It's another letter written on another plane; it's hard to say if it will get easier to write a newsletter, especially one that requires reading, research, sound, and artwork edits on the fly.  Moving from writing to editing later this summer will be a better option as we grow.  Today we are talking about storytellers; most make beautiful music.  Can you learn charisma competing with Stevie Wonder?  How does sonic thunder boom?  Robert Smith can answer that question with an incredible catalog of music.  We finish with a sweet tribute to a lead singer, given by a few more sweet souls.

-

In Seth’s Blog today, he tells us the story of Marvin Gaye and how competition with a "Young Wonder" motivated Gaye to become the performer he turned out to be.  Many consider Marvin Gaye the ultimate performer, with natural talent dripping from his pores.  Godin tells us another story and reminds us that charisma, like almost everything else, can be learned.  If you add determination to the mix, you, too, could become great.

Similarly, recent conversations about Taylor Swift have come up, and I started to ask whether Swift has the same competitive spirit?  Swift's talent and performance are undeniable; I wonder where she might find motivation?  Stories about Michael Jordan are legendary; his competitive spirit is second to none.  The lengths he continues to go to turn everything into a competition and finds a way to win at that competition are a masterclass in the drive. 

7 minutes of good cheer every day. Become a Fan to get daily posts and updates.

In a story by The Hill, we learn that lightning heats up the surrounding air to 54,000 degrees (hotter than the sun!)  It then blows out through the air around it, creating an acoustic soundwave called thunder.  Sort of like an "air arrow," the article describes different sounds of thunder: crack, rumble, and boom, which sounds like a great musical or hip-hop song. 

The article talks about lightning and some myths surrounding lightning and storms.  The most interesting pull from the lightning section is; Don't go to Texas; lightning struck Texas 27 million times last year. 

Unlike many “Listicle" articles about the band, UPROXX, one of our favorite indie sites and podcasts, goes deep on Robert Smith and the boys to describe 40 songs in an impressive discography spanning almost 45 years.  Steven Hyden, who writes for UPROXX and hosts the podcast indiecast Robert Smith like many British Alt-Rock artists from the 70s and 80s, did not follow any script.  We like to describe the 80s Brit Alt-Rock as a Crunchy Guitar sound.  Bands like The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, The Cult, and many more played broken chords and interesting rolling riffs to create sonic scenes.  Long rolling riffs versus solos give a listener both power and slow release, sometimes categorized as more "power psychedelic." 

Take that unique sound and put it with artists who don't know the rules, and 40 years later, after a significant drop-off in releasing new music, you will continue to sell out to fans who adore you.  Many of the songs Hyden picks and describes are familiar and popular; simultaneously, you can't compare them to anything else.  Hyden talks about an interview in the 80s with Smith where they try to compare The Cure to Pink Floyd; Smith’s response says it all:

Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana signed a broken guitar that Cobain smashed up during the recording of Nevermind.  The guitar was inscribed to Screaming Trees lead singer Mark Lanegan and is said to have been given to him during the Nevermind Tour in 92.  The broken guitar recently sold at auction for over half a million dollars.

Dizzy Mix.

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

-

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us. Here’s one for the road!

With A Shout newsletter is written by Johnny Christian with the support of a thousand idea bits and the help of many people.

7 minutes of good cheer every day. Become a Fan to get daily posts and updates.

O/X