Trooper

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#M8Q3

Canadian rock band, Trooper, was developed in the 1970s by lead vocalist Ra McGuire (born Ramon McGuire, 1950) and guitarist Brian Smith (b. 1949). Ra McGuire and Brian Smith played in a band called Winters Green, which then changed their name to Applejack in the early seventies.[3] The band included drummer Tommy Stewart and bassist Henry Kalensky.[3] Applejack began touring British Columbia, but  it wasn’t until 1975 that the band would start to get noticed. Randy Bachman had heard Applejack perform and immediately signed them to Bachmans “legend” label.[2] The band then changed their name to Trooper and released their first hit “Baby Woncha Please Come Home”. Later that year, the band produced their first self titled debut album.[2] 

Trooper went on to produce more successful albums: Two for the Show (1976), Knock ‘Em Dead Kid (1977), Thick as Thieves (1978), Hot Shots (1979), Flying Colors (1979), Untitled (1980), and Money Talks (1982). Their last albums recorded were The Gypsies (1989) and Ten (1991).[2] Hot Shot sales exceeded 500,000, and several other albums of theirs topped 100,000, making Trooper the most popular Canadian rock band of the 1970s. [4] I believe Trooper became so successful because of the 1970 CanCon regulation. The regulation states that a certain amount of Canadian content must be played on media outlets. [5] As we see above, Troopers success comes after 1975, once the CanCon regulations are already in place.

Tommy Stewart and Henry Kalensky left the band and were replaced with keyboardist Gogo (born Paul Gogo, 1965) in 1995, bassist Scott Brown (b. 1964) in 1996 and drummer Clayton Hill (b. 1965) in 2006.[1] These members have remained with the band ever since and are still very active. Trooper continues to perform their collection of hits with at least 100 shows per year throughout Canada and the United States.[1] Without a doubt, we can say that Trooper has become a Canadian legend.

Personally, I have always liked Troopers music. Their songs are catchy and upbeat. If you want to see Trooper live, they will be preforming in Saskatoon August 19th, 2018 at the Rock the River event.

 

[1] http://www.trooper.com/index.php?page=band

[2] https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trooper-mn0000746841/biography

[3] http://www.canadianbands.com/Trooper.html

[4] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trooper-emc/ 

[5] https://lsslib.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/the-rise-and-fall-of-cancon-throwback-thursday/

The Everlasting Power of Beyoncé

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Since the 2000’s there have been many great artists, but there are only a few whose influence has spread around the world to create long-lasting, powerful changes. The task of determining who these artists are can be a difficult task for one who lives in their time, as it requires one to differentiate between them and artists whose music is massively popular for a short time but eventually fades away without much remembrance. Accomplishing this task gives you the answer to the question, ‘Which artists from the twenty-first century will be included in future versions of music textbooks?’ Looking at current artists with a future perspective, I believe that Beyoncé is a good contender for being in a future version of a music textbook, as she is not only a talented artist but also an advocate for feminism and is not afraid to speak her mind.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas. She first started her music career at the young age of nine with a group called Destiny’s Child.[1] They were successful with their music and were one of the most popular R&B groups of the time; their album, The Writing’s on the Wall, won two Grammy Awards and sold over eight million copies.[2][3] Beyoncé was the leader of the group and wrote many of their songs. From there, she would go off to become a solo artist where she would use her songwriting skills to release her first album in 2003: Dangerously in Love. From this album, she became one of music’s top-selling artists, won five Grammy Awards, and went on many successful tours.[4]

Beyoncé showed her versatility as a singer when she released her second album, B’Day, which had elements of 1970’s funk. This versatility would continue to show itself in her third and fourth album. The third album, released in 2008 as a double album, was called I am… Sasha Fierce. The first part of this album, I am, has an introspective mood while the second part, Sasha Fierce, has more of a dance floor style song. Her fourth album came in 2011 and was simply called 4; it was a mixture of genres, ballads, and dance tracks, and was partially influenced by the Motown era.[5]

In addition to her immensely successful albums and tours, Beyoncé has many other achievements. One of these is her performance of At Last at the inaugural ball for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.[6] Another is her receival of many Grammy Awards; in fact, at the 2010 Grammy Awards, she won six awards which in turn led to her being recognized as the first female artist to collect that many Grammys in one night.[7] Beyoncé has tied the record for number 1 hits on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart. She also made the 2011 Forbes Top 10 list of entertainment’s highest-earning women.[8]

To clearly show how much Beyoncé loves her fans, she decided to surprise them in December 2013 with an album called Beyoncé, which she referred to as a “visual album.” The response of her fans was that of amazement; within the first weekend, the album sold over 800,000 copies and would eventually lead to her becoming the first women to reach number one on the Billboard 200 with her first five albums.[9] The idea of the album—surprising fans by not releasing any information about an upcoming album—inspired other artists to do the same.

All the above should paint a clear picture of just how famous and well-liked Beyoncé has become. With that much fame, Beyoncé has been given the ability to influence many people; whether she intended to gain this ability or not, she uses it nobly. She promotes feminism and spreads its ideas so much so that she can be referred to as an advocate for feminism—or better yet, a champion for feminism.[10]

She does far more than just talk about feminism on the side, rather she incorporates it into her music. In an interview with Elle Magazine, she said:

“I put the definition of feminist in my song and on my tour, not for propaganda or to proclaim to the world that I’m a feminist, but to give clarity to the true meaning.”[11]

She also said:

“I’m not really sure people know or understand what a feminist is, but it’s very simple. It’s someone who believes in equal rights for men and women.”[12]

While this is the most prevalent example of how Beyoncé uses her fame and music to spread awareness about social issues, it is not the only one. Another example can be seen in her song Formation which has many powerful messages embedded into it. These messages became especially clear to people when it was performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. There, the performance was paired with a video; the entire act showed political awareness and images “touching on everything from black power to Hurricane Katrina.”[13]

To see one of the many issues touched on, consider the following lyrics from the song:

 I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros
I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.[14]

 These lyrics are an example of her empowering herself, embracing her identity, encouraging acceptance in others, and sending empowerment to those who need it.

