\u201cAlexandra Rhapsody\u201d: Cheeky song targets industry heavyweight Patsavas
\nby Genevieve Star<\/p>\n
A few years ago, when music supervisors were becoming the gatekeeper deities of the industry, independent musicians were keen on breaking into the lucrative market. One such musician, Joe Treewater, realized Alexandra Patsavas\u2019 music supervision company Chop Shop (Twilight saga, Mad Men, Grey\u2019s Anatomy, and dozens of other TV shows and movies) was located in the same small town where he lived. \u201cNot knowing I was writing to a demigod on a higher plane of reality,\u201d Joe states, he emailed Patsavas about his music, mentioned he was local, and asked if they could meet for coffee sometime. Not surprisingly, he never received a reply\u2026<\/p>\n
The predictability of the slight didn\u2019t mitigate the sting, and the incident festered for a few years before Treewater vented his discontent via a sardonic unrequited love song entitled \u201cAlexandra Rhapsody,\u201d which floated onto YouTube this summer. At face value, the song communicates a rejected suitor\u2019s inability to connect with a woman; meanwhile, industry cognoscenti will appreciate the knowing winks to the art and business of music supervision: \u201cAlexandra won\u2019t have coffee with me, Hallelujah\u2019s her cup of tea\u201d he sings, referencing the ubiquitous, overly licensed Leonard Cohen song. But a closer listen reveals a subtext of deeper frustration, directed at a flailing industry that has rejected countless talented musicians in favor of mercurial flavors of the month. The song\u2019s varying moods and suite of different styles (everything from pop to folk to grunge to reggae) will likely impair its potential for an actual soundtrack placement, making it almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, the sophisticated nature of the song certainly showcases Treewater\u2019s musical flair (he plays and sings all the parts), and leads one to believe that \u201cAlexandra Rhapsody\u201d could fulfill another purpose.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show\u2019s 1973 song \u201cThe Cover of the Rolling Stone,\u201d a lament about not being successful enough to be featured in the trendsetting magazine, quickly caught on and landed them on the cover with the humorous caption \u201cWhat\u2019s-Their-Names Make the Cover.\u201d More recently, musician Dave Carroll was touring with his band when United Airlines smashed his $3,500 guitar and later denied liability. Carroll channeled his angst into the song \u201cUnited Breaks Guitars,\u201d which received 13 million views on YouTube and became a top iTunes seller. It would seem that protest songs, even those dripping with snarky sarcasm, are still powerful and effective tools in today\u2019s media.
\nNot much is known about Joe Treewater. His social media pages are plaited with an air of mystery and a Pythonesque bio that composites biographical information from the Gallup list of \u201cThe 20 Most Admired People of the 20th Century,\u201d everyone from Gandhi to Billy Graham. His other musical material (an album released earlier this year called The Ice Cream Social) contains similar smartass and poignant observations (Treewater describes himself as \u201ca disappointed reporter on the human condition\u201d).<\/p>\n
Is it possible his song can make a dent in an industry inflated by hype? Treewater sings that Patsavas \u201cmade it clear she don\u2019t like me,\u201d but it will be interesting to see if he elicits any more response from the music world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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