Greyson Chance- Waiting Outside the Lines

Although I like the pop artists like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, one thing that even though is fun to listen to but that gets old is the love songs constantly published about a breakup, then a new love, then a break up, so on and so forth. That is why I really am impressed by Greyson Chance. He was only 13 when he wrote this song so no one would expect him to have troubles and problems with his love life, but I really think that is a good thing because he wrote a song deeper than most I hear on the radio. It's called waiting outside the lines, and it's a song about taking chances and not just staying inside your comfort zones. Of course, don't pay attention to the music video because it is as cheesy as you would expect a 13 year old to have, but listen to the message and the beat.

Woodstock and the Appreciation of Live Music

There is no doubt that Woodstock looked like an incredible experience, I was trying to think of what set it so much apart from the festivals and concerts of today. That was pretty easy to answer, thinking that Woodstock was one of the first of its time, and had such a huge turnout of people that were there for the peace, love, and music. But the part that is also still important today, and the reason for the festivals was the music. I think people being able to see the hard work and soul that the artists put into their songs make people get a better understanding of how beautiful and hard great music is to achieve. In present times, live music is so incredible because you can watch an artist perform for their talent without wondering how much autotune and retakes. Just their voices, natural and one take. Of course, back then they didn't have autotune, but what people really saw for the first time was the artists and their instruments, and the work they put into the killer baseline that the song would be nothing without. I think Woodstock helped people get a better appreciation for not just the voice part of music, but the incredible work put into the instruments that make a song possible.

Music Videos

Now as we are getting more and more into the digital age of music, people are staring to put out music videos to songs. I know some people don't like music videos and would rather just listen the song, I like something visual to put with the song. This however, can have problems. Sometimes music videos are really good and help with the song but sometimes they are heir plain terrible. I am definitely an advocate for Taykor Swift, but her music video for Back to December was completely, in my opinion, stupid.
 
Next, here are two music videos that I really liked, even if I didn't like the song all that much.

And 

These really help add a new meaning to the songs and I really like it.

Woodstock

In class we watched the movie about Woodstock, and although I wasn't even there to experience it's epicness, it looked so cool! As places go, Austin is definitely one of the most live music, free spirited downs in the United States, and although we have some awesome bands and AWEOSME festivals, it doesn't even come close to comparing to what Woodstock was! I have never been super into going to shows and bands and concerts, like the first one I went to was just last year, and it was not a rock band, it was Taylor Swift. I found out recently that my dad went to Woodstock when he was 17, and when I asked him about it he said that is literally changed his life and is one of his favorite memories. I think I would have been so cool to be able to witness so many music icons at one place, and be part of something that changed the music world forever. If I were given the chance, I would have loved to see the amazing artists and adventures of Woodstock.

Florida Georgia Line- Cruise

Again this is a coincidence where what I listen to in normal life overlaps with what we talk about it class. We were talking about the division of music into genres. Personally, I don't like the division at all. I feel although it might make it easier for people to find music they like, it closes out opportunities of music that they could of liked but never heard because it is in a different "genre" than their norm. That's why I don't really say that I like some music or only like other genres, because you never know what you will like. An example is the song Cruise by Florida Georgia line. Until I looked the song up on youtube, I thought it was a kind of popish rockish song. It has an awesome up beat and I really like it, but when I did look it up I found it wash actually country! It amazed me and proved that you can't really classify songs into genres because its really a personal preference of what each person thinks the song sounds like.

The Band- The Weight

In class on Thursday, we listened to "The Weight" by the band "The Band". When you told us the story of how it was written, I was preparing myself mentally for a terrible song that made no sense at all. I couldn't imagine how one could make a decent song using a jumble of lyrics from different people. All this changed when I heard the song. I was surprised that I really liked it!!! I thought it was cool how even though it was different people writing each line, you could get a feel of how close and connected the band was because the lines really flowed!! In some song the frequent repetition can sound lazy, but in this song I really liked it. I also really liked how they sang it! I could have thought about 30 million different ways to sing those words badly, but I really liked the beat. I really liked how the lead singer sang and then they harmonized and split into two parts. Overall I really liked the song.

Johnny Cash

Today we listened to Johnny Cash, and on most of the artists we have listened to I have liked them or disliked them, but there weren't any that I really didn't like; that is until I listened to Johnny Cash. In present time, many of the artists are being criticized for using auto-tune or having iffy voices, but honestly I feel like Johnny Cash's voice, or maybe just the way he sings, is terrible! Its like he just talks the words of the song, but it sounds weird and off. For example, rappers are sometimes said to "fast talk" their words, but they do it in a beat and it fits with the music, but I feel like Johnny Cash just adds awkward noise to his music. I know what made him famous was that his music was "different", but honestly I do not like it at all.

