This is where I will be putting brief comments and reviews
of music and music videos from the alternative music genres that I listen to. I
will update this section of my blog henceforth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asucnxxX83w
Sharon Van Etten
I hadn't heard any of her music before 2013. Sharon Van Etten writes consistently strong songs, both musically and lyrically. She has an unusually broad vocal range and a distinctive and engaging vocal style. Cat Power is one obvious influence. All of which sounds dry, boring, and not very informative. For what it is worth I think she is one of the very best female singer song writers in the world today.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asucnxxX83w
Lou Reed
So many great songs
and lyrics from the recently departed and sadly missed Lou Reed, but one of my
favourite lines, that I repeatedly quote to my students, essentially says that "you'll
never create anything if you're frightened of being called a fool" (from
Reed and Cale, Songs for Drella).
Lady Lamb The Beekeeper
An album I've been
listening to a lot lately is by Lady Lamb The Beekeeper and is called
'Ripely Pine'. Lady Lamb (Aly Spaltro) doesn't have a unique and instantly
recognisable vocal style like Bjork, Cat Power, Sharon Van Etten, or PJ Harvey, although she sings with passion and power. Her
real strength is the quality of her song writing which is, for one so young,
amazing. Most songs on the album range from 5 to 7 minutes in length and each
takes you on an interesting and thought provoking lyrical and musical journey
that is full of surprising twists, turns and apparent dead ends that suddenly
open up into clearings with lush melodies. Five stars.
One of the joys of
life is discovering new musical artists that you haven't heard before. Given
how male dominated the corporate music industry is, and how entrenched gender
inequality is within advanced capitalist societies, it's wonderful that there
are so many great emerging female singer song writers doing amazing things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf7Ve4ZQuYs
Post script. I really love her song 'Bird Ballons'. It is more like an extended composition, a song cycle than a single song, in which she expresses anger and tenderness at different points. It has made me aware of how transgressive it is for a female song writer to express anger musically, whereas we take it forgranted that this is acceptable and normal for male musical artists, including when they express anger towards women. There is plenty of scope for feminist critique of popular musical culture in this regard (suggestions for references welcome).
Post script. I really love her song 'Bird Ballons'. It is more like an extended composition, a song cycle than a single song, in which she expresses anger and tenderness at different points. It has made me aware of how transgressive it is for a female song writer to express anger musically, whereas we take it forgranted that this is acceptable and normal for male musical artists, including when they express anger towards women. There is plenty of scope for feminist critique of popular musical culture in this regard (suggestions for references welcome).
Okkervil River- No Key, No Plan
This song is from an
outfit from Austin, Texas. I've really liked everyone I've meet from that
particular city, so apart from it's being the alleged 'live music capital of
the US', it's a city I'm looking forward to visiting some day. By the way, one
of my all time favourite socialist tee-shirts reads: 'Texas Socialist'. V.
cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CunYi_fThSE
Pavement
Pavement, 'Here'. Opening lyrics read: 'I was dressed for success, and success it never comes. And I'm the only one who laughs at your jokes when they are so bad, and your jokes are always bad. But they are not as bad as this.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DRBYrYj144
Fly My Pretties
One of the things that I love most about living on these storm swept islands surrounded by lots of water, is the quality of the alternative music that is created and performed here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4imchwNegM
The Brunettes
This is a NZ band that I've been kinda prejudiced against on the grounds that their music is just way too contrived and consciously clever, but when I listened to this song and watched the quirky video that goes with it, I realised I needed to be a bit more open-minded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXS8Jq9K_g
For other New Zealand alternative music videos go to:
http://briansroper.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/pols-102-new-zealand-politics-videos.html
For alternative music videos from the rest of the world go to:
http://briansroper.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/pols- 208-democracy-video-screenings.html
Pavement
Pavement, 'Here'. Opening lyrics read: 'I was dressed for success, and success it never comes. And I'm the only one who laughs at your jokes when they are so bad, and your jokes are always bad. But they are not as bad as this.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DRBYrYj144
Fly My Pretties
One of the things that I love most about living on these storm swept islands surrounded by lots of water, is the quality of the alternative music that is created and performed here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4imchwNegM
The Brunettes
This is a NZ band that I've been kinda prejudiced against on the grounds that their music is just way too contrived and consciously clever, but when I listened to this song and watched the quirky video that goes with it, I realised I needed to be a bit more open-minded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXS8Jq9K_g
For other New Zealand alternative music videos go to:
http://briansroper.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/pols-102-new-zealand-politics-videos.html
For alternative music videos from the rest of the world go to:
http://briansroper.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/pols- 208-democracy-video-screenings.html
And for some slightly older stuff that I liked a lot in 2011:
