Bass Guitar Mag - Joe Dart Edition

[No lust in Jazz]

8 minutes ago, ped said:

I just can’t wear T shirts with stuff written in them any more. Suddenly just don’t like it! I’d rather people saw me as a blank canvas of mystery and intrigue. Which brings me to another point, why on earth would someone pay well over the odds for a shirt with SUPERDRY JAPAN 🇯🇵 on it?! The mind boggles 

Yes I have a drawer full of 'cool' band tee shirts and can't bring myself to wear them unless as a base layer, possibly as fashion and I aren't aquainted, however, more likely an age thing.

[cheddatom]

I don't think Vulfpeck are anything like any classic 70s funk I've heard. 

[Stub Mandrel]

47 minutes ago, stewblack said:

52 minutes ago, ped said:

why on earth would someone pay well over the odds for a shirt with SUPERDRY JAPAN 🇯🇵 on it?! The mind boggles 

Because it brings them joy. I'm only guessing of course. 

T-shirts are very much about sending signals.

Superdry is buying into the image around the brand (OK I do have two Superdry t-shirts but I was given one and I got the other when very sent me a %0% off voucher...)

A Joe Dart t-shirt is signalling you are part of a small group who are 'in the know' (well actually it's signalling you paid over the odds for an otherwise somewhat uninteresting issue of Bass Guitar magazine)

I have a lot of t-shirts and tend to chose ones that reflect how I feel, my character and 'signal' the sort of things I'm into or perhaps I was given but make me smile (like my Texas Chainsaw Massacre Mario t-shirt or Muppets t-shirt). Now, aat at home pretending to work I'm wearing  a 'Dulux Trade' t-shirt that was free from B&Q and helps reduce the load on the good ones...

[EBS_freak]

I think the best tee shirt would be along the lines of the word "compressor" in the vulf font.

Job done. Those in the know, know.

[EBS_freak]

Incidentally, I'm surprised that nobody has commented on the cut of the tee. It's a bit Al Murray isn't it?

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

well actually it's signalling you paid over the odds for an otherwise somewhat uninteresting issue of Bass Guitar magazine

😂😂😂

I have just one band T shirt (it’s a Rush one, yes I like Rush, but it’s more about the imagery on that one), then I have a beer one (Brew Dog), a couple of Bass type ones (P bass and Ricky playing stormtrooper), an Old Grey Whistle Test one (probably my favourite), a Blade Runner quote and then a couple of random designs. I can’t be a blank canvas, I’m already bland enough 😥

Edited June 13, 2019 by ezbass

[chris_b]

Why would Vulfpeck or any of the other bands mentioned be anything like a 70's funk band?

Arrested musical preferences are par for the course, but a 2010's funk band is a marvellous creature. Funk isn't a museum piece. It lives and breaths. Changes every week and is still as great today as it ever was.

[cheddatom]

1 minute ago, chris_b said:

Why would Vulfpeck or any of the other bands mentioned be anything like a 70's funk band?

Arrested musical preferences are par for the course, but a 2010's funk band is a marvellous creature. Funk isn't a museum piece. It lives and breaths. Changes every week and is still as great today as it ever was.

Agreed!

[Burns-bass]

2 hours ago, chris_b said:

Why would Vulfpeck or any of the other bands mentioned be anything like a 70's funk band?

Arrested musical preferences are par for the course, but a 2010's funk band is a marvellous creature. Funk isn't a museum piece. It lives and breaths. Changes every week and is still as great today as it ever was.

You reckon? I'd say funk is as creatively dead as jazz. Doesn't stop me enjoying loads of new funk and old funk, but bands like Vulfpeck aren't exactly making much of a contemporary artistic statement, in fact, the main message seems to be "things were better in the 70s",

[cheddatom]

3 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

You reckon? I'd say funk is as creatively dead as jazz. Doesn't stop me enjoying loads of new funk and old funk, but bands like Vulfpeck aren't exactly making much of a contemporary artistic statement, in fact, the main message seems to be "things were better in the 70s",

Can you give some examples of 70s funk that sounds like Vulfpeck? I like Vulfpeck so I'd be interested to check it out

If you want funk that's actually a bit original, check out Louis Cole and Knower, or Kneebody, or Nate Smith's latest solo album etc. etc

[Burns-bass]

20 minutes ago, cheddatom said:

Can you give some examples of 70s funk that sounds like Vulfpeck? I like Vulfpeck so I'd be interested to check it out

If you want funk that's actually a bit original, check out Louis Cole and Knower, or Kneebody, or Nate Smith's latest solo album etc. etc

No worries. 

