Apparently an early 80’s Japanese music genre called City Pop is exploding on the internet right now. As a watcher of 80’s anime, I’m used to it, but it is nice to see this music getting it’s due. Everything old is new again!
Plastic Love (the song taking YouTube by storm)
What is Plastic Love (about a City Pop single which has recently shot up in popularity on YouTube)
A Brief History of City Pop
In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by their friend Richard Moule to discuss music and how it affects us. The trio explore the physical processes behind our reactions and interactions with music and discuss how music and humans evolved together over time. The three also delve into music as soundtrack, and discuss the ways in which moviemakers use music to control and shape the emotions of the audience. All this, and why John Williams owes Gustav Holst royalties is waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.
Rob and Richard Moule at an Iron Maiden Concert (Rob is the tall guy!)
In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by music historian Richard Moule to discuss their mutual love and admiration for the musical art form known as Heavy Metal. The trio trace Metal’s history and inspirations, and talk about how metal became THE nerdly music of choice. All this, and why Death Metal is really redneck music, here for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.
Musical geeks are the most entertaining geeks, because they find ways to combine their musical talents with their geeky hobbies in fun ways. Case in point- The Piano Guys, who use a variety of instruments (but mostly pianos) to produce fun and creative music videos.
The coolest thing you’re going to hear today:
Last night I had the honor of attending my very first heavy metal concert at Sarnia’s Bayfest music festival. The moment my friend Richard Moule told me about the lineup to last night’s show, Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper, I wanted in. I mean, I’ve been an Iron Maiden fan since my friend Don introduced me to them back in University, and my admiration for them has only grown over the years.
And, finally after months of waiting, the day finally arrived, and we drove down to Sarnia to see them.
Overall, I’d have to say I was thoroughly impressed. Alice Cooper’s show was good (although I imagine he can do better when he’s not just the opening act), but seeing Iron Maiden in concert was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
It took a bit, but the energy that was going through that crowd last night was amazing, and it was hard not to get swept up in the show. My voice this morning in hoarse from singing along, and why not? I knew most of the songs they were singing off by heart, as did most of the audience, and that really made the whole show both personal and a real communal experience. They even turned the audience into a giant instrument at points, which during the song Fear of the Dark is something that has to be experienced to be understood, although I think this video can give you the idea-
Hear that chorus? That’s the audience, not the singers. So intense!
Would I see them again?
In a heartbeat! truly amazing show.
It’s just too bad they didn’t play my favorite song- Die With Your Boots On
I don’t play Skyrim, but I have to say his vocal work impresses the heck out of me. Her violin work is great too.
Another great tune from the 60’s (actually 1959, but close enough!), this one from the Sci-Fi movie Battle in Outer Space by the music master Akira Ifukube. I think it got reused a lot in later Japanese films, as I remember hearing it quite a bit as a kid.
…the US music industry is making less than half of what it made at its 1999 peak of $14.4 billion. It currently makes about $6.3 billion. Why did it drop so fast? Piracy, right?
Wrong. First of all, a fun little fact: that $6.3 billion figure is only album sales. Not ringtones, not licensing rights, not merchandise sales, none of that is included. Why don’t they include that? Because then you’d know they’re still making between $9 and $10 billion
via Pop Didn’t Eat Itself: Why Piracy Didn’t Destroy the Music Industry.
