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“Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.”– Aretha Franklin Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.”– Frank Zappa “Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.”– Paul Simon Music has a way of marking moments in time, even those that don’t seem to be significant. When certain songs are played, they create an almost technicolor nostalgia that brings to mind both good and bad memories. Scents feel like bookmarks in my mind, giving an odd depth and emotional meaning behind moments that would have otherwise felt simple, such as finishing school and going outside to the smell of a field of buttercups, the iris-like scent of the waiting room of the dentist’s office, or the encompassing comfort of my aunt’s perfume. Although they each provide their own flavor of nostalgic recall, music also acts as a bookmark, extracting feelings from me that I felt during both mundane and significant points in my life when I listened to certain songs. One of the best ways that I’ve found to keep track of my music listening isn’t through Spotify (Spotify might tell you how much you’ve listened to a song or band, but it sure isn’t able to tell you how much you love them), but through my bullet journal. What I use:
It’s pretty simple, really. Every season of the year, I make a new playlist with whatever music I want to listen to, whether it be “new” music or songs I’ve heard all my life that just fit my current vibe (sometimes I make more than one per season if I start to get bored with what’s on the playlist). I make a bullet journal (bujo) spread for each month and at the end of the month I go back through my playlist and write down all the songs that hit me the hardest. I make a special section of my monthly spread pages that I always use for this purpose. Here’s a picture of my November list (excuse the handwriting :)). Recording the soundtrack of my life hasn’t just allowed me to be able to see exactly what I was listening to at certain moments of my life, but also my growth as a person in a way that only I can understand. Looking at what I listened to as a Freshman seems so completely removed from what I currently listen to. It's not really because of how different the music actually is, but the fact that part of my feelings about each song are wrapped up in my perception of the world during the time that the song seared itself into my brain.
Recording this each month might seem like such a small thing to do, but for someone like me who has trouble seeing time linearly, organizing my personal history in my head, and recognizing change in myself, it’s an incredibly beautiful way to remind me of what God is doing in my life and how He’s maturing and growing me. God made music to glorify Himself. It was made to touch our hearts so deeply with its perfect beauty that our days are marked with a cognizance, an awareness of the gift of our breathing and consciousness that can so often be dimmed by the pollution of sin and destruction in the world. Music is like a feeling: it’s value doesn’t come from itself, but from why it came about. We shouldn’t glorify music for making us feel alive, but see it as an arrow pointing directly to the One Who can make us alive. And that’s what good music does. Want to know why songwriters should be as excited as this GIF of David Lee Roth? A group of very prolific songwriters banded together to write an open letter which called out artists and the music industry for trying to take an undue amount of publishing credit. Emily Warren, Justin Tranter, Victoria Monet, Ross Golan, and many other songwriters have written hits for many artists including Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, and the Chainsmokers. They joined together to create “The Pact,” the title for the group’s efforts to publicly demand that they be given the compensation they deserve for their songs.
In their the letter, they explain that sometimes an artist or their team may “abuse leverage, use bully tactics and threats, and prey upon writers” to get them to agree on publishing divisions that don’t compensate the writers fairly. They say that many songwriters have had to take second jobs because of this. Here’s to hoping this letter will help change the way songwriters are treated in the industry! I was one of the kids who fell in love with Twenty One Pilots (or TØP, as they are affectionately referred to by many fans) after the release of what would probably be considered their ‘breakout’ single, ‘Stressed Out’. I was sixteen then and the lyrics resonated with me despite the fact that I didn’t have to pay any bills at the time. ‘Stressed Out’ was the lead single off of the group’s fourth album, Blurryface, which was released in 2015 and became the soundtrack for my life in many ways. Singer and songwriter Tyler Joseph started the group with friends Chris Salih and Nick Thomas. Salih and Thomas left the band in 2011, after which Josh Dun joined Joseph as the drummer for Twenty One Pilots. Joseph has an incredibly unique writing style that both blends and bends genres, using them as a vehicle for hard-hitting lyrics that address anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues as well as other topics. The group’s sound uniquely pulls together pop melodies, rock chord changes, rap verses, electronica production, and elements of punk such as screaming and clear, loud drums to create an eerily happy sound on face value that develops into sadness, angst, and growth after listening deeper. This dichotomy of real and fake, pain and happiness, confusion and clarity resonates with many hearers, especially teens and those who deal with mental health issues. The amazing thing about Twenty One Pilots isn’t just Joseph’s ridiculously relatable style of songwriting. It’s also the depth of his work. After I was introduced to the group, I was hooked and looked into all of their older work. Their first and third albums (their second album, ‘Regional At Best’ was self released and discontinued once they were signed to their record label, likely because some of the songs on it were re-recorded and released on Vessel), ‘Twenty One Pilots’ and ‘Vessel,’ respectively are dense collections of rich music, each song melodically distinct and lyrically gut-punching. It’s not often that you can find an artist so good that they consistently produce such good music (or one that starts with a sound that’s softer and more pop-like and grows more edgy). I wasn’t quite as fond of their fifth album, Trench (2018), but that’s a story for another day (it’s a great album, I just don’t find it to be quite as completely perfect as their previous albums). However, their latest release has me very excited for their upcoming album. ‘Scaled and Icy’ will be available on May 21st, 2021. A dragon is used on the album cover as well as throughout the ‘Shy Away’ music video, leaving fans wondering what connections the mythical creatures have to the album’s lyrical imagery. ‘Shy Away’ was released April 7th and when I first heard it I fell in love. It’s an absolute bop that (in true Twenty One Pilots fashion) houses everything that’s good about pop music - a catchy hook and simple melody - without creating an overly-repetitious over-produced monster that loses its meaning and soul. It starts with only drums and a synthesizer and builds into a beat-heavy, deeply synchronized sound by merely adding a bass synthesizer, an accent keyboard melody, and some background vocals. This fresh sound definitely coincides with the way that Joseph describes the album, saying in a BBC Radio 1 interview that it is “more colorful” than their previous works. In addition to the incredibly catchy tune, ‘Shy Away’ boasts lyrics that will particularly resonate with people who have followed Twenty One Pilots for a while. During his BBC Radio 1 interview, Joseph said that the song is advice for his brother, saying that “the only thing tougher than trying to figure out what your own purpose is, is watching someone whom you love trying to figure out their purpose.”
The first part of the chorus says “don’t you shy away, manifest a ceiling when you shy away.” Being fearful or unwilling to take necessary actions and sometimes risks in life ultimately forces you back into your own mind, where you create layers of skin to protect yourself from pain, struggle, and growth. This, in a way, creates a ‘ceiling’ that leads to greater isolation. This is also reflected in the first verse, which says “shed your modesty,” pointing to the walls that have been built up to protect a person. ‘Shy Away’ is also a refreshing take on where Joseph is in his life. His previous albums were full of him sorting through his own mental struggles, where he seemed to be someone who was determined but weary and confused. However, he’s starting this album as a sort of mentor. His growth from album to album has always been intriguing to me, but this one is especially so because of how drastic it seems. I’m sure that there will be some sort of angst on the album somewhere, but I definitely think it’s a good thing for Joseph that he is at a place in his life where he can put some of that down. Twenty One Pilots has been the echo of a generation and they continue to be as they evolve, changing their sounds and growing as people. And that’s what good music does. Brian May has revealed that he and his Queen band mates have been working together to create new music. The band now consists of lead guitarist May, singer Adam Lambert, and drummer Roger Taylor after the deaths of bassist John Deacon and singer Freddie Mercury. Photo from contactmusic.com In an interview with Guitar Player magazine, May was asked about the likelihood of a band reunion. “I always say, 'I don't know.' It would have to be a very spontaneous moment,” May said. May went on to say that the group has “been in the studio trying things out, just because things came up.” The group hasn’t “felt that anything we’ve done has hit the button in the right way,” May said. “So it’s not like we’re closed to the idea, it’s just that it hasn’t happened yet.” May emphasized the increasing difficulty of writing and producing music during recent times due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. “life has now taken a turn in which it's very difficult to explore an avenue like that. Things may change, but I don't think they're going to change very fast.” Last month, May released a song, ‘Panic Attack 2021,’ with his longtime music partner Kerry Ellis. It’s a twist on the single ‘It’s Gonna Be Alright (The Panic Attack Song)’ which the two released in 2017. May explained that the origins of the new single lie in the state of mental health that many are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. May said that “Kerry and I realised that The Panic Attack song now potentially had a whole new meaning to literally millions of people around the world who felt a growing sense of panic.”
In the midst of the pandemic, May has found a bright spot in the way that he can use social media to perform for and interact with fan. "People take up the challenge of jamming along with me and then they put it out there so I can see it,” he said. "It's very interactive. So it's great. “Music is spiritual. The music business is not.” – Van Morrison Though analyzing the beauty of music is the main purpose of this blog, it is important to reflect on the ways in which artists can best put out their work. Even though the music businesses often viewed as a detriment to the art of music, it is, in many ways, a necessary evil, especially if an artist wants to have a level of freedom from having to do other work to support themselves while they make their art. SoundCloud is well known for providing a platform for multiple artists before they found fame. Artists such as Billie Eilish, Tyler the Creator, Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chance the Rapper all had their starts on the platform. In an effort to help more creators, SoundCloud has a new artist acceleration program. It’s a part of their ‘First on SoundCloud’ campaign that began in 2018. The nine artists on the 2021 roster are Kid Quill, Lourdes, Ella Minus, Otis Kane, Payday, Pa Salieu, Sofia Mills, Charmaine, and SoFaygo. SoundCloud says that, through the program, they will be working “closely with artists to produce memorable, authentic, career-making moments, culminating in an original collaborative project.” Each artist will receive introductory profiles, originally produced content, a feature on the playlist “First on SoundCloud,” and “a live event bringing together First on SoundCloud artists and the SoundCloud community to celebrate their music and creative journey.” (Photo of SoundCloud Logo, from https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/soundcloud-is-about-to-revolutionize-streaming-payouts-launching-user-centric-royalties-for-100000-indie-artists/) The program is part of SoundCloud’s continuing effort to become more user friendly and hone its image as a premier platform for new artists. At the beginning of March, they announced that they’ll be changing the way that royalties are distributed to artists. The subscription fee from each user will be divided amongst the artists that they listen to rather than royalties being given to artists based on the percentage of overall listens they receive.
Their efforts to make themselves more accessible and necessary as a music publishing platform among indie artists are commendable to say the least. The possibilities for many artists have opened up through the platform. However, it also raises the question of how effective using the service for music promotion is now. With 25 million creators using the platform, it may be more difficult to get noticed. Even with all of the improvements to SoundCloud’s business model, artists in the modern age still have to market themselves well through social media and others. However, good music is the best form of marketing. Having a good song that cuts through the coldness of the business will, at the end of the day, be what it is all about. In the end, the heart of music isn’t something that can be fabricated by business: it’s about creating a raw emotional connection with others. And that’s what good music does. “You ready? Write this down… music.” Taylor Tankersley both seriously and sarcastically responded over the phone, laughing at himself. He and his sister Anna (my cousins 😁) are the two members of the band Fox and Arrows (who are occasionally joined by their younger brother Ben). I had just asked them what musicians they would describe as their most formative influences. (Taylor, Anna, and Ben Tankersley: Picture by Anna Tankersley) They went on to name artists such as Beethoven, FLOR, Jack White, One Direction, and Fleetwood Mac, as both former and current inspirations. “We grew up in ‘50s [music], and we ended in… deep, deep indie stuff,” Taylor said. Their dad and aunt also had major influence on their exposure to so many different genres of music. Of their dad, Anna said that, when they were driving, “he’d try and cram seven CDs in the trip home.” Their Aunt Sarah “would send us CDs… we each had our own,” said Taylor. Because their world was saturated with so much music from many different artists and genres, Anna says that they would “just start catching on to how genres work, how writing works.” Taylor and Anna are siblings who have a penchant for writing music together. Now in their mid-twenties, the duo has been writing music together since their teenage years when they would put together simple songs on the iOS app, GarageBand. Their group name, which was originally the Tanks, changed when their younger brother Ben suggested the name Fox and Arrows, a reference to the arrow tattoos that both Taylor and Anna have as well as his own fox tattoo. When asked what three words best describe their songwriting, they chose nostalgic, relatable, and storytelling. They describe their sound as a variation of Indie pop. Anna tends to lean towards pop music while Taylor