We have now seen that Beyoncé is not only an extremely successful artist, but also a leader in spreading awareness about social issues—in particular, equal rights for women. She has incorporated these two things into one entity by embedding her messages about social issues into her music. To do this with such immense success has resulted in her positively influencing people from all over the world. That is what earns her place in future versions of a music textbook.

Endnotes

[1] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography,” accessed August 6, 2018, https://www.biography.com/people/beyonce-knowles-39230.

[2] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.”

[3] “Beyoncé- Biography, Songs, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed August 6, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Beyonce.

[4] “Beyoncé- Biography, Songs, & Facts.”

[5] “Beyoncé- Biography, Songs, & Facts.”

[6] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.”

[7] “Beyoncé- Biography, Songs, & Facts.”

[8] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.”

[9] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.”

[10] Kirsty Fairclough, “Why Beyoncé Matters,” The Conversation, accessed August 7, 2018, http://theconversation.com/why-beyonce-matters-58542.

[11] Team ELLE, “Beyonce? On Feminism, Motherhood, And The Real Message In Formation,” ELLE, April 5, 2016, http://www.elleuk.com/now-trending/beyonce-on-feminism-motherhood-and-the-real-message-in-formation.

[12] ELLE.

[13] “Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.”

[14] Fairclough, “Why Beyoncé Matters.”

Bibliography

“Beyoncé- Biography, Songs, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed August 6, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Beyonce.

“Beyoncé Knowles – Film Actor/Film Actress, Singer, Actress, Film Actress – Biography.” Accessed August 6, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/beyonce-knowles-39230.

ELLE, Team. “Beyonce? On Feminism, Motherhood, And The Real Message In Formation.” ELLE, April 5, 2016. http://www.elleuk.com/now-trending/beyonce-on-feminism-motherhood-and-the-real-message-in-formation.

Fairclough, Kirsty. “Why Beyoncé Matters.” The Conversation. Accessed August 7, 2018. http://theconversation.com/why-beyonce-matters-58542.

#M7Q1 An Album Review of “Let it Bleed”

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Today’s blog is a review of the album “Let it Bleed” by the Rolling Stones. The review will analyse the lyrics of the piece of work, as well as the influence the album has had on society. “Let it Bleed” was released on December 5th, in the year 1969. At the time of release, the Vietnam War was ongoing, and had been for over fourteen years. For most people taking this course (including myself) it is difficult to fathom just how devastating the Vietnam War was, as it concluded over forty-three years ago. To put it into perspective, the war lasted over two decades, and three million lives were lost. A couple of appalling statistics for the readers. The average age of the soldiers in the war was twenty-one years old, with one in ten soldiers losing their lives.

 

The textbook mentions the rock revolution consisting of four dominant issues; civil rights, sexual freedom, drug use, and war. I promise the Vietnam War has something to do with the album! The Rolling Stones opening song on the album, titled “Gimme Shelter” brings light to some of the dominant issues of the era. A component of the lyrics from the song read “rape, murder! It’s just a shot away”, which is a reference to human rights violations both sides of the war were guilty of. The most notable being the My Lai massacre, a tragedy where five hundred people lost their lives in a Vietnamese village as a result of American invasion. In the disaster many innocent women and children were raped. The third verse of the song reads “the floods are threatening my very life today.” The flooding Mick Jagger referenced was a certain strategy used by the United States during the war, called Operation Popeye. The strategy was cloud seeding, which is the insertion of chemicals into clouds in order to produce rain. The United States used this tactic to destroy road networks, reducing travel of opposition forces. The opening song gives a voice to the innocent people of Vietnam that were affected by the tragedy, which was a side that many people in Europe and America may have been unaware of.

 

Another dominant issue of the 1960s was the use of drugs. Recreational drug use became very popular in the 1960s. I believe it is safe to say that the Rolling Stones did their fair share. If you don’t believe me, follow this link to read Keith Richards’ (guitarist) wildest escapades, the strong majority of the stories involve drug use:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/keith-richards-wildest-escapades-19-insane-tales-from-a-legendary-life-169242/keith-in-the-sky-with-diamonds-1967-67107/

Is it possible that the Rolling Stones and many other rock artists had an influencing voice that would raise curiosity about drug experimentation to masses of people? It wouldn’t be a stretch. In the song named after the album, “Let it Bleed” there is a quite obvious reference to cocaine use in the first verse, which reads “she said, my breasts they will always be open, you can rest your weary head on me, there will always be space in my parking lot, if you need a little coke and sympathy”. Let’s be honest, they’re definitely not singing about Coca-Cola. Not only is the verse a reference to drug use, but also sex as a form of comfort.

 

The final influence I believe this album displays is sexual freedom, mentioned by our textbook. The textbook states that oral contraceptive was introduced in the 1960s. Before the introduction of oral contraceptive, the risk of pregnancy was high. With less risk of pregnancy, sex became a more casual experience. Women were able to have sexual relations without the fear of raising a child alone. The Rolling Stones mention sex in many of their songs, and carry a “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” persona. In fact, the song labelled “Let it Bleed” is about sex and only sex. Listen to the song via the link below:

 

 

Listeners could be influenced by this type of music to live a lifestyle of casual sex, drugs, and upbeat music.

