Since the 1970s, the number one spot on the U.K. charts on the Sunday before Christmas (or Christmas day if it falls on Sunday) has been a coveted position for musicians.  Whoever holds that spot will receive a lot of media coverage and records companies stand to make a lot of money.  According to Wikipedia, this started in 1973 when two successful bands released Christmas songs to try and get that spot and it’s now such a big deal that people would place bets on which song gets to number one.  Recently, though, the Christmas number one has regularly gone to whoever wins The X Factor, the British version of American Idol also presided over by the media mogul/TV douchebag, Simon Cowell.

This last fact particularly enraged one British fan who started a Facebook group urging people to buy Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” instead. The page says “Fed up with Simon Cowell’s latest karaoke act being Christmas No.1? Me too… So who’s up for a mass-purchase of the track ‘KILLING IN THE NAME’ from December 13th as a protest to the X-Factor monotony?”  They stand in opposition to Simon Cowell and Joe McElderry a clean cut cookie-cutter reality show contestant who is singing a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb”.  Ugh.

The campaign has spread all over the U.K. and, as of today, the Rage track is beating the other song by 30,000.  And it has led to a resurgence of interest in Rage Against The Machine in the U.K.  They were even interviewed by BBC Radio and asked to perform a radio edit version of “Killing In The Name.”  Rage to their credit obliged the interview and their performance had to be cut short when Zach De La Rocha went into the non-radio friendly chorus of “Fuck You. I won’t do what you tell me!”.

Unfortunately, despite their early lead, the odds stand against Rage and British rock fans as the physical copy of the reality contestant’s track was released yesterday and it looks to have strong sales throughout the week.  But it gives me hope that maybe in America, someday, fans of original music can stage a futile protest of their own so that our silent minority can’t be ignored at least for one day.

Here are the Rage song, the BBC Radio interview and performance, and their opponent’s song.

For sheer impact on the music community as a whole, I have to go with Jimi Hendrix. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see Hendrix live, but I have seen many recorded concerts. I also have a very extensive collection of bootleg concerts and interviews. He was one of those musicians who, when he was ripping a solo, would go to another level of being; a whole other place. His impact on music and the guitar-playing community is unmistakable. Virtually every great modern guitar player mentions Hendrix as a major influence on their own playing. His innovation on guitar and in the recording studio will live on forever.

For pure virtuosity of playing, I’ll go with Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was a pleasure to witness this man playing guitar…usually with your jaw on the ground. I was fortunate enough to see SRV a couple of times; both times were absolutely remarkable. When he went into a solo, it was impossible to look away. I found myself fixating on his fingers as he climbed around the neck of 1963 Stratocaster. Pure genius! He too seemed to go to some other place when he was shredding. I once heard Eric Clapton refer to SRV as a channel…music just flowed through him and erupted out of his fingers. At times, I felt sorry for the rest of Double Trouble as they tried to keep time and keep up!

For total innovation on the six string, I’m going with Eddie Van Halen. The first time I saw him play with both hands on the neck, I was completely blown away. What was this dude doing? Where is his pick? I’ve seen VH many times and watching Eddie perform his guitar solo is well worth the price of admission. In my opinion, he brought the use of two hands on the neck to rest of the world and into the mainstream. Many modern guitarists added this style to their repertoire, but nobody perfected it, or plays it better, than Eddie.

I could easily go on and on about great guitar players. After all, there are so many phenomenal ones to talk about. From the likes of Django Reinhardt through Les Paul, great guitar players have spanned the generations. Other modern guitarists who easily deserve mention are guys like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Tom Morello, Jeff Beck, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen…somebody stop me! Let’s all enjoy these guitar virtuosos as they shred their six string things.

The source for the awesome Eddie Van Halen photo is here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNN-YmaJ8I

Roy Hargrove is a music sensation. His albums define the true creativity that Jazz can express. He has used hip-hop and funk, as well as R&B artists to contribute to this American Art Form.  You will find that Roy has been playing the trumpet ever since he was a little boy. He has been influenced by the greats, like Wynton Marsalis and David “Fathead” Newman. He has performed with legends such as Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Common, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, and John Mayer among many others. You will hear a lot of these artists on his recordings.

