Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

To me, this is quite embarrassing. Usually I like to have a head-start on people when it comes to new music and artists. But this one, I was definitely only drawn in by others who were obsessed. What I find even more frustrating is the fact that one of my classmates already posted about his guy in NOVEMBER, 2 1/2 months ago. I'm not going to mention her name because that would be weird because I don't know her but I like her blogs. Um, moving on. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, to my surprise, are white. Call me racist, though I am not, their voices sounded like they were a large, black, man. NOT an average sized white guy. Anyways, their first song  that was been a real hit among me and most of the country/world was "Thrift Shop." I literally love this song. It is so catchy and amazing and I can't even put it into words except it's amazing. He brought something new to the table with this song. Rather than just making it all rap, he adds in parts that are actually sang, with a really catchy tune that really makes the song flow. Plus the lyrics are hilarious. They talk about how he wants some guys grandpas hand-me-downs. And how he wears huge shirts from the thrift shop. Overall, it is definitely are great jam that I would totally recommend.

It does have its moments with explicit language, but if you can overlook that, I definitely would.

For a while, this was the only song I knew of theirs. But then a friend recommended that I listen to some of his other songs, especially the one called "Same Love." This song, I think, is one of the best representations of political opinions and art mixed together. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are speaking out to their listeners with their views about same-sex love, explaining that their is nothing wrong with it. The lyrics are so motivating and moving.

The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man made rewiring of a predisposition
Playing god, aw nah here we go

...


Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that’s not important
No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it
Please read those lyrics. Or listen to the song linked below. They truly are inspiring.

I realize it could be offensive to your belief, but it only explains the struggle gay people go through. It sends a great message. That is why I love Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. During some of his performances, Mackemore wears a shirt that says Legalize Gay Marriage. It has been a long time since we have seen an artist/artists that cares so much about a debated issue. For that I really admire Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Not just for their talent, but for their beliefs and courage.

Led Zeppelin IV

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by the album Led Zeppelin IV. I had never really heard any of Led Zeppelins stuff before, so I didn't think much of them. But when we listened to it in class today, I immediately recognized quite a few of the songs. And they were all songs that I somewhat liked and enjoyed... Which is weird... because usually this type of music isn't my cup of tea. My favorite song is probably "Stairway to Heaven," but there is no surprise there. I feel like it is very simple, yet sophisticated. I love the way it starts off very calm and collected, then it gains more power, then it reaches the grand finale of screaming rage, then it settles back down and finishes. I remember this was one of the first rock 'n' roll song I ever heard. But it wasn't the original I heard. I heard a remix that I am not really sure what the name is. But this is link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBG7esonEMc

It has more of an 80's sound to me, but I like it more than the original just because it is more upbeat and dance like.

Another track I really liked from this album was "Black Dog." Before, I had only heard little snippets of the song and I never knew who the artist was. I really like the layout of this song, how they sing, then continue with an instrumental part, then it quiets out again and there is more singing and on and on. But I think it really flows well. I feel like this was probably one of the most influential albums during this time because I feel like it is the first to really produce good rock music. Regardless if their lyrics suck, I still think they are super talented and really impacted rock in the 70's in a positive way.

Fun.

I don't like the sound of this band. They are too chirpy and positive for my taste. Just as it gets annoying to be around someone who always is looking on the bright side, Fun.'s songs are upbeat and just obnoxious. Their lyrics aren't anything special either.

My seat's been taken by some sunglasses, asking 'bout a scar

Um, what?

 I also don't like the sound of the lead singer Nate Ruess. It sounds too much like a boy punk/pop band. Especially their song "It Gets Better."

 Plus in every song, it sounds like they put a small echo on his voice, giving it a kind of choir-ish sound. And I don't like it. You can really hear the echo in the verses of the song "All Alright."

 Part of my hatred for this band definitely has to do with the fact that I hear their songs on the radio every few minutes. I can't go one day without hearing "Some Nights" or "We Are Young." Sure, for a while they were new and "hip" and I thought they were good. But now, I just can't do it.
        It's funny because, the blog I wrote about overplaying songs includes the song "We Are Young" by Fun. And that was written back in September of 2012. I actually said, "They (Fun.) also released another really good, catchy song called "Some Nights," which I predict everyone will hate within the next few weeks." That was for sure true.

