Listening Tools: Understanding Musical Perfection

For those that read my piece on Vinyl Theatre earlier this week, this will be a well-timed extension of that tangent.

Music today serves a completely different purpose than it used to. For thousands of years, music solely existed as a form of performance. Within the last 100 years, we have seen that shift to the combination of live performance and produced recordings. Whether we are referring to Thomas Edison’s phonograph or the compact disc, the changes came with a lot of opposition from musicians. In fact, some musicians tried to boycott Edison’s phonograph because they believed it would completely replace performance.

Even if they were wrong there, it wasn’t completely farfetched considering what recordings represent today. Whereas recordings used to be optimized to capture the beauty of live performance, they are now used to perfect those live shows often beyond what they could ever be.

Some artists such as Dave Grohl and Jack White have openly opposed this trend towards unrealistic perfection, claiming that the mistakes and impurities within recordings are what make them music. As humans, are we meant to be perfect?

No, and neither is our art.

The problem is that not many artists accept this. The obsession over the perfectly mixed, three-minute, radio-friendly single has somewhat overtaken artists’ willingness to be bold. One note that is barely off time, one vocal take that isn’t perfect, and it is nixed automatically. Artists have this inherent fear that, if they don’t match up to the preciseness of the music around them, their music will be disregarded.

The imperfections make it beautiful. In the end, this movement towards perfection only proves for disappointment in live shows. The pressure to match up to the expectations of recordings is higher than ever, and I’ve seen far too many concerts when I think that they just can’t do it. What’s the point in faking it?  So many artists choose to stretch themselves too thin by trying to be exactly like their produced works, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. They do this rather than providing something beautiful that would be lucky to be captured in recorded form.

There is a way to responsibly advance our musical capabilities with technology while still holding on to what makes it a human art form. I’m a recording major. I am immensely fascinated by the art of production and the possibilities that lie in front of us today. Through all of this, I can’t help but step back and think, when is it going to sound too perfect? Will people notice, or just expect more?

Next time you go see a live show, pay attention to how closely they are able to live up to their recordings. Maybe they don’t sound like them at all. Maybe it’s a perfect copy. Maybe they disappoint you beyond belief because they simply aren’t what you thought they were. Excluding extreme examples, I really only feel this strongly when artists can’t match up to what they portray themselves as.

I implore us all to stop this unnecessary need for perfection within our music. Demand the imperfections, because after all, it is what makes us human.

-Matt

Review: Strand of Oaks @ The Hi Fi 1/21

Indiana-native quartet Strand of Oaks infiltrated the Hi Fi in Indianapolis Wednesday. Bully, a grunge/punk band from Nashville, accompanied them on the surprisingly warm Midwest winter night.

A cozy venue in Fountain Square, the Hi Fi caps at 195 music-lovers. Tom drums and old cymbals hung from the ceiling as adapted lampshades and instrument cases from the two bands were scattered in whatever odd space they could fit in. Formally known as the Do317 Lounge, the unique bar boasts plenty of local craft beer and old concert posters to compliment the already comfortable atmosphere of the space.

The demographic of the crowd was older than what I expected, with styles ranging from total hipster to “cool dad” to an exact doppelganger of my Chilean host brother. Yeah, it was a bit odd. Just like one of the stickers plastered on the wall, I guess it was a further attempt to “Make Indy Weird” in a midwestern adaption of the Portland city motto.

Bully started off the night with a plethora of simple, yet catchy grunge tracks. The instrumentals gave off resemblances of Nirvana and the Strokes at times, but their country influences slightly remained.  As off-putting as it was at first, it’s probably impossible to avoid in a city like Nashville.

While listening to lead vocalist Alicia Bognanno, I couldn’t resist thinking about Cassandra from Wayne’s World.  There was some sort of harshness about her that just made me want to yell “THAT CHICK CAN WAIL!” and dance like Garth.  I opted not to considering I was alone at the concert.  With that brutality came an odd amount of calmness that inhibited the crowd to watch her closely and try to figure her out.

Aside from her memorable vocal range and the upbeat musical tempo, I was not all that impressed. Maybe it’s just not my style. While I didn’t think they were outstanding, they did do a good enough job of setting the tone for the night, which I was grateful for.

Then, after a surprisingly long break for a small venue, Strand of Oaks came on stage with a roar of applause and cowbells ringing for their homecoming. Yes, people brought cowbells…classic.

Recently included on the lineup for Bonnaroo and Govornor’s Ball music festivals, they captivated and satisfied the fans with mixed moments of hard rock and folk. We heard shredding guitar solos, borderline-80s keyboard lines, emotional ballads, and vocal harmonies that would hold their own against most folk groups.

It was refreshing to hear such a mixture of influences all at once. It got me to thinking that, although I may not truly understand it yet, there may be some sort of unappreciated musical bridge between indie and folk/country that is provided by Indiana bands. Is it my favorite? Not yet, but it’s something I’d love to explore more.

The crowd was flooded with Hoosier pride with the early performance of “Goshen ’97,” an evident sign that this performance meant a lot to the band as well as the many friends and family members in the crowd.  While many of the songs were from the most recent album Heal, they were sure to also throw in some older songs to show how they’ve grown over the years.

Vocalist Timothy Showalter, a burley man with surprising emotional depth and sensitivity, reminded me of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James for much of the night. He controlled the crowd much more than the band’s current success would suggest and was able to vocalize a combination of internal battles and life experiences that somehow felt mutual with everyone in the room.

