ZME Music

What’s that old adage?  “When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”  Yeah, well in this case, my assumption didn’t hurt anyone.  In hindsight, it was a tad lazy – and perhaps made an ass outta me – but certainly not harmful in any way.

Here’s the thing: I got an email from ZME’s esteemed editor and founder Tibi asking me if I’d have any interest in reviewing a book called How to Listen to Great Music by Robert Greenberg.  But before my brain could consider, let’s say, the title alone, the intellectual troglodyte took over: I assumed that because ZME is a popular music blog – that is, stuff you’d hear on the radio outside of NPR* – the book would be a thesis of some kind on the greats.  Ya know, Sgt. Pepper, Blonde on Blonde, Exile on Main St., etc.  Or, maybe how (and perhaps why) to choose  Led Zeppelin over Wolfmother.

This is, of course, to say nothing of why anyone would write a book describing how to listen to pop music.  ‘Why’ makes sense; ‘how’ does not.  How do you listen to The Beatles or Aretha Franklin?  You play it.  You listen to it.  You enjoy the melodies or the drums or the… whatever.  Done.  Simple.  No reason to write a book.  I just wrote the instructions for you.  (You could argue that, for example, a song like “Like a Rolling Stone” could be appreciated on multiple levels, one of which requiring a short history lesson of the early ’60s [amongst other things, but I digress...], but since not all pop songs necessitate such reading, it’s largely an irrelevant argument.)

So, then, a book discussing the how-to’s of enjoying pop music seems ridiculous, as does my initial assumption of the book.  Thus, a new, and more logical assumption, is generated: This book isn’t about pop music, but rather about a genre that, for its time, was popular.  That is to say, it was pop music before pop music was pop music.  Lost yet?  I’m undoubtedly talking about classical music.  Or as the author calls it, “concert music.” (Concert music, for the uninitiated, “is composed music [that is, 'classical music'] intended primarily to be listened to.”)

Which brings me to an important question: Why would a blog like ZME be discussing a book on classical music?  Well, for a couple of reasons.  First, while ZME is a popular music blog, it is before anything else a blog about music.  And since concert music is music, it qualifies as blog-able material here at ZME.  Second, and much more importantly, concert music has more in common with pop music than you might think.

Beyond the obvious – like progressive rock and metal’s prediction towards the symphonic and/or orchestral arrangements, or orchestral pop or whatever genre borrows from concert music – the structure and purpose of concert music shares much with the likes of pop music of the last 70 years.  The whole idea of songwriting and composition in pop music has a distinct parallel to the composition process in concert music.  As an example, there is a discussion of the logic behind the structure of passacaglia, one variational procedure of the Baroque era.  Greenberg describes it thusly:

Passacaglia is the essence of the Baroque era duality of exuberance and control: the theme, the control element, the invisible “hand of God,” is a structural, below-the-surface element, its cyclical repetitions controlling the changing and complex surface of the music.

Doesn’t that sound like the repetitious nature of pop music?  Sure does.  Each cyclical repetition (the chorus) bringing about the next verse or the bridge and then back to the chorus for one final hurrah.  And if we back out one level more, we’ll see repetition of the structural form of verse-chorus-verse.  The challenge within the limits of the pop qua pop song (i.e. a song written for popularity ["Billie Jean," for example]) is to see who can write a melody that much closer to perfection.  Greenberg goes on with concert music’s logic within Passacaglia:

To the casual observer, this process may seem absurdly rigorous.  For example, what if a composer doesn’t want to keep repeating the same bass line over and over again, what if halfway through the piece he decides to do something different?  It would never occur to him any more than it would occur to a batter in a baseball game to step up to the plate with a lacrosse stick.  Without discipline there cannot be art [...]

Which is exactly the logic of, say, Max Martin when he writes a pop hit.  He doesn’t write a verse and a chorus of electro pop and then suddenly have the second verse be death metal in style.  That would make no sense, and certainly wouldn’t be art.  Well maybe to someone it would be ironically so; but for the purposes of this discussion, that decision would be irrational to a songwriter.  So, too, for a concert music composer. No, Max Martin, much like the all-time greats like Bach or Vivaldi, see repetition as a key to logical compositional structure.  You listen to “I Want It That Way” because of that chorus, that repetition.  When you press ‘play’ you patiently wait for that reminder of why you decided to hit the ‘play’ button in the first place: the guaranteed pay-off of the familiar, the known, the comfort zone if you will.  Once again, though, Greenberg puts it best when he describes the ritornello form movement of the Baroque:

Ritornello form is just that sort of formal construct that imbues a piece of instrumental music with a sense of logical “inevitability.”  In such a movement, every time we hear the ritornello theme return – every time we hear the refrain – we know we’ve come back home; and each time we depart from it, we know we will eventually return. [emphasis added]

Yes, the chorus is short and simultaneously the most desirable part of a song, but that’s the best part of it being structure – you’ll arrive at it again before composition ends.

