Dave -
In the span of a year, the music scene can take a drastic turn. When 1990 hit, hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Warrant, and Skid Row were still making noise on the scene. Nirvana would come on in the following year with their 2nd release, "Nevermind", and nearly single-handedly change the face of popular music. Their hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had everyone trading in their leather and spandex for flannel. The hair metal (btw, I hate that term) heroes were on the way out and the grunge scene was coming in.
It's now that alternative music wasn't there before. We all know it was. A lot of it wasn't really making the charts until Nirvana kicked the door down and made room for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soul Asylum, Everclear, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, and many more. Everyone saw the writing on the wall. In fact, Warrant and Alice in Chains were both on the same record label. A member of Warrant said they were in the label's office in 1990 when their "Cherry Pie" record was coming out and there was a huge banner of their album cover in the lobby. A couple years later, when they went in, the banner above them was Alice in Chains "Dirt". Times they were achangin'.
As with every musical trend, this led to an over-saturation in the music scene. Just a few years before, labels were signing any glam band that wore make-up (of course, this is after the same labels refused to sign Poison because they wore make-up). Now everyone was signing alternative and grunge related bands, regardless of actual talent. At the same time, the blend of rap & metal were also getting signed after the Anthax/Public Enemy "Bring the Noise" collaboration. That scene didn't quite catch on though. It was too late for some labels. They’d already signed a ton of them. It seems like there was a new one debuting every week on MTV's Headbangers Ball.
Melanie - Fun Fact.... I had never heard of Headbangers Ball until I came to live here and Greg used to like it. I actually discovered HIM because they were on there!
Did you get into the alternative scene when it hit? What songs would you add to the playlist? Let us know in the comments below!
About The Writer -
DAVE - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Susan -With the release of Burn Notice this week, I wanted to share with you some of the music behind the book! For me, picking the music that will be the soundtrack to the story is almost as important as the story itself because the songs are picked especially for the characters, or the situation they find themselves in. Sometimes, a song is so perfect, the lyrics, the tone, the melody can transport me into the story in such a way its as if I am standing in the middle of the Sanguine Court, merely recording the history.
The book soundtrack, is a wonderful way to share with readers a little part of the writing process.
The best way I can describe it is akin to the music that is played in the background while you are watching your fave TV shows or movies. I think if any of my books were made into a TV series, the part I would be super interested in, apart from everything else, is the music selection.
I always considered having that job on a tv show would be just epic and considering how big of a role music plays in my books, I would have to get involved.
Susan - (Ignoring Melanie) - I think the most important songs that feature on the playlist are the ones that I listened to over and over again when writing the ending.
*No Spoilers*
i love you - Billie Eilish
Tether Me- Galleaux II'm Kissing you -Bshp Without Fear - Dermot Kennedy I Will Never Love Again- Norma Jean Martin Hurts like Hell -Fleurie
You can listen to the full playlist below and can follow me on Spotify to view all my playlists and discover what I listen to when writing.
Do you have any songs that remind you of any of the Sanguine Crown characters?
What did you think of the playlist? Let me know in the comments below!
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Susan says-
The Bitter Truth is the fifth studio album by American rock band Evanescence. Returning to the rock roots that made fans fall in love with their sound, The Bitter Truth feels like Fallen, The Open Door and Evanescence all rolled into one....
( We don't discuss Synthesis here lol)
There are two albums and bands that defined my teenage years; Linkin Park Hybrid Theory and Evanescence Fallen. I remember watching the music video for Bring Me To Life, this haunting gothic themed theatrical video that had a female vocalist that had this powerhouse of a voice that gave me goosebumps.
I counted down the days for the album release and then played that over and over again. My Immortal is one of my all time favorite songs and to this day, Amy Lee is one of my all time fave female vocalists.
The Bitter Truth starts out easing you into the album, with a prelude before dropping you into Broken Pieces Shine, my fave song off the album. It's definitely an indication of how the album is going to be, as Amy herself has said in interviews, that this album would showcase the rock and power of the band,
and it sure does.
Evanescence are back with a vengeance, gifting us with hard hitting tracks and spine tingling vocals and reminding us why they were one of the best rock vocal bands of the noughties and beyond. Amy Lee's voice is amazing as it always has been, and its like they've never been away.
Standout tracks for me: Broken Pieces Shine, The Game is Over, Feeding the Dark, Wasted on You, Better Without You, Take Cover, Far From Heaven & Part of Me.
You can get the CD on Amazon by clicking the link below!
