In high school we didn’t just eat submarines sandwiches, we had a funk band! Our name was Hail Bop, named after the comet and the doomsday cult that came with it. We weren’t the tightest band but we had the fire and the energy to entertain our fans at all the dive bars and oddball gigs that we could scrape together, usually involving the scam known as the Battle of the Bands.
And here’s a newsflash for you: The entire music business is a scam and a racket, but it’s a racket that works in the end. Musicians develop their craft through the act of being exploited. If they are strong enough they move to the next stages of become professionals who will earn a full-time living at making art.
That’s why I don’t listen to any noise about streaming royalties. It’s completely pointless when your job is sit down and make good music however you can. Find the avenues, doorways and portals for being heard and fill the airwaves up with your sound.
I talk a bit about the band Hail Bop in this week’s episode of Elliott’s Podcast, as well as memories of all the music venues in Toronto, but it’s mostly an acoustic guitar jam. Sit in the chair and play.
One Hour Mix from Elliott’s Podcast
Check out this mix of music that was made on my podcast. You can hear the whole thing on Bandcamp and it also goes out to Patreon subscribers.
Album Recommendation: The Rough Guide to Blind Black and Blue
I try to listen to as much dusty old blues music as I can. As you can imagine, some of the recordings are quite raw so it’s nice to get find an album where all the music is in listenable condition if you want to put it on in the background.
On this one, just about all the tracks are really sweet. Check it out: Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Prime Music
A remarkable phenomenon in the history of the blues was the vast contribution made by blind musicians, whose legacy left a lasting impact on American music to this day. From ‘The Father Of The Texas Blues’ Blind Lemon Jefferson to slide guitar evangelist Blind Willie Johnson, this Rough Guide highlights the blind blues pioneers who, against all the odds and in the face of incredible adversity, were responsible for a musical revolution.
See you next week Young Bagels!