Overall, Strand of Oaks understand the level of professionalism and interactivity necessary to make it as live performers. Whether it’s connecting to the audience or fluently transitioning between songs, these guys get it. From what was clearly an emotional night for everyone involved, they exceeded my expectations and provided a truly enjoyable experience.

If you are going to Bonnaroo or Governor’s Ball…SEE THEM!

-Matt

The Sounds Of American Horror Story

Music choice can make or break cinematic value these days. It helps the viewer know what to feel, how to perceive a situation or others, and, in simple terms, expedite the process in which we experience real life situations as to fit many of them into a short period of time. To me, this could be most important in television series because of the prolonged time investment that comes with TV.

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American Horror Story has defined itself as one of the most captivating, grotesque, odd shows out there today, and the music is a huge factor in that. I’m not only referring to the freak show performances that seemed to come every episode for a while this season, but all of the choices down to simple sound effects and the unconventional theme music.

In order to match something like AHS, you usually need something to build tension. That comes in the form of dissonant chords, chromatic scales, and overall anything that can effectively communicate the creepiness and uncomfortable nature of many of the scenes. The environment is a bit easier to match this season, as there is a specific genre of music that is associated with freak shows, where there really isn’t one for an insane asylum.

Whether the music is selected to back up a spoiled, yet neglected psychotic rich boy, a two headed woman, or any of the “freaks” portrayed in the show, they seem to know how to get it right.

Used in a scene with Dot & Bette, the two headed woman:

The background music for Edward Mordrake scenes:

The show’s soundtrack is characterized by a healthy mix of those selections and whimsical 50s and 60s music to match the time period of the show, including pieces by Bill Compton, Peter Sivo Band, and Doye O’Dell. While these are a bit less unnerving than some of the other selections, they are almost always used in irony or followed by some sort of horrifying violence.

For viewers of the show, I obsessively searched for the solo piano track that was used during “Ima Wiggles” or Chrissy Metz’s first scene when Elsa found her. Watch “Blood Bath” to see why this song in particular supports my claims about the music that puts this program on the next level.

Next time you curl up to watch a bit of AHS, pay particular attention to the music selection.  Hopefully it will give a bit more meaning to everything you watch in the show and maybe even make you analyze the production more.

Long live Twisty,

Matt

Review: ∆ @ Egyptian Room 11/30

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As if I haven’t written enough about Alt-J’s recent doings lately with an album preview and album review, I was lucky enough to see them kick off their much anticipated tour in Indianapolis last night.

Fellow Atlantic Records artist and Tennessee native Meg Myers opened up on the rainy night in Indy, playing bass and singing lead vocals.  She was backed up by a drummer, a guitarist who really digs Fender Jaguars, and an electric cello player that might as well not have been there with the house mix the way it was.  For quick reference, just imagine Nirvana and Beach House style guitar lines, indie drums, a female rock diva, and electric orchestral strings all on one stage.

With such lyrics as “you can’t hold me down boy” and “I wanna feel you in my bones,” Myers represented a female version of the sexual, confident front man that defined rock n’ roll, with just enough indie to make it relevant to today’s listeners.  The high energy contrasted a bit with the music that followed, but it was an above average opening performance.
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∆ did not disappoint.  Dressed in all black with body language as mysterious and obscure as their music, they captivated the crowd with minimal showmanship.  They brought forth a balanced mix of songs from their two full-length albums, kicking off the show with “Hunger of the Pine” and “Fitzpleasure” while ending with “Breezeblocks” and a few new songs for the encore.  They played both parts of “Bloodflood” in a row, which were split between the two records, and even included their a cappella “Interlude 1” from An Awesome Wave.

Though Joe Newman’s voice wasn’t completely there, I couldn’t help but watch the drummer and piano player for a large portion of the show.  They presented their music with such poise and seamlessly performed complex rhythmic lines like they were nothing.  The backup vocals of Gus Unger-Hamilton were strong and tight, just like the recordings.  Perhaps he acts as the support for Newman when his seemingly fragile voice isn’t as strong as the recordings suggest, which works with his incredibly full tone and low range.

But really, who would ever expect those two voices would blend as well as they do?  It’s fantastically addicting.

They are one of the few groups I’ve ever seen that, production and live performances alike, put significantly less emphasis on the vocals and more on the instruments and the accompanying emotions that ensue from them.  In other words, it doesn’t matter that you can’t understand what Newman is saying half the time because it is the experience and the melodies that matter more.

That being said, this is not your run of the mill performance.  It takes preparation and open mindedness to truly get it.  I often think that, if I were to see these Brits open up for another artist without knowing who they are, I might not be very impressed.  They are one of those artists that require an adaption period to truly appreciate and understand, which differs from rock groups such as Muse or Foo Fighters where you can get into it with the first listen.

What may seem minimalist and repetitive actually represents a deeper understanding of how we cognitively perceive music, and
Alt-J understands that through their veil of obscurity.

Much like the listening experience of Sigur Ros and Beach House, the artists are but pawns to expel the sonic pleasure for us to enjoy, making their own bodies an irrelevant visual aspect that would only distract from the complexity and clever inter workings of the instruments.

Make any sense?  Maybe not, but this is how their music makes you think.  They may not have the boastful guitar licks or loud vocals that I lean towards, but they give me something that makes me come back to them again and again, and that’s valuable.

This is a MUST SEE tour, don’t let it pass you by.

-Matt