The Trouble With Girls by Scott Mcreedy

Although I am not super knowledgeable about the music that is out there, I will say that I am very adventurous and like variety of genres and songs that I do know. In my last blog I talked about how as The Beatles aged, I started to like their voices less and less. I feel like they sound best as kind of a younger maturity, but that is not true for all artists. In this next song, just close your eyes and listen to it, don't look at the singer or the video.

Now how old did you think the singer was? Maybe 30 or 40? No. He is only 17!! I love how mature his voice is without it sounding old and tired.

The Beatles White Album

In class we listened to one of The Beatles later albums, The White Album. Since the beginning of the class I have always been a fan of The Beatles' amazing talent and phenomenal singing and instrument skill. Many people think they get better as the albums go on because they "become better musicians and improve in their skill and technicality, but I have had the opposite response. For me at least, a lot of the persona that makes me love them is that they were these funloving best friend kids who made music because they loved it, but that has seemed to fade away. Before they all participated in each of the song and worked together to make it sound awesome, but as they became more distant from the band and didn't connect it was obvious that they weren't really flowing as much as they used to. Also I really loved their more immature voices, and as they have aged I feel that it has become rougher and not as sweet (but that might be partly because of the drugs). Overall I still like them and I'm not saying that I dislike all the songs on the White album, but I definitely don't like it as much as their first albums.

Mercy

Most of the songs I have chosen for my personal blogs haven't really corresponded with what we have talked about in class, but this one is an exception. Lately in class we have heard people that are using odd sounds in their music that adds another dimention. Although the human voice is an amazing tool and had a large range of sound, eventually it gets boring just like the piano, guitar, drums and the other instruments that we are used to hearing. That is why artists sometimes use sounds that alone sound odd, but really connect with the music. An example is this song Lambourgini Mercy, a rap song I discovered a few months ago. What I like about it is that the chorus is a little odd and the wierd siren sounds and voice really add something to the song. The link is above, and although some of the song is just eh, the odd sounds make me want to listen to it.

Magical Mystery Tour

In class we were listening to the later Beatles songs, and I have to say although I love the originals by them, I feel some aspects of their music do grow as they do. As we were listening to Magical Mystery Tour, I noticed something interesting. I can't argue at all that all of the songs are really good, because the harmonies they achieve are amazing, and although John only sings 2 of the songs, I was really underwhelmed with his lyrics. I know he was probably super high and crazy, but I feel like most of his lyrics made no sense. It annoys me how today's artists are getting critisized for their lyrics not being deep enough while John is singing about his high experiences.

Busta Rhymes

As music has evolved, I feel that the art of rap has kind of evolved into a slur of words about being a "thug" and doing drugs, but the base behind is actually kind of amazing. One of the things that I think is so amazing is how fast that these rappers talk. Although I many times what comes out of their mouths, it baffles me how fast they can say these words and not get out of breath. I know it probably takes a lot of retakes and some auto-tune, but no amount of auto-tune could make me sound like I could talk that fast. One of my favorite examples is Busta Rhymes, especially in Chris Brown's song "Look at Me Now"(He starts rapping at about 1:10 but it really gets fast around 1:26

So no matter how offensive his message might seem, I can't argue that it is amazing that he can rap that fast. 

Jimmy Hendrix

In class today we listened to Jimmy Hendrix, and I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed. Although I am sad to move on from The Beatles, I definetly have black and white opinion on the more rockish songs we are listening to. Pretty much for me it comes down to the singing. I can appreciate, when I really listen to the instruments, the real talent and amazing drumming skills of the songs. However, when I listen to the song as a whole, the voice of Jimmy doesn't really appeal to me. I feel like his voice is kind of raspy and just adds extra noise to the song. An example is in his song Remember:

I don't say this very much, but this might be one of the few songs that I would prefer in instrumental version. I think maybe it would help if he had some backup singers or something to highlight or make his voice a little less dull.  

Jackie Evancho

Seeing a bunch of powerful voices in You Tube clips is super cool to discover, but one of the things that baffles me the most is the occasional kids with beyond powerful voices. This girl, Jackie Evancho, can't even be compared to any of them I have seen before. She has the voice that full grown women would die to have. If I saw this just on youtube and not on a credible show like America's Got Talent, I would of thought that it was a joke and she was lip synching to a professional opera singer. I am not saying that I really like the style of music she is singing, but she is so phenomenal that I can't help but love it.

