The Fugees

My overall opinion of The Fugees is very scattered. To me, they sound like any other rap group. I tend to zone out with hip-hop and rap songs because usually the beat is very consistent and uninteresting. Even with the different rappers singing different parts, that can hold my attention for maybe a few extra seconds, but after that I am lost again. But what really makes me reconsider The Fugees is Lauryn Hill. She is incredible. Her voice is strong and it really stands out against the somewhat dull sound. She really gives the songs life and originality. One example where I think she really outshines the other group members is in "Ready or Not." From the very beginning, she starts off powerful and eerie. But what is great about her power is it comes from the tone of her voice, not the volume of it.

The songs without Lauryn Hill are very dull and boring. Usually they have very little change in melody and without Hill's strong and controlling voice, it leaves the song very blasé. And I know you might say, "But their lyrics are ingenious." And that may be. But for me, a song can't just have good lyrics and an alright beat. If lyrics were the only thing that mattered, then I would listen to poetry, not a song. I'm looking for something that can hold my attention, and if the lyrics are incredible, then that is a plus. I feel like people look down on me because lyrics aren't important to me. I'm not an active listener. I never have been and I'm not sure I ever will be. Yes this class has taught me more about where lyrics come from and how they affect the songs, but they just aren't a huge deal to me.

"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is definitely another song that shows off Hill's talents. Again what is so great about her voice is the subtle power - if that makes sense. Everything she sings sounds so effortless, yet strong, but never forced. She always sounds very composed and together, and I really enjoy listening to her songs.

 

 

Ending on a COMPLETELY different note, I was kind of saddened by the fact that Lauryn Hill is going to jail because she hasn't paid over $1 million in taxes. I mean, how hard is it to pay your taxes? You're wealthy, you've had a fabulous career, just pay your darn taxes. And if you can't afford the taxes, then don't buy things with such high taxes. That's all.

Crystal Castles

I'm not sure if I have already written a blog about this group, but I don't think I have. But if that isn't the case, then I'm terribly sorry. Crystal Castles is a very intriguing band to me. They have a great electronic/dance sound which I really love. And unlike a lot of electronic groups, they actually have somewhat decent vocals. A lot of their songs have that video game sound, where they make all of these beeps, boops, etc. I don't especially like those songs, but when the male of the group, Ethan Kath, sings, the songs are really great. His voice kind of sounds like those from the 80's hair-metal era, which I know many people hate, but I personally enjoy. I really like the song "Vanished" off of their first album, titled Crystal Castles.

But other than this song, I'm not a big fan of their first album. But I do like their second album. It has the same electronic sound, just not as much of the video game sounds are present. Off of their second album, I love the song "Not in Love." This song actually has some literary merit because it somewhat talks about a story. One thing I particularly like in this song if the fact that there is a building affect. The verses of the song are much quieter, but as you come closer to the chorus of the song, the intensity builds and then during the chorus, there is an explosion of sound and beat.

One thing I also noticed that I don't normally notice is their album cover off of their second album Crystal Castles II. It is really eerie and creepy because the girl is in front of graves. And she looks like one of those child demons in the horror movies. I think rather than being creative and different, it came off rather creepy. But it definitely makes the viewer/listener question what it is and what is its purpose and how it relates to the album, which is the point, I guess.

Stevie Wonder + Primus

First, I'm going to start off by saying how very surprised I was with Stevie Wonder's song "Higher Ground." I had never heard the song before today in class and I LOVED it. It is funky and groovy and definitely jam-able - sorry if that isn't a word. The intro is really catchy with all of the different sounds. It has a great vibe and can definitely hold your attention throughout the whole song. I've never really known much about Stevie Wonder, which I know is quite terrible, but this song has really opened up my eyes and I intend on listening to much more of his music in the future. However, the cover done by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is no where near as good as the original. For starters, I don't like how they sped up the song - it ruins the tranquility and "funk" of the song. The vocal capabilities of the singer are also not as good as Wonder's, which also takes away from the cover.

Abrupt ending, but now I would like to talk about how much I hate Primus. They are loud obnoxious, and I feel like they don't follow any particular patterns or beats when they play. It sounds like they stuck a bunch of four year olds together and said, "Start slamming against the instruments on the count of 3. 1....2....3... JKLFJDKSJFKLSJDKL." It just sounds horrible. I don't enjoy the vocalist either. He sounds like he is talking the whole time during the Suck On This album. I understand that their instrumentalists alone are probably really talented guys. But man, when they are together, I feel like plugging my ears and curling up in a ball. My ears actually hurt after listening to this band. Now that could have been because the music was being blasted, but it could also be because they are bad. But to end on one positive note, some of their attempted beats and songs had creative sounds and some were intriguing.

Here is to remind you of the dysfunctional band:

 

 

And this is completely unrelated. But I am here to prove that The Moore Brothers sound like Oompa Loompas!

 

 

The Moore Brothers:

 

"Second To"

 

 



 

 

Oompa Loompas:

 

Veruca Salt has gone down the garbage shoot

 

 

 

You are welcome for this incredible connection and discovery.