The RH Factor’s “Hard Groove” is one of my favorite albums; this was actually the first Roy recording I had ever heard. One song that I can’t stop listening too is called “Kwah/Home”, featuring Anthony Hamilton.  His sounds have such full eccentric sounding chords that always manage to evolve. He is very soulful, and any true lover of music will enjoy Roy Hargrove.  When I first heard he was coming to Blues Alley in DC, I was excited. When my friend and I got there, the line was practically around the corner. We had to wait a good while before they let us in. Blues Alley is known as one of the top performance venues for Jazz artists, so I felt glad that I was able to attend this event. Our seats were right in the front, because my friend actually knows Roy and has had the opportunity to play with him. The scene inside was very intimate, the place is only but so big, so everyone was able to see the stage.  The audience was in awe of his performance.  Each song gave them a chance to give him a warm and full applause. This night the music was truly straight ahead jazz with a little bit of funk at the end. He allowed guest musicians to come and perform with his band. His band members include: Justin Robinson (sax), Jonathan Batiste (piano), Ameen Saleem (bass) and Montez Coleman (drums).  Each musician on stage was able to carry their own show if allowed; their solos were full of rhythms, distinct melodies, and dissonant harmonies. I truly had a great night seeing and hearing this wonderful art form at it’s best.

If you do not know Roy Hargrove’s music you must begin your journey now!!!

More info about Roy Hargrove: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/royhargrove

]]> http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/11/17/the-night-roy-came-to-dc/feed/ 0 http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/11/16/tv-reviews-foxs-glee/ http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/11/16/tv-reviews-foxs-glee/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:47:22 +0000 Neto http://www.meandthestereo.com/?p=897 TV Show: Glee
Network: Fox
When: Wednesdays 9/8c
Favorite Tunes: “Don’t Stop Believing”
Rating: 4/5

I have never understood why musicals are so divisive.  Approximately fifty percent of the population hates musicals.  At least, that’s what I’m guessing with no evidence whatsoever.  It makes no sense for so many people to be anti-musicals.  A lot of people like movies, and a lot of people like music.  Both put together should have a sizable built-in audience, but its only been recently that musicals have been successful anywhere outside Broadway. Me, though, I have enjoyed musicals for a while now, but especially recently thanks to some of the smarter musical comedies that have been released.  Those that are successful, because they don’t take themselves too seriously.

This is precisely why Glee is successful.  It doesn’t take itself seriously as a musical or as another television show about pretty adults pretending to be teenagers.  The plot is actually pretty similar to the dreadful High School Musical (or so I hear).  A group of misfits who just want to sing make singing seem so fun that eventually non-misfits want to join in too.  But while a regular musical might put more emphasis on making the musical numbers seem as artificially spectacular as possible, Glee takes popular songs and shows the characters enjoying performing these songs.  I mean we can all relate to singing Journey in a moment of happiness right?  Anyone?

Besides the musical numbers the show also has a great sense of humor going for it.  I especially enjoy a running gag of having people getting Slushies dumped on them.  All the actors do a really great job.  The actresses are really hot.  And I enjoy the feeling that anything can happen at random.  Also a plus is the inclusion of one of the funniest women in the world, Jane Lynch.

What I don’t like about the show is most of the plotting of the show.  While I enjoy not knowing what to expect, I don’t enjoy being entirely confused by the rapid pace of the show.  I feel like the show doesn’t really want to be on for more than one season so they’re throwing everything at the screen now.  Also, one of the plots involves a woman faking a pregnancy which is getting to the point that stretches credulity.  My main complaint is the use of Jane Lynch.  Most critics love her in this show.  I don’t believe she is being used well.  Her character is the villain on the show and while she has fun with it, I don’t find her all that funny.  I think its because she works better when she has another gifted comedian to match wits with, and this show doesn’t have that.

Other than those minor flaws, though, Glee is a great show about the joy of music, and I am having fun right along with it. 4/5

We as humans are always ever revolving. Our minds cannot be in control, but only our inner being and spirit must be in control. The ego can be a detrimental thing if it’s not understood. In order to stay committed to uplifting our lives, we must know who we are. No confusions or uncertainty. We must stay positive and keep looking onward. It’s hard to escape from the past when those choices you made affect you today. There is so much to look forward to, and there are many things that we want to accomplish. We really should put ourselves out there and do all the things we have dreamed of. There is no reason for us not to. It’s time, people. There is a life that most of us have envisioned for ourselves ever since we were little, and it will come to pass. Do less of looking to materialistic things and more digging into yourselves. I am learning that life comes from the inside. Look inside for health, creativity, confidence, and just for life. Take that step now, because you will begin to glow inside from knowledge, from living each day.