Undiscovered Music

In class today, we were talking about convenience in the music industry, and I wanted to put in my input of why that is from someone who isn't musically "in the loop" as much as most people. In class you also related it to going to fast food places, and we go to what is normal and what is what we are used to a comforting. That might be true for someone who knows what's out there and just chooses to do what is convenient. However, I don't even know probably 90 percent of the music that is released if not more, so for me it would probably be like trying to find the best places to eat in a strange country with a different language. If someone told me to go find a band that was new and upcoming, I wouldn't even know where to start, since the only places I get my music are from Pandora, Youtube, and the Radio. Even in class, I had no idea about most of the bands we have talked about until you showed them to us. That is one of the reasons I really like the class, but I also think it isn't fair that there are some really talented people out there that don't get noticed because they don't know the "right people".

The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds

After listening to their albums and watching their movies, I definitely think I have come to really like The Beatles. Now we are listening to The Beach Boys, and I was kind of on the fence about them, but after listening to "Pet Sounds" I decided that I like them. I think a lot of that was decided by the first song of the album, "Wouldn't It Be Nice". That was the song in a movie I really like called "50 First Dates" and I think the fact that the sound was familiar helped me connect with the song better. I remember in class we were talking in class about the facts that people don't want their artists to change, and if they do then sales go down. I think there is some truth to that, for example I can't remember a time where I loved a song the first time I heard. Maybe other people are different than me in this, but to really like a song I really have to listen to it a few times and kind of get the feel of the beat and the lyrics. I think that that is what made me like Pet Sounds so much, because the music was familiar. In addition, I really like the beats and especially the harmonies in the album, and it even kind of reminded me of The Beatles. I just wish people in that time would have appreciated the album for what is really was.

Drew Ryniewicz

Although I am not a huge fan of shows like American Idol and The X Factor, I do like to occasionally see the amazing and talented singers in the world. The main reason I don't watch the shows full time is because for some reason it pisses me off that the judges or so critical, and I honestly believe that if the judges tried out for the show they wouldn't even make the first cut. Putting my anger aside, I really like how the show puts spotlight on people who don't have the famous connections and therefor wouldn't usually get a chance. While on youtube, I saw this girl, Drew Ryniewicz. She is only 14 years old, but I LOVE her voice and the fact that she took a song that is a little boring and made it her own and made it amazing. This is her singing Justin Bieber's song "Baby", but with her own twist. (To get to the singing part go to 2:30)

I agreed with the judges when they said that they liked this version of the song more than the original. Overall, I think she is super talented and hope to see her become famous.

Bob Dylan

I know in class different people have mixed feelings on Bob Dylan, and I would definitely have to say I do not like his music, but mainly I just generally do not like his voice. I think it sounds kind of scratchy and out of tune, and I don't like the way it "feels". I like voices that are smooth and even, and I even think that is possible in rap music as well as country and pop. For some reason, when I hear his voice, I kind of cringe. It also always seems off with the beat. Take this song for example:

I feel like his voice doesn't fit the music, which I think is one of the most important things in a song. I know people say that he is a phenomenal song writer, but I don't think that is enough. I don't listen to music as deep as others, but for me unless I know the words and am singing along, I don't perticularly listen to the words so I guess I don't get the meaning and passion from his songs, but to me they just sound bad.

Opinions on "Beatles" on ITunes

In my opinion, ITunes is one of the biggest revelations in the history of sharing music, because it gives anyone the opportunity to by pretty much any song or movie, and then listen to it as much as they want. I won't say that I think that there inflated prices are fair, but you know, life's not fair. Anyways, I know there has always been controversy whether ITunes has the right to sell songs from bands and musicians that are dead, and haven't said whether they want to release it there or not. Many people say that it isn't fair to the musician and that ITunes shouldn't be able to do that. My opinion on the matter is that I think they should. Although the lovers of old time records and cassettes hate to admit it, ITunes and computers and IPods are the way music is spread, and if something isn't on ITunes, it is most likely going to be way less discovered. I know some people like it that way, to not have their music widespread, but in my opinion the real musicians are the ones that do it because they love it and not to make money or please certain people, so an ideal musician would want their music to be open for the world to see. I think that however, if a singer is dead, ITunes should have to give the money that they would have given to the artist to charities or to promoting other artist.

