They Call Him Philthy

There's one thing I've noticed about music. A friend of mine will comment on a song they've just heard on the radio and declare:

"Yeah that band sucks."

Then days later I'll hear the same song in my car and crank it up to let the guy in the other lane listen. Because you see it's funny, that music thing. It's pretty much a "to each their own" sort of art. It's unbelievably arbitrary. For instance, something that I absolutely love, you'll only think is ok. Something you hate, I might really dig. Granted, there's this stuff called 'Pop' music which is a bit watered down and seems to appeal to a wider audience. And that's ok too. I can jam to some cheesy Hillary Duff here and there (that's how you can tell I'm not some annoying music elitist) (that's also how you can tell I'm really lame). So don't trust anyone when they say a song is "bad." Go check it out for yourself.

Another great thing about music is just the ridiculous volume that exists. With the Internet, Satellite radio, I-pods, there are hundreds of millions of songs and bands out there waiting to be listened to. You can discover ten new bands a week for the rest of your life and not even scratch the surface of all that's out there.

Whenever I flip on the radio, or search around the online music community, I get a sense of valor and excitement. Yes, I said valor! I'm on the forefront of my own music world. I'm rummaging through the pile, sifting through trash, but often stumbling upon gold. You know what it's like. Those songs that just really HIT you. You're hooked and soon you're singing along. It doesn't matter if those songs are rock, country, hip hop, or blue grass. Well, not country. Of course not. That was a joke.

But the excitement that comes with entering into the music world, it's hard to explain. That's why I'm eager to spend a few moments with you, sharing a few songs and bands that I've recently grown to love. You might think each of these choices is TERRIBLE. I don't think so, but you never know. I feel like I have a pretty varied musical taste. I think each of these is at least worthy of a trial run.

Before I begin, though, I must say that it's a pretty odd venture I've chosen here. You can really only HEAR music. If I try to write about it, well that's nice and all, but the art was really just meant to be listened to. Jerry Seinfeld once said that he hates cooking shows on TV because, "You can't smell it and you can't taste it. What's the point? After they're done it's like, 'Well ok. Here it is. You can't have any. Goodbye.'"

And with that, let's write about music. But then it's your job to actually go and give it a listen. I've included two recommended songs for each band just in case the first doesn't quite catch your fancy. Check these out:



* Rebirth Brass Band - "Cassanova" and "Feel Like Funkin' It Up"
(JAZZ)

Even though these guys have been around since 1983, I hadn't even heard of this band until last week when I went to see them play in DC. A local club was putting on a "Bail out the Big Easy" benefit concert. Several bands played, New Orleans style food was served, and oh yeah, it was all you can drink. I was there. These guys opened up for the headliner on the main stage. Boy was I, and the entire crowd, blown away. This jazz group, literally from the streets of New Orleans, came complete with a giant tuba, horns, and a guy with a single snare drum attached to his hip like he was plucked right out of a high school marching band. These guys had some serious energy. I don't normally find myself listening to jazz, but after seeing this band I immediately bought one of their albums. I had the pleasure of hearing both of these tunes live and they were both fun, energetic, and honestly convinced me that I was back in the French Quarter. Man do I love New Orleans. When order is restored down there, do yourself a favor and spend a few days in the Big Easy. For now, check out the Rebirth Brass Band.



* Death Cab for Cutie - "Soul Meets Body" and "Crooked Teeth"
(POP/ROCK/ALTERNATIVE)

I'm pretty sure I used to hate this band. When I worked in college radio these guys' albums came through the system. I don't even remember listening to them, but I was convinced they were some annoying or cheesy emo band (a pretty funny/accurate definition of emo music is here) and I didn't ever give them a chance. Well their latest album, "Plans," (released just two months ago) seemed to vault them a bit into the attention of more mainstream fans. 'Death Cab' first earned respect from me when I heard, and loved, the band called 'The Postal Service,' which was a side project of 'Death Cab' lead singer Ben Gibbard. You might very well consider this band extremely cheesy. MTV recently featured them during a one hour slot that included the shows "Laguna Beach" and "The Reality Show." But I really like them. It's catchy and the lyrics seem to relax me and make me think:

"In my head
there's a greyhound station
where I send my thoughts
to far off destinations
so they may have a chance
of finding a place where they're
far more suited than here."

Both of these tracks can be found on "Plans," and are probably my two favorite. While you're at it, go check out the more electronically based, aforementioned 'Death Cab' side-band, 'The Postal Service.'



