AHS State Theatre

I went to the State Theatre preformance and really enjoyed it! I couldn't get onstage because they didnt come out. I heard after that some people had snuck into backstage, but they almost got Anderson disqualified so I didn't feel it was a good idea to try to do. I took some pictures and my dad can vouch for me because he took me and Megan Swenson. I'm actually happy that we had to do this because the play was extremely funny and I enjoyed it a lot!

Handlebars

Weird Al has made his living making funny parodys of songs such as Ridin Dirty into White and Nerdy, but he took his career in a more original direction when he made his own song "Handlebars". Many people I know love the song and think it is so great, but I absolutely can not stand it!! He sings the whole song with this same monotone voice, the stanzas are repetitive, and the idea and lyrics of the song are bland and boring. This song literally annoys me so much, but I wonder how others can like it! I guess that is just people's taste in music!

Massive Attack

In class we listened to Massive attack, and I was actually quite refreshingly surprised. First of all, not even taking into consideration the music, I think the dark lights and cool vibrant computer screen really helped. I think it is kind of  the movie theater effect, where being able to really feel the music makes it much easier to really listen to and truly taste it. With that said, I really liked the album! I liked how it changed throughout to kind of give the listener some wake up calls and a change of pace, and I thought they did a good job of playing well the different aspects they tried. I really liked the beginning few songs because the beat really makes the song a little deeper, and I like how the instruments come together.

This Girl is On Fire Cover

I think I first saw this girl on Youtube, but she is another young talented singer that amazes me! All the better, she has a variety of songs, but one includes the EXTREMELY difficult and high pitched song by Alicia Keys "This Girl is On Fire". The song takes so much voice, and is so easy to mess up, I am sure that most of singers today couldn't even reach the notes let alone make it sound good! This girl has such an amazing voice and can really hit all the notes amazingly, I am just super impressed.

ACL Line Up

In class yesterday we talked about the ACL Lineup, and I think that this year is the first year I might go. I always have wanted to, but I finally decide to this year. Even though you don't like festivals, I think that for a person like me who really only knows mainstream music, it is a fun time to get to learn about some new bands and test our likings and genres, while having a great time. That's what I think ACL is more about, kind of the aura of hanging out with a bunch of people on a beautiful day and enjoying some music. I think that is more about being there than particular bands that people listen to. With that said, I think hearing a really cool band makes it all the better. My problem though is that I know you should research and look through the bands coming and plan out who you are going to see, but all of the new bands and all of the chaos overwhelms me. I think (although this is hearsay to true music listeners) I don't know what I like so I will probably just go and see what I hear! Hopefully I will see some new bands that I like, and broaden my music listening!!

Downtown by Lady Antebellum

Last week I posted about Hunter Hays' new song, and so I decided to continue that by posting another song on the poppy country genre that I really like and makes me want to dance. It's by Lady Antebellum and it's called Downtown. I really like it because I feel that it has enough upbeats and energetic parts to make it a song to get me in a good mood and happy, but no so much that it's so high intensity that it's hard to listen to. I really like Lady Antebellum because I love her voice and her backup singers that really make her songs have definition.

Feel free to skip through the super long intro :)

Nirvana

Today in class we listened to Nirvana, and I actually liked it! Although I actually have seen the album cover to their album "Nevermind", I don't think I had ever heard their music or connected it with the name. Originally when I heard the band name was "Nirvana" I was thinking "oh great, another druggy rocker band with scratchy voices and weird songs, but I was surprised. I really actually liked them, partly because  I thought the lead singer's voice was good, and when you said that they modeled themselves after "The Beatles" it made sense why I liked them so much. Another thing I found interesting was the man with the robot band. Although I think it is cool, I don't see that kind of thing becoming as popular in present time with youth because although it's really cool he can do that, with the increasing technology of the world, doing it is getting easier and easier. Never the less, I think it was cool, and if the main singer would have had a good voice I would have really liked it!

Hunter Hays I Want Crazy

You were asking us in class about songs we are listening to, and I forgot to say about Hunter Hay's new album. I LOVE Hunter Hays, and I really like this song! First of all his lyrics actually make sense and are so sweet and bring out the sappy girl in me. Also I think he has the perfect mix of country and pop and the song just kind of makes me happy inside because it's so upbeat and I like how the beat changes throughout the song to keep it interesting.

My Preferences in Rap Music

On Wednesday in class we listened to some Youtube music, and we listened to 3 main rap songs. I agree that first one we listened to was pretty bad, but I had opposite views on the other two as you. I can't remember what was the final song we listened to was, but I didn't like that one at all but I really liked Kendrick Lamar's song "Swimming Pools". I think it has to do with the thing that we look for in music. You were saying how you liked how the last song flowed and wasn't super repetitive, but I found it almost too flowy, it just sounded like this 4 minute sound that didn't really catch my attention at all. I really like rap songs to have a nice beat and a prominent chorus with catchy lyrics. I guess that is why it's so hard to be an artist, because everyone likes something different.

