SoundNexx

THE B.T.D.T SYNDROME!
Excuse the hellacious yawn, but it gets like that sometimes. I guess you can call this is a small music intermission. What I am about to type may hit home with some of you, while it’ll probably go over many of your heads, but I’m posting it anyway. Even though a lot of folks consider this site as a musical haven, it’s a blog too (sometimes anyway) where I will share a little insight on the man behind SoundNexx. I have ranted a few times on here about different things that have come to mind over the years, but for the most part I’ve kept is strictly business. Fortunately, this isn’t a rant for the most part, but it’s somewhat of a personal discovery.

When I was coming up as a youngster I fortunate when it came to music. My parents were music lovers, so I grew up hearing the classics in R&B, Jazz, Motown soul and anything else that sounded good back then. I truly believe that is where my love for music began. Over the years I came across other friends and family that also had a strong love for music. We would spend hours listening to and conversing about music. Normally, at some point these conversations would become focused on the new school vs. the old school. I would try to expose some of these old heads to new artists that my generation of youngsters was into, and they in turn would try to reveal how these new artists were just stealing from past artists. These so-called new ideas, concepts, hooks, production tricks and even lyrical content were mainly taken from past musical moments that I was unaware of. Initially, I would be a little bothered that these seasoned vets couldn’t relate to what I was exposing them too musically, but they were actually right in the end. I was naïve back then, but over the years I made it my mission to become more informed.

I never saw it happening, but I am actually one of them now! Them being the seasoned vets killing the dreams of today’s young music lovers. I have become that critical seasoned musical vet that has basically seen and heard it all, and is rarely impressed by today’s standards. I understand what is new musically to a teenager in 2008 has probably been done at least three or more times in the past. I have accepted that nothing is really NEW anymore! It used to blow my mind when I was younger and I would find out that a song I loved was a 4th or 5th generation remake! Here I am thinking this new dude or dudette was coming with some fresh musical heat, and then I’d find out later that it was actually Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin that originated the track. Would you call that paying homage or lazy thievery? That answer depends on whom you ask.

So, forgive me if I am not as enthusiastic about the latest rap or soul artist that is supposed to be the new new of hotness. Unfortunately, I have a sickness I like to call the “Been There, Done That Syndrome,” which stops me from getting too excited without some serious investigation first. I get a lot of music sent to me by folks that want me to review or critique it, which is fine by me. I am in no way the final authority on what’s hot or not. I’m just a man with an opinion, but I try to give people some HONEST feedback, especially if they ask for it. I figure some people think that I am going to stroke their egos with some positive feedback, even when I don’t like their music. Nope! I give it straight with no chaser because there is enough pollution on the musical airwaves today, and I refuse to cosign more of it. My opinion may seem personal, but it’s actually business for me. As much as I love music, I make it my business to help it survive where I can. I’m just doing my small part.

That iz all...

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!


Before you leave, here an example of a classic track that has been remade several times over the years, but I present you with an original version:


Aretha Franklin - Something He Can Feel