What do you call your music?
Submitted by redliner on Fri, 05/19/2006 - 20:58.
Between Modesto, Visalia, and Fresno independently produced music is flourishing. It seems if the phenomenon were to be named, it would give the media, fans, and industry something much easier to latch onto. I guess I'm talking about branding.
One to-remain-anonymous blogger suggested the name "Crap", but I think that misses the mark.
Of course the new term can't apply to all music in this diverse Valley. So I'm going to stick with bands that can be called -- for better or worse -- "indie rock". In fact, the imprecision and debasement of the term "indie rock" are more reasons we need something meaningful to call the music.
So how does one tie together bands like El Olio Wolof, Rademacher, and Foot of Feathers? The obvious tie is geography. Not only are we neighbors, but we occupy a region that without much stretching can be imagined to play a role in determining the sounds we make. Therefore there should be a geographical component to the name.
There's something else fundamental which displaces this music from it's dominant East Coast cousins. Quality? Mayhaps, but there's something else as well - an emotional component. Maybe it's more SF Guardian and less Vice Magazine. The acceptance of conscience.
But those sorts of psychological differentiations are the nominal domain of tightly stylized genres like twee, emo, _____core, etc.
Instead I've chosen a second component which is familiar as a genre term, and is also something which connotes the momentum and potential of music in the growing Central Valley.
Combining the first component - geography, and this standardized second component, I arrived at something meaningful, kinetic, and lo and behold alliterative!
May I present to you... West Wave. It's what I'll be calling Central California indie rock until someone comes up with something better.
x-posted to my Myspace blog
GW Williams, Fresno's Favorite Guitarist and Musician
Wow GW Williams has come a long ways
Now he's a great, great guitar player an one of the best in the world.hard to believe he built his talent here in Fresno.
I think that is awesome.
Fresno's Greatest Guitar Player - Rank 5th IN the world
He owns 4 homes,one in Seattle Washington,a home Pilot Hill Calif and Thousand Oaks Ca and Pismo Beach CA , and he used to own a home in FRESNO CA also,
GW Williams, went to high school in Fresno and studied music in college here in Fresno.
GW still comes back to Fresno, to see old friends about 3 or 4 times a year and does concerts here several times a year at some of his favorite churches, where he once attended.
Last winter GW Williams was seen attending the Peoples Church in Fresno several times, even though he kept a low profile. He was still spotted by at least several hundred people.
Right it's believe he's in Seattle Washington gearing up with his band for his new 2009 World Tour.
His songs, Electric Son Rise and Beyond The Clouds have elevated GW Williams to the top of the music world.
Some music producers today say he's the number 1 guitar player in the world bar none.
He also sang and played guitar on his new Gosepl hit ballad titled. "On Easter Morning".
GW Williams is now so famous that he gets about 20 death threats a year.
As GW says, people do not like new guitar players who can out play thier own personal guitar hero's such as Eric Clapton,Micheal Angel Batio, Santana. GW said, most of the hate comes from internet jerks and flamers who act up to destroy my name.
But On the Positive side, GW said he has millons on new fans. And his music is now also selling on Amazon.com with MP3 Downloads.
Also look for his music in stores, but as of late most stores have sold out his CD.
So how do I know about GW Williams?
Because I am his best Friend from Fresno, and I just had to write this.
Thanks Johnny Thompson
GW Williams Rock,Blues Guitar
already coined by the Dirt bothers for thier love of both Hardcore/grindcore/metalcore and thier farm.i believe the have a facebook group started recently called 'this is farmcore'.
what to call it?
Labels are good, labels are bad. They let people know what they are going to see, and scare people away from shows they would otherwise like. THe band I am in, The Neptunes has been fighting the Fresno stigma for years. We are actually considered to be one of the top surf bands in the country (no fooling) there is no money in surf. So it's a labor of love. The bias we have seen over our home of origin is insane. We have heard of folks that saw us at slims in SF argued over the fact that we were or were not from Fresno, they thought it was schtick. We overheard a guy in the parking lot at a club in Freemont tell a friend on his cell phone: "I just saw a band from Fresno, and they were actually f****ing GOOD!" My point I guess is the "scene" is really too diverse for one label. IF it has to happen, I hope it is NOT fog or farm or heat realated... We are California bands. No more... BUT certainly no less because we are from Fresno.
Frestunes
This is an interesting topic - I have been trying to pin this down for on the way to 40 years now. Seems that we are in a high growth period of new bands and artists of all genres. But most venues in Fresno, while the list is growing and expanding to a certain extent, still for the most part lack the charm, rep, identity to appeal to the mass market. For all the good stuff Fagan's has tried to do with their music boolings, the ambience is truly not there, nor is the food or service. Club Fred has now changed, and not necessarily for the better in my view, but that goes with my musical taste. I love(d) playing there with Jeff and Ben. We need a good place to listen to non rock, for example country/alt country/Americana. Hard to believe there is not a great country band in Fresno (sorry pals, y'all are trying but where is the originality?) but one reason is, there really is no venue for country fried music. Sad, considering the legacy of the San Joaquin Valley in country music. I am glad I don't need to rely on the Fresno music scene for my living. "There ain't no money in it, it'll lead you to an early grave" sang Tom T Hall in describing the greatest guitar player he ever knew - Clayton Delaney - who died drunk and unknown. This wannabe musician schlocker gets up there every time and gives it all cuz there is no other way. Jeff too. It ain't heavy, it's only rock and roll, I like it. Come see the Jeff and Ben Show sometime and you will see 2 older guys who are doing their thing for fun and love, hell with the "Scene" or whatever that is. I'll continue to support Fresno Music no matter what genre. Club owners - Build it! They will come!
