something old but new, new and old – music post

So.

 

This is a nifty 3 part music post.  Mostly because I was too lazy to create three separate posts.

 

First.

 

Old but new …. “Old Man.”

Yeah.

 

“Old Man” by Neil Young.  But not Neil this time.

 

Ok.

 

This first one is awesome. One of my favorite Neil Young songs of all time “old man” but made into a rap/hip hop song. And a great hip hop song.

The band is Redlight King.

 

I don’t really know shit about them (but I found out some stuff which I will share below).  What I do know is I love what they did with this Neil Young song.

 

As a bonus?

The song reminds me of everything I love about Neil Young (he had to have given his permission to sample the song) and everything I love about great hip hop (sampling classics and showing how they are relevant and timeless).

 

What they do with Old Man is the perfection of sampling.  And they even weave in some original Neil (whoda thunk we would ever hear Neil Young rapping?).

 

Old Man: http://redlightkingmusic.com

 

 

Ok.

 

Redlight King. Redlight King is a white guitarist (the “white guitarist is from Ontario – I would tell you where specifically but most of us think of Canada as just the ‘great white north’ – and his name is Mark Kasperczyk, or “Kaz”).

 

His first song is “Old Man” based on a rocky patch he had endured with his father.

It is a song “with a melodic strut intertwined with a hip hop groove sampling Neil Young’s iconic “I don’t want YOUR life” story in  “Old Man” creating a song with the same name but a completely different contemporary vibe.

 

As an FYI.

Crusty ole Neil has rarely lent his music for sampling.

 

So good for him I say.

 

 

Look.

I may not like another thing they (he?) do but they will always hold a nice spot in my listening heart for what they did here.  They took an awesome classic song and brought it to an entirely new generation of listeners.  The message of Old Man was good then.  It is good now. And that is all that really matters when you thing about crap like this.

Great music carries forward great messages.  If that is what Redlight King has done than let us give them credit where it is due.

Enjoy.

 

 

 

Next.

 

The new .. Scars on 45 “Give me Something.”

 

Whew.

 

This song is about everything I love in new music.  A great hook. Great melody.  Great refrain. Great listening song.

 

Scars on 45 are a new band.  Here is what I know. Scars on 45 are an acoustic indie-pop band from Leeds, England. They kind of have an alternative/acoustic indie-pop kind of thing. In their words … “I guess one could call it Fleetwood Mac meets Brit-Pop meets Ryan Adams.”
And beyond that here is what I know. “Give me Something” is a great radio song.

 

 

Give Me Something: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GNWH9ZmT2Y&feature=related

 

 

I have no clue whether they will ever do anything as good but … frankly … I don’t care.  In this age of buying individual songs off iTunes instead of buying entire cds who cares if they do anything else. It is a frickin’ good song.

 

 

And now the last.

 

 

The old.

 

Ok.

 

 

So I am throwing this in on the end because I heard this song on the radio the other night and it reminded me of how good old classic songs are good contemporary songs.

 

Good songs are timeless.

But this one may scare you at the beginning.

Cause its REO Speedwagon.

Ok.  Let’s remember (or let me remind you).

Before REO became this sappy Kevin Cronin driven schlock band they created some awesome rock music.

What reminded me was that I was driving home and I heard “Roll with the Changes.”

Awesome.

 

 

Roll with the Changes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgLPriZUSA

 

 

Look.

Before all the sappy crap they were just “the Wagon” and they cranked out some good stuff.

 

“Keep Pushin.” Awesome.

 

“Riding the Storm Out” (which I believe they still end every concert with).

 

Awesome.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPk4EX2GDc0&feature=related

 

 

“Time for me to Fly” (their original ballad song).  Awesome.

 

 

And “Roll with the Changes” which is a non stop riff rolling song.

Those songs defined “The Wagon” and should be remembered as the original band and the original sound.  And as I noted with “Old Man” upfront … they are timelessly good. You can listen to any of these songs today and you will still tap your toe and maybe drive an extra 5 miles an hour as you listen.  They just get your heart pumpin’ a little and they are just damn good to listen to.

 

 

Ok.

 

That’s my three part music post for today.

Something old but new.

Something new.

Something old.

Something for everyone.

 

 

All good.

Enjoy.

Written by Bruce