One, two, one two three four

It seems to me that unequivocally claiming that the music of yesteryear, whichever decade that means to you, is a sort of chronological snobbery.

I do not mean to say indisputably that music is getting better, or worse, or that it’s best decade was that ____’s.  I just mean that it seems very, very hard to prove; nigh impossible.

I recognize that time has brought the loudness race, which hurts Bob Dylan’s ears, or whatever, and is actually something interesting or troubling.

However, let me point out that the passing of time has allowed more and more people to record and thus release music, for several reasons…

1.  The world population has grown significantly as our ability to stay healthy has improved.  Thus, even if the same percentage of the population has made music over time, there is more music being made now than ever before.
2.  As we grow more and more wealthy, especially in developed countries, fewer people are involved in agriculture and manufacturing, and more people are involved in service.  I would guess this to also include the arts, thus music, thus there is even more music being made than the truth of point number one would lead us to believe.
3.  Modern technology in recording and creating music (i.e. multi-track recording, software, etc.) makes it even easier for people to make and record music.
4.  The internet has been something that has seriously injured the traditional structure of the music industry.  It’s also allowed for bands like, for example, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Panic at the Disco, two very different bands with very different audiences, to find an audience they might not have otherwise.  This encourages more people to make music in their basement or bedroom or whatever, and release it through MySpace or their outlet of choice.

While much of what constitutes traditional pop and rock sonic territory has been explored, that does not mean new music can’t flow from these structures.  Some is released within such structures; others subvert it; others reinvent it; others harken to a time before it.

All this to say that even if there is a significantly lower percentage of good music being released today, and even if the modern media structure is not designed to market good music and/or art to the masses, it doesn’t mean there are fewer great songs or great albums being made today.

I might add in closing that I am in no way trying to say that today’s music is better than ever – that’s probably not the case, just given the sheer amount of time passed.  It’s also very hard to prove that it’s true or not.  I, like many from my generation, have favorite musicians and bands and songs and so on from all over the map of the past half century, just as a starting point.

Filed under: Music, Recommendations, college, media

Folded 8.5 x 11

I’m sure that everyone potentially reading this has heard “Paper Planes”, whether they know that’s the name of the song or not.  If you’re unsure what it is, you might know it as “that one M.I.A. song” or “the song with the gunshots and the cash register noise in the chorus”.

I have, for a long time, been fed up with people who quote this chorus like it’s some mindlessly violent gangsta rap song.  The song’s been out since August 2007, but gained popularity last summer when it was featured in the trailer for some movie that seemed to celebrate drugs and also seemed too mindless and stupid to warrant mentioning here.  I would point to this as when the song jumped from relative obscurity to ubiquitous.  It’s also when it started to be heard out of it’s original context.

You see, the song is a satire on all the things those listening without critical (see definition 3) ears think that the song is actually about.  It is, as its Wikipedia page says, a satire on immigrant stereotypes.  It’s not about violence, or any of the other things that an uncritical or decontextualized listen might indicate.

Why context is necessary (or, making a long story very short):  M.I.A., the song’s artist, was born to Sri Lankan parents in London, and six months later, moved back to Sri Lanka.  Her dad was a politcal militant, she was a refugee, etc. (if you want the whole story, google it/it’s at Wikipedia).  It’s safe to say that M.I.A. has probably faced her share of immigrant stereotypes in her life.  That is what this song is about.

Singing just the chorus without knowing the context and meaning of a song can be dangerous, embarassing, or make you look silly.  This is probably the best example of that.

Now, I might point out that M.I.A. is not innocent in this song’s transformation from sly satire to just another catchy hip-hop song with a quirky vocalist and a catchy hook.  After all, it’s been licensed for two movies, one the comedy mentioned earlier, one the Oscar winner for Best Picture this year.  Having seen neither film, I cannot comment specifically on it’s placement, but I have it on good authority that the song’s context in [EDIT: one of (check the comments) the films does not align with it’s original intent.  It’s also been remixed a bunch of times, apparently – that’s intentional recontextualization.  Perhaps most egregiously, it’s been sampled and used on “Swagga Like Us”, by four of the biggest names in rap right now.  The only time I’ve heard that was during the Grammys a few weeks ago, but it is a drastic recontextualization:  as far as I can tell, it takes one line (“No one on the corner has swagga like us”) from “Paper Planes” and makes it the hook for five minutes of chest pounding braggadocio from rich men.