Thanks for reading.

 

History.com Staff. “Vietnam War.” History.com. 2009. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.

History.com Staff. “My Lai Massacre Takes Place in Vietnam.” History.com. Accessed August 8, 2018. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/my-lai-massacre-takes-place-in-vietnam.

 

Ed Sheeran: What Was His Claim To Fame?

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Today I’m going to be writing about Ed Sheeran’s speedy rise to fame. I will discuss his come up along with some of his most notable accomplishments so far in his career, discuss some reasons why he has grown so massive, and break down a few of his songs that represent his genre style.

First, I’m going to start off with a little throwback to the beginning, Edward Christopher Sheeran or better know as Ed Sheeran was born February 17th, 1991 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England [1]. His father can be credited to the main influence of exposing Sheeran to music, his father would take him to concerts to help provoke the musical creativity side of his brain. Some of his most notable musical influences are Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, and Elton John [3].  Sheeran’s music started off playing guitar and singing in his family’s church as a youth, this was only the birth of his future legacy that I’m guessing none of his loved ones saw it coming [1].  Sheeran’s career of recording started out in 2004 – 2009 where he recorded and produced albums independently, he would perform these songs in small gigs and open mics around the United Kingdom [1]. In this time, a couple of these albums made top 100 on the UK charts, “No. 5 Collaborations Project” and “Loose Change” were by far his most successful hitting 46 and 90 [4].  His professional career started in 2011 where he was signed with Atlantic Records and produced three massive albums, “+” in 2011 which brought in 5 million in sales, “x” in 2014 which fetched 8.5 million in sales, and “÷” in 2017 that raised 12.3 million in sales [4].  At this point he’s only 27 and in my opinion is only in his infancy of his legacy.

Sheeran’s sound is best known by his acoustic guitar and vocals that sets him apart from the rap genre that dominated the top charts that he was  coming up in. His music covers a broad spectrum of genres he is placed anywhere from rock, pop, and indie [1] to folk and hip hop [2] but the biggest genre he stays true to is pop in my opinion.  Other than being an extraordinary musician the reason why I think he became so successful was the look of him and his relatability.  Being in the pop genre he was an out cast from the typical bad boy look to many of the other artists, his ginger hair, colorful tattoos, and British accent set him as a goofy look for the American pop scene.  From the wide variety of songs I listened to I can hear a story that he’s trying to portray to his audience, from the specific vocals to his thought out music videos he narrates relatable stories that could reminisce with just about any of his fans.  None of his music came off as bragging or “flexing” about his accomplishments which I find that hard to get these days.

Photograph

The first song I would like to look at is “Photograph” which was a huge hit on his album “x”, this song brings aspects of folk pop. The aspects of the acoustic guitar, some back up piano brings out a melodic sound. The song has a verse/chorus form that keeps it catchy for an audience to sing along and become immersed into it.  The music video below is a good representation of his progress through his music career, it displays home videos of Sheeran’s grind to where he has reached now.

Castle On The Hill

The second song is “Castle On The Hill” from his “÷” album.  This song brings a little more of the typical pop song we’re use to today along with a folk-rock rhythm to it.  The pace of it brings a lot more enthusiasm over the prior song with a spread of instruments that you see in an average rock band.  Again, it holds the verse/chorus form that allows for an easy way to remember and sing along for fans.  I believe the fast beat is what allowed this song to flourish across all medians.

Shape Of You

Lastly, we come to the behemoth, “Shape Of You” took the online world by storm, this is by far his most successful song.  This song became the 3rd most viewed video on YouTube hitting 3.6 billion views [6] as of me writing this and holds the number one spot for most streamed song on Spotify at 1.8 billion [5].  This song was a new twist for Sheeran, on top of pop it brought a tropical house/dancehall vibe to his repertoire.  The use of the malimba and drums brings out that Jamaican vibe in the melody which is the part that resonated with me the most.  The small change in the instruments for a genre brought an intriguing new factor which I see as the basis of growing a new dimension.

I personally think Ed Sheeran will be part of the next textbook made for this class, his success in pushing the folk pop genre has reserved him a spot in my eyes.  His goofy look and creative music style will get him into the hall of fame one day.

REFERENCES

[1] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. “Ed Sheeran | Biography & History.” AllMusic. Accessed August 06, 2018. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ed-sheeran-mn0002639628/biography.

[2] “Who Is Ed Sheeran? Everything You Need to Know.” The Famous People. April 04, 2018. Accessed August 08, 2018. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ed-sheeran-29882.php.

[3] McCormick, Neil. “Ed Sheeran: ‘I Haven’t Got Used to the Screams’.” The Telegraph. August 03, 2011. Accessed August 08, 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/8679492/Ed-Sheeran-I-havent-got-used-to-the-screams.html.

[4] “Ed Sheeran Discography.” Wikipedia. August 03, 2018. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran_discography.

[5] Bruner, Raisa. “Here’s Spotify’s Most Streamed Music of 2017.” Time. December 05, 2017. Accessed August 07, 2018. http://time.com/5050155/spotify-2017-most-streamed-music/.

[6] “15 of the Most Viewed YouTube Videos of All Time.” Influencer Marketing Hub. Accessed August 07, 2018. https://influencermarketinghub.com/15-most-viewed-youtube-videos-of-all-time/.

August 5, 2018. The best night of my life. The night I saw Florence and the Machine IRL.