The Beatles Movie "Help"

In class, I have really enjoyed the movie "Help" with The Beatles in it. In today's world, we have our singers, separated from our fashion icons separated from our movie stars, but in the time of The Beatles, they were all of those. I think the reason they were able to pull that off is that they were discovered for their singing ability first, then acted in movies and pursued that carrier a little bit more. That is what for me is the problem with the Disney Channel "singers" if you could even call them that, because they take pretty much all of the actors in their shows and put a microphone in their faces and auto tune the heck out of whatever comes out. I like also, that The Beatles have their own songs incorporated in their movie, because it is a perfect soundtrack to the movie and also advertisement for them. Also what you are starting to see more are movies about a pop stars life; examples are Katy Perry and Justin Bieber:

The thing that i think is funny is that these stars did what The Beatles did, naming their movie after one of their albums. The last thing is that The Beatles are just a bunch of 20 year old boys, so they are constantly having fun and its really easy to like them when you see them just goofing off.

The Problem With Current Music Sellings

Throughout the years, the way music is kept and shared has changed dramatically. I still remember when I was about 8 or 9, buying my first song on ITunes, it was Clean by Hilary Duff and I bought it for 99 cents. When I pressed the "buy" button, I couldn't believe that I had this song on my computer and I could listen to it any time in perfect quality for no charge. I never personally got to experience the area of big disk, but my dad has one and one time I listened to it, and for some reason it just sounded so sharp and clear, I loved it!! Then I remember the joy of opening a new cd and delicately putting it into the cd rom, and cherishing every song. I never get to experience that anymore, and there are some ups and downs to that. Don't get me wrong it's great to be able to reach any song with the stroke of a few keys, and even see music videos and live performances for free on YouTube, but I feel like it has kind of corrupted how we listen to music, almost made us greedy. Even this blog is an example. I can think of a song I like and put the link on my page, and someone could listen to just 20 seconds, and the maker of the song doesn't get any money or any benefit from being listened to. Also, we take music less seriously and dispose of it all the time. I think people need to take a step back from the electronic world, and appreciate music as a rarer art form, and love music like in the older days.

Cimorelli

The Cimorelli family is an all christian family, with 9 kids, 6 girls and 3 boys. Incredibly, it was discovered that all of them were beautiful singers. They have a youtube channel, and ever since I discovered them a couple of years ago, I loved their voices, harmonies, and videos in general. They used to strictly do covers where they stand in front of the camera and sing; no autotune, no retakes, just music. Since then, they have started to make their own songs, and make music videos where the voices are put in after. I think they are so incredibly talented, it baffles me how they are not super famous by now. But my favorite part about them is that they make no money with these videos, they do them because they love to sing and they want to share their passion with the world. This is one of my favorite video's, to Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper". This video is from awhile back, but I think it is one of their best pieces of work. They are all incredible singers, but my favorite would have to be Lisa (the one on the far right) Listen to the song, but especially at 2:53 when she sings. 

I think they are all wonderful and wish more people would see their talent!!

The Who: Beatles or Rolling Stones

In class, as we listen to songs from "The Who", people are always debating whether they sound more like the early Beatles, or the early Rolling Stones, two popular bands at that time. I agree that at different points in their music they do alternate between more of the punk rock feel of The Rolling Stones to the smoother rock of The Beatles, but overall, I think they sound more like The Beatles.  Usually when I listen to songs, I don't pay attention to the instruments and the band part of the song, but more of the voices and singing. Maybe this is because not only myself, but my whole family is extremely "musically challenged" and none of us can sing or carry a beat in the slightest. But for whatever reason, I listen more to the voices. I think the fact that there are always multiple band members singing and harmonizing is what makes me think it sounds like The Beatles. With The Rolling Stones, I feel that having only one singer (and not a very good one in my opinion) takes away from the song as a whole, because there is just enough distraction to get the listener not to pay attention to the music, but not enough to bring the song together and make it sound great. As far as the instrumental parts of the song, I would say that the more loud and harsh beats and playing style does remind me of The Rolling Stones more than the Beatles.

This song of theres makes me think more of The Beatles, but this one:

Makes me think more of The Rolling Stones.

Hard Day's Night vs Beatles first U.S. Visit

In class, we watched both the documentary of the Beatles first U.S tour and the scripted "Hard Day's Night". I really enjoyed both of them, but I think Hard Day's Night was my favorite. I really liked how they had the songs incorporated with the movie, because it gave both a better feel to it, but also it was really cool to think of how the Beatles WERE their own soundtrack. To me, the fact that the movie was in black and white didn't really affect the movie as a whole, because for me it was more about the music and the verbal jokes rather than the crisp graphics. I thought that what they showed in the movie looked like what the Beatles did was so much fun and such a blast, and they looked like they were living their dream and being young men at the same time. One thing that did kind of leave me with some questions though, was comparing the attitudes of the band to what was in Hard Days Night. As any director should, the director in Hard Days Night showed the band off to be as extraordinary as possible, and to look like some good old rock boys who were fun and spunky. However, in the documentary, it showed a little more of the bad side of life of this world-wide band. It showed them constantly traveling and going to meetings, and although they tried to conceal it, sometimes you could see them seeming tired and fed up with the incredible lifestyle. I am in no way saying that they didn't like their job, but it does kind of raise some questions on what their life was like behind the curtains.

