I have always wondered why, when there is so much powerful and artistically driven music in the world, are we left with the pop music we have? No one I talk to listens to top 40, but there continues to be over-saturated music that is shoved down listener’s throats. I am by no means denouncing all popular music or trying to attack certain genres of music. Everything under the sun can be held up to a particular light and shine with some merit . I have just always found it strange that while everyone I know listens to music, no one listens to the top 40. Do children have that much say in what becomes “popular music?” Are the big wigs that poor at learning the demographics of their industry, or am I the crazy one?
Well an interesting development happened to me the other day. I stumbled upon some pretty spectacular music (which isn’t really out of the ordinary at all) and the funny thing was that these were all cover songs by “top 40” artists. The kind of music that just has no connection to the real artistic community of music and is more of what I like to call “corporate-pop/hop” than actual pop music. When I listened to these covers, it brought a whole new light to the melody and the lyrics. It got me wondering: are these artists really not artistic or have we just lost the ability to produce music now that we can do it so cheaply with computers? Was the real magic behind the artists that controlled the charts 25-40 years ago the fact that real musicians had to come into the studios and lay down tracks for the album? Were the producers just that much more vital to the process? Is Quincy Jones just that good? Probably.
Check out a couple videos that I found that completely redefined their originals.
There is just something about the way this music is recaptured with an honest sound instead of a couple poor synth riffs and a drum machine. Maybe there is some hope for the music community, even if the world of popular music is continuing to head in the wrong direction.
Cool video Thursday! Camera2, a Brooklyn-based electronic-Indie collaboration, released their first album in 2012 and embarked on a project to film a video for each song – a rather daunting task. The videos all center around a precocious nine-year-old boy, who, in “Just About Made It” (above), puts on his kleptomaniac hat and leads a foot-chase all culminating in…what, you thought I’d tell you before you watched the video?
Let’s give some credit to the song, as well. It’s a percussion-driven, electro-driven piece with a hybrid 80s sound. Camera2 combines these elements with multifarious instrumentation that drench the track with pleasant sound. And make sure to stick around to the end not only because of the video’s conclusion but also the creative transformation of the song.
Camera2 is Producer-songwriter-vocalist – Andy Chase (Tahiti 80/Juliana Hatfield/Smashing Pumpkins), Guitarist – Michael Jurin (Stellastarr), Bassist – Aric Gillis (Teenage Kick) and Drummer – Mike Williams (Teddybears).
“Just About Made It” is the first single from Camera2’s debut EP, and the creative video was directed by Josh Stoddard.
Check out more from Camera2 at their website, and connect with them at Facebook and Twitter
Whenever I first hear a band that does not conform to the bromidic classifications of a normal rock genre, I immediately explore some category to place the band in, although such a fastidious task is often misguided. Not all bands fit any category though. Such is the case for Boston-based Art Decade, the spawn of the Berklee School of Music mixed with pop overtones.
Art Decade is different, and I like change. Different, though, is only one part of new, exciting music. The tunes need to be good. Fortunately, Art Decade has this covered. On my first listen through their debut album, Western Sunrise, I was immediately shocked by the maturity and complexity of the compositions, but this confusion was satisfied when I observed the talent producing the music (more on this later).
Art Decade is to the 21st century what Electric Light Orchestra/Queen was to the Classic Rock genre. ELO and Queen were some of the pioneers of Symphonic Rock bands of the 1970s. This sub-genre evolved from the Progressive Rock movement (encompassing such bands at the Moody Blues and Emerson Lake & Palmer). Symphonic rock, though, took the sound of Prog/Rock and focused attention to modeling classical compositions and instrumentation and musical complexity. ELO, led by the venerable Jeff Lynne, took this concept and added pop melodies. Thus, the music was intelligent and accessible. Queen also emerged from Prog/Rock and added its own flavor on Symphonic Rock.