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For those of you who don’t know about the band Florence and the Machine you are missing out, alas they are a band that was formed in South London by lead vocalist Florence Welch and keyboard member Summer Machine. The band debuted their first album in 2009 “Lungs” which went on to top the charts in the UK and then the charts in the US. Florence and the Machine are very hard to fit into one genre of music as they have elements of various genres, such as Indie, Folk, Alternative Rock, and Baroque Pop. Instrumentally the group consists of Florence’s voice, Machine’s keyboard, Robert Ackroyd on guitar and, Tom Monger on harp. The band has grown and developed since 2009 to present, this being represented in their four studio produced albums; “Lungs” mentioned before, then “Ceremonials” in 2011, followed by “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” in 2015, and most recently “High as Hope” this June of 2018.

Some hits you may recognize are “The Dog Day Are Over” from their first album “Lungs” which consists, like most of their music, as almost comparable to an orchestra with the building up of instruments and voice that starts off very soft and moves to big sound with drums and clapping. Eventually, at the bridge, it returns to the deceptive calm before returning back to the drums and clapping and a more vocal power and overlapping of sound and voice.

While their music can be very powerful and moving their lyrics and meaning are usually just as much. Florence goes on to analyze a wide range of subject matter from domestic violence in “Kiss With a Fist,” eating disorders and expectations of beauty in “Hunger,” childhood and nostalgia in “South London Forever,” the highs and lows of love in “What Kind of Man” or “Cosmic Love,” death and mortality in “My Boy Builds Coffins,” religion in “Seven Devils” or “St.Jude.” I started listening to Florence and the Machine when I was twelve, the reason I was so drawn to it was that they sang about deep concepts with interesting metaphors, as well as they didn’t sound like anyone else I was listening to at the time. They still don’t sound like anyone I know, nine years later and they still are my favourite band nine years later with their new music. The first song I ever heard by Florence and the Machine was “Rabbit Heart”

The newest song that I have heard by them is “Hunger.” Both songs I love, both containing the same haunting voice of Florence Welch that I fell in love with, both still making ingenious references to relate to in the lyrics, both still have a strong instrumental build up that I have a weakness for.  

Florence herself and the band have branched out for experimentation outside of their comfort zone in instances such as creating songs for movies, such as; “Wish That You Were Here” for the movie Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, as well as “Breath of Life” for the movies Snow White and the Huntsmen Lastly their song “Spectrum” has been remixed by Calvin Harris, and Florence Welch has collaborated with other artists vocally in “Sweet Nothing” with Clavin Harris and “I Come Apart” with A$AP Rocky.  

Most of you will know about Beyoncé’s visual music album “Lemonade,” which came out in 2016, the album was revolutionary in popular culture in combining music and performance to tell a story. While most artists produce videos for their top songs on their albums, hardly do they produce videos for all their songs, or follow a similar theme throughout all the videos. What you all probably aren’t as aware of is that Florence and the Machine’s album “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” was similar in regards to it being adopted into a short film by Florence Welch titled “The Odyssey,” also released in 2016. While they are two different artists and even very different women, both albums/films take you on the journey of them going through heartbreak, and the emotions that come with that, and are very much about using the performance as an outlet for these emotions and making it into a piece of art.  

Recently I experienced Florence and the Machine live for the August long weekend in Montreal at Osheaga, one of North America’s biggest music festivals that featured most genres of today‘s popular music today with bands this year ranging from rap like Tyler the Creator, pop like Post Malone, alternative like Arctic Monkeys, and Electronic like Odesza. This was the first time for me seeing Florence and the Machine live, as they are a relatively famous band that when touring sticks to bigger venues like Madison Square Garden or large music festivals like Osheaga, due to this they importantly do not come to Saskatoon Saskatchewan. However, regardless of this, the experience of seeing them live is very powerful and a band that you would go see again even if you had already seen them. Florence Welch herself came into the crowd and interacts with the crowd in a way most artists do not. Even though you are surrounded by hundreds of people Florence Welch makes it feel very intimate, even insisting that people don’t go on their phones to records but rather be in the moment and just enjoy the experience. 

Refrences

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/florence-the-machine-mn0002124046/biography

http://www.contactmusic.com/florence-and-the-machine

https://www.bustle.com/articles/90052-7-florence-and-the-machine-lyrics-that-perfectly-capture-what-its-like-to-be-in-love

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonces-lemonade-everything-you-need-to-know-about-video-album-186039/

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/watch-florence-and-the-machines-dazzling-short-film-the-odyssey-164245/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Florence-Welch

https://www.osheaga.com/en

 

 

 

The Future text books of music

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Hello, Today i will be blogging abut music from the 2000’s and where it is headed from here. The last two blog posts i made were mostly about older music and country bands but today i thought i would change it up and stick with the topic of people who brought us to where we are today.  The 2000’s were around the time when pop music got very popular. For the people from Saskatoon C95 was by far the most popular radio station as we were coming into a new era of music. One of the most popular genres of music was Pop Rock. If you know about pop rock then you know Blink 182 was one of the bands that got very big because of it. Im choosing to write about blink 182 because i think they will be one of the bands mentioned in upcoming textbooks as a band that created and thrived of the pop rock era in the 2000’s.  When most people who listened to pop rock think of blink 182 they think of one of there most popular songs “All the small things.”

When looking at this song and analyzing how this band really capitalized on mixing pop music with rock music you have to look at a few things.  First you can notice the lyrics are clear and not rushed so as you can understand them.  Next, the song has a very catchy tune that people can sing along to. I think this was very important when blink 182 decided to move into a more pop music feel rather than heavy rock. It appeals to a larger audience and shows how they adapted with the times to attract more fans.  The Song features a large guitar presence and includes a drummer and backup singers.  This was the style of music that was most popular in the 2000’s and why this song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the year 2000.

