Opinion
Friday, February 3, 2012
Opinion / Jeff Hahne Will Madonna at the Super Bowl be the best or worst halftime we've seen?
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Everyone has a favorite and least favorite Super Bowl halftime performance — though none has truly been fantastic. For some, Janet Jackson's 2004 "Nipplegate" will forever be at the top of their list — good if you liked the sight of her exposed breast, bad if you think it ruined children's minds and the concept of nipple shields.
For others, The Who in 2010 was at the top of the bad list — though I didn't think it was horrible. I could have done without 1991's New Kids on the Block. I thought Prince gave it a good shot in 2007. I thought Black Eyed Peas last year were about as commercial as it could possibly get.
I think the halftime show is made out to be as far reaching and bland as possible, only cool to those who find their favorite songs/artists on Top 40 radio. No chance we'll ever see a Radiohead, Arcade Fire or My Morning Jacket on there. I even think Mumford & Sons would be too polarizing.
This year, we'll be "entertained" by Madonna, Nicki Minaj, MIA, Cee-Lo Green and LMFAO. OMFG. Yep, this one has the potential to be the worst we've seen. Madonna will sing "Vogue," she'll be joined by LMFAO for "Music" sing "Give Me All Your Luvin" with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. and she'll wrap it up with "Like A Prayer" with Cee-Lo. Yep, this Sunday's could be horrible.
For me, the moment when the Super Bowl Halftime performance truly "jumped the shark" was in 2001. The perfect blending of rock and commercial pop. Take a look:
From Justin Timberlake's funky chicken and running man dances to Britney Spears lip-synching and shaking her half-naked body into the hearts of teens everywhere... Nelly's rapping isn't in the same league as the collaboration of Aerosmith and Run DMC. The line dancing at the end and Spears/NSync trying to find some street cred. This one had to be the worst I've seen...
They've tried to redeem themselves with Prince, the Rolling Stones, The Who, but it's always far too commerical, cheesy and lip-synched to ever be as "cool" as you hope. It's always a solid debate, so, what's your least favorite?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Opinion Nashville Scene publishes 12th Annual Country Music Poll
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Our sister paper in Nashville, The Nashville Scene, has released its 12th Annual County Music Poll. As the editors tallied the results, it became clear that 2011 was dominated by Miranda Lambert the solo artist vs. Miranda Lambert, member of the trio Pistol Annies.
The result was something of a split decision. Pistol Annies, Lambert's trio with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, won the Album of the Year voting with their debut effort, Hell on Heels, which established a comfortable lead over Lambert's No. 2 album, Four the Record. The title track from the Pistol Annies' album was voted the No. 2 single — edging Lambert's No. 3 "Baggage Claim" but falling short of Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter's No. 1 "You and Tequila." Pistol Annies were voted the Best Group or Duo and the Best New Artist, but Lambert was named the Best Female Vocalist, Best Songwriter and Artist of the Year.
Music journalist Geoffrey Himes' annual list has become country music's version of legendary rock crit Robert Christgau's influential Village Voice "Pazz and Jop" poll, which has run in some form since the early '70s and focuses on pop and rock.
The Scene's results include the top 30 albums, top 20 singles, top 10 reissues, top 10 male and female vocalists, top 10 live acts, top 10 songwriters, top 10 duos or groups, top 5 new artists and the 10 artists of the year. You can read more about their decisions here and find the results here.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Opinion All hail Duane Allman, who died 40 years ago
Posted by John Grooms on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 2:14 PM
- Ed Berman
- Duane Allman at the Fillmore East in NYC, 1971
There’s an advantage to being a baby boomer from the South. Namely, I was lucky enough to see the original Allman Brothers Band, with Duane Allman, seven times before he died at age 24 from a motorcycle crash in Macon, Ga. One of those seven shows took place in a club in Spartanburg, S.C., called The Sitar, just after the August 1970 release of the band’s second album, Idlewild South.
Some friends and I were seated about eight feet from the low stage, with Duane right in front of me. At one point I was nearly hypnotized, focusing on Duane’s hands as he smoothly wove his way in and out and through a series of complicated slide guitar lines. I suddenly looked up from his hands, and was dumbfounded to realize that while he was producing those intricate, speed-of-sound licks, Duane had been leaning over, having a casual conversation with bass player Berry Oakley — as if his mind-blowing guitar breaks were effortless.
I saw the band three more times after that, including the two legendary Love Valley Pop Festival shows, but that one moment is what I first think of whenever Duane’s name is brought up. The original Alllman Brothers Band lineup is generally recognized as one of the finest, and most finely honed, touring bands of all time. I imagine that’s true; all I can tell you is that the times I saw them, they were never less than fantastic, every single time.
Check out the excerpt below of Duane and the boys in 1970 playing one of their signature songs, “Whipping Post.”
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Opinion Looking back on Nirvana's "Nevermind"
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 8:45 AM
As announcements of the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind began to pop up —Â it was released on Sept. 24, 1991 — I remembered back to when I first heard the band's music.
I was heading into my senior year of high school when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video was just starting to hit the airwaves in 1991. In those days, you always got your music through MTV first — they still played videos the majority of the time instead of constant repeats of orange-toned Jersey Shore personalities and pregnant teenagers.
