If you read my blog semi-regularly, you know I love music. One of the musicians I love, and have blogged about before, is the lovely and talented Danielle Barbe.
I saw her opening for my beloved Gracious Few in Chicago at the Double Door in November 2010. I bought the CD, fell in love for a lot of reasons, and have developed a great Facebook friendship with her.
I'm asking you to help my friend Danielle.
She is in the running for a slot to perform on the Vans Warped Tour 2011. She needs a certain number of votes to get that shot. Please go to the official page for the Battle of the Bands site and vote for her. She totally deserves this, and she would do it for you. (Really. If you need a vote for something, let us know.)
When I was getting ready to go to Chicago in November 2010 to see the Gracious Few (perfectly timed with a visit to my best friend and her family), I was pleased to see there was a female opening act, Danielle Barbe. I didn't know who the hell she was, but it was good to see a chick on the bill. So I went to look her up. (Young. Pretty. Soprano. From Pittsburgh. Got it.)
At the time, there were a couple of free downloads available, including "Ghost Town", the first track on her self-titled debut album. (I think the other track was "No Excuses", but I can't quite be sure any more, having now listened to the entire CD so many times.) I liked them both but honestly didn't give them more than a couple of listens. I was still totally immersed in the Gracious Few's debut album--to the complete and utter annoyance of pretty much everyone around me. But I liked what I heard, so I was actually looking forward to the opening act.
Of course, I was there very early, drinking my vodka drink (I can tub-thump with the best of 'em!) after my chat with Kevin Martin and some quick tapas. The BFF and I were right in front, almost dead center of the stage. So here comes Ms. Barbe and her band, and I'm immediately struck by how gorgeous she is. Just adorable. Hair everywhere.
And when she opens her mouth to sing, she has a huge, big voice. She reminded me in a lot of ways of Fleming McWilliams of Fleming and John. Drunk but not oblivious, I immediately recognized "Ghost Town". I spent a lot of time dancing along and double-fisting the horrible screwdrivers. THEN she launched into a really pretty song. It sounded so familiar. "In the Meantime". Spacehog!
Spacehog is one of those bands that I love but often forget about when I go to grab a CD for the car. (Orbit is another one. And Garbage.) I don't know a lot of people, personally, who listen to Spacehog, so I'm always excited when I meet someone else who knows anything by them. I know, "In the Meantime" was their big single, but it still makes me happy, like it's a great shared secret.
So Danielle Barbe and her band finish their set. Yay! Time for more vodka! After the craziness of the Gracious Few show, the BFF and I end up chatting with Danielle and her own BFF while I'm buying my copy of her CD. (Hear that, American Bang? I didn't buy your CD!) She was even more gorgeous in person, and she was also very sweet and funny.
Back at home in Atlanta, it took me a couple of weeks to get back around to her CD, though, because I was still so engrossed in the Gracious Few. (It's a powerful addiction, that one!) But then! I popped her into the CD player in the car one afternoon, and I was immediately hooked. She has this great, un-annoying soprano voice. And she's not a whiney girl who only sings about getting a man or keeping a man or losing a man. There are songs about love in all of its varied stages, certainly, but even at her most tenderly melodic, she doesn't simper about it.
I'm planning to do more with the lovely Ms. Barbe in the near future, so I'm not going into a ton of detail about her music right now. I will say that my favorite tracks on this CD are "Wango Tango" and "Nothing Stays the Same". Both kick my girly ass and take me to a great place. (When the dream is breaking down/when the scream don't make a sound/pick up all the pieces on the ground/Don't wanna be the lonely one/I know I'm not the only one tryin' to understand)
Now, this brings me to my point. Today is the first day that the video for her single "Ghost Town" is up as a contender in this week's Freshman poll on mtvU. Five videos go head-to-head each week for a coveted spot in video rotation. But I know you're asking yourself, Do music videos still matter?
You bet they do.
Even though MTV, as a lot of us remember it, ceased to exist long ago as cheaply-produced reality TV became the mainstay of their line-up, music videos cater to the frenetic, visually-dependent society we thrive in, especially across social media. I know that when I'm listening to a song and think I'd like to share it on my Facebook, I prefer to find a video for the song. Plus, the generation these Freshmen are trying to attract don't know life without MTV.
"I used to rush home from school just to watch TRL and see the latest music videos on TV," says the early-twenty-something Barbe. "Even though that show is now long gone, I'm happy to see that MTV is still supporting music videos. I think every artist still dreams of being on MTV. It's still such a huge part of our culture, and it's thrilling to be a part of this."
I also talked recently of supporting up-and-coming artists. They're working their asses off and really deserve the chance to share their art and talents with the public. Most of them are aware they aren't likely to go on and make a gazillion dollars a year doing what they love--though they'd all certainly take it if it happened. But they're working, constantly, to hone their craft and support themselves as productive members of society.
Danielle Barbe has no qualms about reminding you of this: "Go vote and support music videos. Support the people who worked hard to make them and the artists who still think it's important to make them. It's a lot of work!"
Because it's back on the air, and I'm always thinking about my own answer to the question, I asked Barbe what her song of choice would be, if she had to be on American Idol. One song, one shot. What would it be?
"I'm not sure," she said. "I just started to tune into Idol again because Steven Tyler is just so great on there. I think I'd do something by Carole King or Stevie Nicks. I grew up singing their songs. I think it's important to do a song that's meaningful to you and suits your voice."
So I'm asking you to go to the mtvU website and give this girly a shot to sing her own songs. Somewhere there's a little girl who's going to grow up singing "Ghost Town" into her hairbrush in front of her dresser mirror. (My own boys sing "Explosive Minute" all the time. Seriously.) You can bond with her when you tell her about the first time you saw the video and helped get it on MTV.
Whether it's the music lover in you, or the lingering kid with your own hopes and dreams, or the edgy patron of the arts, isn't there some reason you can find to go click and vote a few (dozen) times? Maybe the feminist in you needs a little push from Danielle: "I just happened to notice I'm the only woman in this poll - go support a young female rock artist!"