I saw Knower and didn't really like it, but I can see what Louis is trying to do.

As for influences, to me it's very Steely-Dan / Brecker Brothers top-down, white trouser funk. There's a strong Crusaders vibe too, and Shuggie Otis too. His pentatonic stuff is inspired by The Meters, whose entire career is a lesson in funk. 

When I get started I could be here all day going through this stuff. 

 

 

[cheddatom]

I've heard all of those examples before. I get that the style of the bass and drums is similar, but all of your examples seem to have a lot more going on in terms of instrumentation and sonic texture in general. Also they all have vocals. A lot of Vulfpeck is instrumental, and the instrumentation is very minimalist. 

I supposed I understand why people would class them as similar, but personally I think that Vulfpeck sound so unique I can't compare them. Maybe it's a "sound" thing rather than a "song" thing? I'm probably not making much sense. 

[Ricky 4000]

On 12/06/2019 at 10:04, EBS_freak said:

Seriously now... I can understand wearing a Vulf tee... but a Joe Dart tee? That's some niche uber bass geekery.

I can picture it now.

"Hey, nice tee. Who's Joe Dart?"

"A bass player."

"Riiiggghhhht."

This in bold ^^^^^^^.

Back in the day - Somebody once bought me a tee with a massive portrait of Kurt Cobain all over the front. It looked ghey as fook. 😬

 

If I ever find it, I'll give it to #1 step-daughter. She looks much better in my vintage London Calling tee shirt than I ever did... *grumble grumble*

Edited June 13, 2019 by Ricky 4000

[EBS_freak]

9 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

This in bold ^^^^^^^.

Back in the day - Somebody once bought me a tee with a massive portrait of Kurt Cobain all over the front. It looked ghey as fook. 😬

 

Isn't it the law now that in order to wear a Nirvana/Kurt tee, you have to be 13 and have no idea what the whole grunge era was about....?

The thinking man wears the Hanson Nirvana tee. Again, those that know, know.

[Ricky 4000]

2 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

 

Isn't it the law now that in order to wear a Nirvana/Kurt tee, you have to be 13 and have no idea what the whole grunge era was about....?

The thinking man wears the Hanson Nirvana tee. Again, those that know, know.

Absolutely:

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/teenager-wants-to-tell-you-how-good-kurt-cobain-was-20190320183726

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, cheddatom said:

I've heard all of those examples before. I get that the style of the bass and drums is similar, but all of your examples seem to have a lot more going on in terms of instrumentation and sonic texture in general. Also they all have vocals. A lot of Vulfpeck is instrumental, and the instrumentation is very minimalist. 

I supposed I understand why people would class them as similar, but personally I think that Vulfpeck sound so unique I can't compare them. Maybe it's a "sound" thing rather than a "song" thing? I'm probably not making much sense. 

It’s music, it speaks to us all in different ways. There are no right answers, it’s just when I hear the Vulf stuff I feel I’ve heard it all before, done better and more authentically. 

But my opinion is entirely worthless and meaningless. If you love the music it’s all good.

At least he’s not soloing over another chorus of Autumn Leaves 🙂

Edited June 13, 2019 by Burns-bass

[EBS_freak]

40 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Absolutely:

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/teenager-wants-to-tell-you-how-good-kurt-cobain-was-20190320183726

I just knew the Dave Grohl fact would be in there! 😛

[Dem Jolie-blues]

My favourite T-shirt for gigs used to be a red  Zildjian  jobby,    just to confuse folk ...

[stewblack]

16 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

It’s music, it speaks to us all in different ways. There are no right answers, it’s just when I hear the Vulf stuff I feel I’ve heard it all before, done better and more authentically. 

