Rush is the only one Canadian rock band that I know. For Chinese rock music, the Tang Dynasty band is an indispensable part. And the band that deeply influenced the Tang Dynasty was the Rush band from Canada.
Background
Rush was a Canadian rock band forming in 1968, and comprising Geddy Lee (bass, vocals, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars) and Neil Peart (drums, percussion, lyrics).
Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. “The band’s musical style has changed several times over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, and including a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. In the early 1990s, Rush returned to a guitar-driven hard rock sound, which continued for the rest of their career.”
Rush has received nominations for seven Grammy awards. They have won several Juno Awards, won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
The top 1 music of the Rush band is Tom Sawyer. The song relies heavily on Geddy Lee’s synthesizer playing and Neil Peart’s drumming. It peaked at #25 on the UK Singles chart in October 1981, #24 in Canada, No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 8 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. “Tom Sawyer” was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010.
The second song that I would talk about is 2112. 2112 was released to favorable reviews from music critics and quickly outsold the band’s previous albums. It peaked at No. 5 on the Canadian Albums Chart and No. 61 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape and was the band’s commercial breakthrough there. Rush supported the album with a tour of the United States, Canada and, for the first time, across Europe, from February 1976 to June 1977.
CanCon
Many people against government involvement in the arts because they think it’s a violation of freedom of expression – even though “CanCon” requirements are the sort of paternalistic interference Ottawa calls “protection”. Even if it could be shown that CanCon rules had some positive impact on the development of Canadian talent by the protection it from foreign competition. Rush paid to record an album and distributed it.
“They might have gone nowhere had a radio DJ in Cleveland, Ohio not been sent the record by a friend of the band. She checked it out and didn’t think much of a lot of what she heard, but really liked one track, “Working Man.” So she had it played. And the phones lit up. People loved it, and then the station played the rest of the record … more calls came in.”
References
Full Comment Forum: Without CanCon, would there still be Rush? Feb 20, 2012. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/full-comment-forum-without-cancon-would-there-still-be-rush
Selena Quintanilla-Perez was born on April 16, 1971 in Texas to a family of Tejano musicians.[1] Tejano music is a combination of Mexican and Southern Texas music. Although Tejano music started in the 19th century, it became a hit in the 20th century due to the emerge of many artists in this genre, one of which was Selena. Selena grew up speaking English, but eventually learn Spanish form her father due to her interest in Latin music.[2]
Selena started her passion of Tejano music at home. In 1980, her father opened a restaurant and founded the band “Selena y Los Dino” in which Selena was the lead vocalist, along with the sibling whom played the guitar and the drums.[3] When she started singing in her father’s band, she was only 8 years old. Her family would perform not only at the restaurant, but also weddings, fairs, parties, and pretty much any event they could get.[4] As their popularity grew, Selena become a well-known artist loved by many.
Selena recorded her first music Mis Primeras Grabaciones in 1984, at the well-known record company Freddie Label.[5] However, her first few labels, didn’t sell as well. However, instead of giving up she continued to travel all over the stages with her family band.
Selena was first nominated for an award in 1988, as the Female Artist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards, which she not only won that years, but for the next 7 years.[6] Selena’s first songs to become a hit was in 1991. Her song “Buenos Amigos” which reached number one on the Billboard’s Latin chart.[7]
In 1992, she got married to lead guitarist of her band.[8] Even though her songs and Selena had become a hit in Southern America and Mexico, she knew she still had a long way to go. The girl who once used to perform at her family restaurant in front of 10 people, was not performing in front of sixty thousand people by 1994.[9] Due to her outgrowing success, Selena’s album Selena Live won a Grammy award for the best Mexican American album.[10] Selena’s best selling album was “Amor Prohibido” which not only sold a million copies, but also became the top Latin album of the year and album of the year for the Tejano Music Award.[11]
Even though, Selena cherished her mother tongue, and most of her songs were in Spanish, she has a dream to reach the same kind of success with an English-language album.
On March 31 1995, Selena was murdered by the president of her fan club.[12] This news shocked and silenced millions of her fans. However, even her death didn’t stop her dream from coming true. Before Selena passes away, she had recorded her English album “Dreaming of You” which contained both English and Tajano music as well. This album became a super hit selling millions of copies and doubling her fan following.[13] Although Selena lived a short life, she had not only achieved a lot a very young ages, but left behind inspiration millions of people.
After the death, Selena’s influence was still alive. She became known as the “Queen of Tejano Music” and more so even as “Mexican Madonna”.[14] Corpus Christi, Texas is known as the place to go to for Selena fandom. The coastal city is a memorial for her favorite restaurant, memorial, and a museum which is controlled by her family. [15]
Selena is considered one of the most influenced Latin musical because she inspired young American Mexican to be proud of their cultural. She was considered the face of American –Mexicans in the time of 1980s when problems such as racism was still very popularly evidence in our society. Being a Mexican-American she had still won the hearts of millions of people. Another big barrier Selena overcame, was being a female singer. In the 1980s when Selena started her singing career, the music genre of Tejano was a male dominating music. Selena had to only work hard on her music, but also work on changing society’s view about a Mexican female singer, which she accomplished greatly. She set a framework for young Mexican girls, that it doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a boy, you too can follow your dreams and reach the top of the Billboard charts.
A current famous celebrity to whom Selena Quintanilla is an idol is no other than Selena Gomez.[16] In fact, Selena Gomez was named after no other than the one and only Selena Quintanilla.[17] As being a Mexican-American, Selena Gomez walked in the footsteps of Selena Quintanilla.
Although Selena had countless influences on the pop cultural industry, two very important influence include her fashion sense and breaking the barrier for Latins. Selena’s fashion sense is admired by many artists even today, one of many being Lady Gaga.[18] Lady Gaga is famously known for her choice of outfit in her music videos and her concert. Lady Gaga takes inspiration for Selena for her dressing sense. In fact, Selena was not only known for her music but also for her sense of fashion, and makeup choice. She was a true beauty! Another influence she had on the pop cultural was the inspiration she brought to the Latin community.[19] Pop cultural in the 1980’s was dominated by mainly white male singers. Selena changed the standards of the ideal pop artist, but winning the hearts of millions. She inspired children of not only the Latin community, but all minorities to not be bounded by society’s standards. Some of the current artists she greatly influenced include Demi Lovato, Beyoncé, Adrienne Bailon, and Jennifer Lopez.[20]
I strongly believe she should be included in our textbook, because of the great role model she has been to not only American teens, but also because she has played a big role in breaking the stereotype of a typical white male becoming a pop artist. She has defiantly changed and influenced how pop cultural is today, predominantly looking at the wide diversity of backgrounds our signers come from. Selena was not only an idol to many but a legend who is still alive in the hearts of many.
