Author Archive

2000’s country

For this blog I wanted to talk about Jay Fencel’s presentation. I wanted to talk more about the the 2000’s country genre and my experiences with country music. Country is the genre of music I grew up on. I don’t think that most people would think that about me or guess that I grew up that way, but until around age 14, I was a country girl. I was born during the 90’s and it was the genre that was close to me heart as a child. I’ve been to many concerts in my day, the first being Alabama. I’ve seen Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, George Straight, Kenny Chesney, and many more. Going to country concerts were a huge part of my childhood and it began my love of concerts that continues today. I knew every country song in the radio. 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s country music is a part of me. I listened to a lot of Alan Jackson growing up and the song “Drive” is something that resonated with me because I lived the life of a country girl; mostly outside, spending summers in mud, water, and around a fire or playing in the woods. It was a simpler lifestyle, but it’s one I miss and one I try to get back to as often as I can. One thing that bothered me during the presentation was the fact that Fencel said that the genre was primarily filled with male artists. This simply isn’t so. I grew up listening to the strong female country artists of the 1990’s and 2000’s that filled the radio as much as the men. Some of my favorite artists were The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, and Sugarland. Not only were very present within the genre in the 200’s, but they also helped form the genre. One of the very first country groups include none other than June Carter Cash. Another thriving artist includes Dolly Parton. Today, female artists are dominating the country genre, sticking to the roots of the genre. Male country artists of today are spilling into the rap and pop world and the product of what they are trying to create is in my opinion terrible. Throughout the history of the genre, women have been just as prevalent and successful as the men they sing beside. Country is also unique because as the women age and grow in talent, they aren’t just thrown away. Too often in the pop world, women get into their 30’s and become old hat and don’t have sex appeal, so they are brushed out of the industry. Country music doesn’t really have that as much. Older female artists still perform and have successful careers today. Like I said, I do have my fair share of favorite male artists, but there is something about female artists in the country genre that is just so impressive. They are frankly all kick ass women and they are all worth talking about. I wish they were mentioned more throughout this presentation of 2000’s Country.

Folk Rock and Alternative Rock

The artist that I decided to focus on for my presentation in this class was the group Mumford and Sons. This group was formed in London, England in 2007. The group consists of 4 musicians playing a wide range of instruments. The members are Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane. Together they play everything from the electric guitar, the banjo, the synthesizer, and the mandolin. You see these many instruments because the genres that the group falls under is Neo-Folk, Folk Rock, and Alternative Rock. All of these genres can find their way into the popular music stratosphere. Out of the 3 albums that the band has produced, around 6 songs can be found on popular radio stations. This is a common trend among alternative rock groups. Alternative Rock has because a popular genre among millennials. Alternative rock came out of the punk-rock and new wave stylistic origins. The genre started in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s from the United Kingdom and the United States. The genre derived out of independent music and underground music. Alternative music came from underground young artists. It wasn’t until the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s that alternative rock came into the limelight. Popularity from bands like Nirvana and Matchbox Twenty led the way for bands like Mumford and Sons to emerge from the alternative scene and into the pop world. Other alternative rock groups that I found popularity in the 2000’s and today include Arcade Fire and the Killers. However, like I said before, Mumford and Sons are not the sole embodiment of the alternative rock genre. Their instrumentation that Mumford and Sons typically uses leads them to be primarily a neo-folk and folk-rock band. The genre of Neo-folk derives out of rock and folk. Neofolk holds mostly acoustic styles, but there can also be a mixture of other instruments like piano, and other rock elements. Folk rock came out of the 1960’s when the rise of rock was happening but there were still acoustic elements to the music. Traditional folk music was spun with elements of rock and created a unique genre of music. Some of the most popular Folk rock artists include Bob Dylan. Other bands including The Beatles experimented in the genre as well. This folk-rock genre bleeds into other genres and bands often experiment within the genre. The genre popularized the acoustic sound within popularized music. This sound was lost in the 2000’s and what acoustic sounds did exist blended into and fell under the genre of country music. Mumford and Sons helped to bring back the acoustic style that popular music can have. This led to more and more artists coming into the realm of popular music like The Lumineers, Vance Joy, and Hozier. Mumford and Sons popularity also encouraged the acoustic sound with other artists that exist in popular music. They found a way to stick with their genre and be authentic all while finding popularity within the masses, encouraging growth of the alternative rock and folk genres.