Most successful artists, composers, playwrights, dancers, businessmen, and even politicians go through this process. This is a sure way to rebuild and stand firm on your beliefs. What are you passionate about? What is your calling to life? Are you a musician? Do you love to write lyrics or scenes from experiences you have encountered? Follow that little voice inside of you. What I want us to figure out now is what do we want from this life? If we want to be successful, are we willing to make the necessary sacrifices and put in the work to see results? Are will riddled with guilt and fear or freedom and courage? Some of us have been stuck in a rut for ten or more years. Where and when is the breakthrough coming? God provides more than enough for us to succeed and conquer.  We can be weak, at times, as humans. Looking inside to our inner being seems like the last thing we want to do, instead we drink, eat, smoke party, sleep, watch TV and waste our years of living.  It’s time for a new beginning and a new way of thinking. I would like the opportunity to challenge ourselves to step up to the challenge of change. Sometimes life forces us onto the path that we must go, because we would have never done it otherwise.

We are each here for a purpose and we must seek it out daily. It’s not just one thing, but a mirage of things over the course of our days here on earth. Life is a credit, because we definitely have to pay it back. As Cornel West said, “we are on borrowed time, nothing is promised.” Every day, seek out the best opportunities and do your best to challenge your inner self to do things you would never do and to say things you would never say. YOU WILL SUCCEED!!

]]> http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/10/27/let%e2%80%99s-begin-to-look-inside-ourselves/feed/ 0 http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/10/26/why-there-will-never-be-another-rock-star/ http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/10/26/why-there-will-never-be-another-rock-star/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:06:19 +0000 Neto http://www.meandthestereo.com/?p=877

I’m hanging out with some friends:  They are all musicians and we’re philosophizing about the future of music.  This may have something to do with the various substances that are being passed around.  They’re all talking about the artists who influenced them and the rock stars they would like to be like when it hits me.  That’s impossible.  We have come to the end of the rock star era.  There will never be one again.

This past summer, when all the celebrities were dying, everyone was writing about the end of the “monoculture.”  The monoculture is the pop culture that everyone has a shared consciousness of, whether or not they are fans of it.  I don’t agree that is necessarily true.  In twenty years, I think everyone is going to remember being obsessed with LOST and their iPhone apps.  I do believe that it’s true about music though.  I think in 20 years, when people are talking about the music they liked now, they are more likely to get blank stares in return.  And you can already see this happening, now.  I have to admit, until this past summer, I had no idea who Lady Gaga was, which was way later than anyone else.  How did this happen, though?

The beginning of the end for rock stars came with the advent of The Real World.  The MTV show was among the type of programming that eventually led to MTV not showing anymore music videos.  While the M in MTV is meaningless now, it used to be where people who enjoyed all types of popular music turned to see what was playing.  For college students in the 90’s, it was constantly on in the background.  And whether you liked Rap or Metal, there was a show for you to watch on MTV, so everyone was constantly aware of what was popular among everyone else.  But that is not there anymore.

Another reason for the death of the rock star is the Internet.  The Internet opened up the world of music in ways that no one could have ever imagined, and the recording industry is still recovering from this.  From Napster to Myspace Music, fans of music have been able to sample more artists than ever before.  So, more diverse types of music are getting a fanbase in more places.  This also means that more people are finding things that they enjoy, but no one else around them does.  This stops being shared with a large group of people.

And the final reason is the rise of the iPod.  Specifically, its the effect the iPod has had on radio.  Everyone knows radio is dying.  It used to be that whether you liked the music or not, at some point during the day you would probably listen to the radio.  Even if you had some CDs in your car, at some point you would get tired of the music in your collection and put on the radio for a little while.  This would give you a taste of what everyone else who was listening to the radio was listening to at the time.  These days, with the library of music that people carry in their iPods, its far less likely that they will get tired of all the music they have available to them.  If someone feels like listening to something they don’t usually listen to, they just queue it up on their iPods.

