ChordStrike

Have the Grammys Lost Their Credibility?

The Grammy Awards are out of touch, contradictory and hypocritical a longtime music marketing executive asserted in this past Sunday’s New York Times. The charges were printed in a full page letter written by Steve Stoute wherein he criticized The National Academy of Arts and Sciences (NARAS), who presents the Grammy Awards.

"Over the course of my 20-year history as an executive in the music business and as the owner of a firm that specializes in in-culture advertising, I have come to the conclusion that the Grammy Awards have clearly lost touch with contemporary popular culture… Where I think that the Grammys fail stems from two key sources: (1) over-zealousness to produce a popular show that is at odds with its own system of voting and (2) fundamental disrespect of cultural shifts as being viable and artistic."

Of particular contention to Mr. Stoute are the Academy’s snubs of hip-hop artists and cultural phenomenons. Wrote Stoute, "We must acknowledge the massive cultural impact of Eminem and Kanye West and how their music is shaping, influencing and defining the voice of a generation." Further querying, "How is it that Justin Bieber, an artist that defines what it means to be a modern artist, did not win Best New Artist?"

Anyone who watched CBS leading up to the Grammys saw these artists in commercials, and Stoute condemns the Awards for understanding “cultural relevance when it comes to using Eminem's, Kanye West's or Justin Bieber's name in the billing to ensure viewership and to deliver the all-too-important ratings for its advertisers,” but not acknowledging their critical or commercial successes.

Lastly, Stoute challenges artists to refuse to be used for ratings, and to stop accepting invitations to perform until the Academy begins to uphold “its mission for advocacy and support of artistry as culture evolves.”

-Court @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Music Videos: Entertainment or Advertising Platform?

 

Do you remember the product placement spoof scene in the movie Wayne’s World? Turns out embedded marketing has become an increasingly important revenue stream for both manufacturers and for creative industries’ financing, and music videos are the latest place for branded items to pop up.

Lady Gaga’s Telephone video was rife with consumer goods. Now it is Britney Spears’ new video for the ravey Hold It Against Me that is getting the treatment.

Billboard points out that in the video, Spears, a Sony artist, can be seen in front of a Sony television, and few up-close shots of the Sony logo that are perhaps more subliminal advertising than brand placement.

The video also has close-ups of Make Up Forever brand of eye shadow and Spears' Radiance brand of fragrance. On one of the Sony monitors Spears can be seen browsing Plenty Of Fish’s online dating site; a placement for which Plenty of Fish paid handsomely. Earlier this week, it was disclosed that Spears was paid $500,000 for product placement in the "Hold It Against Me" video. According to a New York Times article, the placement was arranged by the Kluger group, whose chief executive Adam Kluger told the Times to his knowledge Plenty of Fish is the only paid placement in the video.

Billboard also notes that "Hold It Against Me" director Jonas Akerlund too directed the product-heavy video for "Telephone," which also featured Plenty Of Fish, which seems, well, kind of fishy.

-Court @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Thursday Throwdown: Cold War Kids' Mine is Yours

 

This Thursday we bring you a throwdown between the music elite at Pitchfork and Clash Music over the newest release from the Cold War Kids, Mine Is Yours, which dropped on January 25th.

Pitchfork’s Zach Kelly gave Mine Is Yours a 3.9 out of 10, saying “…the presentation couldn't be any more comically bombastic and melodramatic,” and calling frontman Nathan Willett’s voice “an unlikable, smirky croon, made even more painfully noticeable when he's spouting out gems like, ‘It's a slippery slope, like that Mouse Trap game.'” According to Kelly, the record “ultimately exhausts itself trying to convince you it's not as empty as it actually is.”

While Pitchfork identifies this Cold War Kids effort as shallow, Clash Music’s John Freeman argues that it “digs deep into fractured relationships” and exudes evidence of “soul-searching” and “openness.” Freeman gave the record high 8 out of 10, saying Willett “has created the finest Cold War Kids album yet. Mission epically accomplished.”

What do you think? Head on over to our Facebook and let us know if you agree with either publication.

 -Erin O. @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

The Smiths Say No, Prime Minister

The Smiths perform "Meat Is Murder" in Madrid, in 1985.

Music has a magical ability to connect people from across social divides; occasionally, however, musicians aren't happy with the people they've connected with. The Smiths' famous guitarist Johnny Marr wants British Prime Minister David Cameron to stop name-dropping his band. "Stop saying that you like The Smiths," Marr insisted last week, "no you don't. I forbid you to like it."

