Understanding the Disco Revival With Satellite TV
You might be a little confused about what elements of culture from decades past are currently captivating the kids or the hipsters these days, or you might not care at all.
But everyone, whether it's grandparents or people in offices, has had something to say about the emergence of Lady Gaga as a household name, while other artists like Key$ha are cavorting around onstage covered in blacklight-responsive body paint, like extras from an MGMT video shoot.
Basically, there's been a reemergence of various vintage fashions and musical stylings that, even in the middle of this weird, futuristic pop landscape, look distinctively disco and a little bit dated, not retro, when done incorrectly.
For anyone who was growing up watching rabbit ears television rather than satellite tv, remembering a time of heavy makeup, glitter, and pulsing synths doesn't seem that far-fetched.
So how and why, in this age of new technology and HDTV, is disco making a come-back? You could first turn to the internet, where various music blogs are taking names like DiscoDust and DiscoDelicious and pumping out the latest hits from Australia to the United States, where kids are excitedly hitting dancefloors all over again, clad in their American Apparel deep v-neck t-shirts.
Or you could simply turn on your television set and see what various music channels have to say about what's going on.
There was the whole flogger movement in Argentina, which got so popular that it was even mentioned on MTV after being written about in the "New York Times.
" The point? Photo blogs, dancing to music on cell phones, and asymmetrical bangs.
It sounds a lot like what's happening in the States.
Even the sweet sounds of Justin Bieber on MTV have a little bit more disco-funk behind them than the typical Usher production treatment.
Take a listen to "Baby" and see if it doesn't seem like invincible teenager Bieber might be readying himself for a funky soul direction later on.
After all, it certainly worked for JT, and for MJ before that.
It seems that in that regard, disco on your television set is practically timeless.
If you're looking for a bit of a background on some of the bigger artists who managed to be on the Billboard charts but still in the hearts and minds of those writhing on the dancefloor in cities like Los Angeles and New York, then you might want to stick with MuchMusic, MTVU, and occasionally MTV2.
This way, you can use your satellite tv connection to get educated on the likes of The Presets, who sound like Depeche Mode from down under with a little bit more electro-disco feel, as well as Cut Copy, those famous Australians who combine just the right amount of dark pop and happy disco to keep people dancing just about everywhere.
And while Madonna's "Hung Up" hasn't been a new song for awhile, her sampling of ABBA has only led the way for other artists like Lady Gaga to use samples from older 1970s disco hits as well.
So to see history repeat itself, you're going to need to tune in on your HDTV to see a purposely low-quality video that is meant to evoke the days of decadence before the 1980s hit.
But to hear the sounds, it won't be long until every radio around you is blasting something that sounds like it should have been on a long, long time ago.
But everyone, whether it's grandparents or people in offices, has had something to say about the emergence of Lady Gaga as a household name, while other artists like Key$ha are cavorting around onstage covered in blacklight-responsive body paint, like extras from an MGMT video shoot.
Basically, there's been a reemergence of various vintage fashions and musical stylings that, even in the middle of this weird, futuristic pop landscape, look distinctively disco and a little bit dated, not retro, when done incorrectly.
For anyone who was growing up watching rabbit ears television rather than satellite tv, remembering a time of heavy makeup, glitter, and pulsing synths doesn't seem that far-fetched.
So how and why, in this age of new technology and HDTV, is disco making a come-back? You could first turn to the internet, where various music blogs are taking names like DiscoDust and DiscoDelicious and pumping out the latest hits from Australia to the United States, where kids are excitedly hitting dancefloors all over again, clad in their American Apparel deep v-neck t-shirts.
Or you could simply turn on your television set and see what various music channels have to say about what's going on.
There was the whole flogger movement in Argentina, which got so popular that it was even mentioned on MTV after being written about in the "New York Times.
" The point? Photo blogs, dancing to music on cell phones, and asymmetrical bangs.
It sounds a lot like what's happening in the States.
Even the sweet sounds of Justin Bieber on MTV have a little bit more disco-funk behind them than the typical Usher production treatment.
Take a listen to "Baby" and see if it doesn't seem like invincible teenager Bieber might be readying himself for a funky soul direction later on.
After all, it certainly worked for JT, and for MJ before that.
It seems that in that regard, disco on your television set is practically timeless.
If you're looking for a bit of a background on some of the bigger artists who managed to be on the Billboard charts but still in the hearts and minds of those writhing on the dancefloor in cities like Los Angeles and New York, then you might want to stick with MuchMusic, MTVU, and occasionally MTV2.
This way, you can use your satellite tv connection to get educated on the likes of The Presets, who sound like Depeche Mode from down under with a little bit more electro-disco feel, as well as Cut Copy, those famous Australians who combine just the right amount of dark pop and happy disco to keep people dancing just about everywhere.
And while Madonna's "Hung Up" hasn't been a new song for awhile, her sampling of ABBA has only led the way for other artists like Lady Gaga to use samples from older 1970s disco hits as well.
So to see history repeat itself, you're going to need to tune in on your HDTV to see a purposely low-quality video that is meant to evoke the days of decadence before the 1980s hit.
But to hear the sounds, it won't be long until every radio around you is blasting something that sounds like it should have been on a long, long time ago.