Bibliography
“A Brief Biography.” Buzzard. Accessed August 10, 2018. .http://umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects05/sa/page8.htm
“Selena Quintanilla Timeline.” Timetoast. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/selena-quintanilla.
“23 Years after Her Death, Selena Remains Relevant, Iconic and Beloved.” NBCNews.com. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/selena-forever-anniversary-tejano-star-stays-relevant-iconic-beloved-n861521.
“Selena Quintanilla: The Tragic Latin Pop Icon Who Still Inspires.” BBC News. October 05, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37563550.
Cerón, Ella. “Selena Gomez Opens Up About Meeting Her Namesake’s Family.” Teen Vogue. May 25, 2017. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/selena-gomez-namesake-selena-quintanilla.
For my last blog post I will be sharing three songs with you by the rock band Led Zeppelin in order to prove their “metal” and give my perspective on why those songs could be used as an introduction to the heavy metal rock genre. Besides giving a brief sound profile on each of these songs, I believe it is important to examine the genesis behind each song in order to fully appreciate why they are heavy metal.
Our text introduces Led Zeppelin as “a seminal heavy metal band, [who] ultimately defies categorization” (1). Indeed, Zeppelin was not bound to a single style of rock as their sound encompassed a range of blues, psychedelic, hard rock, and heavy metal. One could argue that similar bands such as Black Sabbath or Deep Purple, both emerged the same year as Zeppelin in 1968, are just as worthy flagbearers of the heavy metal genre to be introduced in our text. However, in the context of popular music throughout history, Zeppelin was more influential in bringing heavy metal into the mainstream and thereby legitimizing the genre to music audiences that had long ostracized heavy metal. The prevailing sentiment about heavy metal was that it was loud, noisy distortions that was associated with violence and aggression (1b). Zeppelin combined a range of rock styles that appealed to both their young ardent followers, but also to general music listeners. My own interpretation of Zeppelin is though they had the loud, fast-paced, electric guitar distortion abundant, virtuosic solo-laden stylings of heavy metal, they appealed to a greater audience because their music could convey light, whimsical, sexual, spiritual, mythical, and even adventurous atmospheres.
From the New Yardbirds to Zeppelin
Left to right–John Bohnam (drums), Robert Plant (singer), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass). Image courtesy of ledzeppelin.com (2)
The English rock group of Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (singer), John Paul Jones (bassist), and John Bonham (drummer) started out as the New Yardbirds, a succession of Page’s previous rock band, when they rehearsed in a small London basement studio in 1968 (3). Out of serendipity the first song they rehearsed together “Train Kept A-Rollin”, which was a cover from the original Yardbirds, set the heavy metal energy and tone that embodied their subsequent music (3). The band was instantly excited as reminisced by Page and Plant:
Page: “I think everybody just freaked…It was so powerful that I don’t remember what we played after that. For me it was just like, ‘Crikey!’ I mean, I’d had moments of elation with groups before, but nothing as intense as that. It was like a thunderbolt, a lightning flash – boosh! Everyone sort of went ‘Wow’”. (4) Biographer Mick Wall interview from “When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin”
Plant: “I could feel that something was happening to myself and to everyone else in the room. It felt like we’d found something that we had to be very careful with because we might lose it, but it was remarkable: the power.” (3) 1990 interview
Song 1: Train Kept A-Rollin
The New Yardbirds played their first concert on September 7, 1968 opening with “Train” in Denmark (5). A month later the band officially renamed themselves Led Zeppelin and would continue playing “Train” as their opening number while touring through 1969 (6). Zeppelin toured 139 times in 1969, mostly in the United States where they built up a following, while only playing 33 times in the United Kingdom (7). One reason why Zeppelin’s rendition of “Train” is an ideal introduction for heavy metal was because it represented their first unbridled moments of genuine fun early in the band’s tenure together. If you listen to their first two albums (Led Zeppelin I and II), you would hear very little heavy metal besides the token guitar or drum solo in every song. The band was still experimenting with their sound, and unfortunately were stealing bits and pieces from other songs and writers (8). In an interview with biographer Stephen Davis, he explained that early on Zeppelin was in a rush to push out their first two albums (both released in 1969) and so they appropriated various blues and folk standards, some of which they inappropriately took writing credits for (8, 9). None of these songs fully emulated the frenetic energy, heavy guitar distortion (with a sprinkle of harmonica in this instance) of “Train”. Perhaps because “Train” was Page’s former band’s own cover, and obviously too familiar, Zeppelin never recorded it in studio leaving only concert goers familiar with it. “Train” remained one of the band’s opening favorites on tour even years later and was adopted by fellow rock contemporaries in Aerosmith.
MTV video host J.J. Jackson put it best about “Train”:
Jackson: “I don’t really like throwing Led Zeppelin’s music into any one bag; in particular, calling them heavy metal…But if this were the only recording somebody ever heard of them, it doesn’t get much more ‘heavy metal’ sounding than this, does it?” (10) Interview with biographer Dave Lewis from “Led Zeppelin: A Celebration”
Spontaneous combustion in Iceland
Exhausted from a year of constant touring and intermittent recording sessions, Page and Plant retreated to a remote cottage in Wales during the winter in 1969 (7). The lack of electricity or running water there influenced them towards a more acoustic arrangement of songs including “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp”, named after the cottage they stayed at (7). During a 1970 tour through Iceland, the band was inspired to write an ode to the ancestors of their gracious Icelandic hosts.
Song 2: “Immigrant Song”
“Immigrant Song” starts off fast repeated guitar chords and drum back beat leading into a wailing warrior cry from Plant. The lyrics are from the Viking conquerors’ perspective as they sail to new lands.