Because there’s no more channels for everyone to experience what everyone else is listening to, and because there are a lot more different types of music, there is a smaller chance of a nation-wide shared musical culture.  Since there won’t be any more acts that are universally popular, there won’t be anymore rock stars.  So what do musicians have to look forward to?  My drunk friends and I talked about that, too, but I’ll save that for next week’s article.

Here’s the source for the wonderful sunrise above! Don’t agree with Neto? Let him know in the comments!

Can cause Murder?

Many musicians and rock songs have made mention of recreational pharmaceuticals. Whether it be an overt declaration or a discreet revelation, these substances have made their way into the lyrics of songs of most every genre for many, many years. But one recreational substance is mentioned very frequently. Can you guess which one it is? From bammy to zambi and ganja to weed; cannabis by any other name is still cannabis. And it is the old faithful of recreational drugs…at least according to music.

From the time Stephen Tyler declared he’d be “…sleepin’ late and smokin’ tea!”, MJ has been referred to hundreds, if not thousands, of times in musical compositions all around the world. Although, some songs I find more entertaining in their use and description than others.

There is a great song from Sublime called ‘Smoke Two Joints’. It makes me laugh every time I hear it. There’s one line in particular that cracks me up…it goes something like this: “I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints, and then I smoke two more”. Instant classic! Okay Brad, did you see any foreshadowing here? Apparently not, but we didn’t listen to this song for formal education. We listened to it for the ecstatic celebration of the singer’s favorite substance to abuse.

I see what you did there...

Another great one comes from our friends in Cypress Hill. The song is called ‘Hits From the Bong’. It is just as entertaining as the previous song I mentioned, but this singer openly declares his love for this pharmaceutical. He even provides a mini-lesson: “…And then take that finger off that hole, plug it, unplug it, don’t strain! I love you Mary Jane!” I wonder if Mary was blushing after that heart-felt assertion? No surprises; these dudes are insane in the membrane!

No discussion of burning a blunt would be complete without mentioning the quintessential song about the leaf that is loved (or hated) by so many. I’m talking about the song from Black Sabbath entitled ‘Sweet Leaf’. This song probably has one of the most distinct opening lines: Ozzy coughing in an endless loop until Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi come crushing in with a kick-ass, sludgy guitar riff to get the song moving. Ozzy declares his love for pharmaceuticals in this way: “My life is free now, my life is clear, I love you sweet leaf, though you can’t hear!” Ah, unrequited love. Poor Ozzy. What’s a man to do when he declares his love, but gets nothing in return? No wonder he’s ‘Flyin’ High Again’.

I neither condone nor condemn the use of recreational pharmaceuticals. I stand before you neutral on the subject. But there is no denying the celebrated obsession with this activity in music. From the psychedelic 60’s to the grungy 90’s, it seems many musicians found comfort in dating Mary Jane.

Image is a huge factor in rock music.  For lack of a more articulate term, I typically observe musicians and performers constantly attempting to appear “cool.”  Why bother?  It seems like being a talented musician and performer should be effortless once the musician is confident in his or her career.  Why are people not just comfortable being themselves?

Rock musicians are only suffering on a bigger scale from what we all face.  When we talk to other people, are we constantly thinking to ourselves, “what does this new person think of me?”  The image we project becomes the part of our personality that will be the first impression.  So we try to perfect this impression, and end up sometimes agonizing over it.  We are control freaks who want absolute control over our image.  Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing or controlling what others’ impressions of us will be.  So instead of dropping the whole idea, we hyper analyze and obsess.

I was watching a video promoting a certain band’s new live documentary of one show.  The members of the band are fantastic musicians.  And yet, all the editing is clearly geared toward making the band members look as absolutely good and polished as possible.  So the video ended up making me suspicious of what the editing is covering up, and also feeling an urge to see rock musicians stop caring about image.  Of course, anyone who is able to live in the public eye comfortably must have nerves of steel or something; a certain confidence that isn’t born overnight.

As a society, we trip ourselves up when we demand perfection from others.  If we all forgave others’ awkwardness and mistakes and didn’t expect a flawless show all the time, we would be easing the pressure on ourselves too.  Part of something appearing cool is that it tries to appeal to others in a certain way.  In this commercial, consumer-oriented society, we want our personality traits to appeal to others, and we want to only see what is appealing in front of us.  This type of vision leaves a lot of important factors about life out.  In my personal, ideal world, individuals would be comfortable and effortlessly be themselves, even when there is an audience.  I think as a society we can demand more:   Not more perfection, but more acceptance of imperfection.

The source for the first image is here. The source for the second image is here!

Artist: Karen O and the Kids
Album: Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack
Label: DGC/Interscope
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Decision: 5/5
Favorite Tunes: Hideaway, Igloo, All is Love

1. The Background

Karen O has been noted for her sense of fashion and her outrageous antics during live performances.

She has composed the music for this soundtrack and co-produced it with Tom Biller of the Afternoons. “The Kids” include her Yeah Yeah Yeahs band mates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, along with Tristan Bechet, Bradford Cox(Deerhunter), Dean Fertita, Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence, Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), and Imaad Wasif. An untrained choir of children was brought in to provide extra essence to the songs and soundscapes. These are a sprawling group of indie-rock all-stars.

2. The Substance

The imagination and freedom that Karen O shares in this music masterpiece is remarkable. She floats her ethereal vocals over clever folk-pop arrangements on the kind of acoustic instruments you might find in a child’s music class. Each song presents a different feel, incorporating all words and characters to fit the scene. “All is Love” is an uplifting song with a lot of punchy chords, energetic voices, and a piece in where everybody is clearly having a good time singing. You hear a lot of laughter, screams, and freedom to create.  “Capsize”, a feisty song in which the title is repeatedly spelled out, is full of determination to explore and conquer the unknown. My favorite song, “Hideaway”, is where you get to hear Karen O at her best on this album. Her voice is jazzy and simply alluring with the guitar to support and enhance her sound. The ongoing chords that are played create a picture of fantasy; the music is beautiful.

3. The Decision

5/5. If you love reading Where The Wild Things Are, you will enjoy the movie and the music that goes along with it. I took my niece to go see it this weekend and this is the first thing I immediately noticed. The voices, sound effects, and music just stuck out to me. The music had my attention just as much if not more than the movie. As I looked around the theater, I saw other little kids standing up and bopping their heads. This music has touched me in so many ways. When I hear it, I think of something from afar, escaping my problems, moving to another place, just plainly being happy. The whole soundtrack is on my playlist; I simply love it.

Sometimes ten minutes is all you get to make your mark.  That is usually the case for Concert Photographer Amy Willard.  When shooting a band at a concert, she usually gets to shoot for the first three songs.  Fortunately, she thrives on this.  She believes “there is nothing more thrilling or rewarding than capturing the true essence of a performer in under 9.7 minutes.”

She answered some questions for me and explained how she got her start, and elaborated on this philosophy.

On your site you say that you have been into photography for a long time. Was it someone that helped you get into it or did you start on your own?

I remember my mom always making sure I had a disposable camera for school trips, so I think that really got me into taking photos.  Then my older brothers had taken photography courses when they were in high school and college.  My oldest brother was the one who actually gave me his old SLR for when I took my one and only photo class in high school.  He taught me the mechanics of the camera and said “go shoot” and everything just kind of blossomed from there.

How did you get into doing photography professionally (in that you now get to sell your pictures to magazines like Alternative Press)? Were you already doing rock photography at the time?

Things just kind of developed over time.  I started out taking pictures for fun.  They were usually architectural since that’s where my focus was at that time– I ended up going to college for architecture.  I also started getting into music as high school went on and finally when I got to college I could start going to concerts.  It was a few years ago that I was talking to my oldest brother and he was like “you should try bringing your professional camera to shows and see what happens.”  So I called venues before shows to check their camera policy, and I ended up shooting a Matt Wertz show at a small venue.  I showed my pictures to my brother and he was impressed and he told me that I should try getting photo passes from bands for other shows.   I was either ignored or rejected by most bands simply because I didn’t have a real portfolio to show them.

So in looking online at other photographer’s shots, and being completely envious, I came across some All American Rejects photos from a concert I went to.  The image had the photographer’s name, Stacey McCarthy, and I just had to look up her work.  I found her on MySpace and sent her a message telling her how amazing I thought her photos were and asked her how she got into shows.  At the time, she was shooting for an online publication, MishMashMagazine, but she was considering starting her own site, TheMusicSceneZine.com.  I offered to contribute for her and she told me how to arrange photo passes for shows.  Soon enough, I was getting approved and I just kinda dived into the world of concert photography.  About two years ago, Stacey suggested I start my own site, so I developed BarricadeBuzz.com and things have just developed from there.  I started getting my friends to write articles, and a few photographers from around the world to contribute; it’s been great.  Now I get to shoot the bands I love, interview them, and really get to know the personalities in my frames.