Madonna

The megastar that I chose for my blog is Madonna. Madonna has always been a present figure in my life. It wasn’t even that my family were Madonna fans. However, growing up in the nineties after the rein of Madonna left thousands of pop culture reference throughout movies, television, and general culture. Of course I was not alive during the time that Madonna was most popular, but waves of her popularity continued throughout the 90’s, 2000’s and today. I think one of the most unique things about Madonna is the fact that her artistry has continued and out lived most of the mega stars of the 80’s. Just out of the list of names that were mentioned, most of them are dead or gone. Madonna has lived on a thrived so let’s talk about her. Madonna is the one of the faces of girl power in pop culture. She spent her career as an artist pushing the limits and defying norms. Her rebellion does not just exist in her lyrics, timbre, and music videos, but also in her fashion, performances, and collaborations. Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” music video really set her apart as an artist and pushed some boundaries that were never pushed before my a female artist. The video featured religious undertones and what appeared to be hellfire. This led to controversy in the church as when in the general media. She has more recent video’s that mirror this imagery. For example in the music video, Living for love, there are more demonic images that are present that surround Madonna. Madonna was also very much a part of the beginnings of promiscuity in music culture. Her famous image of coned breasts is something that you don’t forget. Her style was iconic and it was something that defined her image, which was such a big part of her. She’s Madonna. She doesn’t need a second name, everyone just knows her. She really paved the way for female artists of the future like no other female artist had before her. The music world was cluttered with male artists up and into the 90’s. Madonna demanded her audience and place in pop culture by being wild and authentic. Yes, Madonna gave female artists power in the music industry, but power of what. This is always a tricky topic when it comes to female artist. Madonna did gain a lot of her power through sex- appeal. Female artists who sing out and strip down are the artists who get the attention. It is almost a requirement to have good looks if you want to be a singer, performer, or entertainer of any kind. So, what got Madonna future: her talent or her sex appeal? You can ask the same questions with artists today such as Rihanna, Brittney Spears, and Beyoncé. These artist only have power because of their sexuality, then there is a problem. However, I think all these ladies are crazy talented and their power comes from their talent and confidence. Therefore, at the end of the day, Madonna did more good than harm within her career and she continues to inspire women today.

Rock and the Beatles

In my blog post for the week, I want to talk about the evolution of rock and roll. Some people question the development of rock and roll with in the spectrum of pop music and as a genre. When rock started really first developing as a distinct genre, there were still questions as to what defined rock and roll. Quite frankly, this question is still being asked today. Some will define rock and roll and to others, rock and roll is simply a feeling and you know it when you hear it. When we think of the most influential artists of the beginnings of rock and roll, artist like Elvis, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles come to mind. I personally believe that the musical development of The Beatles is a good reflection and representation of Rock and Roll and the growth and branches of the genre itself. When The Beatles first became a hit they were singing classic rock and roll songs that have that typical rock and rock style of the time. Songs that have this style include Love Me Do and Twist and Shout. At the time of these songs, The Beatles sound was mellow and not as experimentational. Soon after you get songs like Hard Day’s Night. Within the first 4 of the Beatles albums they get a hold on rock and roll and had it as their own. In Srgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts club band, The Beatles started to experiment with their sound more and in doing so, they ultimately started to develops the genre. In SPLHCB and Revolver, the influence that The Beatles had on Rock and Roll was significant, but I don’t necessarily think they changed the genre as a whole, but instead, gave the genre branches. After influential songs like Yellow Submarine and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, sub-genres like psychedelic rock were able to develop. As the Beatles come out with new albums, songs emerge, like Come Together and Something, for example, that are direct reflections of modern indie-rock. There are also classics like Let It Be that influence the development of Rock Ballads in the 70’s, 80’s and it even has influence with today’s artists. Sam Smith’s, Stay With Me, has a similar feeling and that is a song from the late 2000’s. The experimentation of the Beatles music was crucial to all music that was too follow. There music was ahead of it’s time and you find elements of their melodies and stylistic choices in songs from all decades and genres since the end of the band. The Beatles’ songs are still played, sung, and covered by so many different individuals today. 40 some years later, The Beatles are still very relevant. I don’t think that the branching out of the genre of rock and roll hindered the genre in anyway. If anything, rock and roll as a genre grew and blossomed and gave influence to enough artists that we can call a lot of their music and similar sounding songs, pop.

25

Today I wanted to talk about the album that won album of the year, Adele’s 25. I realize that there was controversy over Beyoncé not winning album of the year for her album, Lemonade, but today I just want to go through Adele’s album because it too was a great album and Adele is one of my favorite artists of all time. I have been following Adele for a while now. The first time I ever listen to Adele, my friend played Chasing Pavements for me. I wasn’t completely won over by it. My first reaction to it was that I didn’t like it at all and I was assuming that she would just be a one-hit-wonder and everything Adele would blow over. After Chasing Pavements, I had a listen to Make You Feel My Love. There was something about her voice in this one that was less whiny and more demanding and she started to grow on me. I started to listen to 19 and soon it became one of my favorite albums. I could stop listening. From her pop-ballads to her more acoustic songs, I was completely hooked. Soon I was considering her my favorite artist. I was learning her music on the piano and guitar. I was singing her songs at talent shows at my high school. Ever song became my shower song. Her lyrics and her tone made me feel so empowered and I started to change my voice in ways where I would sound more like her. This was only the beginning though because soon 21 came out. 21 was the album where Adele was a household name. Every teenage girl was singing Someone Like You at the top of their lungs. Then Rumor Has It became a hit and everyone’s inner diva seemed to start dripping out of the pores of everyone who heard it. It was a pop song unlike any we’ve heard before. Soon it was number one and Set Fire to the Rain joined the charts. Adele’s album won her several awards. Adele is her music; humble and yet completely unapologetic. We all came to love her and then the hiatus happened. I sit in my bathtub every night with 19 and 21 on shuffle and the days and then years go by as a wait for a new song. A cute baby later, she is back and better than ever. In 25 I felt like I really got to know Adele. She poured her whole soul into the album. It’s all about past, present, and future. She talks about when she was young, her hometown, and the ones she left behind. She talks about the love that she has received and will continue to receive from her child and her partner. She was completely humble and grateful releasing the album and for her, it’s not about the fame or image, it’s all about music, life, love, and passion about all of those things. I admire her so much as an artist and a person and I can’t wait to hear what her future album’s hold.