Lines such as:
The hammer of the gods
We’ll drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, and sing and cry
Valhalla, I am coming!”
and
How soft your fields so green
Can whisper tales of gore
Of how we calmed the tides of war
We are your overlords”
all evoke feelings of Viking battle and adventure into new land. In this case, yes “Immigrant Song” alludes to some of the violent rhetoric associated with heavy metal, but it does so in a fun way. “Immigrant song” was released on Zeppelin’s third album as the opening track, and then re-released as a single a month later. The elements of heavy metal are undeniable in this song: aggressive repeated guitar riffing; fast, loud drum beats and rhythm; improvised solo play from Page; and energetic vocals from Plant. “Immigrant Song” is a breath of fresh rock spontaneity and energy that livened up an otherwise folksy and bluesy third album for Zeppelin.
From crisis comes Achilles
One reason why so many English bands toured so extensively outside the UK from the 1960s on was income tax. Following WWII, the UK was especially harsh with rates as high as 98% for the wealthy on income and investments throughout the 1970s, which was why Zeppelin took a self-imposed exile from their country in 1975 (11, 12). Page, Plant, and their families traveled around through Morocco, Spain, and Greece that summer until Plant’s family suffered a very serious car crash (12). Plant broke his lower leg and was wheelchair ridden for over a year with no guarantees of ever walking again. Plant and Page would stay in Los Angeles for several months, much like their long-ago retreat to Bron-Y-Aur, looking to use that time for therapeutic song writing for their upcoming album “Presence” while Plant recovered (12). Many of their upcoming songs incorporated their recent experiences of sights and sounds of Moroccan traditions, Spanish flamenco, and even Greek mythology. “Presence” would turn out to be a cathartic exercise for the band as all the members were wrestling with home sickness and the uncertain future of the band that was tied to Plant’s injury. For the album Page wanted to write a song that reflected “the façade of a gothic building with layers of tracery and statues”, while Plant wanted to sing about his experiences during that turbulent period in his life (13). The resulting song was first dubbed the “Wheelchair Song” as a nod to Plant, but here’s a humorous little anecdote from the day they recorded that song leading to its name change.
Song 3: “Achilles Last Stand”
The songs lyrics are pay homage to Greek mythology of the Trojan War, used as double entendres for Plant’s own memories from his summer travelling. It was thus fitting that the song be re-named “Achilles Last Stand” given the Greek references as well as a humorous jab towards Plant being felled by his foot like the hero Achilles.
In the lines:
It was an April morning when they told us we should go As I turn to you, you smiled at me How could we say no
….
Into the sun, the south, the north At last the birds have flown The shackles of commitment fell In pieces on the ground
…
Wandering and wandering What place to rest the search? The mighty arms of Atlas Hold the heavens from the earth
The first verse both describes the time the Greek armies sailed for Troy, but is also meant to reflect when the band traveled during their tax-exile. The second verse describes birds used by the the Gods as omens of victory over the battlefield of Troy (just as a fun reference, an eagle clutching a snake is killed by its captive and falls on top of the battlefield that signaled the Trojans would lose), but it also describes the band members scattering in all directions as they traveled (15). And the final verse describes wayward Odysseus searching for home and describes Atlas (a Titan tasked with holding the sky above the Earth), but was also the Atlas mountains which Plant saw.
“Achilles” was Page and Plant’s self-indulgent opus for the album; with a runtime over 10 minutes long, there’s little chance that radio stations would air it. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the presence of two guitars harmonizing at parts. As mentioned before, Page wanted layers, so he recorded many separate guitar tracks to be overdubbed, which gives the song a particularly thick guitar sound (14). The song is full of call-and-response riffs and solo play from Page’s guitar tracks and Bonham’s drumming, as if all these elements are in a constant back-and-forth battle. Plant’s emotional attachment to the lyrics is also evident in his vigorous delivery. “Achilles” is an understated song from Zeppelin, again most likely due to limited airplay on radio, but it is an undeniable heavy metal epic that bombards the listener from start to finish. Listen from 6:45 onwards for a sample of their energy that makes me want to do battle in Troy.
Summary
When I started listening to Zeppelin songs for this blog I found myself asking “are they even metal”? The answer I have reached is “yes…sometimes”. From their beginning, Zeppelin’s music has had other genre elements embedded in their sound such as blues and folk. It was this fusion of genres, combined with Page’s unmatched electric guitar playing especially, that allowed Zeppelin’s metal sound to reach a mainstream audience. This was a major reason why I agreed on Zeppelin being recognized as the seminal heavy metal band as stated in our text; without them reaching popularity and breaking away from negative preconceptions of heavy metal, future metal bands may have sounded very different or not have reached nearly the same commercial success. The songs that I picked all share a fast-paced beat made with dense drum and bass, emphatic rhythms, improvised solo play, ample electric guitar distortions, and vigorous vocals that when delivered all together were what allowed Zeppelin to break enter popular music.
(1) Campbell, Michael, Popular Music in America The Beat Goes On Fourth Edition, Boston MA, USA, Clark Baxter, 2013. p. 259
(1b) Campbell, Michael, Popular Music in America The Beat Goes On Fourth Edition, Boston MA, USA, Clark Baxter, 2013. p. 382
(2) “Led Zeppelin 1968-1969.” Led Zeppelin – Official Website. Accessed August 10, 2018. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/photos/led-zeppelin/1968-1969
(3) “First Rehearsal | [title].” Led Zeppelin – Official Website. August 12, 1968. Accessed August 10, 2018. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/event/august-12-1968
(4) Wall, Mick. When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin. New York: St. Martins Griffin, 2010. p. 46
(5) “Led Zeppelin Teen-Clubs, Box 45, Egegaard Skole – September 7, 1968.” Led Zeppelin – Official Website. September 07, 1968. Accessed August 10, 2018. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/september-7-1968
(6) Lewis, Dave, and Simon Pallett. Led Zeppelin: The Concert File. London: Omnibus, 2005. p. 21
(7) Gilmore, Mikal. “The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin.” Rolling Stone. June 25, 2018. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-long-shadow-of-led-zeppelin-184055/
(8) Edwards, Gavin. “Led Zeppelin’s 10 Boldest Rip-Offs.” Rolling Stone. June 25, 2018. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelins-10-boldest-rip-offs-223419/
(9) “Led Zeppelin’s Blues Roots.” NPR. February 29, 2008. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87803133
(10) Lewis, Dave. Led Zeppelin: A Celebration. London: Omnibus Press, 1991. p. 16
(11) Evans, Richard. “How Labour Will Take Tax Rates Back to the 1970s.” The Telegraph. June 03, 2017. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tax/income-tax/labour-will-take-tax-rates-back-1970s/.