The next song i would like to talk about and another reason i think Blink 182 will be talked about in future textbooks about music history is “First Date.” This song is similar in style to the rest of there music.  Blink 182 Got known for a sound and feel to there songs. They wrote about relatable topics and had good background guitars in their songs which made each song catchy and hard not to play on the radio.

Another point you might note about how this band was able to get another song up to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 is how they do not use explicit language in their songs.  By doing this i think they could appeal to a younger age group as well as the large demographic that was already listening to them. When you listen to this song at the beginning you hear the rock side of the band and when the words start they begin to give the song a more of a pop feeling.  In the 2000’s most rock bands were playing heavy rock with a very very large instrument based focus where the words did not matter as much.  This is why Blink 182 made it as high as they did on the billboard Hot 100 because they started to make a new rock sound.

Blink 182’s main success came right around the year 2000 when the band was played largely on MTV.  This was the type of music MTV was playing at the time and why is was such a popular Television channel at the time as well. They also began to get a huge radio presence when the radios were only playing pop music.

The last album i would like to bring up is Neighbourhoods.  This album was released in 2011 and is an example of how the band changed the style of music they made while still sticking to what worked in early 2000.  The song “Up all night” was the most popular in this album.

Although this song only reach 65th on the Billboard Hot 100 it reached 3rd on the alternative top 100 chart.  Blink 182 had changed there style of music to what was becoming more popular once again. Alternative music was becoming more popular among people by 2012 and this is how Blink 182 managed to still stay relevant even today.  They are still making new music today and released there first #1 hit in 2016.  “Bored To Death”  The reason i choose them as an important band is because of how they stayed so popular for so long.  The way that they stuck with there original sound and tweaked things to stick with the times should be recognized.  Blink 182 may not have been the most popular at all times but throughout the 2000’s they were almost always on the charts and have hung around for almost 18 years now. A lot of Blink 182’s success is based on the time they became popular as they may not have survived 20 years prior. A lot of things had to go right for them to be as popular as they became but they also produced good music that people loved. A lot of bands in the 2000’s did not survive that long.  A lot of the Pop rock bands from the first 10 years were “one hit wonders” as people would call them.

Here is one of Blink 182’s newest songs. Thanks for reading.

#M10Q1

Source List:

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVy9Lgpg1m8
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpYhGdrknlA
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fof6vYITQ3w

 

Lady Gaga: Pushing Pop’s Limits

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https://goo.gl/images/GNJzaF

Hello everybody! It’s Taylor. Today I am going to be discussing the one and only Lady Gaga and why I believe she will be included in future textbooks about the pop music industry. Lady Gaga is one of the most recognizable artists of the 2010’s.[1] With every song, video, performance, and red carpet appearance she makes a bold statement that is impossible to forget. Her outrageous outfits, catchy, yet impactful songs, and wild performances have pushed the boundaries of pop in ways never seen before.

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. As Germanotta dove into the music industry, Lady Gaga was created. Her new reputation was similar to David Bowie’s musical identity, Ziggy Stardust . Her costumes were a fusion of glam rock and insane fashion statements. Gaga pushed the limits in every way. For example, at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga wore a dress made out of meat. Audiences excitingly anticipated her performances and appearances, never knowing what was coming next. As more and more people liked her music, all of her crazy ideas began to seem more normal in the pop world. [2]

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7548935/lady-gaga-pop-ambition-kanye-beyonce

In 2008 Gaga released her first album “The Fame” which included her No. 1 Billboard chart singles “Just Dance”, “Poker Face”, “LoveGame”, and “Paparazzi”. As she became more popular in the music world, nothing was too weird for Lady Gaga. Her career exploded into the music industry with new and inventive songs and ideas. Her provocative dance music went mainstream instantly and made a huge imprint on the music world. Lady Gaga also took advantage of music videos and created outrageous videos that people talked about and remembered.[3] 

Her daring work’s extensive time on the charts is one of the reasons why I believe Lady Gaga belongs in a pop music textbook. Her success was huge and took over the number one spot many times with bold songs. Gaga took pop to a whole new level. The music videos that followed along are also a reason to be recognized. She proved that pop music can be as crazy and bold as you want, and still be successful.

https://goo.gl/images/TAVFjN

Lady Gaga’s talent and imagination went on to influence other major stars as well. Soon after her first two albums released, artists such as Beyonce, Rihanna and Kanye West were quick to follow the wild path and collaborate with her. In 2009 Beyonce and Lady Gaga collaborated in “Telephone”, and made a bold-faced music video for the song that was over nine minutes long. This later inspired Kanye West to produce extremely long music videos, or short films, for his music.[4] This is another reason for Gaga to appear in future pop music textbooks. She made almost anything acceptable in pop music, impacting the work of upcoming artists and already made stars. Artists were inspired to take a leap of faith into the new world of Gaga’s pop music.