I’m not usually one to accuse artists of selling out – everyone has to make a buck, and most everyone has to work for someone to keep food on the table – but M.I.A. has sold out “Paper Planes”, and the result is a lot of obnoxious sing-song rapping from people who don’t understand the song’s original intent.

If she’s okay with that, too bad – good satire is hard to pull off, and she might’ve just ruined her own.  I’ll just keep saying, “you don’t know what that song means, do you?” twice a day.

Filed under: Music, college, friends , M.I.A., Paper Planes

facebook made me do it.

I’m actually about a week behind the facebook “25 things about yourself” meme, but thought I’d give it a go anyway.

1.  I bite my nails, but wish I wouldn’t.  I do it mainly when I’m nervous or bored.

2.  I am jealous of those with access to excellent public transit systems, specifically like those you would find in Europe.  I completely understand that America in general (and the midwest particularly) is too spread out for that to work on a large scale, but I still like elaborate railway systems.

3.  I also wish I had an iPhone or an iPod Touch, but I am aware that that’s silly and I don’t really need one.  Still, they’re impressive, and it’s good for me to show restraint.

4.  I like when numbers and graphs tell you things.

5.  I love to read, and don’t do it nearly enough.  I probably say “someday, I’ll read all the books I’ve ever wanted to,” once a week.

6.  I’m pretty adaptable.  That’s one of the things I’ve learned during the moving my family’s gone through over recent years – I can get along pretty well in many scenarios.

7.  I can be pretty calculating, especially when it comes to risk/reward sorts of situations.  This may be why I’m not very fond of roller coasters and why you’ll never find me skydiving, but why I’m eager to try new things where the positive potential benefits outweigh the negative side effects – for example, trying new foods/going new places, etc.

8.  I like coffee a lot.  I have for most of my life (literally – ask my parents), and recently I’ve been enjoying it more – and more frequently – than ever.

9.  My brother, Wyatt, is 4 years younger than me, and at least a couple inches taller than me.  He’s also one of my very best friends, and maybe the funniest person I know.

10.  With respect to music, I tend to enjoy the experience of an album more than a song.  That is to say, a great album says more about the actual talent and skill of its artists than does one good song.  Of course, songs are easier to digest individually, so there’s a place for just falling in love with a song, too. [#10 probably makes no sense, sorry readers]

11. I don’t mind dressing up.  I’d even say that I like it.

12.  …however, I would probably rather just wear jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt most of the time, unless, of course, it’s warm, in which case I would like to be by a body of water in a swim suit.

13.  I’m fed up with shallow thinking, especially by people who are spending their days, weeks, months, and years learning to think about things more deeply – specifically, college students.  Our actions, the actions of others, books, movies, tv shows, music…all sorts of things have meaning besides what they might seem to say on the surface – everyone who’s been through a high school English class knows this.  Going to college is supposed to teach you to think about such things, and it bothers me greatly that many of my fellow students take the time to think about what a thing really means, and what it tells us about the ideas and worldviews of the people who made it.  (I mean to flesh this out into it’s own post sometime)

14.  I don’t really like movies that much, unless they’re either
A.  very inventively entertaining, or
B.  thought provoking.

They just seem like a waste of time to me.  I’m trying to get past this somewhat, as Amanda loves movies, and loves when I watch them with her .