About a year ago I contacted Alternative Press to see if they were looking for another contributing photographer.  It wasn’t until months later that I was asked to submit samples of my work.  Once I did that, I was added to their mailing list and asked to shoot the AP tour in April.  I ended up shooting for their Warped Tour and Blink 182 features, and will be covering the AP Fall Ball tour when it comes to DC in a few weeks.

What equipment did you start out doing rock photography on? What equipment do you use now?

I started out with a Nikon D70, because that’s what I happened to have.  I worked an entire summer and saved up to purchase a Tamron f/2.8 lens.  You really need a fast lens when shooting in low light situations.  About six months ago, I was able to upgrade to the Nikon D90.  It was a big improvement.  The sensor is far superior to that of the D70.  I still have the same lens, but I also now have a f/1.4 50mm Nikkor as a reserve, and I’m looking into more wide angle lenses.

When taking a picture at a show, what do you think is the most important thing you think needs to be communicated through your photographs?

The most important thing is capturing the soul of the performer.  You always want to get “that moment.”  The one that really says “this is him,” or “that’s totally her.”  Musicians have a lot of emotion, and spirit, and when you’re at a live show, you get the opportunity to experience that.  As a concert photographer, I always want to make sure to capture that in still frame.

Whose work in rock photography do you look up to? Whose work inspired you the most?

Stacey [McCarthy] has clearly had a huge impact on me.  She had faith in me, and I wouldn’t have the wonderful opportunities I have today if she hadn’t responded to my MySpace message.

I’ve always been one to walk her own path, so I’m not sure if there is someone in particular that I look up to.  I certainly admire the work of many concert photographers, especially those I have had the pleasure of sharing a photo pit with.  I have also joined many Flickr.com groups related to concert photographers, so I have had the chance to correspond with many photographers and see a lot of their shots.  I am, however, always impressed by the work of Todd Owyoung.  Gage Young is also another name.  He’s younger than I am, but you’ll find his work throughout Alternative Press; he has a lot of talent.

As a fan of music and a photographer, do you ever feel like you have to separate your fan side from your photojournalist side?

You definitely have to separate yourself, well at least for the first 3 songs of every show– that’s when you get to shoot.  You always have to remember, those first 3 songs, or about 10 minutes, in a photo pit is your time to work.  You are there to do a job.  You are not there for front row access.  You can’t be in a photo pit singing and dancing as a spectator.  You’ll end up blocking another photographer or annoying security.  You get in, take your shots, and get out.  Once I’m done, I put my camera in my bag and join the crowd as a fan to enjoy the music.

Your bio states that you are studying architecture, and you have some beautiful architecture shots on your site. How do you approach taking photos of architecture as opposed to taking pictures at a rock show?

Well, thank you.  Architecture is usually easier to shoot, because it doesn’t move, haha. You have the ability to sit and think, and examine the subject at hand.  It’s almost the complete opposite at a rock show– you’re thrown into an unknown situation and you have to think in the moment.  In both styles I aim to produce dynamic images.  With buildings, it may be turning the camera to give lines an extreme angle.  In concert photography, I may crouch lower in a pit, to give a dramatic angle looking up at a performer.

What are your top 5 (or 4 or 6 or whatever) favorite musical artists at the moment?

It’s always tough to choose, I mean, I love so many different bands.  Some of my favorites though are Motion City Soundtrack, The Daylights, The Fray, Nirvana and The Get Up Kids.

Is there a certain band or musician or singer/songwriter that you feel is underrated or ignored that you would like to give a shout out to now?

Well I always have to give a shout out to my boys in Vanilla Sky.  They’re a pop/punk band from Italy that I shot when I was in Rome.

I just recently photographed the band Fun.  and I have to say that they have to be one of the best live shows I’ve seen in a long time.  Everyone should seem them live. Their debut album, Aim and Ignite, doesn’t even do them justice.

To see and hear more from Ms. Willard, make sure you check out her personal site, Barricade Buzz! Also, check her out on Myspace!