In a rare display of unity with his guitarist, the band's former frontman Morrissey has also denounced Cameron's fandom. In a lengthy blog post, he said "I would like to, if I may, offer support to Johnny Marr who has spoken out to the media this week against David Cameron... I think Johnny is right not to be flattered [even though] it is true that music is a universal language." As with most of his public statements these days, Morrissey's main concern is with animal rights. Although hundreds of thousands of carnivores enjoy The Smiths' second album Meat Is Murder, Morrissey's beef with Cameron goes further than vegetarianism.

"David Cameron hunts and shoots and kills stags – apparently for pleasure," Morrissey said. "It was not for such people that either Meat Is Murder or The Queen Is Dead were recorded; in fact, they were made as a reaction against such violence." Prime Minister Cameron might choose a new band to name-check next time he's asked about the contents of his iPod.

--Ally @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Die Antwoord Enter The Guggenheim

(Warning: the above video is pretty weird; and it contains some swearing)

“Zef Side,” the premier viral communiqué from the enigmatic South African rave-rap trio Die Antwoord, was shown at New York's Guggenheim last week as part of a global video art competition titled YouTube Play.

Though the band’s name translates to "the answer" in Afrikaans, their cultivated mystery leaves one with an abundance of questions. Given the group’s pre-Die Antwoord past as members of a jokey “corporate” rap group and an experimental music collective, when Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek preach ghettofabulous Afrikaner “Zef” to the world: Are they being sincere?

They’ve grown comfortable fueling the confusion. “It's alien, all right?” Vi$$er said to LA Times. “It's not really our problem. And not everyone's confused.”

Yet it’s this obfuscation that causes critics to wonder if Die Antwoord is punking the world, similar to Ali G, if they’re akin to discovering some new music species, or if they’re a conceptual art project. Their haunting video “Enter the Ninja” racked up 11 million YouTube views, and their controversial “Evil Boy” video, which features talking breasts, an explicit rap verse about male circumcision and an overabundance of penile imagery, was removed.

One thing is certain: whether it’s an installment in the Guggenheim or their considerable internet presence, Die Antwoord has become part of a cultural conversation that we can scarcely ignore.

--Court @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

These Are a Little Too Similar

Don'cha think?

--Alan Wiley

Nude Erykah Invites Character Assassination

What is the purpose of a music video? Is it just a vehicle for a song, is it to gain the artist attention, or should it be an artistic statement of its own? Erykah Badu achieved all three with her video for new single "Window Seat," which shows the soul star strolling through Dealey Plaza, Dallas, shedding her clothes, and then falling as if shot on the same spot where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Some commentators have criticized the clip as distasteful, and Badu could have faced up to a year in jail if she'd been caught and arrested for public nudity. But most fans and bloggers seem to like the video, which was shot in one take a few weeks ago. "I tied it in a way that compared the assassination to the character assassination one would go through after showing his or her self completely," Badu explained to Dallas Morning News.

"She was already prepared to deal with whatever consequences because she knew she believed in what she was doing," director Chike told MTV, adding that bail money had already been collected in case the police had arrived. And amid all the talk about the rights and wrongs of the video is the news that Badu's fifth studio album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), is out this week. She's a shrewd lady.

The video can also be viewed at Erykah Badu's official website here, it is censored but don't watch it if your boss is looking over your shoulder!

What do you think of the video, and of Erykah's new album?

--Ally @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

'Stylo' Steals, Eddy Alleges

It’s that time again: time for another plagiarism claim!

The newest protest comes from 80s reggae star Eddy Grant about the first single from the new Gorillaz album Plastic Beach. Grant has consulted his lawyers alleging that there are “substantive similarities” between the current Gorillaz single “Stylo” and Grant’s 1983 track “Time Warp.”

In an email to the British music magazine NME, he explained “My song sits almost note to note with their release and is a blatant rip off. ‘Time Warp’ is a very popular song and has been a staple of the DJ scene for many years and I feel total disrespect from Gorillaz and their management company, especially as they are an established act.” Neither Gorillaz nor their label E.M.I. have commented on the situation as of yet, but the argument has already spilled into the public domain with fans of each artist taking a side in the debate.

Still, there is something of a silver lining: Coldplay fans across the globe are breathing a sigh of relief that plagiarism lawyers currently have other artists to concern them.

As is now customary, a helpful Youtube user has uploaded both tracks back to back so we can compare:

And while we're here, if you haven't seen the official Bruce Willis-starring video for "Stylo" yet, we suggest you head over to YouTube to see it, cos it's really cool.

Do you think Eddy has a case? Or do you think it's just a coincidence?

--Hazel @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Joanna Newsom: Have Three On Me

Criticizing an album before anyone's ever heard it would be a bizarre thing to do. Bizarrely, I think I'm going do just that.