(12) Wall, Mick. “How Presence Pulled Led Zeppelin Back from the Brink of Crisis.” Loudersound. July 14, 2017. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.loudersound.com/features/how-presence-pulled-led-zeppelin-back-from-the-brink-of-crisis
(13) “Plant Car Accident, Tour Postponed (Press Release) | [title].” Led Zeppelin – Official Website. August 08, 1975. Accessed August 11, 2018. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/event/august-8-1975
(14) Power, Martin. No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page. London: Omnibus Press, 2016.
(15) “Birds as Omens – From The Iliad.” The Cowbird Story, Revisited… | BirdNote. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.birdnote.org/show/birds-omens-iliad
As a final blog, I believe it would be most appropriate to explore my thoughts on what I personally view music to be, and how I think it has transformed over the years. I would also like to explain my view points on the diversity of music, and I have chosen a figure (or group) to do so. Through this course I have been able to identify and understand the evolution of music and its dynamics through the ages, its racial and gender influences, and its significance.
Music is something that is ever changing, with time and with condition. The adoption of musical style from other cultures is also really dominant, and that’s what makes music astonishing. Cultures exist to be explored, not necessarily to be appropriated, but rather be understood and be able to influence one’s point of view,
The figure (or group) I will be talking about today is called “Major Lazer”. Formally speaking, it is a name given to an American electronic dance music group, made up of three individuals. They are involved in various genres, some including: dancehall, house, reggae, reggaeton, soca, moombahton, pop, trap and rap (Hoffman, 2018). They’re able to do this because they have various vocal contributions from artists belonging to these varied genres. My intention is to explain how the dynamic of music, and its influence in other cultures makes music truly wonderful.
Major Lazer
Major Lazer @ Rock im Park 2016 bypitpony.photography
Major lazer is an EDM act based around a Jamaican fictional character. It started in 2008 as a reggae/ dancehall project by Diplo (A famous Dj and producer, [far right in image above]) and Switch (A Dj, who left Major Lazer in 2011). In 2012, a producer known as Jillionaire joined the group (Middle in picture above), and in 2014, an MC known as Walshy Fire joined the group (Left in image above). (Hoffman, 2018).
Their first Album is titled, “Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do”, the album consists of majorly Jamaican dancehall music. After the album’s release, Major Lazer was commercially accepted amongst the reggae community and are often credited for changing the dancehall, reggae, and moombahton community and genres, making them more commercially accepted in the United States (Rhapsody editorial, 2009).
Their second Album is titled, “Free the Universe“, and was released in 2013. It explored various genres and had vocal collaborators like Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman, Santigold, Peaches, Tyga, Flux Pavillion,Bruno Mars, Wyclef Jean, and Shaggy.
Their third studio Album is titled “Peace Is the Mission“, it was released in 2015 and also featured various artists, which made in top of the charts in various countries.
The Music
One of the most important aspect of Major Lazer, is their exploration of different genre and cultures. In their music videos, they tend to depict different cultures and values. For example, their video of the song “Lean On” depicts India.
"India is special and its beauty absolutely humbled me. When we toured there as Major Lazer, it was mind blowing to see our fan-base and we wanted to incorporate the attitude and positive vibes into our video and just do something that embodies the essence of Major Lazer. Major Lazer has always been a culture mashup and to us, India feels like some kind of special creature with one foot in history and one firmly in the future. The experience is something we'll never forget."
- Diplo on making the "Lean On" video in India
(Major Lazer, 2015).
Other tracks such as “Particula” and their most recent one “Let me Live” were filmed in the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa (Bein, 2017).
As a group, they pick up different aspects and cultures as they tour the world, and they try to interpret it in their music. This shows how music should be explored in our society.
Analysis
I’ll start off with one of their most popular songs, “Lean On”
Lean On is produced by produced by both Major Lazer and a French producer known as DJ Snake, it has vocals by Danish singer MØ. It is an example of how Major Lazers’ sound has changed so much. From a very reggae way of music, to a dancehall style that doesn’t have a reggae undertone to it at all.
Now to a couple of former songs off of the first album “Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do”.
Listening to them, it is easy to tell the variation and difference in style and delivery. It is also very easy to tell the Jamaican Raggae/Dancehall influence in the older albums.
Now some more reggaeton/dancehall influence, from their EP “Know No Better“.
In listening to all these tracks, if the prominent dancehall vibe is removed, it would be very difficult to tell that they are from the same producer.
To sum it up, Major Lazer is a typical example of what and how music should be like. Music is made for enjoyment and its necessary for it to be dynamic, in order to reach various cultures and in order for it to be accepted through various platforms. Major Lazer has explored various genres and have been influenced by various artists and cultures and that is what makes them stand out in a positive way.
Since this is my last blog post, I’ll like to say that I enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs, and I hope music continues to influence everyone in a positive way. I’ll leave a music video of one of Major Lazers’ song influenced by African culture.
Enjoy!
Reference (Bibliography)
K. Ross Hoffman (2018). Artist Biography. All Music. Retrieved
On Thursday, August 2nd I went to see Alabama in concert. I learned a few things about the band that I was not aware of prior to attending. Alabama started playing together in 1969. They began as a bar band touring the South Carolina Coast but have since succeeded to sell out arenas (Campbell, 2013). Their first number one hit was in 1980, and since have had over forty number one hits. They are dubbed one of the greatest country bands EVER. Originally there were three guys in the band: Teddy Gentry, the bassist born in 1952; Randy Owen, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist born in 1949; and Jeff Cook, the lead guitarist and fiddler born in 1949 (Campbell, 2013). Gentry and Owen are cousins and are the two originals left in the band, the third, Cook, had to quit touring just last year because of chronic illness. Growing up in Alabama the three are strongly connected to their country roots and culture, as is their music.
Sound
Alabama’s sound is pure traditional country with their vocal style, close harmony, honky-tonk-based rhythm, fiddle, and guitar instrumentals (Campbell, 2013). Modern sounds, like the synthesizer timbres spread throughout the vocals and interludes and the varied textures, are also mixed in their music (Campbell, 2013). Their sound has the perfect balance; they are still their old selves but have incorporated new tones into their music to stay relevant and in order to cater to all age groups.