does the same with rock music. This blend of musical flavors results in laid back, gentle melodies with elements of grit that combine to create an authentic sense of nostalgia. “Astronauts,” their latest single, is a perfect example of this. Describing the song, Anna says that “It’s about our relationship and how close we are… we’re still kids.” “Astronauts” captures a sense of child-like ease and playfulness, communicating a kind of clandestine relationship between the three siblings. It points to the idea that their world and joy is separate from the rest of the world, which is reflected by lines such as “three friends in a silent crowd, can’t hold back ‘cause you’re laughing out loud” and “catching stares, but we don’t care.” The reality of this relationship was apparent as I interviewed them, even though I could only hear their voices. They constantly laughed with each other and made jokes about themselves, refusing to take themselves too seriously. When they sit down to write music, they prefer to have a calm atmosphere. “I’m usually laying on the couch with my guitar,” Taylor says. They keep working at a song until it appears. Anna usually finds the melody, and then they work from there, creating background chords, a beat, and then lyrics. They bounce phrases off each other until they get the song to where they want it to be. Because they’re so close, their writing process is very organic. Taylor said of writing “Astronauts” that they both knew exactly which direction they wanted to take it. They already know each other’s thoughts so well, Taylor said, that he didn’t “really have to really expand too much on an idea, and she doesn’t have to either because we kind of understand it.” The duo are quite the perfectionists and have plenty of tracks in their back pocket that they hope to release one day when they have the time and ability to make professional recordings of them. When asked at what point they see a record as ready to be released, Anna laughed and said that they just “don’t want to put anything out that would embarrass me.” That patient deliberation to refine their work is something that can be clearly seen in the “Astronauts” production process. It was written in 2018 and not released until 2021, when they had been able to record it professionally and work with producers, so that “it wasn’t just us putting it out there,” Taylor said. Their passion to make music is driven by their love of sounds – all kinds of sounds from those found in pop and reggae to rock and new ones they find themselves. Listening to lots of different music growing up taught them how to do what they love doing today. Taylor said, of consistently hearing different song and genre structures, that “overtime, it just gets so ingrained in your head.” The songs they listened to were not just for enjoyment, but opened up new avenues to them and taught them, giving them the tools to create music themselves. And that’s what good music does. Being creative is something anyone can do, but directing that creativity in a way that makes a tangible thing takes study, practice, and guts. Pablo Picasso once said that you have to “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” One of the best ways for someone to better their craft is to emulate those who have gone before them. The same applies to good songwriting. Copying the methods of others can allow someone to learn a structure through which they can tap into their own creative voice. Here are ten songs from across multiple genres that I think are great examples of what any songwriter would want to emulate. I tried to include various song structures and styles as well as different types of lyrical perspective and complexity. There are SO many songs that could be included on this list, though – if there’s any you wish would have been included, leave it in the comments below! Note: In no way is this a ranking of any sort! Each song is simply one that is particularly well written and is also easy to learn from. :) 1. Light Of A Clear Blue Morning - Dolly PartonDolly Parton wrote this song at a low point in her life as she struggled to leave the Porter Wagoner show and pursue her solo career. Her pain, exhaustion, and hope shine through not only the lyrics, but in the structure and build of the song. It has a typical song structure (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-music fill-chorus), but Parton uses it so masterfully that it doesn’t feel derived in any way. One of the beauties of this song is the way that it continues to build in energy and hope even when it seems like it’s already reached its peak. The melody starts quietly, creating an angsty and exhausted tone which is broken by the first triumphant chorus. The second verse goes back to contemplation of identity after struggle, and once identity is found, instead of reverting back to the triumphant chorus, the beat is entirely switched and it becomes a joyful dance. Parton’s genius is in chronicling the actual emotions that one feels at the end of such a struggle. It takes the listener on a journey. Rather than dwell to much on one moment, she depicts movement, life, and growth. 