Y'see, I'm just a little concerned about one of my favorite artists.

Joanna Newsom's Ys was one of my favorite albums of the last ten years, but she's announced her follow up, Have One On Me, is going to be a triple. There's no track listing yet, but whatever it is will be released on 3xCDs, or 3xLPs.

Is there actually such a thing as a great triple album? Serious question, I'd like to know. There must be a few, but even still - wouldn't they be improved by having a few lesser tracks chopped off to make it a more manageable double album? In fact, wouldn't the vast majority of double albums be improved by being edited down to a single?

I tend to feel that 35-50 minutes is the best length for an album, because shorter than that feels a little too short, but longer is kinda tiring. But how tiring a record is depends on what kind of music it is, too.

Aphex Twin's triple LP (or double CD) Selected Ambient Works II is over two-and-a-half hours of featureless ambiance. Even though that's a long time to do anything (a long time to have headphones on, say), it's easy to let it wash through you and only pick up on the broad movements of mood. On the other hand, Tupac's double-disc All Eyez On Me is 132 minutes --  nearly two-and-a-quarter hours -- and it's exhausting, because you have to listen much closer to hip-hop, to follow the lyrics. That kind of concentration is tough to keep up!

Joanna Newsom is not exactly easy to listen to in the first place. Her voice is polarizing, but even for those of us who like it, Ys, at 55 minutes long, was quite long enough, because her lyrics are so densely arranged that you really have to focus to keep up with them. We don't yet know how long Have One On Me will be, but if it's roughly three hours then that's surely too long to digest in one sitting. And if it's not meant for one sitting, why release it at all together under one name?

Joanna Newsom's music always seems very deliberate: every syllable is carefully measured, every flourish and flair under complete control. You can be sure that there's an explanation for the placing of every antique and animal figure on that cover, above, so the length of the album itself is no half-thought or accident. I imagine she must have some complex conceptual justification, I just can't imagine what it is!

Do you agree that triple albums are a bad idea? Or are you happier to get more songs from longer albums?

Have One On Me will be released on February 23rd. A new song, "Good Intentions Paving Company," is already streaming from her label Drag City's website.

Pink Floyd and Seattle: Another Decade in The Wall

Seems hard to believe, but The Wall by Pink Floyd was released 30 years ago today, November 30, 1979.

And, even harder to believe, the WTO protests in Seattle, also known fondly as The Battle in Seattle or N30, started 10 years ago today, November 30, 1999.

Both of these N30 anti-establishment zeitgeists featured elements of rioting, burning rubbish, and gas masks. Coincidence? I think not.

Pink Floyd, 1979:

Seattle, 1999:

--Lucas Hilbert

Whoah There, Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert has broken free of his Idol chains, and last night at the American Music Awards he unleashed his new, sexed-up image during a performance of the title track from For Your Entertainment (which is out today, incidentally). Dancers on leashes, dancers getting their heads pushed into Mr Lambert's apparently not-so-private parts, Adam snogging a band member... The video is certainly turning some heads.

It's not quite Christina Aguilera debuting the "Dirrty" video, since we knew all along that Adam wasn't of the safe and sweet school of pop thought, but I'd say he did manage to pull out a bit of a shocker - particularly when he grabbed the keyboard player and somewhat forcibly made out with him (talk about band members going above and beyond the call of duty).

Unfortunately the video has already been yanked from YouTube, but The Huffington Post has close-ups of all the highlights (or worst offenses, depending on your perspective). Here's one:

What do you think -- next Madonna or next has-been?

-- Courtney Powell

The Worst Lyric of 2009

For my money, this dubious honor belongs to Five For Fighting for the first song on their new album Slice (also called "Slice"). Behold:

"Have you ready my blog today/300 million little USAs"

Honestly, I've never really liked this band, but, BARF! Really? Really?? You're going there?

Everything about this lyric makes me cringe. I dare you to tell me I'm wrong--I'd love to hear what you think is the worst lyric of 2009. Please share the not-so-poetic lines that made you hate music this year in the comments.

--Alan Wiley

Adam Lambert Releases Album Art

Now, I'm not the biggest Idol fan, but I saw this just-released album cover for Adam Lambert's upcoming release, For Your Entertainment, and it kinda blew me away. I'm really not sure what to make of it--I feel simultaneously drawn to it and vaguely horrified:

What do you think?