* Nickel Creek - "Best of Luck" and "Ode to a Butterfly"
(BLUEGRASS/POP)

When Nickel Creek was first formed and began performing in 1989, all three band members were younger than thirteen. If that doesn't grab your attention maybe it'll be 'Nickel Creek's' sound. They're bluegrass but combine the vocals and pop melodies of more accepted music. It's probably the North Carolinian in me that is drawn to them but their sound is more contemporary than bluegrass bands you might find in the most rural of the North Carolina mountain communities. Each member, musically, is UNBELIEVABLY TALENTED. Some of the banjo and guitar playing is simply rockin'. You might find a lot of these guys' songs a little slow for your taste and if you can't appreciate the beauty of those songs, keep looking and you'll find some really incredible music among their many other tracks. This is another one of those bands I like to put on when I need some inspiration. "Best of Luck" can be heard on their latest album, "Why Should the Fire Die?" and "Ode to a Butterfly" is off their self-titled first album.



* The Bloodhound Gang - "No Hard Feelings (Birthday)" and "F.U.C.K."
(ROCK)

When I say the Bloodhound Gang, you look puzzled. But then when I sing their hit song with the lyrics, "So let's do it like they do on the Discovery channel," you suddenly smile and nod your head. Yes, these guys mainly specialize in funny rock music, but rock music nonetheless. I can remember driving around in high school in a friend's car jamming to one of these guys' old albums and laughing all the way. These two tracks are off their latest album, "Hefty Fine," which features a very hefty, and naked, man jammed into a tiny box of some sort. Cool. But these two tracks are more Bloodhound Gang fun. The first track, "No Hard Feelings" describes a relationship breaking up and the anger/joy of the singer's newfound lack of responsibilities:

"Ain't my job
to fuck you on your birthday.
Ain't my job
to fuck you on your birthday
anymore."

Those are the first words on the track by the way. But the song also features some cool synthesizer work and a great rock guitar. It's currently enjoying some major airplay on most major rock stations (edited of course). The second song I recommend is actually titled, "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" which is military jargon for the letters F, U, C, and K. As you can tell this band is extremely mature. But after laughing/shunning make sure to give this track a listen as well. I can't quite understand the lyrics. It sounds like they've just thrown random words together, so I think it's great: "Vulcanize the whoopee stick in the ham wallet," are the first words. Yeah. And it doesn't get any less confusing as the song continues. The refrain is very catchy and the track features some great rockin' guitar.



* Black Eyed Peas - "They Don't Want Music" and "My Humps"
(HIP HOP/POP)

This is another band that I used to really despise. You might hate them even after hearing these two tracks. You probably know them for their HEAVILY overplayed track, "Let's Get it Started," (really called "Let's Get Retarded) that can be heard on any annoying pop radio station, sports stadium, or television network promo (it was used as ESPN's NBA theme song last year). For some reason I gave their new album, "Monkey Business," a blind chance and just went out and bought it. It turns out I really like this album. Ignore the few tracks that have been popularized on cheesy radio and you've got one really funky record. These two tracks can be found on this album. Old school or just older music fans probably will never like the Black Eyed Peas. If you're into all sorts of different sounds, and enjoy electronically-based beats mixed with guitar and several varying musical tastes, you just might enjoy this. I haven't heard any of this group's other albums, though, so I still might hate them overall. But check these out. "They Don't Want Music" features guest vocals by THE James Brown and it's definitely funky. "My Humps" is seductively ridiculous and because for some reason I fixate on ridiculous lyrics I love it!

"What you gonna do with all that junk, all that junk inside your trunk?"
"I'm gonna get get get you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump."

Yep. Gotta love the lyrics of today's music. But give this album a chance. I feel like it's definitely interesting.



OTHER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT
(Stuff I'm listening to right now):



* Anything by Phil Collins or "Genesis." (Note: I can't explain that one)

* Musical Youth - "Pass the Dutchie"

* The Presidents of the USA - "Some Postman"

* The Bravery - "Honest Mistake"

* Anything by the John Butler Trio

* Seal - "Crazy"

* Herbie Hancock - "Cantaloupe Island" and "Chameleon"

* Pitty Sing - "Radio"

* Hot Hot Heat - "Middle of Nowhere"

* Mike Doughty - "Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well"

* Spacehog - "In the Meantime"

* Joe Jackson - "Steppin' Out"

* Tegan and Sara - "Walking With a Ghost"

* The Chemical Brothers - "The Boxer"

* David Banner - "Play"




So there you have it. Probably just the DJ inside of me trying to get some play. But do check out the above songs and feel free to suggest other ones, or let me know just how bad my recommendations are. Happy listening!

Stay Tuned for More Philthy. We'll be Right Back.

What the hell is creativity? Where did it come from? How do you know when you have it? When do you lose it? (Do you lose it?) More importantly, what on Earth are you supposed to do with it?

I haven't a clue, but I'd sure like to discuss it. That is, if it's ok with you all. I hear no objections; then again, this is MY creation.