I remember hearing the song and enjoying the video — images of cheerleaders with anarchy symbols on their tanktops and free-for-all mosh pits breaking out in a gymnasium — but also wondering what the hell Kurt Cobain was singing. Something about an albino mosquito and his libido…? I wasn’t quite sure, but I didn’t really care, either. For so many people, the song’s energy summed up the attitude of the time — a sense of rebellion was needed in music.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Opinion iFrogz vs. Ultimate Ears 700
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 11:07 AM
A couple of weeks ago, a pair of Wicked ear buds that I got last year and reviewed met their demise as the connection became frayed and they no longer worked.
As I sought out a replacement, I thought it might make sense to compare the high and low end of ear buds by checking out a $10 pair of iFrogz from Walmart and a $150 pair of Ultimate Ears 700.
First off, from a quality standpoint, there's definitely a difference. The iFrogz cord is flimsy and rubbery while Ultimate Ears offers a more secure connection and sleeker feel to its cord. The buds themselves are smaller with the Ultimate Ears and there are also more options when it comes to fit.
Ultimate Ears provides five different sizes of covers along with a protective case and some foam tips. Both pairs offer noise reduction, though a better fit with Ultimate Ears, thanks to the size options, gives more reduction than the iFrogz. The sound reduction is enough with the UE700 that I couldn't hear co-workers talking around me, even with music on a low volume.
But what about the sound?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Opinion / Jeff Hahne Don't expect a Britney Spears review...
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 12:36 PM
I've been asked a few times recently if I'm planning on reviewing the upcoming Britney Spears concert at Time Warner Cable Arena on Aug. 25. The answer is "no." And here's why...
She lip syncs. Yep, it's that simple. I don't care if she dances her ass off (which she doesn't anymore), the simple fact is that she doesn't sing live. It's one step above watching Milli Vanilli.
Spears has the audacity to charge her fans anywhere from $38 to more than $300 for a ticket and then simply dance around the stage and do some costume changes.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Opinion / Jeff Hahne Remembering Jerry Garcia
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 10:30 AM
On this day, Aug. 9, back in 1995, the music world lost one of its best with the death of Jerry Garcia and things haven't been the same since...
The Grateful Dead was a touring band and their fans followed them everywhere. The band could play a week of dates in New York City and never play the same song twice.
I saw The Grateful Dead with Garcia at the helm a handful of times in the early '90s and, before you ask, yes, I became a fan before "Touch of Grey" came out.
It was my brother who introduced me to them. He was (and still is) a huge fan and would play Dead CDs on the stereo in his room all the time, blanketing the upstairs of our New Jersey house with the bluegrass-infused style of Garcia's riffs, the warmth and age of his vocals, the jams of the band as a whole.
At first, I wrote the band off as slow and sleepy folk music, but when I actually sat down and listened, I quickly became absorbed by it.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Opinion Update: Wicked ear buds
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 12:29 PM
So, almost exactly one year ago to the day, I received some Wicked ear buds and reviewed them. They've been great — solid quality music and comfortable to wear.
I must now report an update and say — the ear buds have died. I guess countless times of unplugging them from my computer has killed them. The wire has frayed and now they no longer transmit sound...
R.I.P. ear buds. You served me well, but only for a year.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Videos / Opinion Katy Perry knows how to party
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Katy Perry has released the video for her song "Last Friday Night." It's a terrible piece of pop crap that appears to celebrate the art of the hangover, regretful sex and other interesting tidbits of life. Yep, this is the kind of stuff that young teenagers will listen to for ideas about what to do this weekend and then "do it all again."
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
News / Concert Announcement / Opinion / Jeff Hahne Cover bands hit Alive After Five schedule
Posted by Jeff Hahne on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 12:02 PM
No big surprise here... the first five acts for Alive after Five have been announced and, yep, they're all cover bands. Craptastic.
The first four weeks will be held at the Wachovia Plaza and feature a quartet of "party bands" — Liquid Pleasure on April 7, 80z Enuff on April 14, Hot Sauce on April 21 and Love Tribe on April 28.
The event will head to the Epicentre on May 5 with Alternate Take, described as a "party band" that's also available for weddings. Great...
How about a schedule that reads something like - Simplified, Matrimony, Overmountain Men, The New Familiars, Eyes of the Elders and Harvard... I can give the names of 50 more local bands that should be playing instead of the usual suspects. Something instead of the same crap year after year after year. Give local bands some exposure and some money in their pocket and support originality.
Actually, I need to find out who does the booking for this. I think they'll be interested in my new TV show. It's going to be called "Einsfeld." I'm now casting the parts of Egorge, Yerrj, Lainee and Ramerk. It's basically a show about nothing... In one episode, it's all centered around waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant. Yeah, you've heard it before, and it won't be as good as the original, but there will be different people playing the characters, so I'm sure you'll be interested.
I'm also looking for six people who can star in another comedy called "Buddies," kinda like "Friends" — a lot of it will take place in a coffee shop. The best part is that the scripts are already written - we just need to find a location and some cameras.
