Top 5 Sellouts of this Century

   Few things enrage music fans than seeing their favorite bands sellout.  Sales decline, record companies get impatient and artists get bored and the end result is a different, more mainstream musical direction.

5. Gwen Stefani/No Doubt:  When No Doubt was in their rock/ska/pop prime, Gwen Stefani was anything but sexy.  At times, one might mistake her for a man.  Years later into her solo career, she's shaking her ass. I blame American culture to a degree:  It isn't kind to homely women.

4. The Offspring:  How the hell did Noodles and the bunch go from "Why Don't You Get a Job" and "The Kids Aren't Alright" to the teary-eyed ballad "Kristy Are You Doing OK" and harmonic "Days Go By?"  There's no punk left in The Offspring.

3. Black Eyed Peas:  I don't think the Black Eyed Peas ever produced quality music.  Fans of the artist, and I use the term artist loosely, bemoan their The E.N.D album and their departure from hip-hop.

2. Green Day:  Years ago, I told my sister, a contemporary Green Day fan, "if they would have changed their  name and created a distinct separation from their old work, I would accept American Idiot."  Instead, Green Day's subject matter turned from smoking weed and jerking off to deeper, political topics between 2000 and 2004.

1. Linkin Park:  When I had a column in the Norwin Knight Krier, I ripped their new album apart.  Minutes to Midnight marked the end of the rapcore, synth driven, edgy sound of Meteora and Hybrid Theory and the  beginning of crowd pleasing ballads like Leave out All The Rest.  Their most recent album, 10,000 Suns appeals further to the masses and is complete shit.

Zune with the Wind

  Consider the word "Zune."  What comes to mind?  Archaic? Flop? 

   Microsoft released the "Zune," their best stab at an MP3 player seven or eight years ago.  It was thick, angular, black plastic device: Microsoft's "antiPod." The famous iPod wheel was a "squirkle," the Zune had a few more buttons, and the display was much darker.  The screws were prominant and the angles were sharp. Much to everyone's surprise, the Zune never took off. 

   Consumers continued buying iPods and Zune sales continued to lag until Zune introduced the Zune HD, desiged to compete with the iPod Touch.

   The HD was a complete failure and it marked the end of the Zune, as Microsoft discontinued their famous flop a few years ago.

   Why did it fail?  Did it suck that bad? 

   I owned two Zunes.  A first gen one like this:

And a second gen one like this:

   I also owned two iPod Touches.  One was stolen and I sold the other.  The Zunes were ok.  I felt so edgy being the only kid without an iPod.  Neither Zune outclassed the iPod.  My first Zune refused to turn on for some bizzarre reason, so I upgraded.  The new Zune worked for a few months and died as well. 

 

   The Zune paled in comparison to the iPod and is a classic example of the Apple takeover.  Sales never accounted for more than eight or nine percent of the total market for portable music players.  I wouldn't be surprised if some walkmans outsold the Zune.  The only reason to ever own a Zune is to take a sale away from Apple and appear edgy to your friends.

Lil Wayne's Condition Stable

 

 

   Lil Wayne remains in intensive care following an epileptic fit last week.  Reports say he listened to his own music for the first time and began to convulse.  His condition is no longer critical, much to my chagrin.  The music world would not mourn the passing of a codeine addicted, talent-less rapper who can't even play the guitar.  We can only pray that Kanye West, the gayest fish of all time is next.

 

 

Picture courtesy of newgrounds.com

Irwin Music

   Historic Irwin has some nice music.  Irwin's chapter of the Moose holds live music upstairs.  Main Street Music and the Music Room provide lessons just a couple hundred yards from each other.  The borough is trying to reopen the dilapidated Lamp Theater. Further down the street, Cafe Supreme offers live music.

   Cafe Supreme is divided into two levels:  The restaurant and the "down under."  Down under, they host birthday parties with DJs and other forms of live entertainment.  Every Wednesday evening holds an open mic night upstairs.

  A sharp divide exists among Cafe goers:  The old crowd, and the rough young crowd.  The older crowd loves the old jazz and blues fellow blue hairs croon to, while the young crowd, typically burnouts that just passed high school cheer on newer tunes.

  I performed at Cafe Supreme for the first time last Wednesday with my sister.  We performed right before fellow North Huntingdon guitarist/singer/recent graduate Cody Thornton.  Today, we return to Cafe Supreme,  armed with a couple new songs.

Music Shops in the Area

   Listed below are five well known music stores in the Irwin/Greensburg area:

Monroeville Guitar Center - Guitar Center is the Walmart of instrument stores.  GC's are slowly pushing the smaller stores out of business.  Guitar Center is also affiliated with Musician's Friend.

Vittone's - Vittones is located next to Gabriel Brothers, off of Route 30 in Greensburg and offers a variety of stringed and classical instruments, repairs and PA rentals.  Some of their prices are a little ridiculous.  I once paid $20 for a pack of Elixir Acoustic strings.

Cindy's Guitar Plus - Cindy's is also off of Route 30, located in the lower Plaza next to Phoenix Stadium 18 in North Versailles. I got my start at Cindy's and know the surly owner, Randy.  Cindy's also offers lessons, repairs and starter packs. 

Main Street Music - Formerly Swissvale Music, Main Street Music is now located on Main Street, Irwin.  They offer repairs, retail, rentals and lessons.

Progressive Music - Progressive is located on Walnut Street/Fifth Avenue/148 in McKeesport and was named one of the top 100 music stores nation wide.  They offer rentals, repairs and lessons.

Let me know if I left any stores out.