15.  I’m not really “into” that many tv shows.

16.  I like sports quite a bit, for a variety of reasons.  I like baseball for its order and strategy – it is “The Thinking Man’s Game” for a reason (and I am amused by the idea of baseball as a metaphor for American life).  I like basketball because among sports, it is the closest thing to an art form of improvisation and virtuosity, like music or dance – all teams and players have unique styles.  I like football because of it’s combination of brute force, speed, and strategy, and because it has both variety and structure in abundance.  I am also intrigued by soccer, rugby, and various other sports that are popular throughout the rest of the world, but it takes a lot of time, energy, and effort to follow them from where I sit.

17.  Amanda recently got me some wonderful Moleskine notebooks, and they’re quite wonderful – I forget already how I lived without them.  I carry them with me everywhere, jotting down things to tell her the next time we talk, things to blog about, books I want to read, to do lists, notes from chapel, etc.  So basically, all the things that I used to put on disparate pieces of paper and then lose are now confined to two pocket notebooks.  I don’t know why I didn’t do that sooner.

18.  I think I have one phone number memorized, and it’s my own (this doesn’t count phone number of houses at which we no longer live).

19.  I am bored of the labels that we put on people, but also guilty of doing some labeling, probably.

20.  I don’t like winter.  Sometimes I say this and people say, “how would you appreciate the other seasons if you lived somewhere that was not bitter cold for 3 months a year?”  HAHA.  Trust me, I won’t forget what winter’s like, and I won’t miss it.

21.  I am curious to find out what sorts of things will confuse me when I’m old – specifically, technologically.  What will I be afraid of, or speak of with disdain despite not even understanding it?  (I’m thinking specifically of the way some older adults speak of blogs, or iPhones, or webcams, or facebook).

22.  Being a PA has been one of the more rewarding things I’ve done in recent memory.  I’ve learned a lot about myself, and hopefully been good at my job.  The most rewarding thing, though, has been the staff I’ve gotten to work with – the other PAs and the Residence Life staff.

23.  I’ve been dating Amanda for 13 months and one week now, and couldn’t be happier about it.  I could go on, but if you want to talk to me about this, let’s talk in person .

24.  I like shoes a lot.  I try not to buy them too much, because they’re expensive, but if they weren’t, I would have a lot of shoes.

25.  Finally, what I almost always have in my pockets:

a pen
a tube of chap stick (this one is a MUST for me – my lips get chapped quite easily)
my keys
my phone
my wallet
two moleskine notebooks

Filed under: MLB, Music, baseball, college, family, friends , 25 things, Amanda, college, facebook, family, friends, Music, shoes, spring 2009

An Abridged List of Things for Which I am Thankful

I’m going to steal CWillZ’s idea here and give you a (hopefully short…-ish) list of things I’m thankful for that occurred within the last year.  Without further ado:

I’m thankful for the forwarded emails and “family update” emails every morning from my Grandma because they mean she cares enough to contact me almost daily.  I’m also thankful that all 4 of my grandparents have been alive and healthy for my entire life.

I am thankful for my parents, who support me and pray for me and love me more than I know.

I am thankful for my brother, Wyatt.  I couldn’t ask for a better brother or friend.

I am thankful for a better group of friends, hallmates, and acquaintances than really should be possible:  CWillZ, Neil, BK, Matteo, Rooms, Brent, Smiles, Baby Bleu, Scott (do you need any ham?), Moser, my small group leader HD, Wiki, all the other guys on the floor, Amanda (both of them: Miss Marshall and the Queen), LB, Lil Feist, Sarah, Kayla, and so on.  I’m sure I forgot somebody (or somebodies), please forgive me.

I am thankful for TU, which brought me together with all of those people.

I am thankful for the Student Union/Grille, which allows me to eat breakfast each morning without crossing campus, employs me, and introduces me to new people all the time.  I am thankful for the ladies who work there:  Susan, Teb, Cindy, Leah, Penny, and Karen.  I am thankful for Gary, too.

I am thankful for coffee, tea, and coffeehouses.

I am thankful for music.

I am thankful for Ireland, and the people with whom I went there, and everything that goes along with that.

I am thankful for FlatTop Grille, Ivanhoe’s, Bosco Stix, Payne’s, Qdoba, Casa, and probably a million other restaraunts.