Song Description #1
In the middle of the concert Alabama performed a gospel song that they used to sing in church together called “Will the Circle be Unbroken”. They had three part harmony on the choruses with Owen singing the verses. Instruments included electric piano, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, and the fiddle for this song. At one point in the song the lead vocalist held out his microphone for the audience to sing along to.
Song Description #2
For their encore Alabama came out and played their hit “Mountain Music”. It has to be their biggest song ever. The band started acapella with the drummer clapping the beat with his drum sticks, the bass guitar joined shortly after, then the fiddle came in. Part way through the song the fiddle performed a solo. Everyone was on their feet and everyone was singing alone. It was the perfect way to end the night.
Venue and Audience
The Alabama concert took place at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SaskTel Centre can hold about 10,000 people. Some sections were curtained off because of obstructed viewing areas but the stands that were available were full. Although Alabama is stereotypically enjoyed by an older crowd the audience members ranged from children, youth, young adults, adults, and elders. Alabama was engaging with their audience, holding microphones out for people to sing along to on a number of occasions, but not over the top like bro-country bands are these days. They did not perform crazy motorcycle flips on stage like the ones I witnessed at the Florida Georgia Line concert when they came to town. Alabama was “refreshingly simple” is how I would describe it.
When I go to concerts I like to stand up and sing but when there are older audience members around me I try to take a seat unless everyone else is also standing. People stood to dance and sing to the classics. The environment was nostalgic for those who had grown up listening to Alabama. For me it was nice to hear the band sound EXACTLY the same as they do on the radio. In this day and age you never know what bands are actually going to sound like live be cause of auto tune and all of the work that goes into producing the voice you hear on the radio.
Reflection
This concert meant so much to me as I got to enjoy it with my parents. I got to sing along, dance a little bit, and watch the impact of the music on the audience. I have grown up listening to country radio and I am not a huge fan of the new bro-country songs that all sound the same; it was nice to hear genuine country. There were many couples who were seated on the floor that turned the open area into a dance floor. I loved watching the couples who you knew had danced together for basically their whole lives, it looked natural.
I think it was meaningful to a broader group of older audience members because it would probably be the last time they saw one of the most famous country bands of all time. My absolute favourite part of the concert was knowing every song; Alabama is one of those bands that you can always sing along to because none of their songs are new. At the concert I learned that over the course of Alabama’s career they have raised over 900 million dollars to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, so if you did not already love them there you go. They are truly amazing.
#M10Q4
Campbell, M. (2013). Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. Boston, Massachusetts: Schirmer.
On August 8, 2018, I attended a Marianas Trench concert at the Saskatoon Exhibition. I will be blogging about the band’s history, sound, venue, and my experience. Due to the band not having a major online presence I will use some wiki sources for information.
Band History
Josh Ramsay was born June 11, 1985, and grew up in a musical family. Ramsay’s father owned a recording studio and his mother was a vocal coach. He started singing at the age of 13 and formed a band called Ramsay Fiction with friends and his sister in high school. Ramsay developed a heroin addiction in high school and was kicked out. He went to rehab and has used his life experiences to influence his songs, writing about addiction, anorexia, and bulimia.2
After Ramsay Fiction disbanded Ramsay searched for new band members and recruited Matt Webb who was a high school friend, Ian Casselman from a wanted ad and Casselman’s roommate, Mike Ayley. The group decided on the name Marianas Trenches as it was the only name they could think of that wasn’t already being used. Due to the band’s persistence and hard work they were signed by 604 Records and their music careers began. The band has since released several albums and played in venues across the world.3
Band Highlights and Sound
Marianas Trench’s is a Juno award nominated Canadian pop rock band from Vancouver, BC located in Canada. The band is signed by 604 Records, which is owned by Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger and attorney Jonathan Simkin. The band consists of Josh Ramsay (lead singer, rhythm guitarist, pianist, songwriter, and occasional drummer), Matt Webb (lead guitarist, and backing vocalist), Mike Ayley (bass guitarist and backing vocalist) and Ian Casselman (drummer, percussionist, and backing vocalist). The Band was formed in 2001 and in October of 2006, they released their first full-length album Fix Me. The band credits their musical influence to Queen, Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, and Ben Folds Five. The band has four full-length studio albums, Fix Me – 2006, Masterpiece Theatre – 2009, Ever After – 2011, and Astoria – 2015. The bands most current song is “Rhythm of Your Heart” and was released in the fall of 2017.1
Marianas Trench creates unique music by using a mixture of pop, punk and modern rock. The band’s songs tend to start out with a slower beat and speed up for the chorus’ with a musical beat mainly from the drums and electric guitar. The qualities are showcased in the song “Stutter” as the song has both a slow and fast tempo, strong chord changes under pop melodies, and upbeat lyrics. The song starts out with a smooth melody with slower vocals and quickly moves to a catchy chorus with quicker vocals. The use of guitars, bass, and drums creates a captivating ratio of pop, punk and rock, which stimulates the audience and results in catchy and engaging tunes.
Marianas Trench, “Stutter” (2012)
Venue and Audience
The concert was held at Prairie Land Park in the grandstands during the Saskatoon Exhibition. There was a large multi-leveled seating area along with lots of floor room where fans could stand. There was also a secluded zone fans could purchase VIP passes to get extra close to the band. Marianas Trench began playing at 8:30 pm with the stands and floor filled with thousands of fans and exhibition-goers. The audience was energetic and excited right from the first song as fans waived along to the beat. The band stopped singing several times to let the fans do the work and the excitement spread through the crowd with many songs resulting in large groups singing to the lyrics and dancing with the music. The audience was diverse with people ranging from preteens to seniors all enjoying the concert and having a good time. There was a diverse audience that includes diehard fans as well as people who have never listened to the band. I believe that if the show was not included in the price of the fair admission ticket many of the people I saw sitting in the stands wouldn’t have attended the show. I thought this because they were not as enthusiastic as the people closer to the stage and many did not chant or even know the lyrics.