So let's talk about creativity; the abundance, the lack thereof, and the unbelievably ecstatic exuberance that it radiates when you experience it. I'm not trying to romanticize this feeling, it's that strong. I make no such claims that I possess creativity and maybe you don't, or that I have more of it than you. I really have no clue. I think we all have it. I probably have some. Maybe a few of us were born with larger doses of it than others, or some have harvested it better over time, but it's definitely there. The trick is to harness that power and throw it out into the physical world to let it take the form of, well, something. Some people like to write, some make music, some paint, some teach, some work to find cures for illnesses.

The act of creating seems to me to be one of the greatest things you can possibly accomplish. I challenge you to say otherwise. The feeling of creating a work of art, or playing the saxophone, or educating and molding a child's mind...the feeling of taking empty space and physically placing some original "blob" in it's place, well, that my friends is amazing. When you feel creative you are thrust upon just about the highest natural high there is. You can dive into a project with such energy that you feel as if you could single-handedly solve the Israeli-Palestinian crises, or divert dangerous hurricanes. I imagine that musicians get on this high sometimes and sit in the recording studio for hours and hours, just churning out hooks and beats without stopping. Authors probably experience this at odd hours in the night and sit by their computers just funneling all of the words and thoughts onto the page as quickly as they can type.

There are most definitely varying degrees of this euphoria. I imagine there are these more rare types, as described above, when you can literally write, or sing, or build for HOURS without stopping to refuel. Then there are the slightly more common levels where you are able to feel only a bit creative and for a shorter period of time. It isn't necessarily hard to evoke the latter type. Listening to inspiring music or reading something that moves you could lead to a short period of Stage 1 Creativity, as I'll refer to it.

Honestly, without Stage 1 Creativity, I don't think I would have made it through school. I was always the type of person to procrastinate through EVERYTHING. And by the way, "was" should be immediately substituted with "am." I immediately remember a time in 4th or 5th grade where I was probably given three to four weeks to complete a project on Canada. This included a ten-page paper and some sort of accompanying visual. And at this time in my academic career, a ten-page paper was a VERY big deal. Each day would pass and I would tell myself, no sweat, still got another week to do this thing. Well long story short, the three to four weeks turned into THE NIGHT BEFORE. This was the first time I actually stayed up all night to do something for school. Sort of. My mother will tell you that she woke up early the next morning to find me asleep on the floor of my room with a pencil in my hand, face down into the paper. The point is, I remember that I would get short bursts of creativity when I forced myself to actually sit down and complete an assignment (which was usually the night before). I would get a rush of ideas or words or briefly visualize the final product and then really just rush to write or type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. Stage 1 creativity saved me.

That Stage 2 Creativity however, that's damn special. I wish I knew how to call forth that one. When that sucker hits you can forget about "other plans." It literally takes you over and forces you to follow through with the energy. It's exciting and you just wish it would never end. This is the level musicians get to when they're on stage and they're just clicking. This is what Michael Jordan was feeling when he was making crazy shots with the Bulls and then looked at the sidelines shrugging his shoulders and putting his hands up as if to say, "I have no idea how I'm doing this!" This is what painters feel when they see the visions in their mind and can't stop painting. This is what talented authors feel when inspiration finally hits them and they rush to convert the thoughts into coherent sentences. It's what some sportscasters call being "in the zone."

I'm sure you can think of several examples of when creativity has hit you or when you have found an outlet for the creativity to surge through. I made a short list in my head of times when I was able to feel creative.

Some simple ones to start with: When I'm home visiting my family in Raleigh, at random times my brother and I will get into "finger drumming zones." We both have a propensity to start beats with our fingers or hands on tabletops or counters or WHATEVER. It's probably just a case of too much nervous energy. But there are a few times when he and I will be sitting around watching TV or listening to music and one of us will randomly start. After a few measures the other one of us will chime in with a complementary beat. Soon we're building a steady refrain of beats with short moments of emphasized changes that we continue to build off of. I realize that we're just two dumb guys annoying their parents, but there was one time we got going and just couldn't stop. As my brother continued the beat, I gathered glass bowls, pots and pans, spoons, and glasses and soon we had our own fucking symphony orchestra. The same brother and I did this a few times on our old piano. None of us can really play the piano but we would sit down and randomly play a few notes at a time and really harmonize. It was cool.

Whenever I sit around listening to music I usually grab my acoustic guitar and try to mimic the notes I'm hearing. I've never taken lessons and I can't really play (hmm I see a pattern here) but I can recreate the notes on my guitar that I hear in the song. It's not really playing, but it suits me and when I can get a whole song put together on my guitar I feel that rush of creativity.

The amount of time I devote to writing is almost always dependent on the amount of time that I'm allowed to feel creative or motivated. Writing part of a story or part of this blog allows me to experience short bursts of creativity.