..sorry guys, flatcore or flatrock,,,, (especially flatcore) sounds too close to flatulence... (which in some venues... okay, I'm an old punker..)
...how about 'orchard'
Nobody take AvanteBonadellePop...cuz I got there first.
(har har)
I liked that word "flatland". Earthy.Strong. --sort of feels smoggy without even saying it.
The word 'Valley' is too San Fernando, ---what about working in
-----------San Joaquin--------------
more a regional identifier??
I think you've got something with the smog thing. I gotta go down swinging against anything...core. It's just a bad idea.
west wave sounds like beach music
West Wave makes me think san diego,
ag-rock, kinda makes me think of fraggle-rock.....
tractor-rock....a little to caveman?
How bout smog-rock, or flatcore (in ref. to our geographical flatness.)
It's tough because while fitting, I think, the word "farm" has uncool connotations. "Farmhouse" is a little better maybe, more cozy and inviting, but since "house" is already taken maybe people would just interpret it as a meth-fueled raver in Delano.
Future Farmers
I would say that whatever we decide upon will progressively define itself, and regional bands will imagine their own vin diagrams wherein they fit to varying degrees. The genres of metal, R&B, indie, emo, hardcore, etc. etc. will still be used to categorize these bands by themselves and others.
The earthiness and the earnestness are nearly identical to the two components I was identifying. However, I think "farmcore" sounds much more exclusive as well as like a pejorative. It feels disposable. Anything with "core" in the title is going to be guffawed at, in my opinion. Take Montecore for example.
Although the "farm" part gives me pause, I could see it working with something else.
Nuevo Fresno?
Or am I the only person who uses that term?
...sorry, kitten, you don't know your own strength...
....face it Jarah, you are one of the X-men...
'Farmcore' it is...
it's edgy, it's agricultural, there's a rusting Chevy-Half ton in it somewhere,
-it's being listened to by skinny glistening kids in 100 degree heat, all riding together on the bench seat out in a raisin field...
--it's 50's bowling shirts,
-it's rollerderby...
..it's Hoppy, looking down, and that all knowing eerie reality...
-where HellBillies have Rob Zombie,,,
the Valley has Hoppy, ---and FarmCore.
I'm telling ya,,,
X-men... we got us a gen-u-ine X man (er, X-babe) in our midst...
(...don't touch nothin' it could cause an ice-age, or melt, or an earthquake or somethin... Some sort of catastrophic dust occurance,,,
-does your boyfriend know about this???)
hey now...
I like West Wave! Just wanted some clarification on who it would apply to. Coming up with a genre that fits a Super Lucky Cat and a Speaker for the Dead is a challenge.
...again, stuffed into the boards by a girl...
West Wave sounds like:
-a small bottle of hotel mouthwash, (or shampoo,)
-an inhouse brand of personal tissue from a janitorial supply house in Hoboken,
-or a senior citizen softdrink.
'Farmcore' has my vote...
(dammit Jarah... it's just not fair, -didn't the Sisters back at St. Eligius tell you not to trounce the boys...) yeesh.
...all I ask is that you use your superpowers for good and not evil,
(and one day write a song for Trike Shop... it would be like Cyndi Lauper singing with the Hooters...you know, the Band, the instrument,,,,, ah jeez -Theramin will explain...)
West wave
It's tough when you've got bands that don't sound much alike. You've got your El Olio Wolofs and your Built Like Alaskas, and then your 40 Watt Hypes and Argyle Pimps, and then still your Sleepovers and Sparklejets, and further still your Trike Shops and your Dalloways. What about a Speakers for the Dead?
Who would you classify as West Wave; does anyone get excluded?
I do think the guitar-based rock in these parts has more of an earthy, earnest texture than elsewhere. Farmcore?
Oh I've heard of you guys. We're at www.myspace.com/batteriesmusic.
ArtsyFogPop!????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heya Redliner. Do you folks have a webpage/myspace that I can check out?
I have the first, but not the latter.
http://www.blakejonesmusic.com
My band is The Trike Shop.
Psh!
The obvious tie is Meatball Magic, fool!
I've never been able to describe my music accurately to people without feeling like a walking, talking cliche. Hmm...
But anyways, stepping under a semi-arbitrary umbrella like this would at least solve that problem.
What's your band, thereminman? Mine = Batteries.
marketing
I understand your wish to brand.
Whether it's Liverpool or Seattle, bands have been able to hop onto each other's collective shirt tails and get a little bit of notice
by their homebrew brewing. It's hard of course when the actual 'sound' is maybe not all the same. I find your interest in trying to find the common thread interesting. I've worked in the geographic area you've described for years, and I'm about one rocknrollgeneration older than the bands you refer to, but I've also struggled to put into WORDS what the heck our band does. Actually, in art, it may be that one evolves one's own genre? I mean...the more one grows, the more own becomes one's own Idiosynchratic Marketing Problem?
But I do think it's cool, if you can grab a hook that'll pull in the notice, go for it. People can seperate what they like and don't after the fact.
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