Music is an ever changing field, constantly being redefined by each generation that comes through. Amusing to me most of all, is that each generation is adamant that they had the best music, and the up and coming generations music is just to 'raunchy' and 'risque' something that they never would have ever done. This has been true since Beethoven started expanding on what an orchestra could really do, to Lady Gaga showing up at the Grammys in an Egg. Everything has a beginning to it, and watching music, how it is connected to each other is very fascinating to me. Here are several examples that I have found throughout my life and through this class.
Free Form Jazz --> Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are a band out of Oklahoma that have been around since the late 70s. Wayne Coyne, the leader singer, has always stressed harmony and acceptance. In short, he is an awesome hippie musician. Earlier, back in 2009, the band released their most recent album, Embryonic. It was a dramatic shift in from their change in sound compared to their several previous albums, most notably for its experimental sound and free-flowing rhythms. Here is an example of one of their songs:
This song is called Your Bats. It is a very strange, and often confusing piece that showcases the uniqueness of this album. Upon first hearing it, my friends and I decided that Wayne was trying to do something new that had never been done before. Unfortunately, none of us were near as educated as we thought we were. Little did we know, that in fact, this concept was done long ago by someone else.
The idea of Free Form, or just breaking the mold in general so extreme that it confused and often annoyed people had already been explored by Miles Davis, most notably with Bitches Brew. When I first heard this piece in class, I realized that Wayne was most likely emulating Davis, in an attempt to break free of his old image.
Swing Songs --> Modern Rock
When I was in High School, my brother was going and taking dance lessons with a girl he was attempting to woo and discovered a band named Jimmie's Chicken Shack. When learning to Swing Dance, the instructor attempted to use more modern tunes to connect with his students, and used this song when first teaching them.
Now, on the surface, this piece is your standard 90s alternative rock. Repeating guitar riffs, repetitive lyrics, and nonsensical lyrics. However, what is interesting about it is the driving rhythm. It swings, underneath all of this modernization, there is, at its core, a continuation of the groundwork set over 50 years ago using a completely different genre. That, in my opinion, is something is a fine example of how music has evolved and changed.
Big Band --> Pop
There is a recent band that has come to light in the last several years that goes by the name of 'Fun.' Their upbeat feel and quick witted lyrics have become a large hit with today's audience, especially when the newest single 'We Are Young' really hit it big. One of the songs off of their albums is called 'One Foot' and got my attention when I got the album as being a song that borrowed several aspects from Jazz.
Several things that I notice very quickly is the use of a strong horns section and the marching rhythm. Later on in the piece, we have a variation of call and response. What I like about this piece, is that it shows that even today, we cannot deny that that influences from other time periods filter into all different kinds of genres we wouldn't even consider.
This is what I love about music today. I can always listen to a new piece, and find snippets and nods towards other styles that would not have come together any other time but now. People love to lament all the time that music today is 'so horrible' and that all of the good songs 'have been done.' No, I don't agree with that. Like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. If you only listen to whats on the Top 40 stations, then yes, everything is going to sound the same. But if you break your routine, think for yourself, and look for your own type of music, I guarantee you that music is alive and well.
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