I could go on and on for another thousand words, but if you’re not convinced by now, dear reader, you never will be.  Classical music  – ahem, concert music – is as relevant now as it ever was when it didn’t have to compete with Les Paul.  Perhaps, given the near infinite choices of music these says, concert music is more important, if only for that reason.  But it’s an important one.  It predates rap, rock, jazz, blues, or anything else on any radio station today.  And concert music can still bring the masses together.  Why, even here in Madison, WI we have Concerts on the Square during the summer months.  Think about that for a moment: In the 21st Century, people leave their homes – filled with iPods, Pandora, LCD televisions, XBox’s – to gather on the Capitol Square to listen to an orchestra play centuries-old music. You can throw out the fascinating history contained within concert music (as well as How To Listen) and still realize that this stuff – this great stuff – is just as relevant as Lady GaGa.

*I am aware of the existence of classical music stations.  They are, however, few and far between, and, for the purposes of this quasi-joke, don’t really exist.  I’m also aware that NPR covers pop music.  It’s a bit.  Deal.

Whenever Animal Collective releases new music, it begs to be analyzed and critiqued. This new release, a two-track 7″ that will likely feature one of their singles off of their upcoming record (Honeycomb) and another track that will probably be a B-side (Gotham), is (thankfully?) far less abstract than their release from earlier this month, Transverse Temporal Gyrus. Yeah, Animal Collective is releasing a lot of new music as of late and it appears that there will be more on the way. Life is good.

It’s hard to talk about Animal Collective nowadays because, at this point, there’s so much to draw from and so much to put into context. They’ve been making music for over a decade and now Avey Tare and Noah Lennox are going off and embarking on their own solo efforts. Tare’s solo LP, Down There, was one of my favorite albums of 2010 and has really held up to multiple listens, while Lennox, under the guise of Panda Bear, has been hugely successful. 2009′s Merriweather Post Pavilion sort of changed everything, giving them a more mainstream sound but also keeping them in the realm of critical adoration. It was truly career-defining. At this point, each new release contributes to this complex patchwork they’ve created over the years that furthers the discussion of where they belong in the “most influential bands of the 2000s” discussion.

It’s hard to say much about their upcoming album because, well, it isn’t out yet and not a whole lot is known about it. But if “Honeycomb” is in fact on it, my expectations are set extremely high. No, “Honeycomb” isn’t the best thing they’ve ever done, but it is incredibly good and firmly puts to rest the idea that AnCo will go in a more Here Comes the Indian-y direction as a response to the mainstream acceptance of MPP. Here Comes the Indian is a very good album, but going back to that place of intense experimentation would seem like taking a step back in their intriguing evolution. This next album doesn’t have to be twelve variation on “My Girls,” but an album that deftly strikes that balance between risk and lovely pop sound would be ideal. “Honeycomb” is frantic and would totally work on Strawberry Jam or Feels. It sounds a bit like “Water Curses,” at least in construction. It’s addictive as hell. “Gotham” is more even-keeled, by Animal Collective standards, but it’s another case of them really hitting an emotional high note. It’s lyrically bizarre, but you still can’t help but find this weird sense of poignancy amid the apparent nonsense. Both songs are worthy additions to the Animal Collective library.

Honeycomb: A

Gotham: B+

Album title: Neck of the Woods

Release date: Tuesday, May 8, 2012.

Tracks: 11 (you can find the tracklist here)

Rating: 10/10 (all exaggeration aside)

After a good three years and some odd weeks, Los Angeles alternative band Silversun Pickups has released its third true studio album to date, Neck of the Woods…which does just about everything but disappoint.

In all honesty, I had no doubt this album would be quite tops, but I wasn’t sure it would be this enthralling. I mean, to all who don’t yet know about the band (even after playing “Lazy Eye” or “Panic Switch” for them), I’ve always described Silversun Pickups as the lovechild of some heavy, angst-driven and emotion-controlled early 90s grunge/alternative band and a modern, upstanding indie group, taking from each the most prominent aspects of their personalities; for this album, my description still holds mostly true, save for new aspects of midnight movie score-esque darkness and despairing searches for the truth, which simply add to the tight song structures the band is known for.

In any case, I come to you, oh sound-hungry Internet patron, from hours of pumping Neck of the Woods into my ears on repeat, trying to take in each bit of every song in any way I could…and, consequently, some conclusions were drawn.

