Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
21 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
This YouTube video serves as a brief introduction to what is being called “The Loudness War”, which is the issue of modern music being released (and older music re-released) with too much compression and volume and a lack of dynamics.
If the video piques your interest, check out the more in-depth article to follow. It’s an important topic and worth your attention if you care about how your music sounds.
21 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
In June 2010, President Obama awarded Paul McCartney the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. At the concert which followed, Elvis Costello paid his own tribute with a very sincere reading of “Penny Lane”, with a member of the President’s United States Marine band playing the piccolo trumpet.
Costello is one of the very few latter-day pop writers to rival McCartney as a melodist. Listen to “London’s Brilliant Parade”, from 1994’s Brutal Youth album, and see if you hear in it as I do another homage to “Penny Lane”.
“London’s Brilliant Parade” http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/London+s+Brilliant+Parade/32ivWr?src=5
19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ekolu, she's music to me
Ekolu: “She’s Music to Me” (2006)
Simple, positive-vibe Hawaiian reggae love song with a nice horn lick.
19 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: consequence free, great big sea
Great Big Sea: “Consequence Free” (1999)
Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea have been making a lively Celtic/Folk/Rock hybrid since 1993. They play a mix of mainly acoustic-based originals and traditional Newfoundland folk songs and shanties which, due to a strong Irish heritage in the area, sound essentially like the traditional music of Ireland.
“Consequence Free” is as plainspoken as a pop song gets. It’s a bold expression of one of mankind’s most universal but rarely expressed wishes: to live without the guilt of one’s actions–the desire for “a little bit of anarchy, but not the hurtin’ kind”. We all realize that life isn’t 24/7 fun. But it’s okay to rail against that reality with a joyful song, too!
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/03/25/songs-you-may-have-missed-371/
19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: dusk, genesis
Genesis: “Dusk” (1970)
From the band’s classic lineup, fronted by Peter Gabriel. Progressive rock truly enjoyed a golden age in the late 60’s/early 70’s, when bands were for the first time discovering nearly limitless freedoms in both lyrical subject matter and song length.
But it wasn’t always about complexity and dazzling virtuosity. Sometimes Prog was just about creating a thing of beauty, like this relatively overlooked gem from the Trespass album.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2024/12/25/recommended-albums-91/
Every Moment Has A Song 