--Alan Wiley

Mariah Carey: The Accidental Comedienne

 Mariah Carey is the Rainman of pop music. Focused, blank faced and sometimes capable of genius. Each toothpick lying on the diner floor is a hit song; each cheese puff is a music video featuring a greased-up, jiggling Mariah bearing an expression that translates to either a)Tabula Rasa; or b) “I’ve had too much turkey dinner.” I can’t tell. My Latin ain’t so good.
It goes without saying that Mariah Carey is an undisputed talent who has achieved greatness. She has a reported 5-octave voice and has sold something in the neighborhood of, what – like 200 million records?  Amazing! I used to get chills listening to she and Whitney Houston dominate radio in the early 90s with pop songs that showcased considerable soul and range. Like major powerhouse vocal business. It just knocked me to hear voices like that. Whitney disappeared from the scene and Mariah stole it, supplementing her vocal range with some kind of fantastical Hip Hop genie oil that, when applied directly to skin, creates MTV and radio perfection. A quick scan through music video history finds Mariah in all manner of locale (a school, a countryside hoedown, in water, in posh cars, on various silk beds, in her knickers, in bikini in front of Vuitton luggage, in mansions, etc.), jiggling awkwardly and touching herself prettily while wearing a bloated, vacant smile that reminds me a bit of Patrick Swayze’s smile in Ghost when his spirit left Oda Mae for the last time. Perhaps the smile is just a way of coping with the interminable breeze that seems to follow the poor woman around onscreen (it’s always windy in her videos, which is perplexing considering many of them take place indoors.).  A couple vids from the early years are below, but the new ones, the really gross/awesome ones ("Don't Forget About Us," "We Belong Together," "Say Somethin'," "Touch My Body"), cannot be shown here, sadly. "Embedding disabled by request." (Sigh*).

"Someday": (School):

"Dreamlover" (Countryside): 


The lips parted, peekaboo glances and self love that mark her music video performances could be almost lovable if there were something substantial -- like her shining TALENT, for example -- to anchor it. There's not. The last few albums have been produced within an inch of their digital lives, her vocals seemingly quadruple tracked and Pro-Tooled to bits, only to be ultimately sidelined by Hip Hop glitterati guest appearances. I’m all for double-tracking vocals (Dave Gilmour in Dark Side of the Moon, anyone?) and collaborating with your buddies but at some point it becomes a major bummer. 
The vocal legend’s latest (with its straight-faced title), Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, provides no reprieve on the bummer front. More breathy vocal business. More songs with barely any sung words. More tiny dresses fit to burst. More indoor breezes. More self-conscious touching of the face and hair. More lazy grins. More killer song titles like “Angels Cry” and “H.A.T.E.U.” (although to be fair, "H.A.T.E.U." is  one of the finest songs on the album). A quick aside: while Memoirs… came close to winning the award for Best Accidentally-Comedic Album Title, the trophy still stays safe in the harbors of Mariah’s 2008 release, E=MC2.
I know the new album has sold a quarter of a million and that my opinion may elicit derision from some, but folks - please be gentle. I am an imperfect angel; Don’t H.A.T.E.ME. Love me, love me…

--Leslie Beattie

30 Second To Mars LP Will Feature 2000 Fans on 2000 Covers

Determined to give a little back to their fans, 30 Seconds To Mars invited willing travelers to mass recording sessions in April so that fans could sing on their forthcoming release, This Is War. For those fans who couldn’t make it, or who know they can’t carry a tune, the band has created another opportunity to be on the album. Fans are invited to take mugshots of themselves and upload them to the official 30 Seconds To Mars website; the first two thousand who do so will have their picture featured on one of two thousand different album covers. In an interview with AOL Spinner, frontman Jared Leto said “I thought that the ‘Faces of Mars’ campaign would be a way to acknowledge all the people who have supported us throughout the years.”

The album itself has already caused a great deal of controversy, with their record label Virgin filing a $30m lawsuit against the band last year because the lateness of the record allowed the band to terminate their contract. The lawsuit was eventually halted, resulting in renewed expectations for an imminent release: it was initially expected in April, then September, then October; now it’s been put back to the end of November. Is that enough time to design and manufacture an album with two thousand different covers? Eager fans may have to wait quite a while before they get their fractional moments of fame.

--Hazel @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We'll be posting a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike every week; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

KRS-One: "Def Jam singlehandedly destroyed hip-hop."

KRS-One weighed in on Def Jam Records' legacy (which he believes "sucks, straight up") at last week's filming of the 2009 Vh1 Hip-Hop Honors--an event honoring the legacy of Def Jam Records. Watch the video (via xxl):

While Kris somewhat confusingly flips back and forth between harsh words and claims of love and respect for Def Jam, his criticism rings much more sincere than the praise he uses to pad it. It seems everybody likes to point the finger at someone else for killing hip hip--even the man who released an album entitled "Hip-Hop Lives" in 2007 as a sort of retort to Nas' 2006 "Hip-Hop is Dead."

