Year: 2013

I really can’t figure this one out.  So there’s a ghost who sings in a band.  He (she?) rides a motorcycle and delivers his vocal performance while crouched-down (never a good idea, btw, you can’t get very much breath this way, but whatever).This deceased person entered the afterlife due to, perhaps, riding their motorcycle in the rain?  (above)…

…also it looks like maybe an oil-slick was involved? (above)….

… but, primarily, let’s remember that this is an advert for guitar strings (above).  Daddario XLs, are, btw, my #1 choice in electric guitar strings and always have been.  I’ve purchased maybe 500 or more sets of their XL115, I really do love them.  They are all I will use.

Anyhow, S.Hall, whoever you are, if this ad is sincerely an homage to a fallen band-mate who crashed his Suzuki, never to rock the SM58 again, I salute you and mean no disrespect.  If not, though, please write in and tell us exactly how this works in terms of advocating for Daddadrio XL’s over the competing brands.  Please explain how it represents both the product-benefit and the consumer-benefit.  Thanks!

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For previous inscrutable-advert coverage on PS Dot Com, click here…

Oh stop. 

‘Tude.  What is it, and why does it matter?  ‘Tude, which is, rather reflexively, a “bad-attitude”-driven abbreviation of the word ‘attitude,’ was a charming blend of equal parts arrogance, vanity, and naivete.

Although ‘tude could be found in abundance in many discourses of American culture in the 1980s, it was especially dominant in male rock and pop music-performance.  More to the point: if you were a male growing up musically-inclined in the 1980s, this was the dominant image available for you to aspire to.  For some reason, the basic idea of being a musician/ writing music, etc., was linked to this silly pout and shitty attitude.  Oh and ridiculous outfits, naturally.  Personally, it took me about ten years of reactionary lo-fi-indie mewling to bounce back from the damage caused by this nonsense.  But, yes, eventually I did get over it, and I now own and in fact like guitars with humbucking pickups.

I am still not sure what the rebellious stance of these fellows was based on.  I mean, did they like their jobs or not?  Did they like their fans or not?  Perhaps they were angry at the government, or some unseen agent?  For fucks sake man, you’re a guitar player!  You make music for a living!  Where is the joy?  Why the hostility?  I may not agree with the tenets of ‘Punk,’ dude, but at least it’s an ethos.  WTF were these guys aiming that vague bitchiness at?  Please use the comments session to discuss.  Oh and spare the ‘tude, pls.

How y’all doing this fine day…  it is sunny+beautiful in Southern CT today, although between the ‘federal government shutdown’ and ongoing MetroNorth train debacle it feels more like we’re in some quaint developing country!  Yea!  Gonna have some roasted meats and rum-based cocktails and just take it easy for a bit.  How’s that for DIY’d Lemonade?

above: very rare goth-synth blotter acid c. 1981

Anyways…  we’ve got a whole slew of 1980’s features coming at you this month.  I’ve been going through hundreds, maybe thousands, of obscure 80’s catalogs + pro-audio and musician publications to bring y’all some forgotten and neglected gems (junk?) from the shiniest, stupidest decade on record.  As always, if you are using any of this kit to make tracks these days, let us know your thoughts!  Cos it’s all about finding fresh inspiration wherever ya can….

Above: “The Drumssette.”  (Source)

I was doing some research for our upcoming series of 80’s-themed posts (since ‘Speaker-weeks’ seemed to put most of you to sleep…) when I stumbled across RetroThing dot com.  Really some great bits on here.  Where else r u gonna find out abt “The Drumsette,” a DIY’d melotron-type-drum-machine.  Come on!  Check em out…