2. It Gets Better - Rex Orange CountyRex Orange County is well known for writing insightful lyrics and unique melodies. “It Gets Better” one of my favorite songs by him due to its contagious energy and combination of unusual switches and chord changes. It starts with a standard ROC verse which includes a beautifully placed chord change at the end, which shifts the song from a major to a minor key. The full structure goes something like this: verse-chorus-post chorus-verse-chorus-funky bridge-chorus. The bridge is almost unstructured, removing the beat and moving to a distinctly different melody from the rest of the song that has an almost jazz-like uniqueness. This gives the song an almost conversational feeling as the writer explains that the song is for his significant other and describes what she means to him. The colorful structure and incredibly joyful feelings that this song derives from its listeners makes it a particularly interesting one to delve into. 3. Sweet Jane - The Velvet UndergroundLou Reed’s clear, monotone voice provided the perfect dichotomy to the heavy guitar hook underlying “Sweet Jane.” It was written in a simple structure, with the verses and choruses alternating until the outro. Reed’s lyrics described the plight and simple life of average people who struggle to make ends meet from the perspective of a rock’n’roller who struggles to make it big. While Reed tends to prefer ambiguity in the interpretation of his songs, it could be argued that the chorus (“Sweet Jane” repeated three times), which drives the song to its emotionally high apex, is meant to show that despite the struggles they have, Jack (one of the characters) still has his “sweet Jane.” 4. Wouldn’t It Be Nice - The Beach Boys“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” opened the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds with a blast of serotonin. The whole album is an almost manic delight in the world and an expression of child-like wonder and simplicity, which is heightened by the Beach Boys’ signature harmonies. The youthful excitement of this song resonated with people of all ages. Brian Wilson’s expert songwriting not only told listeners about someone who felt this kind of love, but made them feel that way as well. The song structure is very different than most that are commonly used nowadays. It starts with a chorus, moves to a short refrain (which changes to a minor key, grounding the happiness with a sense of reality), chorus, refrain, bridge, chorus, refrain, and chorus/outro. Wilson uses minor keys sparingly but with specific purpose to keep the youthful perspective of the song realistic and communicable to his audience. 5. The Rain Song - Led ZeppelinYou know those songs where you just sit there the whole time, stunned and unable to say a thing because it’s too beautiful? This is one of them. This live version captures everything that makes this song so good - the songwriting is pure magic. It doesn’t rely on production, but on the ambiance of the melodies created by Plant’s vocals and Page’s guitar. The lyrics are classic poetry reminiscent of Tolkien, who had major influence on their writing (see the reference to Gollum and Mordor in “Ramble On”). They reflect a simpler time when nature was an inseparable part of everyday life. However, the lyrics are far from the main character of this song; there is only one verse in almost the whole first four minutes of it. In true Zeppelin form, the song has a very complicated structure, which looks something like this: (guitar melody=gm, guitar chorus=gc) gm-verse-gc-gm-gm-gc-gm-gc-verse-gc-bridge-verse-gc-outro. If it isn’t already apparent by the overwhelmingly instrumental song structure, there are two vocalists: Plant and Page’s guitar. Each tells its own story and harmoniously engages with the other, creating a tranquil, almost euphoric escape from everyday life. 6. Cupid - Sam Cooke“Cupid” is a great example of a simple song structure that was masterfully used to create a dynamic tune. Sam Cooke began the song with the chorus, a structure that became commonly used in pop music at the time. The structure is a basic repetition of chorus and verse, placing extra emphasis on the melody of the chorus. The verses act as an explanation of why Cupid is so important to the singer and provides a change from the chorus, while still standing in the background of the song. I particularly love this live version because it shows how Cooke brought this song to life. Having written the song himself, which was not very common at the time, he is truly able to sing from the heart while still having the ease to interact with the audience, bringing them into his story. 7. Breakaway - Lennon StellaLennon Stella is an up-and-coming artist who is just now somewhat getting the laud she deserves. “Breakaway” is written in a very heartfelt way and prismatically displays the range of emotions and perspectives one experiences during family trauma. Stella wrote the song in response to her parents divorce when she was 19. The structure of this song is similar to many used in pop music today: verse-pre-chorus- chorus-post chorus. Stella mastered the shift between each part of the song, adding harmonies, removing beats, and changing chords to emphasize various words and emotions. 