Friday, August 22, 2008

COMMERCIAL ROCK MUSIC ISN'T QUITE DEAD YET

From Wikipedia:

MGMT

MGMT (previously known as The Management) is an American musical group based in Brooklyn, New York consisting of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. Originally with New York-based Cantora Records, they signed on with Columbia Records/Red Ink/Sony in 2006. On October 5, 2007, Spin.com named MGMT "Artist of the Day". On November 14, 2007 Rolling Stone pegged MGMT as a top 10 "Artist to Watch" in 2008. The band was recently named 9th in the BBC's Sound of 2008 top 10 poll.

And

They experimented with noise rock and electronica before settling on what David Marchese of Spin magazine calls "their current brand of shape-shifting psychedelic pop."

More here.

I caught an MGMT video last night on VH1 while I was channel surfing between commercials, or something like that, and it really blew me away. Proof positive that, while rock music is definitely sick and on its last legs, as a relevant mass culture genre at any rate, there's still some breath left in the now venerable pop culture music form.

I dug up the video, for their song "Electric Feel," on YouTube, but wouldn't you know it, embedding is disabled. So go check it out here. It reminds me of 1970s era Rolling Stones, my favorite version of the dinosaur Brit band, funky and New York hip, which makes sense because MGMT is from Brooklyn.

Here, check out some 70s Stones, "Emotional Rescue," which is the closest to what MGMT appears to be doing with "Electric Feel":



I'm still pissed at the Stones for what they did to the Verve, but at least they'll let you embed their fucking videos.

I wonder when rock will finally die.


MGMT

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$