post 2

I’m really enjoying this class so far. There are a handful of things that I knew before I entered the class, but there are also a lot of new things that I’m learning that are kind of filling in the gaps of my music history puzzle. When I think of music in the 1900’s my mind sees a flicker of jazz and then I just think about the Beatles. However, music in the 1900’s was so much more than that. Music served so much more of a purpose back in the old days. Popular music was the main source of entertainment for the everyday man. The 1900’s were hard all around. There was war after war and financial turmoil happening. There were injustices against women and minorities. Music was what brought the people together. Music is what distracted all of the everyday people from the hardships in their lives and in the world. Popular music allowed everyone to forget the bad and remember all of the good in the world.
I want to now go on to talk about genres in that time period. Musically, I had an understanding of the Blue’s as a genre, but I didn’t realize how many ties it had into other musical genre. Blue’s music has had influences in Gospel music, Jazz, and Rock primarily. In regards to Gospel music, I always thought that the main music all had religious connotations. I wasn’t aware that some of the lyrics of the music in the gospel genre wasn’t necessarily all focused on religion. I also didn’t realize until it was pointed out to me the heavy Blue’s ties in gospel music. When I think of Gospel music, it is soulful and typically upbeat and uplifting. I don’t really think of gospel music being a music that can hold such sorrow and almost a dragging felling. I also wasn’t aware that Gospel Quartets existed. Once I heard the example song, it sounded familiar and like songs that I have heard of before. Also, while listening to the quartets, I could hear influences in different spiritual and choir music I have sung. I’m not really sure if the chicken or the egg came first for that one, but, regardless, it was a musically similarity that I heard. Going back to blues, I have always lumped blues and jazz music into a similar category in relation to one another. Jazz and Blue’s music can make me feel things in very similar ways. The relationship between the genres is most prevalent once Mainstream Blue’s was popular. Mainstream Blue’s really mirrors jazz. Both of these genres both have similar phrasing, intention, and instruments. Blues can be stripped down and played with one or two instruments where jazz music typically requires more. Jazz music includes string bass, electric or otherwise, piano, and usually a brass or wind instrument like trumpet or saxophone. Adding jazz instruments in the Blue’s makes the song fuller and makes it more listenable. When listening to a traditional blue’s song in comparison to a mainstream blue’s song, you can understand why mainstream blue’s became much more popular.

Feb 3 Blog Post

I want to talk about appropriation in music a little bit this week.

Music grows from the blending of all types of sounds. Music is all about experimenting and trying new things. Some music is made for the masses while other music is made for self-fulfillment. Writing music is all about expressing one’s self, telling stories, and living a full life. It sounds so easy. One we think of music, our first thought is usually love, happiness, entertainment, dancing, and general goodness.

We don’t usually think of music as being offensive, but, historically, it has been. There has been a lot of appropriating in the history of music. It is common for the white man to take the music of a black man and label it their own. White men are also known for copying the ideas of black genres like jazz, gospel, and rap music. A lot of popular music from the 1900’s was written by minorities, but was made popular by white people. Even in modern music, there are white artists taking over rap.

I don’t think that cultural appropriation is a good thing in most aspects of culture, but looking back at the history of popular music, I wonder if appropriation is what causes the growth of music. Music genres grow from one another. There is blending of instruments and vocal timbres and rhythms that all come together to create a whole new song. Without the blues, we might not have some of the country music that we had today that lead to some areas of rock and alternative music that led to new kinds of techno music that feature rap artists. Popular music is wonderful in the sense that it is for everyone, no matter what genre it is. You turn on the radio and you here one song after the other a black man, a white woman, a Latina man, a black woman. There are things wrong in pop music, but representation is not one of them. I listen to a popular radio station and I hear the America.

All within these genres, we see all types of people; black, white, and every shade in between. Is music appropriation really appropriation or do all artist and genres exist as spices in a musical kitchen. We add some rap to this, some jazz, to that, some white to this, and some black to that, and we create something delicious.

Jazz. It’s a black man’s genre. But, that didn’t stop Harry Connick Jr. from playing the piano.

Broadway. Musical theater. It’s a white man’s genre. But, appropriation did not stop a Latino man from breaking into Broadway hand and hand with people of all races shouting raps about our immigrant accentors; our founding fathers. Lin-Manuel Miranda created Hamilton and now Broadway will never be the same.

Are we going to let walls build up and stop us from copying, borrowing, and creating new music, new sounds, and new genres?

Music is art. Let me borrow your brush and someone else’s paint and I could be the next Van Gogh.