Personal Reflection
The concert had a “throwback” or “retro” feel as Marianas Trench was a band I used to listen to more often in elementary and high school. The songs brought back good memories from the past and allowed me to relate more deeply to the lyrics. I was happily surprised at how excited the fans were and the energy that flowed through the crowd as fans sung along and danced to the beat. I couldn’t believe that younger children were chanting along to some of the older songs considering that I listened to Marianas Trench as a child. I feel like the older people enjoyed the beat of the music, but couldn’t relate to the lyrics since the songs were targeted around newer generational problems and events. The stands seemed to be a little tamer as the audience mainly sat and listened to the concert, but the closer you go to the stage the more the audience was engaged. You could definitely tell the fans that purchased the stage front tickets truly loved Marianas Trench and appreciated every second of the concert. Overall the concert had an exhilarating and fun vibe as the grandstands were full and everyone appeared to be enjoying the show.
Well, I am back for one last blog post its been a blast but I am ready to have some more fun and enjoy the rest of the summer before school is back in full term. today I am going to attempt to tell the sad story of the queen of Tejano music
Selena Quintanilla-Perez the queen of Tejano music, her short career ending in tragedy but still making a mark on musicians and performers that came after her. Selena was born April 16th, 1971, Selena was the youngest of 3 children and was said to have the musical gift from an early age. she was in a band with her siblings, early on in her life she dropped out of school to pursue music as a full-time career she got her equivalence education through correspondence as she and her band toured. In her band, she had her brother AB and her sister Suzette. They named their band after their father’s band Los Dinos and hers was called Selena Y Los Dinos. They travelled around performing at events like weddings and festivals in southern Texas. They made their first album in 1984, with a small local label. In 1988 Selena won the best female vocalist and best female performer in Tejano music, Selena went on after this to win many more awards even after her tragic and untimely death. After she won Tejano music awards she was signed by Capitol where she continued to produce records up until her death. She married Chris Perez who was one of her band mates that were added over the years. With the fame and the money, she started her own boutique store line that she ran and managed for quite a while.
Her story sadly goes down hill when a family member of one of her childhood friends Yolanda Salvador, that she had drifted away from convinced her to that a fan page was a good idea and for a while it was but sadly things didn’t stay that way. As the fan page grew and so did the loyalty from the old family friend Selena promoted them to a paid position managing her boutiques and clothing line. All went well for a while until her fashion designer up and quit saying they couldn’t work with Salvidor anymore, and that funds were disappearing. After Selena and her father investigated this they let Salvidor go and it was originally said that Salvidor took this well and said ok, the day after Salvidor wanted to meet Selena to hand over some company documents. Well that day didn’t go as planned Selena met Salvidor at the hotel in Corpus Christi all was well until Selena turned her back and started walking out the door when she was shot in the back, Selena only lived a few more hours until she passed in the hospital a few days short of twenty-four years old.
I have a personal favourite song by her and that is bidi bidi bom bom because of how uplifting and fun it feels, while I like a fair few of her song even though I don’t know what exactly she is saying it’s the look on her face and the tone of the song and the up-lifting beat that they have.
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPkNVMtMXyc)
You can see the influence that Selena has as she has a museum about her and she has a movie about her life she still to this day sells records and her records are on modern music media platforms like apple music
References
Editors, Biography.com. 2014. Selena Biography. April 2. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/selena-189149.
Ilich, Tijana. 2017. The Story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the Queen of Tejano. November 26. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-selena-quintanilla-perez-2141134.
#M10Q1: Today’s Legends are Tomorrow’s History Lesson
[1]
Prior to researching this topic, I tried to pick a group I could think of that has been killing it since the 2000s and is still rocking today. Being that it couldn’t be a Hip-hop or Electronica artist I couldn’t choose the first four that came to mind; Eminem, NWA (Dr. Dre and Ice Cube), Daft Punk and The Gorillaz. When pondering this question, I had to really think, I wanted to make my mind up before doing further research. The three artists that came to mind were The Killers, Coldplay, and Blink-182. Since another student chose to do Blink-182 and I feel like I knew them and Coldplay well, I chose The Killers. Although their fan base may disagree, I believe they will best be known as a band who created many huge hits. Although The Killers formed in 2001, I believe their popularity and adaptation over the years will land them in future textbooks.
Rise to Success: 2001-2004
The Killers is a rock band from Las Vegas, NV formed between original members Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards & bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backup vocals) [2]. Their music has been described as an “indie rock” or “alternative rock” group, which is interesting because many indie artists do not stay in the spotlight for very long [2]. The beginning of The Killers success came from their first studio album Hot Fuss (2004), which featured a couple songs on the Billboard Top 100 such as Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me [3]. Mr. Brightside’s success has long lived, it was first released in 2003 as an alternative version and then re-released with a new music video in 2004 [4]. Mr. Brightside would peak on the Billboard Top 100 at number 10 in mid-2005 [4]. Mr. Brightside hold’s the record for longest time on the UK Top 100 at 202 weeks and then returned to the chart in 2016 and 2017 for a 35-week blaze of glory [4].
[5]
Mr. Brightside is a cult favorite and I believe it alone will be studied in textbooks for its elegance and attractive lyrics. It has already been immortalized in memes.
[6]
Maintaining Fame: 2005-2009
Many believed the band’s success from their first studio album would dry up. After Hot Fuss went triple platinum, they continued to put work in the studio. They released two studio albums in 2006 and 2008 that proved their worth by attracting more attention in the charts. Their second studio album Sam’s Town (2006) gained large popularity, in particular to the song When You Were Young which achieved 5x Platinum Certification [7].
[8]
Day & Age (2008), their third studio album is where there it is evidence of adaptation in their music. The Killer’s had adapted to a newer style that was like pop music. Heavier uses of synthesizers can be heard throughout this album, where the riffs sound like the pop music of its time. A good example of this is from their most popular song on the album Human.
[9]
2010-2013:Hiatus and Upholding Indie in Pop Culture
In January 2010, The Killers went on a one and a half year hiatus [2]. During this time apart, several members pursued solo careers and projects [2]. The band got back together and returned to the studio to record their fourth studio album Battle Born (2012) [9]. Rolling Stone magazine would vote Battle Born the second best album of 2012 [10]. They still remain true to their alternative rock roots, but it is evident that more synthesizer and modern pop sounds are found throughout the album.
