Stay Poor. Stay Happy.
Amen Brother.
I'll blog about money and happiness and fulfillment a little later. i do have a thing or two to say about that topic, but lets get to the really important stuff first, and thats a really cool band getting the fucken screws at the iTunes Music Store.
Note: I'm viewing the Canadian version of the iTunes Music Store.
I suppose the fact that you can now download Cub Country's latest album, Stay Poor. Stay Happy through the iTunes store is extremely positive, my only complaint is with the album review they chose to use their. I've only listened to the album once from start to finish so far, but its pretty much what i expected, and i like it alot. Anyone who enjoyed the first album, High Uinta High will also more than likely enjoy the new(er) album. Unfortunately, if you use the review currently provided by the iTunes Music Store to help you make the decision, you might not choose to give this album a chance.
I appreciate the criticisms provided by Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. of the All Music Guide. I'll even go so far as to say he makes some valid points. Some valid, yet critical points. Which is fine. But how often do you see the official, non-user album review commit over half the text to the more negative aspects of the album? Pick a band you hate and look them up on Amazon.com or iTunes and try to find a negative initial review.
So a really cool indie band, writing songs that actually have some artistic integrity, and say something and/or tell a story, gets a review that dissuades people from buying the album? Meanwhile, a piece of fucken horseshit band like Nickelback gets a series of album reviews that blows sunshine up their unoriginal collective ass.
So alright, some of the songs on Stay Poor. Stay Happy might seem a little long, and they might start to lose your attention if your not in the right mood, or not a fan of that particular type of song... but where the hell are the overwhelming number of valid criticisms one could provide regarding your more popular mainstream bands.
According the review over at the iTunes Music Store, Chad Kroeger fills that crappy "Photograph" song with "brooding nostalgia, and their most recent album "clinches Nickelback's claim to rock's top ranks".
Sweet jesus whats wrong with people?
I decided to go some through Nickelback lyrics before I wrote anything about them... they remind me of a kid in grade 9 english trying to come up with short lines that rhyme. It doesnt really bother me that people like the band, its that they have the nerve to defend the bands shortcomings... because compared to a band with well thought out, intelligent well arranged lyrics, Nickelback lyrics might as well be written by a string bean. And I'm not going to go to the trouble of actually listening to a Nickelback song, but im pretty sure from what i remember from the all too many times i've come across them on the radio, that they tend to steer away from making any songs that stray too far from the sound of any one of their other songs... So if songs over 5 minutes long can start to lose a listener's attention, im thinking so can an album full of songs that all essentially sound the same.
I could trash Nickelback for many many more pages, cause i just dont like them at all. I watched a documentary on them once. I already didnt care for them, but the documentary really intensified my passionate disdain for them. Then they fired Ryan Vikadel, who used to play with Corb Lund, and i hated them some more (although i'm happy i no longer have to split my allegiance, and i can dislike the band in its entirity), and rally, i didnt think that was possible... However, I'm really starting to get away from my point here.
Cub Country's Stay Poor. Stay Happy may not be for everyone, but it pains me to see a relatively unknown band I appreciate and enjoy get such a relatively crappy review, that the iTunes masses will happen upon, and possibly use to make a decision whether or not to buy the album. If anything, shouldnt our multimillionaire pop stars be held to a higher standard than a struggling independent band? It wouldnt be hard for me to put together a slightly more accurate (if a little more critical) review of Nickelback's last album... Ofcourse, I might have to listen to it, for which i would require some sort of payment.
As I attempt to conclude this blog entry, I'm not sure where I was initially going with this, or where I ended up? At the end of the day, perhaps I just wanted to document my feelings about Nickelback?
Let me summarize by saying that I like Cub Country... I wish more people would listen to them. I dont like Nickelback. I wish a lot less people would listen to them.
Stay Poor. Stay Happy is really good. I highly recommend downloading If We Should Fall, or Be Your Own Hitman, or at least listening to the tracks they offer for free on their website... And if you like what you hear, perhaps you can wonder over to the old iTunes Music Store and write a review.
I'll blog about money and happiness and fulfillment a little later. i do have a thing or two to say about that topic, but lets get to the really important stuff first, and thats a really cool band getting the fucken screws at the iTunes Music Store.