Lennon and Maisy

While doing my usual Youtube searching, I found these two amazing sisters! They, like my other favorite youtube band, sing straight to the computer, so you can hear her pure voice with no changes. The reason that I really like these sisters it because 1) the blond sister is only 8 and she already has a beautiful that can go so high and pure and 2) the older sister has such a beautiful voice that is a little bit unusual as she is able to kind of scoop it and I love it!! Although they have many awesome video's, I really liked their version of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash because I think that they really give it a newer more upbeat twist!!

Nirvana

In class on Tuesday we watched the movie on the band Nirvana, and I have to say I was extremely underwhelmed. Maybe the instrument playing was good, but I could not stand Kurt Cobain's voice. I know some people find it original or interesting or "different", but to me it just sounded like someone who didn't have any singing talent and had even less training. He seemed to be almost off key the whole time, always singing notes that made me cringe. The thing that bothered me about him was how boring he was in the performance. Maybe it is part of his persona to be a really chill dude, but I think that if people are going to come see a concert, it is the artist's duty to entertain them and pump them up, not act as if you are casually practicing in your room. I think the band would be a lot better if they changed singers, because I feel his drugged up voice doesn't match the melodies and rock beat of the songs. As a choir teacher does his voice bother you or is it just me?

The Issue Over Homosexuality

I know this isn't exactly about music, but I feel that the issue of Gay Rights that we talked about in class was really interesting, and on a more music note, music as a whole has had a big influence in gay culture, as pop songs and many rap and other songs have influenced the public to think of the word "gay" as being an insult, lesser, or bad. My last blog I talked about Macklemore's song same love, and I think that there should be more songs like that that are supportive, because we are in the middle of a rapidly changing world, and people need to adjust to it. Even 50 and 60 years ago it was a "fact" that black people were lesser than white people and the thought of having them marry was completely ridiculous. Now we look back and think that that is crazy, and hopefully in 50 years people will think it is ridiculous that gays couldn't marry. My parents are pretty liberal, and I have been raised to have an open mind, and so I was actually astonished on the number of people in the class that thought that homosexuality was a choice. I think that such idea is crazy, a person can't choose who they love. I didn't think about it till after class, but I remember hearing about scientists finding homosexuality in many animals, and so I did a little research. I found this website:


http://www.news-medical.net/news/2006/10/23/20718.aspx

It is also been found that lab rats injected with extra hormones will become homosexual, and that can be altered by changing the genetic traits of them. I don't why I found it so important to blog about this instead of other music, but I just had to say it.

Industrial Music

Today in class we listened to a few industrial music songs, and although they are a completely different genre than Paul's Boutique, I had the same problems with both pieces of music. I really like the more upbeat rhythm that is popular in the 80th more than just the rock genre of the 70's, but I couldn't come to like the songs because of the singers. For example when I first heard the song Terrible Life, I was excited for a pretty good song, because a really cool and pumpy beat was set up, but as soon as the words started, I didn't like it. To me the voice of the singer has to do a lot with whether or not I like the music, and I really wasn't impressed with the voices in Paul's Boutique or most of the industrial music. Maybe it's because I am used to the poppy songs of today, I almost prefer the "drill the chorus into your head" songs, because I feel that the singing was better. I really don't like the flat voice and lack of range in the notes. For some reason I am ok with rap, but only as long as the words kind of add to the beat, but I feel with a lot of industrial music, the voice actually takes away from the song.

Developing Bands and Singers

In class this week we watched the movie of the U2 band filmed while they were just becoming super popular, and it made me think about music artists' rise to fame. With 7 billion people in the world, there will always be tons of talented singers and performers, but it seems to be always only a small portion of them ever make it to be famous. Throughout the year, I have noticed a trend of people not being truley appreciated and noticed until after they die, and that makes me wonder that maybe in 100 years people will look back on someone that I have never heard of and say "Wow, that is the best musician who ever lived". I think it is interesting how bands like U2 just suddenly become really popular, and I feel like I don't even see the best of the music, and only what has already been "discovered". Now it is in some ways easier and in some ways harder to discover music because we have the internet. On the plus side, it is a lot easier to find music because pretty much everything is online, but it is also harder because pretty much anyone can make/record a song and put it for people to see. I think music is extremely unpredictable, but it makes it exciting that no one ever knows who will be the next big thing.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: Same Love

Throughout the years, Rap music has always been criticized for having no meaning, and being pointless with lyrics about strippers, money and drugs. I agree that there still is a fare share of that in current music, but its not all mindless lyrics. Macklemore is popular for his song Thrift Shop which I blogged about in the past, and although it has some sick beats, the lyrics aren't exactly "deep". Through Youtube searching I found another one of his songs called "One Love", and expecting another funny dance party song, I was blown away. The song is not short, its about 6 minutes, but its a rap song completely about gay marriage and his support of it. I thought that the lyrics were very well planned out, and were surprisingly insightful and deep while still remaining on beat. So while some rap songs are just a slur of cuss words and stripper poses, I think that more people should take after Macklemore and make music about the real issues in the world.