LCD Soundsystem

I'm really kind of upset because I'd think this group would be my favorite band ever - they combine my two favorite genres - dance/electronic and alternative. But the outcome isn't so great... or as great as I would have liked it. I like really loud music with a good beat, but I feel like all of the songs are very quiet, and none of the beats are in your face - the way I like it. I first thing I like to hear when I click on a song is a killer beat or tune. That is honestly all I care about in a song...But that's an overstatement. But I just feel like with most of their songs, you can easily tune out. And that's frustrating for me. I think this band could've been an even bigger success if their beats were a little louder and crazier - they really played it safe with many of their songs. You could then say, "Well maybe some of their fans wouldn't like them if their music was louder." And that could be true. But I would personally like them louder and crazier. Their beats just sound generic. But maybe they were the ones who originally came up with these beats and everyone else copied them. I know I have been complaining a little too much, but I have one more complaint. They sound too much like the All-American Rejects. I don't like All-American Rejects. I can't really describe it, but it is that boy-bandish sound that I really despise.

One song that kind of meets my standards is "Thrills."

 

Commercials working in the favor of artists

Commercials are like the gateway to Stardom for new or undiscovered artists. By putting their song in a commercial as the background music, it allows people to discover their music without having to do anything - they just have to watch tv. Plus, many commercials are repeated numerous times, so the song will then be stuck in the viewers head, and thus, leading them to look up the song and discover the artist. This is exactly what happened just the other day and many other times to me. I was watching something on hulu or something and a commercial for windows popped up with a really really catchy song. It sounded a lot like One Republic, so I was excited because their latest album wasn't too great for me. So I looked it up. And it turned out to be a guy named Blake Lewis, who happened to be the runner up on American Idol a few years back. I was kind of shocked, but kind of intrigued.

I then began to think of all the other commercials that led me to songs. I know that I was led to the song "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons a couple months ago by a commercial, but I'm not sure which one it was. A Microsoft commercial led me to Alex Clare's song "Too Close."

 

Another Microsoft commercial led me to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' song "Can't Hold Us.

 

 

This one is from many years ago, but the song "New Soul" became very popular from this Mac commercial.

Those are only just a few examples, but commercials are the perfect way to get your name out there. Plus, you get paid for the use of your song. You can't lose in this situations - though maybe you can, I'm not sure what is written in the fine print......

Nirvana vs. Smashing Pumpkins

Both Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins excel in certain areas and lack in others. Nirvana, I think, is vocally stronger than the Smashing Pumpkins. But, the Smashing Pumpkins is instrumentally stronger than Nirvana. From what I've seen so far, the lyrics from both bands are so-so. I think the songs made by the Smashing Pumpkins have a little more of a variety, sound wise, but that isn't a huge factor that separates the two bands because some people like one sound and only one sound. When listening to Nirvana's "Nevermind," I feel like it's one of those albums where you have to be in a happy and energetic mood to enjoy it. Otherwise, it could seem rather loud and annoying. I think it's a fantastic album that is strong, entertaining and aggressive, which is something that the 80's definitely lacked. But at the same time, a lot of their songs are the same. Same, loud sound. And that can get annoying. Now for the Smashing Pumpkins. They ARE much more diverse with their songs, but are they as entertaining to me? I don't really know. Nirvana's loud music can definitely hold my attention, but sometimes quieter songs lose me - it just depends. The Smashing Pumpkin's songs are much quieter, not just their sound, but the over all volume of the album. Regardless of what volume Nirvana's "Nevermind" is played at, it will always seem super loud. But the Smashing Pumpkins have some killer instrumentalists. Everything is so coordinated, especially the drumming, it is so clear and clean cut, you can easily pick out the guitar or drums - it isn't just mush. Like "Nevermind's" hidden track. That was AWFUL. I feel like they just took the outtakes from every song and threw them together and that's what they got. I hope they don't do that in any of their other albums.

One thing I found really interesting was one of the genres allmusic.com classified the Smashing Pumpkins into. It is a genre called Noise Pop. And their definition of it was the funniest thing.
Noise Pop: pop music wrapped in barbed-wire kisses of feedback, dissonance, and abrasion. I think Nirvana would be considered more Noise Pop-y than the Smashing Pumpkins, but they weren't.

Probably my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song off their album "Gish" would definitely be "Daydream."

It is really soft, yet has this underlying power that comes through with the instruments and the voice of the singer. The singer kind of sounds like the lead singer in The Silversun Pickups, which isn't my favorite band, but I don't mind it in this song.

Sources: http://www.allmusic.com/style/noise-pop-ma0000012156

Milo Greene

Milo Greene is a recent band that released it's first album this past year titled Milo Greene. The band has a folky sound similar to that of Of Monsters and Men. It has a slight pop-sound, but it is very minimal and non-assertive. They have a quiet sound that sounds very natural and unforced. All Music called their sound, "organic and honest." The lead singer, Marlana Sheetz, has a very simplistic voice that almost sounds like a lullaby. Though they have only produced one album, the band has built quite a reputation in these past few months. My favorite song of theirs so far is "1957."

"1957"

Some of my other favorites are:

"Don't You Give Up on Me"

"Son My Son"

"Polaroid"

One thing you don't really see these days are short songs under 1:30. And this is the second album that I have seen where there are about 4 songs with their time under 1:30. I also saw it on One Republic's new album Native. So who knows, maybe short songs are the new thing.