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Susan - Recently I had the immerse pleasure of reviewing Order of the Minus, by Project Renegade and this week, Ody, drummer extraordinaire took the time to have a little chat with me and answer some questions. You'll see when I wrote up the article there are spots where I add in my little thoughts. I've highlighted them in a different color.
Susan - What first got you into music?
Ody - I remember my dad played a lot of jazz and rock records when I was a baby, there is a video somewhere where I am rolling on my belly laughing every time they played music so I guess music got me into music…I just think the sheer power of this specific art form got me addicted to making music.
S - Who inspired you to make music?
O - I think the first time I saw MTV in the late 90s when it was still cool, that’s kinda where I got the itch to form a band and also my school was turning into an art school in the summer and we had painting classes, a small marching band class, and theatre. My parents would enroll me and my sister there every summer and we loved it, that’s probably the first time I said to myself “Ok I’m gonna try and make some music”. Later on, as I said, MTV and “Headbangers Ball” especially was showing all those bands and they looked and sounded super cool and wicked. I was so hooked on playing in a band because my dad gave me two vinyl’s, a Clash and a Sex pistols one and that’s what lit a fire in me because I realized that heavy and rebellious music existed all along and I needed to do my homework. So yeah, bands like the Sex Pistols, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Limp bizkit, Faith no More…Everything that was coming out of that era and before was a huge inspiration to me in terms of metal, although I am heavily Inspired by other kinds of music as well. It’s all a matter of expressing yourself and figuring out what this life is all about.
S - It's amazing how much MTV has inspired a generation of musicians. I remember when we finally got MTV in Ireland it my mind was blown that there was all this unique and different music out there! I was also given two cassettes by my uncle as a child one of them being Meatloaf, Bat Out of Hell and it really did shape the kind of music I fell in love with too!
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
O - Non apologetic… Either that or “F-You we do whatever the hell we want to do “music. Hahahahaha! It’s just a big mixture of different tastes, experiences, opinions and feelings, that come together and create this big sensory attack that we are labelling as “Project Renegade”. There is always a lot going on hence why it’s very hard for me to put my finger on it. I know that our goal is to eliminate every obstacle that keeps us apart as humans and stops us from uniting as species to create a better life for ourselves and our planet, under freedom and mutual understanding….so yeah let’s say we play “F-You” music.
S- I'm always a fan of waving a fiddle finger to conformity and dpo
What is your creative process like?
O - We serve an original vision and an original Idea. We built up on that and try to do it justice. If I want to talk about mental health, or Marianna wants to talk about social problems, or Nick wants to talk about natural disasters or Jay wants to talk about political injustices or whatever, we have to bring a piece of music that represents that and we built from there. We always serve the song and the vision and the message in whatever we do…Honesty is key so we usually open up about our concerns and our feelings towards that specific subject so we can give an honest aspect of who we are and why we feel the way we feel about certain things.
S - Who would you most like to collaborate with?
O - Pffft, ain’t that the question…Amy Lee, Corey Taylor, Scarlord, Ghostmane, Maria Brink,
Jonathan Davis, Howard Jones…Let’s just say everyone how about that?!
S- Dude, I can totally get behind a Marianna and Amy Lee vocal extravaganza! I would also love to see Marianna and an Oli Sykes from Bring me the Horizon collaboration. And I would never say no to a drum battle between Dave Grohl and yourself...lol
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
O - For me it would be Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Korn, Deftones or Linkin Park…That would be like going to church for me! I am sure the other guys and Marianna would have different opinions that would totally be awesome! We just love good music!
S - I always say music is my religion and concerts are like going to church! Those are all bands I would go see myself, was lucky enough to see Linkin Park before Chester passed. Here's hoping that you guys get to travel more to Europe...Ireland has some pretty nice little venues ...just saying!
What is one message you would give to your fans?
O- Unity through Diversity, Respect and Love each other…. Enough said!
S - Unity through Diversity.. I like that...I kinda feel like that needs to be a slogan on a tee!
What is the most useless talent you have?
O - I do funny voices…but like to the point where I create characters and I am conversing with myself…Yeah, I’m crazy like that! Hahahaha!
S - What song of yours would you recommend new fans listen to first to get a feel for your music?
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
O - Well, I am a Special Education teacher so I would’ve focused more on that probably, but I would still be miserable. There is something inside me that gets to be unleashed only through heavy music and I don’t even want to think what my life would be like without music and without this release.
S - In a previous life, I used to work in childcare and was a trained as a special needs assistant as well, but my path took a different turn. I think when there is this base driven need to do something else, for you music, and me writing, you just have to do it. Without that creative outlet, I know I would be miserable too.
Where have you performed? What is your favourite and least favourite venues?