Paul Simon Graceland

Honestly, after listening to two days of hair metal, pretty much anything was an improvement to my ears. It's not that I didn't like hair metal, because I can't deny that after about a minute I was singing along to "Jump", but its something I feel is better in small doses. But I REALLY liked Paul Simon Graceland. I felt that he really mixed the upcoming hip hop/ poppy era with the old south roots for his music. Also, although it was a little strange to me his changes of tempo and rhyming scheme, I think it made me pay attention and perk up when he would somehow fit 20 million words into one line. I think my favorite song of the album, although I like many, was "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes". I really like how the song was brought in by a spiritual sounding acapella beat from black men. I also really like Paul's voice, because it is very smooth somehow although it is also upbeat. I like how he incorporates the beginning singers back in to form very nice harmonies. My favorite part is how the song then takes a twist and brings the beat a little jazzier, but continues to have the same smooth and silky voice. I really like his incorporation back to the older black men music, because I really enjoyed that era and want to see more of it in newer music.

Justin Timberlake

Although he has been pretty much off the music radar for the past few years, recently Justin Timberlake came out with a new album. I've only heard one song from it, called "Suit and Tie", and honestly that is all I want to hear. I know many people who like Justin Timberlake, but I have never cared for him. I think it might be because of his voice and his obnoxiously poppy lyrics. Everyone always gives Justin Bieber tons of crap for having a high voice, but at least he sings well and uses it to his advantage, but Justin Timberlake has an even higher voice but it is more raspy and he never seems to hit any of the notes that he sings. Also, to me all of his songs seem to blend into a mesh of repetitive verses and nonsense about how cool he is.  I think he is a good actor, and funny on snl, but none of his hollow pumpy songs have ever appealed to me, and I don't think one will ever.

Slick Rick La Di Da Di

Although I saw a fair share of crazy weird music videos, the one that I really liked was the Slick Rick beatboxing La Di Da Di. I don't know why, but beat boxing has always fascinated me because it amazes me the power people have with just their voice. I liked it because it was different not being able to use autotune or computer generated sounds, and just to be able to make tons of different sounds and keep a very upbeat tune the whole time. Another thing that I really liked about what we listened to in general was the record scratching. I think the skills we can do with computers is cool, but something about the art of twisting and turning the records is really cool! I would really like to see a concert or something live or even learn how to do that, because I think it is really interesting and creates a super good and different sound from just plain records.

Spanish Music

Over spring break I went to Spain, and along with the fabulosity delicious food, antique buildings and different cultures, I saw the similarities and differences of the music. Although I knew it was silly, a little bit of me was expecting to see some chacha dancers and old Spanish folk music, but that is not what I heard at all. Of course I did not get the full the experience because I was living and getting the experience of a fellow teenager and not seeing the true cultural music, but it was still very interesting.  Of course they had their own music from popular singers of Spain, but what I thought was really funny is how much American music the youth listened to. On weekends when we went out to the discos and at teen places, over half if not more of the songs that I heard were songs popular in the US maybe 1 or 2 years ago. It was very interesting because for example one of the students had a sister that was singing a song in english but she didnt even speak it. It just shows the power of music

My Travel Music

So I realized today I may or may not have internet access while in Spain, so I'm going to have to wait until after Spring Break to blog about what I heard there. So this time I'm going to blog about what I plan to listen to on the journey. One of my friends has a habit where she always has to sleep with music playing, so she wears headphones every night. I don't know if it helps the pattern of sleeping, but I have never been able to do that. Music is one of the things that I find very hard to have in the back of my mind while other things are going on. I can even mindlessly watch tv when I do my homework, but something about the changing beats and lyrics of music; I can't really multitask with it unless I block it out completely. For this reason, I will probably not listen to too much music on the plane. However the music that I do listen to needs to have a certain vibe and feel. As I am sitting on a plane and not allowed to move, I could not handle an upbeat album. My travel music is similar to my homework music (if I can even do that) which is calm, soft, and even a little on the dull side. This usually brings me to country. By country I don't really mean the honkey tonk sort of deep Texas country, just a little modernized song with a slow melody and relaxing voices. Here are some of the songs I might include for travel.