Note: I'm viewing the Canadian version of the iTunes Music Store.
I suppose the fact that you can now download Cub Country's latest album, Stay Poor. Stay Happy through the iTunes store is extremely positive, my only complaint is with the album review they chose to use their. I've only listened to the album once from start to finish so far, but its pretty much what i expected, and i like it alot. Anyone who enjoyed the first album, High Uinta High will also more than likely enjoy the new(er) album. Unfortunately, if you use the review currently provided by the iTunes Music Store to help you make the decision, you might not choose to give this album a chance.
I appreciate the criticisms provided by Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. of the All Music Guide. I'll even go so far as to say he makes some valid points. Some valid, yet critical points. Which is fine. But how often do you see the official, non-user album review commit over half the text to the more negative aspects of the album? Pick a band you hate and look them up on Amazon.com or iTunes and try to find a negative initial review.
So a really cool indie band, writing songs that actually have some artistic integrity, and say something and/or tell a story, gets a review that dissuades people from buying the album? Meanwhile, a piece of fucken horseshit band like Nickelback gets a series of album reviews that blows sunshine up their unoriginal collective ass.
So alright, some of the songs on Stay Poor. Stay Happy might seem a little long, and they might start to lose your attention if your not in the right mood, or not a fan of that particular type of song... but where the hell are the overwhelming number of valid criticisms one could provide regarding your more popular mainstream bands.
According the review over at the iTunes Music Store, Chad Kroeger fills that crappy "Photograph" song with "brooding nostalgia, and their most recent album "clinches Nickelback's claim to rock's top ranks".
Sweet jesus whats wrong with people?
I decided to go some through Nickelback lyrics before I wrote anything about them... they remind me of a kid in grade 9 english trying to come up with short lines that rhyme. It doesnt really bother me that people like the band, its that they have the nerve to defend the bands shortcomings... because compared to a band with well thought out, intelligent well arranged lyrics, Nickelback lyrics might as well be written by a string bean. And I'm not going to go to the trouble of actually listening to a Nickelback song, but im pretty sure from what i remember from the all too many times i've come across them on the radio, that they tend to steer away from making any songs that stray too far from the sound of any one of their other songs... So if songs over 5 minutes long can start to lose a listener's attention, im thinking so can an album full of songs that all essentially sound the same.
I could trash Nickelback for many many more pages, cause i just dont like them at all. I watched a documentary on them once. I already didnt care for them, but the documentary really intensified my passionate disdain for them. Then they fired Ryan Vikadel, who used to play with Corb Lund, and i hated them some more (although i'm happy i no longer have to split my allegiance, and i can dislike the band in its entirity), and rally, i didnt think that was possible... However, I'm really starting to get away from my point here.
Cub Country's Stay Poor. Stay Happy may not be for everyone, but it pains me to see a relatively unknown band I appreciate and enjoy get such a relatively crappy review, that the iTunes masses will happen upon, and possibly use to make a decision whether or not to buy the album. If anything, shouldnt our multimillionaire pop stars be held to a higher standard than a struggling independent band? It wouldnt be hard for me to put together a slightly more accurate (if a little more critical) review of Nickelback's last album... Ofcourse, I might have to listen to it, for which i would require some sort of payment.
As I attempt to conclude this blog entry, I'm not sure where I was initially going with this, or where I ended up? At the end of the day, perhaps I just wanted to document my feelings about Nickelback?
Let me summarize by saying that I like Cub Country... I wish more people would listen to them. I dont like Nickelback. I wish a lot less people would listen to them.
Stay Poor. Stay Happy is really good. I highly recommend downloading If We Should Fall, or Be Your Own Hitman, or at least listening to the tracks they offer for free on their website... And if you like what you hear, perhaps you can wonder over to the old iTunes Music Store and write a review.
Did you know, you mention Nickelback NINE times in your rant.
HEY! That made me think of Ferris Buellers Day off! You remember Edward Rooney, right? Remember when he said "Your son has been absent nine times" and then watched it dropped down to like two right on his monitor? Yeah...that movie was great.
Posted by
VF |
Thu Jun 15, 04:54:00 PM PDT