Flash forward to the late 20th century and early 21st century, and power/pop bands like Fun, Muse, Guided By Voices, Fountains of Wayne, and Keane bathe listeners with a wall of pop rhythms. Fun, specifically, focuses on creating a world of theatrical pop, an ode to the upbeat sounds of ELO and Queen.
Art Decade has combined Symphonic Rock and Power Pop into an amalgamated super genre of Classical Rock/Pop, which, although some may label it as Indie, is far more compound. The music is multifaceted and intelligent. It is effervescent and enjoyable. It has elements of hard rock, classical music, pop, and a whole lot more pushed into tracks, like a clown car of material – 15 clowns get out and you are wondering how the band fit so many elements into their music. And its clean. It is so tight and well manufactured. It is skillful.
It also makes sense considering that Art Decade’s guitarist/vocalist/arranger Ben Talmi grew up on a diet of classical music and attended Berklee School of Music.
“A strong musical education can do many things to a musician, oftentimes people become jaded with their acquired musical knowledge, becoming frustrated with the state of popular music and its general lack of musical depth,” said Talmi in a press release for Art Decade’s debut release. “Others are unable to escape the education and end up producing very indulgent and selfish music. I truly hope to take what I have learned and apply it in a very mature way.”
“Western Sunrise” is a multifarious piece that implements several classical elements into waves of remarkable instrumentation and mellifluous sounds culminating in a repeated diapason; all wrapped up neatly by a powerful vocal and music video that plays with the ocean motif and a colorful, pointillism-like construction. Oh, and it’s accessible for all ears. The song features so many elements that at some points I think I am listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and at other points I think I am listening to Keane. The music oscillates with such precision. I must credit the entire band for this magical composition.
Here is the Pt. 2 of “Western Sunrise,” another sprawling symphonic piece that flows with creative strings, vocals, piano, and other instrumentation. In some ways I am reminded a bit of Paul McCartney’s work with Wings.
I am excited to hear more from Art Decade, a band that I’m sure you all will be hearing more about in the future.
All the great things of the world must come to a close. It is difficult to watch a band you love move on to other things, but you must let them go, like when you let your children go off to school for the first time. Their music will always be there to listen to and surely there will be new music for them to create in the future, after all, they built themselves out of the ashes of At The Drive-In. No one ever imagined this group would do anything in the first place; I remember having tickets to go see them when they first came on the scene and Flea was filling in on bass for their early shows. I let the $10 tickets burn a hole in my pocket because the weather was crummy that night and I couldn’t imagine I was missing much I was wrong.
The Mars Volta is such a unique blend of genres, and they had such a vibrantly aggressive yet very organic sound. Every album they released was such a different experience and you never knew what you were going to get. Even when they changed drummers, guitarists, or other members, the results were always excellent. They have been musical innovators during the past decade and while their commercial success (strong for their arena) was nothing sublime, they are one of the most daring and creative acts of the 2000’s and will be missed in the rock scene. RIP.
Austin Texas is the (self-proclaimed) “Live Music Capital of the World.” Debatable or not, it is a city that is bursting at the seams with music every night of the week. No matter what part of town you’re wandering through, you’re destined to find a great band you’re never heard of playing for free and bringing 100%. It gets overwhelming at times because you don’t know where to start and you never want to stop adventuring because the night is always young and the party is never on hold. I’m going to help you cut to the chase.
If you’re lucky enough, you can catch the Bright Light Social Hour when they’re resting in their hometown here in Austin. Their music features a fresh, danceable rock sound with catchy lyrics and a helluva attitude. Their entire debut release (Bright Light Social Hour) is a party in a CD. Not one song slows down or lets you escape the ride. The best part is that they’re even better when you see them live. The first time I got to go to one of their concerts I hadn’t even heard most of their songs yet and I was singing along and jumping around the entire time. If you’re brave enough to give their sound a chance you’ll wind up with the same addiction I have. Best of Luck.
The Music Court 