Not only did she influence artists, but the music itself had deep meaning that affected her fans. Lady Gaga’s lyrics were personal and powerful, set to up tempo dance music.[5] This way Gaga could grab the attention of her listeners with the catchy music and then present her important message to them. This is shown in her song “Born This Way” from her 2011 album, also called “Born This Way”. The song is an anthem of acceptance, no matter your sexual orientation, ethnicity, disabilities, or anything else.[6] The lyrics of the course,

“I’m beautiful in my way

‘Cause God makes no mistakes

I’m on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Don’t hide yourself in regret

Just love yourself and you’re set

I’m on the right track, baby

I was born this way”[7],

show that it is important to love yourself and be who you are. People are not mistakes that need to be fixed. Lady Gaga’s song of self –love soon became a signature tune for the queer community and for girls. The unapologetic and “you’re not alone” theme makes this song so easily accepted. Gaga’s “Born This Way” attitude even brought her to speaking out on gay rights and same-sex marriage at 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C.[8] Lady Gaga not only influenced the music industry, but she also used her music to connect with society. This is another reason why I believe Lady Gaga should be included in future pop music textbooks. She showed that it is perfectly normal and beautiful to be yourself completely. Her message has resonated with many people and effected society, therefore giving her music meaning and importance.

Throughout the years Lady Gaga has focused more on the music itself. She has gone in multiple directions with her sound.[9] Gaga’s albums have had ranges of sounds from the songs “Million Reasons” and “Joanne” that have softer piano and guitar with powerful vocals, compared to “Applause” with an electronic and more dramatic sound. She even ventures to jazz with Tony Bennett on their album “Cheek to Cheek”. Her versatility has expanded her audience and brought many new looks to her reputation. In this music she is becoming less mainstream pop and toning down her outrageous Gaga look, while maintaining success.[10]

Gaga deserves to be in upcoming textbooks about the pop music industry. She has taken her music in new and inventive directions and inspired other artists and fans to take risks and be yourself without shame. Her attitude and creativity has taken her to the top of the charts showing that being different can be successful too. Not only is she outrageous and wildly imaginative, but she has given her music importance as well. Lady Gaga is a pop icon that will be remembered forever for her music videos, fashion choices, performances, influence and great music.

[1]“The Defining Artists of the 2010s (So Far),” Billboard, Google, last modified January 15,2015, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6443462/best-artists-of-2010s-so-far

[2] Michael Levy, “Lady Gaga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Google, last modified June 14, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga

[3] Andrew Unterberger, “How Lady Gaga Raised the Standards for Ambition in Pop,” Billboard, Google, last modified October 18, 2016, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7548935/lady-gaga-pop-ambition-kanye-beyonce

[4] Ibid.

[5]Michael Levy, “Lady Gaga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Google, last modified June 14, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga

[6] Meghan Casserly, “Lady Gaga’s Born This Way: Gay Anthems and Girl Power,” Forbes, Google, last modified February 11, 2011, https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/02/11/lady-gagas-born-this-way-gay-anthems-and-girl-power/#4d95bce32fe5

[7] “Lady Gaga Lyrics ‘Born This Way’,” AZLyrics, Google, accessed August 8, 2018, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ladygaga/bornthisway.html   

[8]  Michael Levy, “Lady Gaga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Google, last modified June 14, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga

[9] Andrew Unterberger, “How Lady Gaga Raised the Standards for Ambition in Pop,” Billboard, Google, last modified October 18, 2016, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7548935/lady-gaga-pop-ambition-kanye-beyonce

[10]Josh Duboff, “How Lady Gaga’s Joanne Marks the End of the ‘Zaney Pop Star’ Era,” Vanity Fair, Google, last modified October18, 2016, https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/10/lady-gaga-joanne-end-of-zany-pop-star

Source List

Casserly, Meghan, “Lady Gaga’s Born This Way: Gay Anthems and Girl Power,” Forbes, Google, last modified February 11, 2011, https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/02/11/lady-gagas-born-this-way-gay-anthems-and-girl-power/#4d95bce32fe5

Duboff, Josh, “How Lady Gaga’s Joanne Marks the End of the ‘Zaney Pop Star’ Era,” Vanity Fair, Google, last modified October18, 2016, https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/10/lady-gaga-joanne-end-of-zany-pop-star

“Lady Gaga Lyrics ‘Born This Way’,” AZLyrics, Google, accessed August 8, 2018, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ladygaga/bornthisway.html

Levy, Michael, “Lady Gaga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Google, last modified June 14, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga

“The Defining Artists of the 2010s (So Far),” Billboard, Google, last modified January 15,2015, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6443462/best-artists-of-2010s-so-far

Unterberger, Andrew, “How Lady Gaga Raised the Standards for Ambition in Pop,” Billboard, Google, last modified October 18, 2016, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7548935/lady-gaga-pop-ambition-kanye-beyonce

 

 

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Adele is an astounding artist with highly respectable talents and achievements. I believe Adele very-well may end up in our textbook Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on based on her success and popularity.

The English singer-songwriter known for her highly unique voice and touching music has made her a huge hit. Adele works with four different genres, pop, blue-eyed soul, soul, and contemporary R&B. Adele is not only a singer and songwriter, but she plays the guitar, bass, drums, and piano. Adele does not have a “traditional” voice I think that is why I find her music so intriguing.  Adele is also a partner and a mother while maintaining her music career and topping the charts. Adele’s first hit singles were “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You, these two hits took off in the early 2000’s as the beginning of Adele’s fame. The music Adele produces is soul touching and moves into many different genres, therefore, creating a variety of listeners. Adele’s voice is so strong, emotional and powerful it can bring goosebumps to the skin. “Suddenly there were words to that before-indescribable pain, frustration, sadness, then revolution that all comes from a breakup. I felt understood, I felt stronger, and above all, I hadn’t sung in front of a mirror with a hairbrush since Destiny’s Child, ” (Hunt 2018). Adele has trained her vocal cords to range two octaves and four notes, as you can hear in the following video, Adele has many different sounds.