Jeru the Damaja handled the subject with a bit more elegance on 1996's Wrath of the Math, blaming Sean "Diddy" Combs and his Bad Boy Records imprint for the decline and commercialization of hip-hop in the 90s. In the storytelling lyrics of "One Day," hip-hop is kidnapped by the Bad Boy crew, dressed up in a Versace suit and fake alligator boots, and forced to quaff Cristal with the likes of Foxy Brown... who was actually a Def Jam artist at the time. So maybe The Teacher has a point.

Is hip-hop dead? Alive? Did Def Jam kill it? See what other hip-hop recording artists think of the label when Vh1's celebration airs on Tuesday, October 13th, at 9 pm ET/PT.

-- Courtney Powell

Maybe Kanye Was Right

     

     --Jason Kirk

Kanye and Gaga at the MTV Video Music Awards

The media was buzzing this morning over Kanye West's outburst at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.  If you haven't already heard, Kanye rushed onstage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video, snatched the mic, and loudly proclaimed that Beyoncé had "one of the best videos of all time." 

For some reason, this doesn't surprise me at all.  It's Kanye, after all.  And while this particular incident is all over the media today, it will blow over fairly quickly, as these things tend to do.  I was, however, mildly curious about seeing the actual incident, so I dug up some video.  Check it out below.

I also came across the video of Lady Gaga performing "Paparazzi" at the awards, and what a performance it was.  I found it thoroughly entertaining--dramatic, satirical, and "bloody" good fun (you'll see what I mean if you watch the video.)  And she can actually sing live, too.  Sometimes her musical ability is overshadowed by her penchant for the outrageous, but she's quite the musician, IMHO.      

--Bri Nguyen

the beatles in mono: first impressions

It's a miracle I didn't call in sick today, 09.09.09. By noon the faithful brown box was sitting on my doorstep. 

Help!, so to speak. Weigh in and tell me if you've heard the mono box set, and what your first impressions are.  My listening has been totally random.  I've listened to Help! (mono set), Hard Day's Night, Sgt. Pepper's, and Disc 1 of Mono Masters.

Unless you've got a stupidly high end gramophone player and a collection of pristine LPs (for the stuff that was ever on LP vinyl) - have they ever sounded this good?  Certainly in 20 plus years since these came out on CD the first time, technical advances alone, make them sound way better, but I like the unobtrusive hand with which Abbey Road have polished these up.  To my ear they're not only clean as a whistle but the dynamic range seems huge and there is infinitesimal tweaking that you seldom notice.  A little lift in the bass here, guitar there.  I haven't done an A/B comparison yet, which will be the true test.

I can't list everything that's struck me in the last couple of hours (mostly positive), but if you've snagged a copy of these, check out the woodwinds at the beginning of "When I'm Sixty-Four", all the percussion in the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"  (Strewth! - Chad Smith and Alan White etc. owe Ringo a debt of gratitude).  The Mono Masters is mostly stuff I haven't really heard unless it was on the radio or from a jukebox, so things like the depth of the sound at the opening of "Love Me Do" (single version), left their mark.

Packaging is cute too.  I have to laugh at the irony of reducing the original album art to the size of a CD.  Anyone old enough to remember this stuff, first time around needs a lot of help reading the original notes!

What is the verdict?  Thumbs up or down?

Speech Debelle Wins 2009 Mercury Prize

London rapper Speech Debelle is the surprise winner of the 2009 Mercury Music Prize. Her debut album Speech Therapy won the award, which is given to the best album of the last 12 months by a British or Irish artist according to a panel of judges. The prize comes with a check for £20,000 ($33,000), and it will give a huge boost to her profile. Reportedly, prior to its nomination Speech Therapy had sold only 3,000 copies. After nomination she was quoted as a 15/1 long-shot, though odds had shortened nearer the ceremony. She told the BBC after winning: "It feels so much better than I imagined. I don't really get emotional but I'm emotional now. This proves that if you believe in something, you can achieve it." Speech Debelle's victory was a big surprise, with several better-known names also in the running. Florence and the Machine were favorites, thanks to debut album Lungs, while Glasvegas, Kasabian, Bat For Lashes and Friendly Fires were also all widely tipped. Last year's award was won by Elbow's fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid.

So what do you think - do you agree with the judges' choice? Here's a few videos of the budding star to help you decide:

"The Key" is available as a free download from Amazon here, and British fans can download the entire album for £3 from here.

--Ally @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We'll be posting a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike every week; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.