Neckbrace: Tales of Brutality from Pocatello, ID

The Music 'Industry'

Dear pop music,

I'm kicking you out. It's not me, it's you. How do I say this? You're fickle, predictable, profit driven, and when it comes right down to it, you're pretty damn shallow.  To tell you the truth, I've been meaning to say this for a while: you just don't have anything to say.   Yes, yes: all of us adults have been in love – it's nothing new, and frankly, the only thing truly remarkable about love, is when it lasts for several decades.  Funny how that never gets more than a footnote from you (i.e. "happily ever after," etc.).

Long before the record guy came along, we were making music and telling our stories.  Most of these were not about love. Most of the stories we told about ourselves were about our lives, our jobs, our families.  We didn't play to sold out arenas; our music never appeared on records, nor was it ever broadcast over the airwaves – most of us never saw a dime from our music.  If we were lucky, our people took time to stop in to see us at the local beer joint or come to a barbecue to watch us play.

Why did we play, if not for fame? Why did we sing, if not for accolades and/or money? We did it because the newspaper, the radio, and later, the television, were all tools of propaganda. We did it because we are the only people who will tell the truth about ourselves - we are the only people who can be counted on to tell the stories of the forgotten poor and working folk.

Dear pop music, you were, yourself, quite the distraction. Remember when we used to spend 10 bucks on an album with only two or three good songs on it? Yeah, your fault! I believe your industry even coined the term "throwaway" for songs meant to fill up your crappy pop albums. And now, the makers of these "throw away" pop songs are whining because they're not millionaires anymore. Funny: we used to share cassette tapes all the time and it didn't hurt the industry at all. Not that any industry has a right to exist: you can't force consumers to demand a good or service. And let's face it: you've been giving us the same crap since the 1950s.

So later days and better lays, pop music! And don't let my foot hit you in the ass on the way out.

Lyrics - "Needle's Eye"

©2014 Jack Nielsen

 

Christian Junior was three or four
When the Navy called his daddy off to war.
When it ended they made their way
To the Ghost Creek Ranch
Up in the North
He found his place in the mountains
Their glory shone all around him
He found a lady, they married,
He brought her home and they
Touched the bluest sky
Through the Needle's Eye

Little Christie was only two
When tragedy ran her parents through
Christian and his wife were broken
And Christie would never
Leave the Mountain's view
Their anguish rang through the mountains
The joy, the love and the promise lost
He struck an arc on the cold stone
Hot slag rained down on him
And the bead he ran on high
Shut the Needle's Eye

No happy ending--that's just how the story goes
Find your silver lining in some other thick, black cloud
He thought he'd leave it all behind
If the Needle's Eye was blind
Or at least that's how the story goes . . .

Christian Junior and his wife moved on and left
The Ghost Creek Ranch behind
He thought there were no landmarks watching him
Because the Needle's Eye was blind
But the Mountain stalks its children,
Knows when everything is wrong,
And so it was the younger Christian
Came home.
He touched the face of the Mountain
He swung his hammer with all his might
And broke the bead of his sorrow
The sun shone down on him
And he saw the bluest skies again . . .

No happy ending--that's just how the story goes
But there's a silver lining once the storm has passed
It was with him all the years--
The Mountain washed away his tears:
'Cause the Needle's Eye
Knows the story doesn't end.

Yes, the mountains are a story . . . .

Friends in the Industry

I managed to make contact again one of the best singer-songwriters in the business.  I remembered her from the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter III contest. We talk in music about "leaving it all on the floor".  If you aren't sure what that means exactly, I'm sorry to say that there is no textbook for this, much less textbook examples.  Fortunately, however, I can show you what it looks and sounds like:


If your mouth is still open when you start reading this, it's because you've just witnessed an honest-to-Christ, visceral performance of passion and conviction meeting cultivated talent. It's okay, you can play it again. We'll still be here when you get back.

I got to know Lauren Adelle after the contest, mostly only through a few short exchanges that passed between us on SoundCloud. She is currently at work within the music industry, still writing songs, still singing and still performing. I am competing in this year's contest, but Lauren, despite her magnificent talent, will not be returning. While I can understand her reasons, I will miss having her in this event: there's no one else in the business like her. Last night I posted a link to the above video on twitter: "Please RT! THIS is what we mean when we say 'Leaving it all on the floor.'" Tonight, she returned the favor:

Everyone watch this 800 times http://t.co/7aAG3sxzfv

— Lauren Adelle (@Elladelle) September 12, 2014

It's great to have friends in the industry!

New Track - "Big War (Shining: Part 1)"

There's a song I've been writing over the past few weeks.  I recorded the demo last night.  If you've been following us, please take the time to give it a listen.  If you like it, please feel free to download it.

http://www.reverbnation.com/jacknielsen/song/19950296-big-war-shining-part-1--2014-jack

--Jack

Plans for 2014

Hey family and friends, I've written two new songs and have three or four more (conceptually) in the pipe. I'll try to get as many of them written and recorded as I can by year's end.

Guitar Center Contest winnings

Post by Jack Nielsen Singer-Songwriter.