that, in the UK at least, rock music has been replaced as the public’s first choice in buying music. The overall growth in so called “bedroom producers” and the ability in which to self distribute, publish and sell music on a much more personal level has also taken a toll on the rock scene, if not from a local level then certainly a mainstream success level.

It would be spurious to say that this appearance of the Rolling Stone in such a different, unabashedly commercial hit has been the final moment to solidify rock’s relegation. Maroon 5, serial offenders in the defamation of rock’s mainstream profile, have their “hit” “Moves like Jagger” and Cheryl Cole’s more talented clone Cher Lloyd’s “Swagger Jagger” have brought the veteran rocker’s profile up in the past few months. Never one to shirk making money, it could be argued that Mick is merely riding the cash cow and banking on this new found obsession modern artists seem to have with his sags and wrinkles.

Regardless, the frankly laughable “The Hardest Ever” is here to stay and will no doubt set dance floors alight and make multiple millions for all of those involved. One good to come from it, however, is that “Dancing in the Street,” is now no longer Jagger’s worst collaborated work. Mr Bowie, you may rest easy.

Jonathan Whitelaw

No sooner has the last drops of champagne mixed with hydrochloric acid been left on the pavement of a city centre and the last resolution broken before the new year is twenty four hours old, the prospect of another year of musical fantasy is upon us. Whether we like it or not.

With this new advent and the fall of Christmas trees and decorations all over the world, it would appear that the general population of planet Earth can return to normality, or as close to it as is possible, long winded editorial similes and hackneyed metaphors included.

So down to business. What follows is a small selection of prime cuts that are expected to be amongst the highlights of the upcoming musical year. Of course it would be silly and naive, if not down right ignorant, to place all hopeful eggs in the one basket, some of the best music and best tracks are often heralded without much hype and decorum. However, with some exhaustively huge names promising material in 2012, its best to get in at the ground floor.

Starting off is the incredibly long winded 19^th studios album from venerable hard and prog rock legends Rush. Clockwork Angels the first since 2009’s ill received Snakes & Arrows, many positive things have been spoken about this latest offering. Rush are still considered major players amongst the rock journalism and fandom worlds, perhaps due to their impressive, genre busting back catalogue. However, without a solid album in over ten years and a seemingly endless stream of delays in the release of this one, expectations are high from Neil Peart et al.

The Smashing Pumpkins provide a new album, Billy Corgan and his mismatched, alternative rock behemoths deliver what should be a fine tribute to the band, and image’s, roots in alternative, melancholy roots. Oceania will for part of the ongoing, tentatively titled “concept album” started with Teargarden by Kaleidyscope and lasts for forty-four, lavishly lazy tracks.

Veteran arena rockers Aerosmith, Van Halen and KISS offer more material to their beying fans later in the year. After the very public spat between lead singer Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have put their differences aside, over a nice cup of chamomile tea, Aerosmith deliver their as of yet untitled new album this coming May.

Van Halen’s first album with singer “Diamond” David Lee Roth since the brilliant 1984, is still shrouded in mystery, despite a tentative release date of “early 2012.” This could prove to be VH’s triumphant return after the darkness of the Van Hagar debacles and reassert one of the best hard rock, musically sound bands of their generation.

KISS’ curiously titled MONSTER has all the makings of the classic creature feature KISS albums of the late 70s and 80s, the prime and pick of their live material to date. Capitalizing on the surprisingly entertaining and toe curlingly enjoyable Sonic Boom, look out for subsequent tours, t-shirts, tattoos, toilet seats and tantilisingly tasteful Kondoms to flood every market imaginable after launch.

Along with these giants come a series of interesting releases that will remain under the popular radar but may prove to be enjoyable additions to already stacked back catalogs. UFO release Seven Deadly which could prove to be one of the albums of the year this time in twelve months time, Phil Mogg and the rest of the gang long overdue a wider recognition of over forty years of hard rocking, stone washed denim anthems.

They are joined by the veteran Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy of Heart. Although “Barracuda” is now relegated to the doldrums of Adam Sandler movies and, what is knocking on the door, Glee specials, the as yet untitled project is their fourteenth studio album. Red Velvet Car was a surprise hit in the US the back in 2010.

Finally and by no means the least, 2012 will see a positive renaissance in the big hitters of heavy metal as two of the founding fathers, should that be grandfathers now? Go head to head this summer. Judas Priest are going back to basics with their late 2012 release, what will be their first offering since the untimely retirement of guitarist K.K. Downing.

They will be joined, goaded and battled all the way in the cataclysmic metal domination by the recently reformed, in everyway possible, Black Sabbath. The original lineup of Toni Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and John “Ozzy” Osbourne, announced their triumphant return in as dramatic a fashion as can be expected by this lot. On the 11^th of November, 2011 at eleven minutes past eleven, there’s a Spinal Tap joke in there somewhere, the announcement was made that a tour and new album would be on the cards for 2012. Metal gurus everywhere had to change their underwear.

More questions than answered are sure to arise form this small selection of upcoming musical machinations from some of the best-known acts in music. But let this list be the tip of the iceberg and here is to the unsigned, mysterious bedroom producers who are out there cutting their teeth in an industry that is as unforgiving as the weather we have here in the UK. For those who continue to rock… we’ll salute you in 2012.

Jonathan Whitelaw

Today it’s the turn of a man who’s constantly on the road, who’s played the main stage at countless festivals this past year, and who released one of 2011′s finest albums. World-renowned Wessex boy, Frank Turner gives us his ‘Top 5 of 2011′.

5. Josh T Pearson – Last Of The country Gentlemen

Easily the most viscerally dark album about love I’ve ever heard. I still have trouble listening to this from time to time, it’s too intense.

4. Chris T-T – Disobedience

A lovely idea executed with love and care by a good friend.

3. Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo – Almanac

Emily and the girls hit the perfect tone on this record, poised, gentle and sad.

2. Jen Buxton – Don’t Change Your Plans

Jen is an old friend from Australia who’s taken her time to make her first record, and it’s stunning. Lyrics to die for.

1. Glossary – Long Live All Of Us

My favourite rock’n'roll record of the year by miles.

“Hi, my name is Evan and this is Into It. Over It.” is how each of  Evan Weiss’ sets begins (well, every one I’ve seen). The New Jersey native has had a fantastic year, releasing a critically acclaimed record, in the form of Proper, and touring with the likes of Frank Turner and The Swellers. With Evan being so celebrated this year, we thought we’d have him dole out the praise to his favorite records/artists of the year.

5. Former Thieves – The Language That We Speak

Smart, well written heavy hardcore. every time i listen to this record i find something new that i love about it. it’s brilliant.

4. By Surprise – Mountain Smashers

Such a fun record, calling heavily on all of my favorite 90′s emo / indie influences. however, they give the style such a great facelift and breathe new life into it instead of just becoming another imitator. this record was a sleeper. don’t sleep on it.

3. Pianos Become The Teeth – The Lack Long After

Emotionally punishing songs. the only record that i heard this hear that generated pure human emotional response. even the layout leaves you with a heavy heart once you find out what it’s referencing. when was the last time a band could do that to you?

2. Cloud Mouth – Keep Well

Great friends making a record to bid everyone farewell. cloud mouth is fucking dead, but not before leaving us with this well recorded and near flawless batch of 4 songs. their best to date. they will be missed.

1. Iron Chic / Pacer – Split

Perfect songs. perfect songs. perfect perfect perfect songs.

Oxygen Thief (a.k.a. Barry Dolan) plays, metal-tinged, acoustic music that I like to describe as “something along the lines of acoustic Reuben”. Anyway, he released a fantastic album – Destroy It Yourself – earlier this year and now he’s here to tell you what his favourite records of 2011 are.

5. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake.

I haven’t actually listened to this that much, but it sounded awesome when I listened to it and hopefully me putting it in this list will remind me to put it on more often. Mercury Prize winner too, ace.

4. Shapes – Monotony Chic.

Like a British version of Glassjaw, all angles and shouting and RARRR but with bits of The Smiths in there as well at times.

3. Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner vs Everything.

In which Britain’s very best indie-rock band make something so good even the slow songs are brilliant. And I hate slow songs.

2. Mastodon – The Hunter.

RIFFS. WOARRRGH! Prog! FACE-SMASH! Everything you’d want from a Mastodon album & then some. Unless you want endless repeats of Leviathan in which case you are fail my friend.

1. Young Legionnaire – Crisis Works.

Side project from Yourcodenameismilo frontman, Bloc Party bassist, and a drummer. Riff-heavy, soaked in melody, and brilliantly innovative.

0. Oxygen Thief – Destroy It Yourself.

Don’t know if putting it at zero-th place means it’s better than all of these (hint: it’s obviously not). I certainly own more copies of it than any other album I’ve purchased this year, so in terms of quantity-currently-residing-in-my-house it certainly wins. I’m very proud of it though, so would like to give it a cheeky mention.

Honorable Mention:

Ben Marwood – Outside There’s A Curse

A) it’s great and B) that album has led to a lot of fun touring times with the man himself. So check that out too.

In a year where his own release – ‘A New Home In The Old World’ – has garnered much critical acclaim and a number of ‘Album Of The Year’ nods, Austin Lucas shows some appreciation for his five favourite records of 2011.

This album, is the first release from these Kentucky boys.  Honestly, it’s incredible for a debut and really shows a lot of promise.  As far as where this band is headed, etc.

Imagine a band, that mixes Dick Dale and Waylon Jennings and you’re starting to see where they are coming from.  Obviously, there is more to their sound than that.  But, it’s these things along with they’re propensity for utilizing gospel and bluegrass imagery, that puts them close to my heart.  Will they do the same to you?  Honestly, I have no idea. You should give them a spin and see though.

4. Ninja Gun – Roman Nose EP

This EP is an amazing example of how catchy and infectious a band can get, without sacrificing song writing and overall credibility.  Honestly, Ninja Gun have one of the silliest names for any band, out there.  Don’t let their name fool you though.  They are one of the best American rock and roll groups out there.  They effortlessly mix American southern rock and British psych pop like no other band.  Trust me, they aren’t the pop punk band from the 90′s that you think they are.  They, are however, a rock and roll, juggernaut.

3, Tom Waits – Bad As Me

This is a Tom Waits album. He’s incredible and everyone knows it.  He always has been and always will be.  This album is no exception.

2. Josh Small – Juke

When I first heard the unmixed rough tracks of this album, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it.  I heard all sorts of off the wall sounds and percussion.  But then, when I received this finished album in the mail.  Put it in the stereo and cranked it up for the first time, I was blown away.  Josh created an amazing album, where influences from Elton John and Steely Dan, mix (and actually work) with Josh’ trademark boogie woogie and howl.  This album proves to me, what I always assumed to be gospel.  Josh Small is an intensely gifted songwriter and arranger.  Capable of taking music, into incredible places.

1. Glossary – Long Live All Of Us

This band is the best band going, right now. As far as musicianship and excellence and diversity in song writing.  Nobody can touch the Glossary folks.  This album proves that a band who is 7 albums and 15 years into their career, can not only stay great but in fact, get better.  Go from amazing to un-fucking-beatable. Truthfully, Glossary is an unstoppable force and it’s a crying shame that more people don’t know what an incredible band they are.  If you read this, though.  You could be the next lucky person,  to buy their album and have your metaphorical dick, knocked into the dirt.