Adele’s humble star power is captivating; she’s humorous to listen to, her voice unique and carries herself as a true class act (Hunt, 2018). Adele has won nine Grammy Awards and had many tracks reach hot 100. The most recent song I recall from Adele was “Hello” this song was captivating and stole the hearts of many.

Adele did not grow up in the perfect home; a single mother raised her in working-class neighborhoods. It inspires me that people can come from a normal, average lifestyle to a hit sensation. Adele was not born into fame; she made her way in the industry which would not have been easy. Adele attended BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon and after graduating in 2006, she recorded a three-song demo for a class project which impressed the XL Recording executives (TheFamousPeople.com, 2018). Subsequently, she was contacted by the company and signed for a recording contract (TheFamousPeople.com, 2018). Adele was inspired at a young age by singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. Below is a video of Ella Fitzgerald singing “Cry me a River,” you can see the similarities in Adele’s music. The tone and pitch of the music are similar as well as the rhythm and beat.

Adele has moved away from the classic pop genre and moved into a mix. I find her voice so intriguing and interesting to listen to making her a popular artist in my eyes. I think Adele’s way of pouring her heart into her music and singing with such dignity and emotion she will soon feature in our textbook.

 

1   “Vocal Range And Profile: Adele”. 2018. Criticofmusic.Com. http://www.criticofmusic.com/2013/05/vocal-range-and-profile-adele.html.

 

2   TheFamousPeople.com, Editors. 2018. “Adele Biography”. Thefamouspeople.Com. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/adele-6088.php.

 

3   Hunt, Chase. 2018. “Adele Honored As One Of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People”. AXS. https://www.axs.com/adele-honored-as-one-of-time-s-100-most-influential-people-82388.

The Guess Who

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The Guess Who

I was born in 1981 and at that time, my parents were 25 and 26. I grew up listening to my parent’s music which happened to be 70’s rock. Canadian bands like Trooper, April Wine and Bachman-Turner Overdrive were played on continuum in my home. The only Canadian artist that was NOT allowed in our home was Anne Murray. Anne was never invited to any parties as per the matriarch of our family, my Grandma. Apparently, she believed that Anne stole her songs from a 14 year old girl and she was ostracized from our family, never to be invited to a family gathering. You could not even speak her name in my Grandma’s presence as she would not be ashamed to speak her opinion on the matter!

The Guess Who is a successful band from Canada that had its most popular era in the 1970s. I put together a timeline of some of their career highlights so that you can visualize their career progression. What I find most interesting about their career progression is that their major success in Canada and the United States come mainly after the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRC) was established. The CRC (the name was later changed in 1976 to Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC))[i] were the enforcers of the Broadcasting Act of Canada which mandated that a certain amount of Canadian created content must be played on media outlets.

I find the music of The Guess Who to be interesting, varied and catchy. I like how each of their songs has individuality changing styles throughout their career. For example, “American Woman” has a blues/rock/funk feel to it, “Shakin’ All Over” sounds like surf music and “These Eyes” has more instrumentation and sounds like a ballad. I must not be the only person who values their contribution to the Canadian music scene because they were inducted into the Canada Music Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Canada Walk of Fame in 2001.[ii]

TIMELINE [iii] [iv]    

Late 1950s: The Silvertones was created with Chad Allen (Allan Kobel) and Jim Kale

1962: Randy Bachman, Bob Ashley and Garry Peterson joins the group

1962: the band name was changed to Chad Allen and the Reflections

1965: the name of the band was changed to Chad Allen and the Expressions

1965: recorded a cover of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates song, “Shakin’ All Over”. The song was sent to radio stations under the name The Guess Who? to try and garner interest from the disc jockeys

1965: “Shakin’ All Over” reaches number one in Canada

1966: Burton Cumings (1947) joins the group and replaces Bob Ashley

1966: Chad Allen left the band

1966: The band released the LP It’s Time

1966-1968: many singles released that reached the top 40s in Canada

1968: the band ends a two year run as the house band for a television show called “Let’s Go”

1968: released A Wild Pair album and was spotlighted as a promo item for Coca-Cola

1968: the question mark is dropped from the band name. They are now officially known as The Guess Who

1968: Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRC) was established[v]

1968: Jack Richardson (producer) acquires their contract from Quality Records

1969: album released called The Wheatfield Soul (“These Eyes” made top 10 in Canada and the US)

1969: album released called Canned Wheat

1970: album released called American Woman. The song “American Women” from this album became the first song from a Canadian group to reach number one in the US. It stayed at the top spot on Billboard for three weeks. This was the only album by The Guess Who to reach Top 10 on Billboard pop album chart

1970: Randy Bachman leaves the group, Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw joins the bands.

1970-1971: two albums were releases (Share the Land and So Long, Bannatyne)

1974: album Road Food released. The song “Clap for the Wolfman” enjoyed the longest run for The Guess Who on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks

1975: album Flavours was released

1975: Burton Cummings leaves the group

1976: album The Way They Were was released

1976: Kale officially registers the band name as The Guess Who

1978-1981: three more albums were released (Guess Who’s Back, All This For a Song, Now and Then)

 

The single that started it all was “Shakin’ All Over”. This song has a strong steel guitar sound and a surf song style. It employs stop-time measures and a repeated refrain “shakin’ all over” as well as a guitar solo. Bass, guitar and drums are the only instruments used on this song.