One thing eerily prevalent within the first few songs is that the album rings like the arcane backing score of some driving, macabre, blood-soaked mystery-thriller. If the song titles and supporting lyrics aren’t enough (i.e. “Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)”, “Mean Spirits”,  etc.), then the combination of bassist Nikki Monniger’s strategically muted lines (especially prevalent in the beginning of “Mean Spirits”, after the initial Incesticide-worthy explosion of mottled sound) and drummer Christopher Guanlao’s tight, almost metal-esque beats backing lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert’s licks and Joe Lester’s synth additions ought to drive the feeling home.

Another is that the album is a good mix of the sounds one will find on Carnavas (my personal favourite SSPU album, 2006) and Swoon, having equal parts distortion and equal parts synth; also, the feeling of being lost in a sea of rusty emotion in an area where there is nothing but open space (though the band originated from the ultra-hip and therefore urban and dense Silver Lake area of Los Angeles) is combined with dark motives and sensibilities, making the feeling of a joint album even more profound. Sometimes, when asked the name of the new album, I find myself preparing to form the words Carnavas-Swoon (or some not-so-clever combination of the two) instead of Neck of the Woods. Going back to the previously mentioned metaphor, I suppose this album could only be described as the lovechild of both records, with just enough of the former’s rough, faster-paced and the latter’s somewhat slower, more synth-oriented sound  to be described as its parents’ undeniable offspring, having just enough to distinguish itself as its own album but not enough to draw the family comparisons away.

In any case, I’d give this album a listen…a few times. Then again, I do have a soft spot for this particular band, even when reaching back into their Smashing Pumpkins/early Nirvana/Band of Skulls-esque first EP Pikul and debut album, Carnavas.

If hearing them on record isn’t enough, they are also currently on tour. I actually saw them perform a week and two days ago at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento, which is roughly the size of the Fillmore West and was completely sold out. They were quite fantastic, having brought the venue to life and really connected in a “yin and yang” moment with the crowd; Aubert himself was quite shocked at the connection, having been taken aback by the turnout even though it was “seriously our [their] first show in a year and a half.”. They even managed to take my mind off of the fact that I was standing for three hours elbow-to-elbow with bodies in a crowd in a button-up shirt and long pants  on a hot spring night in the xeric capitol city of California; after the fact, when my feet screamed and calves ached in protest of walking back to my car, I realized just how long it had been… but Aubert and his gang managed to keep me utterly “tuned-in and turned-on up” to that point in a fashion I didn’t think was possible.

Silversun Pickups will be playing live on the following dates:

June 1: Kjee Summer Round-Up, Santa Barbara, CA May 25: Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA

June 2: The Shoreline, Mountain View, CA

July 5: The Moose’s Tooth, Anchorage, AK

July 14: Downsview Park Allen Road, Toronto, Canada

July 20: Firefly Music Festival, Dover, DE

September 1: Xfest, Calgary, Canada

September 2: Sonic Boom, Edmonton, Canada

For tickets and all other information, head over to the band’s main site.

For a good time, listen to Neck of the Woods; it DEFINITELY earned its “perfect” rating, I’ll tell you that much.

HOUSE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG ALL NGHT LONG

Not widely accepted by the mainstream clubbing set of the early 1980s, gay black and Latino men held parties in a large empty building called the Warehouse, located in an industrial area of Chicago. Music fans gathered and the factory soon became a new type of nightclub. Loud music and free entrance attracted large crowds. The building owner eventually hired a young DJ from New York named Frankie Knuckles. Music played at the Warehouse was different from the top 40 hits many clubs featured. Frankie played old disco favorites, funk, R&B and underground cuts not yet released to the pop charts for runners to the House Music Record sound coming shortly.

Frankie Knuckles

House God Father - Mr Frankie Knuckles

Unlike other DJs, Knuckles played dance music with a twist. He accelerated the tempo to 120 to 135 beats per minute and enhanced tunes played from vinyl records with bass drums and synthesized elements that accentuated each beat of the song. This technique became known as a four on the floor beat. Instead of playing songs individually, Knuckles pieced together various crowd pumping tracks from disco, funk and soul records. He often repeated certain song elements and added electronic or vocal overtones. The loud, driving beat combined with political or suggestive lyrics soon attracted a heterosexual following.

Ron Hardy

Ron Hardey - Re Mixing !

Leonard “Remix” Roy, Ron Hardy and other DJs replicated this style of infused and layered music. Many recorded creations on reel to reel tape. Recording studios developed vinyl, long playing (LPs) records that featured tracks created by various DJs. Fans, so enamored with the sound, searched record stores in hopes of purchasing these soundtracks. Import, Etc. records obtained the LPs and sold them under the category “music played at the Warehouse.” The category eventually evolved into “house music” the most poular vinyl mixed today.