O - We have performed in Europe (Romania, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Malta, Italy, Belgium)
My favourite Venues was Piraeus Academy in our hometown here in Athens, and Stereo Plaza in Ukraine…We opened up for Bullet For my Valentine and Evanescence there respectively. My worst one would remain unnamed but it was this out of whack place that had the worst drum set I’ve ever played in my life, the owners treated us like shit and made fun of us and the bands we liked…Fuck that place, it’s closed now and I am very happy that it’s out of business!
S - You guys need a trip to Ireland, especially Cork! We have some nice smaller venues that are awesome and of course, I'd be first to buy a ticket!
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
O - Well, it’s a blessing and a curse. It’s easier for everyone to get their music out in the world which is fantastic because otherwise we would have missed on a lot of great bands, then again, the market is oversaturated with bands and the attention span is getting smaller and smaller so people don’t spend a lot of quality time with the records that us musicians make. Plus, it brought down the labels and the music industry in general so this is not a viable source of income by any means for a beginner band. Labels are keeping their finances tight and they are afraid to invest in bands…They are looking for an “it” and it’s very hard because everyone gets so offensive and controversial these days in order to be classified as one that has the “it” so yeah it also kind brought the whole thing down quality wise specifically in the mainstream media. But there are amazing bands and musicians out there…you just have to love the journey of discovering to find them!
S - Which famous musicians do you admire?
O - Jonathan Davis, John Otto and Wes Borland, Sam Carter and Dan Searle and now Josh Middleton, Devin Townsend, Maria Brink, Amy Lee, Lizzy and Arejay Hale, Justin Chancellor, Chris Dave, J.Dilla, Questlove and yes Lars fucking Ulrich cause he was RIGHT!
S - When I first listened to Oder of the Minus, I immediately thought of Jon Otto when I heard you play the drums. Sam Carter from Architects is a new fave for me as well- For Those That Wish to Exist is an epic album.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
O - I used to get in a lot of fights in my teens and twenties, I was bullied for 6 years straight so after a while violence was like the only solution for me, which looking back at it now I really regret...
S - I am also a survivor of bullying in my twenties and I understand the anger. Music for me has always been a solace on the darkest days and now you get to take your aggression out on a drumkit which is awesome for us!
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
O - “Fuck’ em all!” By my sister!
S - Absofuckinglutely!
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
O - I think I would restore finances but keep the democracy that the internet brings. Maybe I would hire more talent scouters in order to give younger bands a fair chance… I would make better deals for the artists where their earnings won’t go to third parties regarding the vast majority of their income sales. Without musicians there is no music so fuck the suits…they can get a small percentage of what the actual talent is making but not almost the whole damn thing, I would try to restore respect in music with tighter contracts regarding licensing for other projects (movies etc.), I would make sure that royalties are getting paid where they should…There is nothing romantic about a starving artist contrary to popular belief. I don’t know…I would make the necessary moves to make music valuable again. And none of that free shit, thousands of dollars are being spent to make a record the artists deserve better…You want music? Go buy it! Oh, and I would either change the model Spotify is operating in or close the damn thing cause they are doing a major disservice to the musicians of the world!
S - What’s next for you?
O - We are making a new record and we are focusing on that, also we are slowly gearing up to make some new videos but we have to get through the quarantine first…once that is done, we are gonna do all the aforementioned stuff and try to tour as much as we can so hopefully, you’ll see us in a city near you soon! Stay tuned cause lots of good stuff coming up!
Susan - Thanks so much to Ody for joining us today for this chat! I honestly feel like this conversation should have happened over a pint and I think we could have talked all night about our similar experiences and music tastes!
I hope you all enjoyed this interview with Ody as much as I did! Check out the band on their socials below!
Missed my review of Order of the Minus? Check it out below!