8. Isn’t She Lovely - Stevie WonderStevie Wonder is known for writing songs that are undeniably soulful and groovy. “Isn’t She Lovely” was written about Wonder’s daughter Aisha and expresses the joy and wonder of a first time father through its upbeat melody and grateful lyrics. It has a very unique song structure, being made up entirely of verses, which I would label as choruses, due to the repeated refrain of the song’s name. The only break is for the harmonica solo. This song is a testament to how powerful a hook can be. The single melody of the chorus never feels overdone because it is so well written and performed. 9. America - Simon and GarfunkelPaul Simon is undeniably one of the greatest lyricists in history. “America” captures the longing anticipation for the American dream and at the same time expresses a feeling steeped in a hesitant strain of concern over its existence, at least in the way that the narrator believes it to be. It was written at a time when many were questioning patriotism and what it truly meant to be an American. Simon and Garfunkel’s harmonies highlighted the fine line between hope and sorrow that many were feeling. The lyric in the bridge “She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy; I said, ‘Be careful, his bow tie is really a camera’” reflects the playful nature with which the culture had taken to coping with the Cold War. Simon’s lyrics are pure poetic storytelling; he pulls from the emotion of the words to create the melodic flow of the song. Doing this takes the listener along with him as he builds all the elements of the song together to communicate and incite in others the feelings he felt when writing the song. 10. Every Beatles SongNot to be cliche, but it was so impossible for me to choose a single Beatles tune to put on this list, that I thought I’d add them all. The Beatles’ music is probably the best one-stop study of music there is. Their music is not only written unexplainably well, but in such a ridiculous variety of ways, crossing different genres and testing different structures that listening to them not only helps you to understand their music, but music as a whole.
And that’s what good music does.
Five. Sitting in the back of an old minivan, carsick, excited, and exhausted from the nine-hour drive to visit my grandparents in Tennessee, but still singing Don’t Bring Me Down by ELO at the top of my lungs. Ten. Driving out of the Walmart parking lot at night and seeing colors as my dad played Here, There, and Everywhere by the Beatles on the CD player rigged to the car. Fifteen. Clothed in black skinny jeans and flannel with my earbuds in, blasting Trouble by Coldplay and I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself by the White Stripes as I researched the merits of various domestic policy options for my debate club. Twenty-one. My iced coffee in one hand while the other gripped the steering wheel, the windows down, and the spring sun warmly glinting through the trees. My sister and I drove around to get out of the house after the COVID-19 quarantine had begun, singing loudly to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac and jamming to The Ocean by Led Zeppelin. I love music. I grew up surrounded by some of the best tunes, thanks to my family. Echos of these songs played in my mind over and over days after I had heard them. I would sing along to them and, eventually, figure out the melodies on piano. Inspired by the power of music to change people’s perspectives, share the human experience, and create impossibly colorful feelings, I started to write my own music when I was about nine. It was bad. Really bad. Let’s just say that, if I ever release an album, a bop called Karate Man will never appear on it. I’m someone who knows some fantastic music, but doesn’t know enough, and wishes I could know it all. An impossible feat, I know. I mean, I can’t even listen to an entire album I’ve never heard before at one time because it stresses me out. Trying to hear, understand, and evaluate all the amazing music out there is almost like being caught beneath a landslide. However, as expressed by the Oasis song after which I cheesily named this blog, it seems like an incredible landslide to be caught under. Join me as I sort through the landslide and find great new music, connections between fantastic songs, the history behind some of the best songs and songwriters, and try to better understand what good songwriting is all about. This might be an Icarus situation (Alexa, play Here Comes the Sun). If so, you will all be witness to my slow, melting descent into madness. But if not, you just might be able to share in my joy as I seek to better understand the beauty of music. :) - MT |
AuthorHi y’all! I’m Morganne: a college student living life in the South. I love listening to, creating, and analyzing music from many genres and across all time periods. ArchivesCategories |