More intense examples include when I was in college and worked for the TV and radio stations. When I was allotted two hours to be on the radio with my thoughts, jokes, conversation, and music, I was in heaven. I felt a rush of relief every time I finished a show. The type of rush you might get when you finish giving a speech in front of hundreds of people or singing the National Anthem in front of thousands. It was an incredible feeling and I got addicted to that high. When I was the sports anchor for the TV station's half-hour news show I was given 3-4 minutes to voice highlights, say ridiculous things and joke around on television (albeit Elon University television). There was nothing like it. When the lights went on and the floor director counted me down from the commercial break, it was like someone flipped a switch and the spotlight was on. It was incredible.

This all sounds very grand. But didn't I title this piece "Creatively FRUSTRATED"? You see, just as high as the biggest creative high can take you, there's always an equal and opposite low that you must also endure. And it's this place, this dark and frustrating place, that can test your nerves and emotions. I don't know about you, but when I'm going through a period of creativity deficiency I become so restless and irritable. I can't escape it. It gets increasingly worse when I try to sit down in front of my computer or a notebook and FORCE myself to think or write. It just won't come.

I feel like creativity comes and goes as it pleases without regard for anything else. It hits you at the strangest times. Maybe we're just lucky to have it at all.

I'll often go through moments where I'm laying in bed or sitting on the couch or sitting at my desk at work and I'll begin to feel creativity building up but I'll have NO CLUE how to release it! This is the worst thing...all I know is that I want to create something but I don't know what it should be. There's usually nothing I can do about it. I throw on some music and try to shovel it out through that but often it's not good enough. I want to write! I want to play! I want to CREATE something desperately! But I just can't figure out how to channel those feelings into reality.

I thought maybe this was just my stupid problem. Then I discussed it with a good friend of mine and discovered that she had similar frustrations and at times just wasn't sure how to deal with it. I think it really stinks when imaginative feelings hit me and I just can't figure out what to do about it, and soon the feelings pass me by. I feel like I've wasted something or I've missed the boat.

I guess, unfortunately, I experience more moments of creative frustration than actual creativity lately. Ironically, even this essay on creativity took me several tries to complete. Normally when I have thoughts in my head and am compelled to write, I can knock it out in one sitting, although it's usually a long sitting. One thing that might be contributing to my frustrations is a lack of creative venues. I no longer can just drive up to a radio station and use my key 24 hours a day to hijack the airwaves for a few hours when I feel like it.

When I was as young as nine or ten I can remember thinking, geeze, I hope feeling creative doesn't weaken as you age. I don't know if it does but I sure hope this isn't the first step in that sad process.

The job I have now offers little to no creativity. It's an organizational job. There aren't very many creative ways to find directions to a stadium for a cameraman to use. It doesn't take too much brilliance to book a satellite feed for video transmission. It just takes a little time to learn the system. What it doesn't require or provide is creativity.

But is this enough reason to find another job? I think so. What do you think? Is there any type of job out there that can provide the much sought after feeling of being creative? I think so. I would imagine that most jobs out there don't provide that, and many of you probably work in one of them, but there are also probably a good number of occupations in which you can truly be creatively satisfied. I just wish I knew what it was.

I hope you can appreciate the frustrations that can follow such situations. If I'm feeling creative I have no idea how to set free those feelings. But if I'm craving some food, I can eat. If I'm craving sleep, I take a nap. But if I'm craving for creativity, how do I handle that?

I don't mean to write this and have everyone thinking that I'm some sort of comic/linguistic/musical genius. Granted I certainly am all of those but I don't need your petty approval. (See that was the comic genius in me, the bad comic genius) Honestly some of these frustrations might be overblown, but if any of you can relate to them, you can understand the degree to which it can frustrate me at times.

Do you ever feel like you have some talent or skill and you just don't know how to channel it properly? I'd be willing to bet that EVERYONE feels that way sometimes. These famous actors/writers/musicians/directors probably at some point tapped into that one area and they made it. Some of my female friends in college used to say they loved guys in bands so much because when they were on stage you could really tell that they were COMPLETELY lost in their music and they were doing that one thing that they were meant to do. That's the feeling that I think we all share and yearn for in some form or another.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these and other related ideas. Are you suffering through similar frustrations? Have you found the cure for those ailments? Have you found a new outlet? Have you found my blue pen? (Sorry but I'm missing it). Leave a comment here or shoot me an email with some comments, stories, or whatever: philelkins@hotmail.com

One of my friends had a shirt made that says, "Inspire Me." I think that's what we all need, and what we all must do. Go out and play the music that will inspire someone down the road. Write that article or novel that will move someone to change. Go have an inspiring conversation with your friends. Go create something. You might have to force yourself to sit down and do it, but soon you'll hopefully be helped along the way by that fleeting force known as creativity. Good luck.

Stay Tuned for More Philthy. We'll be Right Back.