Copyright

To me, copyright is a money scam. By claiming that something is yours, it is unavailable to anyone else unless they pay some absurd amount of money. I suppose you could contradict that copyright is used so that someone's idea isn't stolen. But the only reason that person is worried about their idea being stolen is because the other person would take the claim and earn money and they wouldn't. It goes right back to a money scam.
        If you think about it, songwriters usually have things that inspire them; objects, ideas, feelings, events, etc. Technically the idea isn't truthfully theirs because they used something to help them build something of their own. Which is just what the movie "Rip! Remix Manifesto" is there to talk about. The movie explains that mixers like Girl Talk are performing illegal actions by taking just a second of a song and combining it with other parts of other songs and creating something that sounds nothing like the original. Now when they do this, it is illegal. When the songwriters use other people's ideas to build their own, it isn't copyright. Why? That was just the question I'd ask you. It doesn't make sense and it is unfair.
           I understand that if someone took the song you created, put their name under it, and re-published it that you would be upset/angered. But if the person took one second of your song, added it with other songs to create a whole new sound and you still charged them hundreds of dollars. That is just down right ridiculous and unacceptable. If anything, you should feel proud that someone wanted to use a bit, even if it is just one second of your song. Charging them $216,000 for that one song is however, not okay. That is like saying, every time you use a road either to drive or to walk, you have to pay $216,000. That's not the same thing you say? Well in a way it is. That road was someone else's idea and creation. You had no part in it, therefore you shouldn't be able to use it without paying money. But it doesn't work that way. In our world, everything that is made and put out into public expected to be used by the public. IF YOU DON'T WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO USE YOUR IDEAS DON'T PUT THEM OUT THERE. Artists frustrate me because they put their songs out there, but then when someone uses their idea, they become infuriated and press charges. I mean, that's like putting a hamburger on a dogs nose and saying don't eat it. I understand the songs are for entertainment purposes, but don't be surprised when some people use your ideas.
        Some of the people who have fallen victim to having their songs stolen claim that their "idea/song/thing" is their intellectual property. That to me is a ridiculous statement. You could compare a math problem to this statement. So the first person answers this question can claim this as their "intellectual property." If anyone else wants to answer this problem, they have to pay $5. But in truth, the person to claim this intellectual property was the first person to solve the problem. So in truth, they others might have come up with the answer before the "intellectual property owner person" would have actually solved it.
        I'm sorry if this is really discombobulated. These are my jumbled thoughts that I have put to paper and I am sorry if they are confusing, but I don't feel like editing them because this issue just bothers me so much. Yeah I know that doesn't make sense, but it is my excuse.
       One last interesting quote of the movie was, "Culture always builds on its past." THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE EVERY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT. You couldn't make a printer without a computer, you couldn't make a pen without something to write on, you wouldn't make a vcr/dvd without a tv. Everything builds on itself. Spoons were obviously made because people needed any easier and cleaner way to eat. Padded chairs were made so that it made sitting more comfortable. If you have never heard of a song before, how could you ever make something that is worthwhile or even halfway decent. You have to have heard songs to gain the knowledge of sounds that work and those that don't. You have to take from other ideas before you can make your own!
       

My Kind of Music

My taste of music is quite picky. I know I should stop looking at the differences in music and start focusing on the similarities, but it is really hard to. I can't stand certain types like heavy metal and screamo. Those just make me very annoyed and I feel like my head is spinning and everything feels chaotic. But I also don't like super slow music. I can stand to listen to slow music for a while, but if it goes on for too long, I become super antsy. And I guess that is part of my personality. I am always alert and tense, so when something slow and relaxing comes on, instead of embracing it and calming down, it just makes me even antsier. However, in spite of all of this, there have been times when I really do enjoy a song with a heavy metal tune or a slow song. For instance, I really enjoyed 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran. It had a nice tune, with a simple melody. I would listen to it on repeat for ages, but I soon got really sick of it, and I only wanted to listen to fast-pace music for a long time.

The A Team by Ed Sheeran

One thing I find very interesting is how frequently my taste of music changes. I honestly only notice the changes thanks to Pandora. When you pick your own station based on a band or song you like, it will only play songs of similar type. For a while, I had Lana Del Rey, an Alternative station, and Kid Cudi. But after, say, a month of listening to those, I soon found them repetitive and boring and soon started listening to Florence and the Machine and Linkin Park. I understand that I am not switching to completely different genres, that I am only changing my artist interests, but it is still interesting. After listening to too much of Florence and the Machine, I changed to Marina and the Diamonds, which I would really recommend checking out. The lead singer, Marina Lambrini Diamandis, has a super raspy, harsh voice, with a super unique sound. I can't quite put a name on her sound, but it was definitely something I had never heard before. But then, I got sick of her and soon regained my love for Lana Del Rey, which I am currently listening to. My point being, it is fascinating how people's tastes of music changes quite frequently. I don't think most people recognize it, but let's face it. No one wants to hear the same band forever if they had a choice; they would become boring and before you know it, the person would be ripping their hair out of their head.

Marina and the Diamonds:

"Lies"

 

 

 

"I am not a robot"

 

 

"State of Dreaming"

 



Sly and the Family Stone: A very sly band indeed

        Personally, it isn't my cup of tea. The sound is a little too funky and soulful for my taste. But saying that, I think there are multiple reasons that make this band a really great and inspirational band.
        As we said in class, they were technically the first multi-racial rock band. This was a huge movement at the time, considering that their albums were released during the late 60's and early 70's. This band, I would think, would be a huge symbol of hope to the colored people of the United States at the time. It showed them that white and color can work together and neither is better than the other. Plus, the beliefs of the band shined brightly through their music. Many of their songs revolved around inspirational messages of hope and determination. These themes and ideas were especially apparent on their album Stand! which was released in 1969. Songs on the album such as "Stand!," "You Can Make it If You Try," and "Everybody's People," really show the bands opinion on the political dificulties that the United States was facing at this time. Though, it makes me wonder (Ha, Stairway to Heaven reference) that if this band was releasing these motivational messages that went against the laws of the country if the government at all felt threatened to destroy them as a band. You hear and read about dystopian books where the people make a rebellious movement and the government immediately feels threaten and executes all of the suspects that had anything to do with the rebellion. The most recent book being "The Hunger Games." I do realized that these are fictitious stories and that they are not true, but I wonder if the government at all felt threatened by this band. Maybe it caused some concern that this would spur a rebellion. I am also aware that there were many rebellions against the laws of discrimination, regardless of them having anything to do with this band. I just begin to question if such messages from a popular, well-known band, would be of any worry to the government.
         I kind of went off-topic a little bit, but overall I think this band impacted the political and cultural aspects of this time period.