[11]
2014-Present: The Killers are Still Killing the Music Scene
The Killers have definitely lost their touch, although most of their fame and ongoing popularity has come from their early success, they are still icons in pop culture. They have been headliners at worldwide multi-genre festivals such as Lollapalooza and Coachella [2].
[12]
The Killers released their fifth studio album in 2017 Wonderful Wonderful [2]. According to The Killers co-founder Brandon Flowers, this is the best album they put together since Sam’s Town [13]. After producing their first album in five years and still producing great music that is true to their roots, The Killers have admitted they would like to produce another album [2]. The Killers have proven they can still hang with new music and are ready to take on more.
[14]
References:
[1] The Killers To Perform Pop-Up Concert In Front Of Caesars Palace. (2017, August 18). Retrieved from http://blog.caesars.com/las-vegas/las-vegas-hotels/caesars-palace/killers-free-show-caesars-palace/
[2] The Killers. (2018, August 09). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killers
[3] Hot Fuss. (2018, August 09). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fuss
[4] Mr. Brightside. (2018, August 09). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Brightside
[5] The Killers. (2009, June 16). The Killers – Mr. Brightside (Alternate Version). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsHC8Hwnh30
[6] Sam’s Town. (2018, August 09). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam’s_Town
[7] When You Were Young. (2018, August 08). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_You_Were_Young
[8] The Killers. (2009, June 16). The Killers – When You Were Young. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff0oWESdmH0
[9] The Killers. (2009, December 13). The Killers – Human. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y
[10] Battle Born (album). (2018, August 08). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Born_(album)
[11] Hahaha this needs to happen. Rolling Stone can go lay down. | tk tk tk tk tk tk ! | Pinterest | Rolling stones, Brandon flowers and Music artists. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/319051954824319968/
[12] Staff, A. (2017, March 23). Muse, Blink 1982. Arcade Fire Lead Lollapalooza Lineup. Retrieved from http://www.antimusic.com/news/17/March/23Muse,_Blink_1982_Arcade_Fire_Lead_Lollapalooza_Lineup.shtml
[13] Wonderful Wonderful (The Killers album). (2018, July 21). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderful_Wonderful_(The_Killers_album)#Year-end_charts
[14] Rut. (2017, September 21). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ANcJi8eBw&index=3&list=PLi6OVDlNzWb4EbEoKLS6LMdvX8esUzXnw
For my final blog post, I would like to let y’all know why Florida Georgia Line could and should end up in our textbook in the future to come.
Florida Georgia Line is a duo comprised of members Tyler Hubbard (from Monroe, Georgia) and Brian Kelley (from Ormond Beach, Florida). Their sound combines electrifying, hard-driving rock with honest, expressive lyrics. The Cruise Songfacts explains that both Hubbard and Kelley began playing guitar individually while they were in high school before meeting at Nashville’s Belmont University. They began writing songs together between classes and soon found themselves playing local clubs, quickly building a fanbase. Hubbard and Kelley signed a publishing/production/management deal with Craig Wiseman’s Big Loud Mountain record label in December 2011 and released their first five-song EP, It‘z Just What We Do, the following May. “Cruise” is their first single from the collection.[1]
Cruise
Florida Georgia Line came out of nowhere in 2012 to become the biggest country group of the new decade. The vehicle of their success was “Cruise,” a slick, shimmering ode to the wide-open road that became an unkillable crossover hit in 2013 and, eventually, the biggest country single of all time.
“Cruise” kept many other hits away from the number one position and that included two subsequent singles by Florida Georgia Line: the January 2013 single “Get Your Shine On” and its sequel, “Round Here.” Both of these were huge hits, topping the Country Airplay chart on their way to platinum certification, but they were dwarfed by “Cruise,” which wound up selling over 6,500,000 units on its way to becoming the biggest country single of all time.[2]
DIRT
The duo revealed on August 15, 2014, that their second studio album would be titled “Anything Goes” with a release date of October 14, 2014. The album’s first single, “Dirt”, was released to country radio and digital sales outlets on July 8, 2014 and became the sixth consecutive single by Florida Georgia Line to make the top five on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[3]
The song is a mid-tempo ballad about various life events centering on dirt. This song shows a different side of FGL in comparison to their “Cruise” hit. And provided a great change to the music the group had be releasing prior to this song, not a huge change but change of pace. This just goes to show that these fellas could craft upbeat country, but also hit the hearts of listeners through storytelling songs.
Simple
Simple is their fifteenth solo single release, and the lead to their upcoming fourth studio album. The song expresses romantic love as a “simple” concept, which makes it simple to listen along and sing along.
“Simple” exemplifies how life shouldn’t be over complicated, but rather simple. The concept of the song makes it super relatable as life can be complicated and filled with such complexity. Giving this song a listen not only makes me blessed for life itself but also for how simple it can be if you find the right people to share it with.
I chose this group of talented artists for this blog as growing up I had zero tolerance for any type of country. As this group made their debut my preference for country altered due to the songs that these guys have created. In my opinion, their music stands out compared to other artists as the storyline behind each song reminds me of nothing but great times with the people I love. Some of the songs really hit the soft spot, while others make you want to get up and dance. Overall, the amount of times I have had the chance to listen to these songs has made me enjoy life much more than I already have. This type of music is so moving and everyone should have the chance to give it a listen because it give you that extra something that you are missing.
With that, FGL would be an exceptional addition to the music textbook not only for how successful they have been, but also for the outstanding music they have created and will continue to create.
Tanya Tagaq is a groundbreaking Inuit throat singer, who made her debut in 2000, after self-teaching herself the art of throat singing. In Module 11, we discuss the challenge of educating people regarding all the different types of popular music, as it is a large and diverse world. Even further, to delve deeply into a genre requires far more time than allotted in this course. As a result, many people are unaware of the genres and artists that surround them. In addition, Tagaq makes use of modern electronic sound to complement the traditional throat singing, and she ranges in genre from punk, to electronica, and even some rock and roll. She fits many of the genres we have been discussing, and brings them together in a unique way, and so, is an important part of our study of the history of popular music.