Susan says -Michigan-born and multi-platinum awarded rapper NF (a.k.a. Nathan Feuerstein) upholds a mantra of “Real Music,” he does so supported by a real movement. Existing on the fringe, he pulled the global mainstream to him with his third studio album, Perception. Shocking the industry, countless fans showed up and lifted the record to #1 on the Billboard Top 200, representing the ultimate underdog story of 2017 chronicled by The New York Times, Forbes, and more. The year after, he repeated the success with his album The Search when again debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. His global monster hit “Let You Down” has earned multiple platinum awards around the world and encroached half-a-billion Spotify streams in under a year. I was first introduced to NF by my tattoo artist, who while tattooing me at a local tattoo festival, played Mansion and I was immediately hooked. Mansion is a song about dealing with the things in your head that you don't want anyone to see, the scars of the past that just aren't visible. If you've read the article I wrote previously, The Music that saved my life, then you all know how much I appreciate Nate's honesty, his talent and lyrics that have this innate ability to reach inside and put a lyric to the things you can't make sense of. I've always been attracted to music with deep and meaningful lyrics a
NF has that rare ability to unleash albums into the world that are unskippable. I don't think he knows how to put out a bad song. I love that he can switch from a rap heavy song like Outcast & Leave Me Alone and switch up to haunting vocals on songs like Trauma and Paralyzed. Clouds gives us a glimpse of the songs that never made it onto the albums that NF has realized and to be fair, if this is the stuff he is leaving off the album then we need a mixtape after every album release! NF returns to 2021 with his unique style of lyricism, a blend of rap and vocal talent that rivals his peers and in my opinion, surpasses them. His cult following, including me, have devoured his songs like we've been starving for his honesty and his Real Music.
Standout tracks for me: Clouds. That's a Joke, Prideful, Lost (Feat. HOPSIN) Layers, Trust ft Tech N9ne & Paid My Dues Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article areAmazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)  Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature! Today Dave and Melanie are talking about Music Videos! Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments! Dave - The Buggles seemed to have ushered in a new age with the first video to hit the MTV airwaves "Video Killed the Radio Star". That wasn't really the beginning though, was it? Occasionally I'd see classic videos from Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and the like that were basic performance clips with colorful, trippy backgrounds that always made me ask the question "Why?". There was no MTV back then. Why were they made? What were they played on? Melanie - So I can actually answer this one. Music videos has actually been around for many years before MTV. From the first known attempt in 1895 where Edison had slides of dancers next to a violinist, (which was lost for many years), through the 50's and 60's where performances or videos were made to play on shows where the band was unable to have a live performance, until the 1970s where a show from Australia actually had shows for teens that only played music videos - a format that made it to the USA in 1978 (3 years before MTV would launch) with Video Concert Hall which played several hours of music videos every day on the USA Network with no host Dave - That all brings us to today’s topic-- the evolution of the music video. There are varying opinions about which style is preferred. Some just like to see the band playing. Personally, I find those a little basic. I like to see something a little different but I do like it be from the band. It's their song, it should be their vision not the director’s vision of the song.
Melanie - That was definitely a different approach than bands in the UK had. Maybe it was a budget thing? I can't think of any UK bands that had music videos for every track - it was pretty much just the singles they were releasing and occasionally the "live" versions where footage was taken from actual concerts - which was a throwback to when that was pretty much the standard.
So while I am on that topic - we had a TV Station like MTV in the UK called "The Box". It didn't have VJ's, instead you called in and used an automated system to request the video you wanted and it was added to the queue. Which sounds great ..... but if you wanted to watch the uncut Robbie video you were generally out of luck. Call before 10pm and the video was automatically added as the family freindly version. Call after 10pm- and it would depend how many songs were ahead before it could possibly come on - and once the 5am threshold hit all requests reset to the family friendly version. Suddenly I am appreciating YouTube all the more! So Dave - is there anything you would like to see more of? Dave - One thing I don't think we see enough of is bands in the studio. We have the chance to see them perform in music videos, or see them live on stage, or even occasionally see performances at awards shows if they are popular enough. But rarely does a band release a video of them in the studio. I'm not just talking about a music video of them in the studio. A few bands have done that. One that comes to mind is Aerosmith "What it Takes". There were actually 2 versions of that-- a concept video, and a studio version. I actually like to see what goes into the making of the record. Behind the scenes, writing, rehearsing, tweaking, discussing arrangements. I don't just want to hear it; I want all the details! Yes, I am that much of a geek! Aerosmith did it with the Making of Pump, and Metallica did with 2 1/2 years in the Life. The first half covered the making of the Black Album, the second half covered the tour. Melanie - So a bit like my Guns N Roses video - but on a way larger scale. You will probably be pleased to hear that Paramount+ is reviving the Behind the Music series. I bet you will be watching that! Final thoughts? Dave - Since MTV has actually distanced itself from videos, bands are actually a little freer to expand on their visions in making videos since they are going straight to YouTube. No need to edit for time restraints. No need to censor is there is a bad word or 2 (or 12 if the case may be). We used to have to sit and wait for a world premiere video. Now YouTube reminds us when they are coming. Or we can check our subscriptions at our leisure. Melanie - That feels like the perfect spot to end! So tell us Musers - What do you think? Do you prefer to see a concept video or do you just want to see the band play? About The Writers -
DAVE - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" MELANIE - Founder of Melanie's Muses - You should know who I am lol If not click - All about Melanie |
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