Trends

I'm noticing an encouraging trend in the music business as far as tastes are concerned.  There's a spot for everything in my ears.  Some things I like more than others and some I expect to be more successful to the masses.  What I am noticing is an increase in popularity and acceptance for bands that are more, I guess I’ll call it, organic. 

Mumford and Sons are a great example.  They’ve sold a million copies of their CD, Sigh No More, gotten airplay with three singles now and when you hear it next to Lady Gaga or Black Eyed Peas it really stands out as different – there’s a banjo!  The success of artists like Iron and Wine and the emerging success of William Fitzsimmons I also find encouraging.  Guys who are just doing what they feel with no formula attached.  I hope this leads to the return to popularity of the singer-songwriter. 

Thinking back to my youth when guys like Kenny Loggins could actually have hits, there’s not really pop artists like that having tons of success…but they should.  Matt Wertz is making this kind of music and doing it very well.  And in a different way, Chris Trapper is quietly flying under the radar and I don’t get it.  He fronted a band (The Push Stars) who had regional success (though not my region) and opened for Matchbox20 at the height of their popularity, has had songs in movies and TV shows for years, and yet most people don’t know who he is.  On his first visit to our studios a year or so ago, I told him a story of his friends in Great Big Sea.  While visiting our studio they noticed a signed poster from Mat Kearney (who has had success) and they made the comment “hey, that’s the guy that sounds like Chris Trapper!”  Mat is pretty well known, has had several hits in the format 107one does (AAA) and most of Mat’s fans (who would certainly like Chris’ songs) have never heard of him.  That’s just wrong!

The good thing is, Chris will be in front of 800 or so people this week at the Ark opening for Colin Hay and perhaps folks in Ann Arbor and the surrounding community will take notice.  The other good thing, more people are appreciating this kind of music.  There’s hope yet….

Opening Blog

Welcome to my first blog post. I don't really consider myself a "blogger," nor do I consider myself an expert in any field. I do, however, love music of all kinds and love to share my opinions and thoughts with those who will listen.

 For the last 10 years of my 40+ year life, I've been particularly drawn to stripped down music. It doesn't have to be strictly acoustic or even "folk" for me to be drawn to it, just well-written songs played on real instruments and sung with some passion.  There’s an awful lot of this music out there and little of it is actually played regularly on the radio. It’s nice to see the emerging popularity of bands like Mumford and Sons, The Civil Wars and Iron and Wine. It tells me people are starting to appreciate good song writing and singing again.  I hope this trend continues and the popularity of artists who put image before substance diminishes.

A couple of folks who are doing great things in this area of music will be in Ann Arbor this weekend and I get to chat with both of them.  Friday April 22 around 7 PM, tune in to ann arbor’s 107one for a Studio A2 visit with The Paper Raincoat.  Alex Wong is best known around these parts as that guy who plays with Vienna Teng at many of her shows.  He’s also a talented producer and great song writer.  He and Amanda Rubarth have this project called The Paper Raincoat and they play the Ark on Friday as a follow up to a show stealing performance at this year’s Ann Arbor Folk Festival.  Their debut is full of great songs like “Brooklyn Blurs”, “Rewind” and “Sympathetic Vibrations.”  Worth checking out both live and recorded.

Saturday, one of the nicest musicians I’ve become friends with in my nine years of doing radio will be in Ann Arbor for an Ark show and consequently a Studio A2 visit.  Brian Vander Ark gained world-wide fame as the front man of the Verve Pipe.  At their peak, they opened shows for KISS and INXS (to name a couple), scored big with “The Freshmen” and released their finest work just as the nation struggled with the after effects of the 911 attacks.  Brian played the bass player in the movie “Rock Star,” which is just one of the many acting roles he has taken on. In recent years, Brian’s solo work is more focused on songs that connect with people (particularly me, each of his solo albums have been near the top of my “best of whatever year it is” list).  He’s hard at work on another solo record, his first since the success of the Verve Pipe’s reinvention as a “Family Music” band (though I am told they plan to record another adult rock record at some point) and we’ll talk about that and his upcoming show Saturday morning, April 23 at 10 AM.  Perhaps I’ll even get him to do some new music!

- John