Three Grown Men

There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to catch your favorite acts live. Sometimes they only tour twice a decade (Daft Punk), sometimes they disband before you get a chance to see them (Talking Heads), sometimes they die (Elliott Smith) and sometimes they just plain never existed. Here’s a list of Three Grown Men’s favorite fictional acts…

Name:  “Bleeding Gums” Murphy
From: The Simpsons (TV Series)
Why: “Bleeding Gums” was the real deal. A struggling saxophonist who played on the moonlit bridges of Springfield to no one in particular. He had one successful album, Sax on the Beach, but squandered his money like a bluesman often will. Everyone knows you don’t write good tunes when you’re flush. Luckily, he was able to impart some of his woodwind wisdom to Lisa before passing away.
Closest Thing in Real Life: Sonny Rollins
Clip or quote: An epic Star-Spangled Banner

READ ON for nine more great fictional acts…

For better or worse, Apple has changed how we access and interact with music.  Almost everyone has an opinion on the relative good or evil involved…but the indelible fact is that when molds are broken, experiments begin and new ideas take shape.

Aside from the rising popularity of vinyl records, one of the finest by-products to emerge from Apple’s digital conquest is the podcast.

Kevin Smallwood on Truth & Soul Radio

Since their inception, I’ve privately refused to enjoy “podcasts”. Now that I’m writing this, let me state as a matter of fact: I privately refuse to enjoy podcasts. Call me a hater – but personally, the art is too difficult to access. First, the single track format kills the listening experience. I suppose that statement makes me product of my generation but lets face it, there’s a lot of crap out there and the fast-forward button is an extremely undervalued commodity.

The second characteristic I have a tough time with is the “DJ” that walks me through the music. By loose definition, this nuance destroys the concept of discovery, doesn’t it? It has always reminded me of being on a road trip with a guy (or girl) interjecting their personal narrative between the tracks of their Awesome Mix – Vol. 6. It’s not like a radio DJ who serves more as a customer service representative. These Pod-J’s(?) essentially make you hear songs their way and there’s a bit of guilt trip if you want to fast forward, as if you’d miss full enlightenment by skipping tracks.

READ ON for more from Three Grown Men on podcasts…

Phish has influenced us in many ways aside from depleting our bank accounts. We are Phish fans and not only because we love their music, the tour or the garlic grilled cheeses, but because the music they have introduced us to has helped push us out of the bubble. As Three Grown Men, we have been able to branch out our musical tastes, and we must give some of the credit to Trey, Mike, Page and Jon.

Jonathan Kosakow on Phish’s general musical influence:

I still remember a single moment in high school English class. For some reason unknown to me today, we were discussing the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but everyone was unsure the name of the song. I said Also Sprach Zarathustra and let everyone think I was cultured while they looked at me in disbelief – “This kid knows the name of that tune?” But, I sure as hell wasn’t about to tell everyone, “Phish covers it.” They’d have written me off immediately. Not that it helped anything, though: I was soon knocked out of high-level English and into the remedial class (that’s right you overachievers, look who speaks English NOW).

Bitter resentment aside, it was that moment I realized that Phish was just the frame of an open door to a world of music. I almost hate to admit how overwhelmingly responsible Phish has been for my ventures into that world, but it’s true.  And not just because they opened me up to one band, or one album, or one genre, but because of the many random bands I may not have listened to otherwise.

Had it not been for their cover of Peaches En Regalia I may never have dug out my father’s old vinyl copy of Hot Rats, and Zappa’s guitar wouldn’t have ripped me to shreds the first time I listened to Willie the Pimp. I wouldn’t have fallen for Talking Heads like a schoolboy in love either.  And, if it weren’t for the fact that Phish covered Little Feat three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have Waiting for Columbus on repeat for the tenth time since then. Somehow, whether I want to admit it or not, those four goofy longhairs from Vermont managed to show me the way.

READ ON for more on how Phish expanded 3GM’s horizons…

Several weeks ago, in Postcards From Page Side, HT Featured Columnist Brian Bavosa looked at the influence technology has had over the past decade, which sparked a debate – is today’s music technology creating too much noise or making music better? Here’s what 2/3rds of Three Grown Men had to say…

Jonathan Kosakow:

Along with the increase of technology – Email, cell phones, iPods and the Apple Genius bar – comes a flood of useless information, the likes of which would’ve drowned Noah and sunk his beloved Ark. Included in this deluge are camera-phone concert videos, angry user comments, made-at-home techno and YouTube phenoms.  At times – and by that I mean ALL the time – it’s just too much for one person with a craving to know more to handle.

People want to be heard, and granted there are some talented, un-famous hobbyists out there who deserve to be heard, but I’d just as soon ignore them all and give more listening time to the dedicated artist and the impassioned geniuses.  People like Jeff Tweedy or Thom Yorke who break new ground and make our generation musically relevant.  Just because anyone can fart into a Mac Book and run it through auto-tune doesn’t mean they necessarily should.  We all laughed at the “What What In the Butt” song, but can any of us remember the name of the guy who made it?

Conor Kelley:

True, we have almost unlimited access to information now. But, try to remember, the recent onslaught of attainable data applies to both good and bad information. I’m a firm believer that the law of conservation of mass applies to bullshit. Meaning that steaming piles of BS can be neither destroyed or created. There will just always be a fixed amount of it out there in the world. Sure, YouTube has allowed us to feast our eyes on the talentless and delusional, but human beings have always been talentless and delusional (This probably doesn’t apply to you reader. Keep working on that didgeridoo concept album. It’s sounding really good!).

READ ON for more of Three Grown Men’s debate…

Every time Kanye West releases a song or video, makes an appearance on the VMA’s or is made fun of on South Park, it stirs a debate. Is Kanye an incredibly ambitious musician, a public figure of epic proportions tackling race, culture and art all in one fell swoop, or a clown in king’s clothing?

Here’s what Three Grown Men had to say about it…

Jonathan Kosakow on Kanye as musician:

The line that sticks out in my head the most from Kanye’s 35-minute “epic” is probably the last one that he wants to be remembered by. “We ain’t married but tonight I need some consummation.” In other words, Kanye wants to fuck you, but he won’t be giving you anything in return.  

READ ON for more takes on Kanye’s latest video…