I tried using a deep voice early on in the project, but I think that this sounds a lot more natural (although I fear it still has a touch of 'girl comedian talking in a deep voice for humourous effect' going on). I don't know the difference between a bass singer and a baritone, but I've always loved the voices of singers like Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies), Elijah Allman (Deadsy) and now, thanks to Coco's influence, Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields).
Lyrically, I really like dropping 'sudoku' out of nowhere. Not only does it keep this song from being 'same old same old' outta me, but it also helps trivialize problems a little bit, if you choose to read it that way. For some people, lots of seemingly important problems are trivial; it might not feel that way when you're tightly wrapped up in them, but they really are.
Otherwise, I think the rest of the song (the 'pep talk') was influenced by Kat's comments last week about why people create music - thanks Kat!
Which seems like a pretty good segue, if you ask me ;)
I think there are about 3 big, possibly interconnected, reasons why I make music: drive, esteem, connection.
Drive: you know that feeling you get when you've been working seemingly forever without a break, and all you do when you get home is chores? I get a touch of that feeling when I've gone too long without making music. Regardless of whether things in my life are going great at the time, or not so great. That desire, that drive, does well up on its own, and giving in to it just starts the endorphins a-flowin'. After reading that article I linked to last week, I suspect that some of this drive is also satisfied from playing games like Rock Band - but now we're drifting into 'playing' vs. 'creating' (and while I think that creating can satisfy the playing urge, and vice-versa, it's an exploration I'm not that interested in at the moment).
Esteem: I believe this is a big one for me, and I'm sure that it must at least partially feed into Drive.
When I played music live with Jill as Kitty Smack, I got a huge ego boost from feeling like I was living a secret life, like I had an alternate ego - like a superhero. If life or work seemed dull, I could always glean some satisfaction from feeling like I was part of something underground and cool, that I had a whole creative aspect in my secret world. Having grown up identifying myself as a nerd, having fantasies of self-esteem through comic books and music is a fairly routine process, I think. A comfort thing.
I think music-making also used to be a substitution for other things I couldn't have. I never really dreamed about playing huge stadiums, but when I was younger, I did use to fantasize that someday, somewhere, young lovers would be young loving to my music. Not to inspire it, but just to be in the background. Weird, I know, but it was a big thing for a long time; I think I was associating music with 'living,' the way young, romantic, inspired people do.
And another reason: I'd be lying if I said I didn't like attention :)
Connection: not as strong as the previous two, but connected a bit with esteem, I think. If something's bothering me and I manage to express it in a song, I like if someone's able to tell me they've felt that way too. Just nice to make a connection.
Another one I just thought of, that goes along with this: to make someone cry. That'd be awesome. No, really. I mean it. Call it sadistic if you like, I'll own up to it. Yeah. Cry real tears.
Now, there may be a 4th option here, as well, only I think it's connected with the three above: legacy. I'm not really scared of dying, so much as I'm scared of being forgotten. That part bothers me. Part of me thinks that if I leave enough music behind me, then part of me will still exist into the future, and people will care about who I was.
Which is pretty futile, when you think about it. How many young people these days don't even know who David Bowie is any more? And that's with fame already attached. Me, I can make a bunch of mp3's, give them away on the internet for a little while. A few people download them. After I'm gone, those songs will eventually get cleaned off of whatever servers they were on, and then that'll be it. No trace of me. My only hope would be some CBC Music Archives project or something, at best.
And any form of recognition during your time, even! I'm grateful that home recording has become such that almost anyone can do it. But that makes it that much harder for anything to stand out, too :) In popular music these days, try thinking of an 'idol' act like there used to be. Where's the modern-day equivalent of The Rolling Stones, a Morrissey, a Bob Dylan, a Madonna, a Radiohead? Bands like Death Cab for Cutie, or Deadsy, or The Birthday Massacre, or The Postal Service are larger-than-life icons for me, but chances are, they mean very little to you - simply because you have your own idols, separate than mine.
(heh...remember what I said at the beginning about seemingly important problems being trivial? This is probably a good example ;)
"Loss and pain are here to be with you again.
You will find these trials grow bigger in your mind.
Inflating
Expanding
Engrossing
Demanding
Like an expert
Sudoku
Work through it
I know you
Can."
I can relate to the ego boost from a pseudo-secret identity. I think that's why I like video games so much... I'm actually important to the people in the game, whereas in real life, not so much. Plus I can do super badass things in games that I'd never be able to do in real life (yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Street Fighter!)
ReplyDeleteThe only reason the younger generation doesn't know about classic stars like Bowie is because most of them haven't made a new album in awhile, so the airwaves aren't being bombarded with it, the way the manufactured money-grabbing stuff is (looking at YOU, Miley Cyrus/Rhianna/all other talentless, over-promoted, regurgitated crap!)
Most of the classic artists are actually ARTISTS, which mean they value quality over quantity. Like any piece of art, it comes from the soul of the artist, and is a meticulously crafted gem, a unique, one-of-a-kind, and not made lightly or on the fly. (Think of the Two Trees/The Silver Ships/The Silmarils from Tolkien's Silmarillion)
Ha,ha... I'm sounding overly romantic/preachy again. Sorry.
