Music Dime

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I've decided to create a new term. And that term is "fast music".

Ok, so it's two words, but you get the idea right?

And no, I don't mean your pumped up dance tracks. I mean fast where you quickly start to like and then quickly start to hate a song. The musical equivalent of a one night stand I reckon.

In today's pop world, fast music happens a lot. With record companies always trying to find "The next big thing", there's lots of "slaps in the face" and not enough "deep impact" when it comes to songs.

Here's a current song at the moment that fits that bill:

Miley Cyrus - See you again:

She's 15. She has a famous dad. She has her own tweenie show. Of course she was going to launch herself as a singer. Her first major release is Corey Hart's "I wear my sunglasses at night" meets Shania Twain's "I'm gonna getcha good". Slow verses and fast choruses seem to be the trendy thing at the moment, but really, the first line of the song is so identical with the Corey Hart song, that I end up hearing him and not her. There are actually quite a few videos on YouTube with a mash up of these two songs. See the similarities for yourself if you want.

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Eurovision Song Contest 2008

June 2nd 2008 10:09

Okay, this post isn't a belated one. I do realise that Eurovision happened two weeks ago. I just needed to give it time to mature (just like a good wine).

Seriously, anyone who has any idea what Eurovision is about knows that the credibility of the acts is questionable, but the fun factor cannot be denied. Where else are you going to find a puppet masquerading as a music act?

I am unshamedly a fan of pop music...and I don't like to admit it, but sometimes I do like the MOR ones. I always can find a song to like in Eurovision (unfortunately, never the one that wins). This year's winning song by Russian artist Dima Bilan, "Believe" isn't all that bad. It does have a very American sound (seeing as Timbaland produced it) and It's a pity that I couldn't actually understand any of his (supposedly) English lyrics until I got a hold of a studio recording. He was also dicing with amputation, having an ice-skater skate around him while he was barefoot. Fair enough, the ice-skater was Olympian Yevgeni Plushenko, but seriously, has he never heard the phrase "Accident's happen"?

There was much discussion about the amount of sexy ladies on stage. Any time a female performer came on, you could almost bet your Sunday roast lamb that she would be in a silver dress that got shorter as the night went on. It goes without saying that a few of them also had very very big....voices to match as well (where did you think I was going with that one eh??)

And then there was this one...

And this one.....you'll have to ignore the foreign commentary at the start.

(is it just me, or is there an inverse relationship with the length of the dress and the singing ability??)

This one wasn't too bad....a bit Britney-esque with a dash of Beyonce towards the end...

(Hmmm...even though the rules state that every act must have completely live vocals, I'm not sure how live that was...)

And this one was my favourite...no seriously, I liked this one. I thought she was sassy, and not just flaunting her womanhood......though she's got great legs too.

Okay....so two weeks after the event, I'm still finding myself laughing at some of the novelty entries...and I'm still liking the songs that I liked when I first heard them. So whether it be on the glitzy stage or in the harsh light of day, Eurovision is what it is. If you don't mind a bit of fun...and a bit of the "what the???"....take a closer look when it rolls around again next year.

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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It's only words.

May 20th 2008 09:49

And so said the Bee Gees. Apparently, words were all they had, and I think they were on to something.

I've said before that you do not need to understand the lyrics to a song in order to enjoy it. However, in some instances, lyrics catch your attention and (memory permitting) leave a more indelible mark on you than music can.

Diane Warren may be associated with bland soppy love ballads, but some of her lyrics do stand out for me personally. All her well known contributions such as Because you loved me, Un-break my heart and How do I live are all well written love songs that portray different scenarios in a relationship so well that most people would be able to relate to them at one point or another.

Don Mclean has an excellent song entitled Vincent (Starry starry night). Forget American Pie, this is the song for me as far as Don Mclean is concerned. He wrote it after the discovering life and work of Vincent Van Gogh.

Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

The lyrics so simply express the connection between the art, the man himself and how people have come to admire Van Gogh posthumously. It is accompanied predominantly by a guitar during most of the song. No flashy effects, no heavy production. It's all about the lyrics.

Word up.

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Music appreciation.

May 12th 2008 10:32

In recent musical history, you get songs that make it big, either because they were used in a movie or tv show. Now I'm not opposed to that. I think that whatever means it takes to get music to a wider audience, then it should be done.

GASP!
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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Duffy: I'm under your spell.

May 3rd 2008 12:17

Have people heard Duffy??

No seriously, have you heard Duffy

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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So that's what Sandi Thom was talking about

April 29th 2008 10:37

Ok, anyone who read "Sandi Thom" in the heading and wants to read this thinking I'm going to delve into her psyche, well, you're gonna be disappointed!

I'm merely commenting on the fact that I can fully appreciate what she meant when she sang, "And I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care." Ever discovered music by an artist and was so blown away by it that you really felt like you were born years too late

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Popular, not just POP: Love will lead you back

April 26th 2008 09:59

Okay, I am unabashedly, a fan of pop music. From brainless no-brainers to more intelligent lyrical ones. I want to take this opportunity to present my reasons why you shouldn't be ashamed that you like Love will lead you back - Taylor Dayne.

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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When songs are just made for TV.

April 21st 2008 13:19

Ever heard a song that seemed like it was written for the show it's featured in? When I heard The Last Goodnight's "Pictures of you", I thought that the song had indeed been written specifically to be used in the show "Brothers and Sisters". How wrong was I. You know which line had me 100% convinced?

"This is a mother waiting by the phone, praying for her son

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Ever heard of Korean Classical-Jazz Fusion?

April 18th 2008 10:04

Well, if your answer to my question is no, then you're in for something different.

Now, let's get a few things straight

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Posted By: May - Category: No Category

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Hey! I totally forgot I had that song!

April 16th 2008 09:12

GIven the new ways people acquire music nowadays, it's not necessarily discs or vinyl recordings that people collect anymore, although I'm sure there are real enthusiasts out there who believe in nothing else. I am a regular "borrower and ripper", though I still buy music CD's as well. I spend many lazy hours re-filing things to make sure that I'll be able to find the songs when I need to.

It was during one of my "secretarial" moods, that I discovered that I had the song Chains (Tina Arena). I was so excited, I tell ya! This will probably give away my age a bit, but I remember I was just about finishing primary school when this song came out...I used to tape it from the radio and listen to it on cassette...then discovered I could buy the CD single...so I listened to it, with better clarity, on repeat, trying to get the lyrics figured out. There were always a few parts that I could never get, because of the way she did her phrasing. When singing along, I generally just mumble those parts as no one was there to hear me anyway

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June 2008

2 Posts

May 2008

3 Posts

April 2008