Throat singing is a genre of music, but more than that, it is a tradition, and an important part of many Inuit cultures. Throat singing developed originally as a game between two women, and evolved from there as a lullaby to babies, and communal singing. It features cyclical harmonies and rhythmic inhalations and exhalations. In Inuit cultures, throat singing is practiced only by the women, and most commonly, by a pair of women. Tanya Tagaq was first introduced to throat singing when her mother gave her a cassette featuring two women performing. Tagaq was intrigued, and began practicing on her own. Soon, she had developed her own unique style, due to her lack of a partner and method of teaching. Tagaq had learned to sing with equal force on inhale and exhale, to provide the traditional cyclical sound usually provided by two singers.
Tagaq initially practiced her talent only around friends, but was encouraged to enter a music festival where she was discovered by friends of the singer Bjork. She received an invitation from Bjork to tour alongside the popular singer. Soon after joining the tour, however, Tagaq was forced to leave, due to health issues. But she had had her first taste of performing her art, and it was the beginning of her career.
Tagaq went on to create a collaboration with Bjork, featured in Tagaq’s first album, Sinaa. It was nominated for Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the 2006 Juno Awards, and Tagaq won Best Female Artist in 2005 at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Her second album, Auk/Blood featured a number of diverse collaborations, including Mike Patton of Faith No More, the rapper Buck 65 , and Jesse Zubot, a violinist. This album was nominated for Instrumental Album and Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards in 2009, and won Best Album Design at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2008. Following this success, Tagaq created a short film to accompany a track on this album, “Tungijuq.” It won Best Short Drama at the ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, and Best Multi Media at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2010. Her third album, Aminism, was released in 2014 and is commonly regarded as her most successful. It was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year and won Aboriginal Album of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards. In addition, it was nominated for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Independent Album of the Year, and World Recording of the Year at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards. The album also won the 2014 Polaris Music Prize, and Tagaq’s performance at these awards was another success. Her emotional performance featured a backdrop of a scrolling screen of 1200 names of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Her performance sparked a standing ovation of the audience. Her latest album, Retribution, was released in 2015, and also featured collaborations, both with the rapper Shad, as well as Inuit artist Laakuluk Williamson Bathory. The album was longlisted as a nominee for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize.
Tanya Tagaq has an incredibly unique style, owing to her lack of partner and interpretation of a traditional genre. She refers to herself as a “sculptor of sound” and listening to her music, it’s easy to see why. Her sharp inhales and exhales produce syncopation that gives many songs a fast-paced, dramatic rhythm. The cyclical harmonious sound is iconic of throat singing has a haunting quality. Tagaq’s true claim to fame, however, is the emotion and passion that she pours into her songs and performances. She comes from a past of sexual abuse, resulting in substance abuse and attempted suicide. She overcame these, and other struggles, to complete high school via correspondence, as well as a degree in Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art. These experiences provided her with strong emotion to draw from, and a desire to improve the lives of others. Her songs, and albums, have very clear themes, which she emulates using different techniques. Many of her songs make use of this dynamic as well, a stark contrast between the sounds she makes vocally, and the background accompaniment, which is integral to communicating the theme.
The song “Fracking” reflects Tagaq’s desire to end fracking practices in vulnerable environments, especially Inuit land. This song has a darker, broken sound, so as to emulate a broken world. She accomplishes this using grunts, and pained noises, and an overall sad feeling using drums and synth. While listening to it, make note of the different sounds, and the feelings they convey. I find the gasping to be of particular importance to the interpretation she intends, a gasping, choking world. Make note also, of the transition from pure throat singing, to the use of background electronic accompaniment, and then the absence of all vocals. This serves to give the song a linear progression, the earth’s journey towards death. In addition, the electronic music is soft and dull, contrasting the sharpness of the vocals, unlike many uses of synth in the electronic genre.
Tanya Tagaq is very important in our study of the history of popular music. We discuss the progression of music in this course, and often how one genre leads to another, and the blending created as music becomes more widely available. Tagaq is the perfect example of the where this history has led us. She has taken a traditional genre, and mixed it with so many other aspects, to create something entirely unique and wonderful. Her interpretation of electronica, punk, rock and roll, and other genres is different than any other, and she serves to expand the minds of others in this regard with her music. She is an example of how tradition is still important in the modern day, and of the evolution that it can undergo while still retaining its primary significance. I think that artists such as Tanya Tagaq should be included in this curriculum, particularly at its conclusion, because while learning about history is important, so too is looking toward the future.
“I’ve always been this way. The difference is that now people are listening.” – Tanya Tagaq
Author Unknown. “Throat Singing: A unique vocalization from three cultures.” Soundscapes. https://folkways.si.edu/throat-singing-unique-vocalization-three-cultures/world/music/article/smithsonian
Everett-Green, Robert. “Primal scream: Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq is like no one you’ve ever heard, anywhere.” The Globe and Mail. June 19, 2017. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/primal-scream-inuk-throat-singer-tanya-tagaq-is-like-no-one-youve-ever-heard-anywhere/article18923190/
Presley, Katie. “Review: Tanya Tagaq, ‘Retribution’.” National Public Radio. October 13, 2016. https://www.npr.org/2016/10/13/497569725/first-listen-tanya-tagaq-retribution
Stanley, Laura. “Tanya Tagaq.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. May 8, 2015. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tanya-tagaq/
all of Fame on March 28, 2010.
beat of the music, but couldn’t relate to the lyrics since the songs were targeted around newer generational problems and events. The stands seemed to be a little tamer as the audience mainly sat and listened to the concert, but the closer you go to the stage the more the audience was engaged. You could definitely tell the fans that purchased the stage front tickets truly loved Marianas Trench and appreciated every second of the concert. Overall the concert had an exhilarating and fun vibe as the grandstands were full and everyone appeared to be enjoying the show.
Florida Georgia Line is a duo comprised of members Tyler Hubbard (from Monroe, Georgia) and Brian Kelley (from Ormond Beach, Florida). Their sound combines electrifying, hard-driving rock with honest, expressive lyrics. The Cruise Songfacts explains that both Hubbard and Kelley began playing guitar individually while they were in high school before meeting at Nashville’s Belmont University. They began writing songs together between classes and soon found themselves playing local clubs, quickly building a fanbase. Hubbard and Kelley signed a publishing/production/management deal with Craig Wiseman’s Big Loud Mountain record label in December 2011 and released their first five-song EP, It‘z Just What We Do, the following May. “Cruise” is their first single from the collection.[1]