How Music Affects Me

I am not the most musically aware person, and even if I can't fully appreciate the notes and the true meanings of the lyrics, one thing that I can appreciate is how music makes me feel. For me, it is not exactly the lyrics or meaning of the song, but the beat and the way the song pump me up. This usually is defined by the genre of the music. I think I am very persuaded by the music and how fast or smooth it is, as well as the tone of voice showed by the singer. Because I pretty much hate any techno  music if it doesnt have any singing part, because to me that really makes the song. The three different genres that affect me in the most differnt ways are country, pop, and rap. For example listen to this song:

This song really slows my mood, and makes me feel kind of happy go lucky. Country music is what I listen to while doing schoolwork or if I am having trouble falling asleep, because it relaxes me without making me sad or too numb.
Now listen to this song:

This song is really jazzy and just makes me happy and excited. I would listen to this song to pump me up before I do an activity or go to a party.
Finally listen to this song:

This song (sorry that it is kind of inappropriate) really get me feeling kind of cool and gangterish. I would listen to it while dancing in my room or play it to pump myself up for doing something I am afraid to do.

Ready or Not

This blog is a little bit of a guilty pleasure. I will be the first to admit that Disney Channel stars are hired, and then forced to sing even if they are terrible and then slammed with auto-tune, but for some reason this song stood out to me. It is by Bridgit Mendler, a disney star for her show "Good Luck Charlie", and the song is called Ready or Not. For some reason I really like it. I internally have decided to turn a blind eye to the fact that this song is probably auto-tuned TONS, because in my opinion it just kind of enhances the beat and the way she sings. I think the singing style is almost a reggae way, especially at 2:13, where she kind of talk sings that sounds a a lot like a bob marly kind of singer. This is the song, listen to especially 2:13:

Now listen to the singing style in this song

I personally think they sound similar. Also I really like the song at 2:34, where the song comes to a complete stop and silence, then followed by a more energetic part, and I think it enhances the song. 

The Beatles Documentary

In class on Wednesday, we watched the Beatles documentary and it absolutely astonished me. Until now, I have seen the Beatles as an old band, some country folk singing and performing for people like my dad. For christmas, we got my dad the complete Beatles collection, and I remember sitting in the car with him one day as the cd's were playing and thinking, "Wow, these guys are really good!". And although I liked the way they sung, I still didn't see them as a super cool, popular with the teens band. This all changed when I watched the documentary. There are two main things that really made them stand out to me, and helped me grasp how big and popular these guys were. The first thing was their fans. I have seen some big crowds in my life, and I have seen some crazy fans, but nothing at all like the movie showed.

As you can see from this picture, fans (which were almost completely women), the fans are putting aside their safety and their morals just to get a little bit closer to these absolute stars. 

The second thing that really stood out to me was their actual singing. In present times, pretty much anyone can be a singer. Almost any song that comes on the radio or we buy in itunes has been altered by auto-tune. It makes the song sound better and more even, but it makes it a huge disappointment when you see a person live and they absolutely suck. The Beatles never had that problem, as shown in the movie. When it is the live shows and concerts, they sound almost identical to that they do in the recordings. Listen to the recorded song of "Saw Her Standing There"

now listen how it sounds so similar to their live version.

I personally think they both sound great, and it shows why they were such a big hit. (Not to mention they aren't to hard on the eyes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKuTeDUPljQ


About a year ago, my grandfather was in town and my dad and I asked him what is favorite song was growing up. He immediately showed us this video, of "There Stands the Glass" by Webb Pierce, a popular singer in the 1950's and 60's. When the song started, I could barely keep from cracking up; I couldn't put into my mind what my grandpa found desirable about this song. When I listened more closely, I like the song itself, about alcoholism and how it can ruin your life, although it's a little repetitive, but I couldn't get past the actual singing of the song. I found it almost obnoxious and off tune, but my grandpa listened merrily along and seemed to love the song. I guess this shows how much music has changed in just two generations, because I'm sure a lot of the music I listened to would be immediately rejected by previous generations, but it still baffles me how the song was a big hit but to me, it was downright terrible. The one thing I did love though, was Pierce's white rose suit in the video, which gave him like 400 classy points.