*I'm a creep....I'm a weirdooooo.... what the hell am I doin' heeeerrre?* -_^
If you think Sudoku's awesome, try Kakuro! That's a reeeeal mind-bender X_x
ReplyDeleteFirst off, 34 is really different from your norm, so hats off for trying something new. :) Also, kudos for having the tenacity to stick with this project and for coming up with something every week.
ReplyDeleteWhat you cited as "legacy" is what I was trying to get at in my comment to #33. Personally I'm not sure I have that urge. When I'm gone I just want to be scattered to the wind and quietly set free. But I digress...
As for "idols", the definition has changed (it now means whomever is currently a contestant on that wretched show). It seems Western culture has abandoned ficiton or invention in favour of "reality". The internet can make anyone with a webcam a 15 minute sensation. Have you noticed movies are all taking on a more gritty, "realistic" documentary style? Most of tv is reality, "unscripted" (no fiction, no writers, no poetic/literary flair) and the "stars" are just bland ordinary schmucks. Nothing is larger than life, just maybe the promise that if you're a bland ordinary schmuck maybe you can cash-in too. The climate of our culture rejects creativity right now. (Personally, I prefer an escape from reality in my entertainment.)
Everything is our ADHD consumer culture is quickly devoured and just as quickly forgotten. We just don't have the attention span to remember or care. Also, probably the music industry itself and the media marketing machine is to blame. I mean, if you are forced fed a steady diet of nothing but gruel 3 times a day for a year or two, wouldn't you be desperate to never touch the stuff again once it's gone...?
Finally a comment on a comment. :) Would you agree that not all art is beautiful? Sometimes it exists purely to challenge us. I guess if we believe "art is truth" (or, "reveals truth") then we need to admit that sometimes truth is ugly too. Maybe that's why for every Mozart or Bach we have Eminem or Marilyn Manson? (Not saying any of them are truly "art", just trying to illustrate.)
Sorry for getting too ranty! <3
I love that chimey melody that comes in at :13. Great stuff! Plus, it's cool how you overlap your vocals.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's true that there are no artists these days. Or, I should say that there are many artists, but they are hugely ignored by the mass media, and have to toil away in the obscurity of the underground.
In some ways I f**king hate the internet. It's brought us some great things, and I use it everyday, but on the negative side it has created a generation that is used to being flooded 24/7 with a tidal wave of music, videos, information, etc. It's just too much I think. When I was a teen, and really starting my love affair with rock music, I would buy a tape and play the hell out of it. I would listen to it everyday, soaking up all the music and the lyrics. Because of this, there was more of tendency for the album as a whole to be regarded as art. I would get so extremely excited to see the latest album by my favorite band sitting on the rack at the music store.
But now, because of this glut of choice, and because now it's all about MP3s, not songs (there is a difference, in my opinion) the public has no time or appreciation for any sort of artistic statement. It's all about product, lifestyle, jeans, soft drinks, youth, Miley Cyrus, etc. Our whole culture has become SO wrapped up in its obsession with youth. Pop culture has no regard for anyone over 21 now. Sad.
That's just my two cents. :)
Comment on Gary's comment...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about the internet. On the one hand, it's an incredible resource for information. And it is a great "equalizer": never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could just contact artists I admire and they actually respond to me in an email just like a "real person"! On the other hand, the "thrill of the chase" is gone & I miss it. What I mean is... Remember how it used to be when you were really into a band but there was always an elusive album that you just couldn't find anywhere? Any time you'd go to a different city you'd hunt for it. If/when you finally found it, it was so gratifying. Or, better yet, you'd find an album that you didn't even know existed.
Now, there's amazon.com
Does anyone else kinda miss this?
I do miss that thrill of discovery. My favouritest discovery was when Arrested Development finally came out with their 2nd album, "Zingalamaduni." Junior high, and I'd been waiting years, it seemed, for word of new material from them. Then, one day, boom, there it is, just sitting there with the new releases at Sam the Record Man.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I feel spoiled by choice. The other night I learned about a new Aphex Twin album I didn't know about, and I thought 'eh. I'll check it out later' (although I suspect that's an aging thing, more than anything else?).
In high school, there'd always be the kids who had all these obscure band names in white-out written all over their backpacks (which would then get erased once the band became mainstream). That aspect of obscurity has disappeared (which I'm sure the bands themselves are good with!).
I agree also with the fact that the internet and such has made everything worth a little less. The more rare or difficult something is to obtain, the higher its value (and consequently, the more it is valued).
ReplyDeleteExample: When books were written by hand, they were very expensive and precious, and thusly highly sought after and well taken care of. When books started to become mass-produced, people didn't have to take as good care of them because another one could be obtained easily at low cost. (have I said this before? hmmm. starting to sound like a broken record in my old age)
The same is happening now for music, film, and other media thanks to the internet. I suppose it's the other edge of the blade: whether it's mass-production or something like the internet, new technology makes things easier to obtain, things that you may never have found without it, but at the same time depreciates things since they are so easily obtained and therefore, well, disposable? (I'm referring to our throwaway mentality as a society)
About art not all being beautiful- since beauty is in the eye (or ear!) of the beholder, everything is beautiful or ugly, depending on who's experiencing it, really.