I have vivid memories of listening to songs by The Guess Who when growing up. I can remember where I was, what I was doing and what the weather was like when I hear them played again. For instance, I remember painting my parents back yard deck when I was 16. I was out in the garage looking though my Dad’s cassettes and I stumbled upon The Guess Who. It was hot outside without a cloud in the sky and I really did not want to stain the deck. I remember falling in love with the song “These Eyes”. The song caught my attention with the quiet instrumental at the beginning on the song, only the bass and the piano playing. The hook of the title “these eyes…” captured my imagination and drew me into the lyrics. The song is a ballad of heartache told from the man’s perspective after having his heartbroken. The instrumentation includes a string and horn section with the drums changing the rhythm. The rhythm increases and decreases throughout the son. It increases to reflect the pain and the anger of the singer and slows to reflect the singers desire to have his lover back.

I hope that you can learn to enjoy this classic Canadian band as much I do! You can leave a comment below to thank me for getting this hook stuck in your head!

Endnotes

[i] “About Us, The CRTC’s Origins”, crtc.gov.ca, accessed August 8, 2018. https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/acrtc/50.htm

[ii] “The Guess Who”, Canadianmusichalloffame.ca, accessed August 8, 2018. http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/the-guess-who/

[iii] “The Guess Who,” Brittanica.com, accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Guess-Who

[iv] “The Guess Who”, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/guess-who-the/

[v] “About Us, The CRTC’s Origins”, crtc.gov.ca, accessed August 8, 2018. https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/acrtc/50.htm

References

  1. “About Us, The CRTCs Origins.” Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. July 3. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/acrtc/50.htm.

n.d. “Canadian Music Hall of Fame.” The Guess Who. Accessed August 8, 2018. http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/the-guess-who/.

  1. “The Guess Who.” Historica Canada. 02 14. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/guess-who-the/.
  2. “The Guess Who, Canadian Rock Group.” Encyclopedia Brittanica. September 05. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Guess-Who.

 

#M10Q1

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Over the years, there have been many country greats such as Johnny Cash, Willie and Waylon and George Strait.  While they have a great legacy in the country music world, none of them changed country music or how it sounds.  Over the years, country music has become much different.  Country music has become more contemporary and “poppy” over the past numerous years.  One of the artists that is accredited for this movement is Shania Twain.

Shania has been chosen because she is often the singer many people associate pop country with.  Shania Twain is known as the queen of pop country and received that title because she is one of the main artists that revolutionized country music to what it is today (Fazio, 2018).  Shania Twain has been performing since 1993 when her debut album came out, but it was not until later in the early 2000’s that she started changing country music.  Shania Twain brought in another feel of country m

usic that was different from the traditional “twang” that was associated with country music for many years.

As time went on, Shania’s country music continued to be more and more contemporary and deviated from the traditional country style.  However, the changes she made in her music were very minor and it was because of her slow music changes that she remained country.  In comparison to Taylor Swift, where she was considered country her entire career until her album “Red” was released.  It was a big jump and deviation from her original music and change from her regular contemporary country style and is no longer considered to be a country artist.

Shania Twain’s debut album in 1993 sounds like the very traditional country style, being that is was very twangy.  Here she was very talented and was able to establish herself as an elite female country singer.  Below is a link of one of her debut album songs “What Made You Say That”.

As one listens, it has that traditional country twang that everyone knew and loved.  This song was primarily vocals, and guitars, in comparison to rock or pop which focuses more on bass beat and drums.

In her second album “The Woman in Me” that was released in 1995, it was still primarily country, although her song “Any Man of Mine” (See link below) was very controversial to many country fans as it had elements of pop and rock in her country song (Buchard, 2017), but nonetheless it was still popular.

Here was the first time that Shania deviated from the traditional country music and started to make it more upbeat.  This was a big risk as it was different from the traditional country feel, but it still managed to make it to the top music charts across the world.

From 1997 until 2002 Shania went a little quiet.  While she was still performing, she had not released any albums during this time.  Finally, in November of 2002, she released her 4th album “Up”.

This album was the most diverse of any album she has ever released.  Her music ranged from the song “Up” (Link Below) which was still very much country, but then also featured songs such as “Ka-Ching” (Link Below) which is the furthest thing from country.

From 2002 until 2017, Shania has returned to the stage and is now considered a pop singer.  However, her music from 2002 was the first movement of country music being more contemporary and pop.  Looking at today’s country music, much of it has a hint if not a lot of pop feel to it.  For example, Sam Hunt who is supposed to be a country singer, his son “Body Like a Back Road” is more pop style than country.  Another example is Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away”.  Again, while she has been famously known as a country artist, she also has added a more pop style to her music.  This is just a couple examples of a long list.  This is not saying that these singers are not good, but rather just using their music as examples of how country has changed.

There is much controversy over which genre Shania belongs to.  Some believe that she is and forever will be considered country, while others believe that she is now pop.  One thing that one cannot put to question is her success.  She has been has had numerous number one albums in her career and has done multiple tours in her career.  Shania Twain has left her mark on country and it has had long lasting effects as most of the new country music that comes out has more of a pop feel to it.  Country music has been changed and could even put into two separate categories now, one being contemporary country, and the other being folk country.  Overall, Shania Twain may have not been performing too much during the country revolution, but she is one of the artists that started it.

Works Cited

Buchard, Jeremy. Wide Open Country. July 2017. http://www.wideopencountry.com/shania-twain-broke-barriers/ (accessed August 5, 2018).

Fazio, Marie. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 18, 2018. http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2018/07/18/Shania-Twain-defends-her-crown-as-queen-of-country-pop/stories/201807180109 (accessed August 5, 2018).

 

 

 

What Made You Say That – Shania Twain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shv9DfbigMc

 

Any Man of Mine – Shania Twain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N2k-gv6xNE

 

Up – Shania Twain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FMhUNSIxks

 

Ka-Ching – Shania Twain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEe3hBXZEyI