But my opinion is entirely worthless and meaningless. If you love the music it’s all good.

At least he’s not soloing over another chorus of Autumn Leaves 🙂

I disagree that your opinion is worthless but admire your modesty. 

You raise some interesting points. As I get older I hear more and more stuff come around and around again. If a modern band are clearly channeling the Jam, or the Specials or any other favourites from my era I invariably feel similar and see them as lame, inauthentic copies of the real thing. 

Of course people who were teenage mods in the sixties almost certainly said the same thing about the Jam and the Specials. 

I'm in the happy position with Vulfpeck where I love them, their songs, musicality, influences and above all their humour, but I also love the old school examples you shared above. 

I suspect this is because I had very little time for funk in the 70s so as a late convert I don't feel any special bond with the originals. 

[stewblack]

As far as wearing t-shirts with stuff written on them, well why on earth not? If I wear a shirt with Joe Dart on, which by the way is merely a nod to their videos where they often subtitle shots with their names, and it draws a fellow Vulf follower into conversation with me then that's great. I get to chat with someone new with whom I have a shared interest. 

 

[Burns-bass]

8 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I disagree that your opinion is worthless but admire your modesty. 

You raise some interesting points. As I get older I hear more and more stuff come around and around again. If a modern band are clearly channeling the Jam, or the Specials or any other favourites from my era I invariably feel similar and see them as lame, inauthentic copies of the real thing. 

Of course people who were teenage mods in the sixties almost certainly said the same thing about the Jam and the Specials. 

I'm in the happy position with Vulfpeck where I love them, their songs, musicality, influences and above all their humour, but I also love the old school examples you shared above. 

I suspect this is because I had very little time for funk in the 70s so as a late convert I don't feel any special bond with the originals. 

Really interesting perspective, and I agree. I should say I'm only 38 so don't remember the 70s, but I've been a record collector and soul, jazz and funk fan for 20 years. I've got a lot of friends who are record collectors too, so I've been listening to a lot of rare stuff from around the world for years and always seek out new music where I can.

Ultimately, the power of music is to move us - as you said in a previous post. While Vulf leaves me cold, I remember the visceral thrill of hearing my first Meters track and how it changed my feelings about music. If Vulf and Joe are moving people in the same way, then all power to them.

And if they moved me like that I'd damn well wear a T-shirt!

[chris_b]

Everyone is influenced by someone. Nothing in music is new. It never was. Also it's not new to criticise music based of your own preconceptions and preferences.

I saw Knower at the Jazz Cafe and liked them. By the end I was hoping for a different groove, but I was glad I had seen them. I took my son to see Vulfpeck and even he (not a natural fan of this type of music) loved every minute of it. A night to remember. Great presentation, rapport with the audience, songs and playing. Those guys are great together and in their separate projects. I also saw an outstanding gig the Meters played at Earl's Court, supporting the Stones, in 1976. Those guys were easily the stars of the show for me.

These are all fantastic bands making quality music and as a unit or separately their members will be influencing musicians for decades to come.

[EBS_freak]

2 hours ago, stewblack said:

As far as wearing t-shirts with stuff written on them, well why on earth not? If I wear a shirt with Joe Dart on, which by the way is merely a nod to their videos where they often subtitle shots with their names, and it draws a fellow Vulf follower into conversation with me then that's great. I get to chat with someone new with whom I have a shared interest. 

 

Meanwhile, in a bar in south London, 500 Superdry tee wearers enjoy a quiet natter over a pint.

Edited June 14, 2019 by EBS_freak

[Ricky 4000]

10 hours ago, stewblack said:

As far as wearing t-shirts with stuff written on them, well why on earth not? If I wear a shirt with Joe Dart on, which by the way is merely a nod to their videos where they often subtitle shots with their names, and it draws a fellow Vulf follower into conversation with me then that's great. I get to chat with someone new with whom I have a shared interest. 

 

I still don't think you should wear it.

How about a nice 'Marshall Amps' tee instead?

#worriedaboutyou

[Stub Mandrel]

I think I'll get a t-shirt with "Gerald Bostock is Innocent" on it.

That should confuse my peers...