I am thankful for every home cooked meal I get, especially if it’s made in my home by my mom.

I am thankful for my mind, and all that it allows me to do and feel.

I am thankful for airplanes, because otherwise I wouldn’t be seeing my family this weekend.

I am thankful for Thanksgiving, even if I don’t really love turkey that much and even when Grandma puts vinegar on the green beans.

I am thankful that I was comfortable outside all day yesterday in a sweatshirt and jeans.

I am thankful for cell phones, email, text messaging, and other technology that allows people to stay in touch across large physical and geographical distances.

I am thankful for frisbees, and walking back from class to find 25 guys right outside the place I call home most of the year, standing in a circle, throwing them around, laughing, and just generally loving each other.

I am thankful for the people who cook my meals, clean my bathrooms, and teach my classes.

I am thankful for chapel.

I am thankful that I am loved by my Creator and can love Him and His creation.

Filed under: Fall 2007, Music, Thankful, friends, memories , Thankful

13 August 2007

Mae’s new album, “Singularity,” comes out tomorrow. I’m hoping not to be disappointed. You would think I’d have higher expectations – the last half of their first album, “Destination: Beautiful” was great, and their second LP, “The Everglow,” was very good. However, I can’t seem to separate three bands when I think about them: Copeland, Anberlin, and Mae. I think it’s because they’re relatively similar, although they’re all quite different. After “Singularity,” comes out, they will all have dropped their third LP within the past year. Hopefully Mae’s is closer to Copeland’s in quality. Let me explain.

Copeland’s first album, “Beneath Medicine Tree,” is quite loved in some circles. I can’t say it’s one of my all time favorites, but it’s very good, better than their second album, “In Motion.” “In Motion” showed the band maturing and growing more complex than “Beneath Medicine Tree,” even though some of the experiments, like “Kite,” have mixed results. Copeland’s third album, “Eat, Sleep Repeat,” was among the best of 2006 according to fans and critics alike, including Relevant magazine. It explored fears, without being wimpy or scary, it was musically adventurous without being cheesy or too self-important, mellow but not boring, and so on. It’s a great album. Hopefully their next one will be as good; they signed with a major label shortly after “Eat, Sleep, Repeat,” dropped. If the label lets them do their thing, they’ll keep making good music. If not…well, I don’t want to think about that.

Anberlin, on the other hand, didn’t make a very good first album. “Blueprints for the Black Market” had often cheesy lyrics, a small handful of good songs, and nothing that set them apart from a lot of other bands. However, their second LP, “Never Take Friendship Personal,” was solid front to back, despite having a title that just doesn’t sound good grammatically. It’s a little on the aggressive side, definitely the loudest album any of these three bands have put out, but not at all too noisy. The lyrics were sometimes still cheesy, but not often enough to bog down the rest of the album. Before their third album, “Cities,” came out, Anberlin acted like they had a masterpiece on their hands – they announced they’d release a special edition of the disc, with three extra songs plus a short DVD “making of” type film. They were fairly tight lipped about it in general, but they did point out that three albums which are often cited among the best of the bast 30 years–The Clash’s “London Calling”, U2’s “War”, and Radiohead’s “OK Computer”–were the third LP by those bands. I–and doubtlessly many others–expected significant growth and a great album. I pre-ordered the special edition, anticipated it’s release, received my copy…and I was promptly disappointed. It just didn’t show improvement over their last album, the lyrics slipped back into slightly more cheesiness, it wasn’t unique…I could go on, but I’ll spare you.

So needless to say, I’m hoping “Singularity” is more like “Eat, Sleep, Repeat” than “Cities,” but I’m not currently very optimistic. Some record company politics have gotten in the way, most disturbingly, at least one song was added after the album was finished a first time because some record company suit thought the album needed another song that sounded like a single (uh-oh). Having heard the song, I can say it does sound like a single, and not in a good way.

I do plan on buying the album tomorrow, so you might expect a review sometime soon.

Filed under: Music, media