Hot Mix 5

Hot Mix 5 Orginal Line Up

Other warehouse clubs emerged and the Hot Mix 5 radio station in Chicago developed, featuring only house music. Fans and DJs spread the word about the new musical phenomenon, which quickly reached the east and west coasts of the U.S. From the major cities of the coast, the music soon spread to Montreal, Ontario, London and Paris. The new genre greatly influenced Britain’s pop scene and many artists included house music in their records. Artists experimented with different styles and tracks, developing dozens of variations of house music. By the 1990s, movie scores and top pop artists recorded their versions of house music.

In this decade, house music continues evolving. Music producers David Guetta, Daft Punk and Swedish House Mafia, along with numerous other DJs and producers, entertain audiences worldwide with an array of variations that include electro, progressive, techno and trance house music. Some of today’s artists prefer house music with elements of disco and funk. Other popular infusions contain more basic, tribal overtones. The common thread running through all house music is the ability to make people want to get up and dance.

It may be hard to believe, but Green Day’s Mike Dirnt turns forty years old today. In honor of the iconic bassist hitting the big 4-0 I decided to construct a “ladder” connecting Mr. Dirnt to 1920′s blues powerhouse Bessie Smith. I mean hey, why not have some fun to celebrate a milestone in the life of a member of one of the most fun bands on the planet?

Mike Dirnt  Any punk fan, or even any serious music fan for that matter, must have been trapped under a rock for the past twenty years if they don’t know the name Green Day. From a young age, Mike would pretend to play ‘air bass’, saying “dirnt dirnt dirnt” while plucking his imaginary strings, hence his nickname (Mike was actually born Michael Ryan Pritchard). Besides writing the bass lines on all of Green Day’s eight studio albums, he has also contributed lyrics on tracks such as “Emenius Sleepus” from Dookie and the “Nobody Likes You” portion of five part medley “Homecoming” from American Idiot.

Jason Freese Unlike the previous person in this ladder, I will not judge you if you have never heard this name before. Jason Freese is a musician, record producer and recording engineer. With all of these jobs Mr. Freese has worked on upwards of fifty albums with some thirty five artists. Who is included on this list? None other than Green Day! Jason has contributed keyboards, horns, backing vocals, and even saxophone on both 21st Century Breakdown and American Idiot. He has also been a touring member of Green Day, making him appear in live albums Bullet In A Bible and Awesome As Fuck.

Jewel Pop-country sweetheart Jewel has been very active and popular since the mid 1990s, but it is three of her most recent albums that bring her into this ladder. Perfectly Clear, Lullaby,  and Sweet And Wild, released in 2008 2009 and 2010 respectively, all feature Jason Freese playing multiple obscure and somewhat random instruments. When I say random I mean extremely random: mellotron, Hammond and Wurlitzer organs, triangle, accordion and glockenspiel. Her debut album, Pieces of You, which came out in 1995, brings us to our next step on the ladder.

Neil Young The musical chameleon known as Neil Young was drawn to many influential musicians in his mid 1950s childhood, started his career in the 1960s and hasn’t stopped since. So what does he have to do with the younger Jewel? Her debut album was actually recorded on Neil Young’s ranch (he just casually has a recording studio there, everyone has those right?) The Stray Gators, Young’s band who supported him on his 1972 hit album Harvest, played on the album as well.

Bob Dylan Being one of the greatest songwriters of all time, it only makes sense that Bob Dylan’s songs are covered by a multitude of artists. In 1991, Neil Young, along with the Grateful Dead, did just that at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Dylan is a fan of Young as well, which he made apparent in a 2008 pilgrimage to Neil Young’s childhood home in Winnipeg. Bob Dylan’s musical prowess is undeniable, beginning with his Minnesota coffee house roots and beyond.

John Hammond In a career that spanned nearly six decades as a record producer and talent scout, John Hammond began the careers of some of the most influential musicians of all time. While known for discovering jazz artists such as Fletcher Henderson and Benny Goodman, he is responsible for signing Bob Dylan to Columbia Records as well as keeping him on the label despite many uncertainties from executives. Without John Hammond, Bob Dylan’s monumental career would not exist as we know it, if at all.

Bessie Smith In the 1920s, the unbelievable voice of Bessie Smith was easily the most widely known of the day. Nicknamed “The Queen of the Blues”, she sang alongside some of the greatest musicians of the era. Once the depression hit, however, Bessie’s career seemed to be in jeopardy. Although she never stopped performing she was in no way on top the way she was just a few years earlier. In 1933, John Hammond asked her to record for Okeh claiming to have found her in semi obscurity, although these claims are disputed. These turned out to be her last recordings before the tragic 1937 car accident that resulted in her death.

So why did I decided to make a ladder like this? Because I can. Happy birthday Mike Dirnt, keep on rocking!