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RYAN AND GARRETT

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2021: A MUSIC ODYSSEY

Hi everyone, it’s Ryan. You’re forgiven if you don’t remember, because it has
been a literal trip around the sun since I have posted here last. I’d like to
tell you that this will be the “post to end all posts”, my magnum opus, or a
transcendent Pulitzer-winning work that justifies the long absence because it is
the fruits of a whole year’s worth of labor (a labor of love). It won’t be any
of those. However, I have been giving it the old college try to bring you guys
some good content. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Best 50 Songs of 2021

To avoid holding anyone in suspense, I’ll first give you the playlist: the 50
best songs I heard this year, each from a different artist.



Because I have a lot of free time on the holidays and don’t have any productive
use for it, I made a simple histogram tracking the distribution of number of
streams each of these songs had on Spotify.

[these are as of the date 12/20/21]

I realize it’s crude, but this is work that is exactly at my pay grade. What I
thought was interesting was that 13 songs I thought were the best of any song I
heard all year had only been streamed 500,000 times or less, whereas a mere 5
songs had over 7.5 million plays. The majority (32) of songs fit somewhere in
between 500,000 and 7.5 million.

The low numbers may be a product of simply the songs have not been out for that
long. However, Taylor Swift’s 10-minute song “All Too Well” (at the time of
writing) has garnered a big ol’ 140 million streams since being out for only 38
days. So inescapably, I did not select the most popular songs as the best.



There are a lot of potential reasons for this. 1) I could be horribly out of
touch with society, and the songs I picked are nothing close to the best,
meaning that streams is an appropriate barometer of quality. 2) I could have an
accurate gauge of the “best,” and the people only appreciate hot, hot trash and
don’t listen to the “best” music.

3) It could be that I actually do have good taste, but society would also like
it and reward these songs with streams if only they knew about it, and it is
purely marketing and lack of information that keeps these songs from Taylor
Swift-level stream numbers.

I think the obvious answer is that all 3 apply to varying degrees, but part of
the reason I do this is because I genuinely believe in phenomenon 3); that these
artists deserve a little publicity because they are doing great, great things
and are underappreciated. That is not to say that I try to lean towards songs
with low streams to be altruistic. I do actually think they are the best in
their own right. Especially so because me advocating on their behalf is not
going to move the needle for their popularity literally at all.

Genre du Jour

In compiling all of the best music this year, I have noticed that there are some
genres of music that are especially en vogue this year as compared to others.
Whether that is more a reflection of my tastes, general industry trends, or some
combination of the two, is up to you. I thought I would highlight them.

Post-Punk

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in my mind, post-punk as a genre really came into
its own in the late seventies. It’s kind of a blanket term to describe
alternatives to the general raucous punk acts of prior years (Ramones, Sex
Pistols, etc.) and so there’s not a very specific sound. To me, it’s kind of a
spectrum that ranges from Joy Division (a la “Unknown Pleasures”) to Talking
Heads.

On the former end, it preserves the angst of punk but without the energy: bass
melodies, guitar rhythms, and vocals closer to talking than proper singing.



On the latter end, punk was taken to it’s more exuberant side. It’s not as
angsty, the beats are bouncier, and (like Joy Division) it’s talk-singing; but
it’s in a better mood.



Jump to 2021, we’ve got acts who are implementing a combination of the two to
good effect. They’re incorporating the buoyant melodies, talk-singing, and
irreverent humor of the Talking Heads, but with some of the social malaise and
angst that Joy Division provided. Here are the main offenders:

Yard Act



The new group out of Leeds’ best song, “Dark Days,” is driven with thumping
drums and a disco-leaning guitar riff reminiscent of Talking Heads’ “Making
Flippy Floppy.” However, frontman James Smith’s blunt and sardonic talk-singing
disassociates them from David Byrne’s group. Their social commentary on paper
reads as cynical, but the wry delivery from Smith lets you know they’re in good
spirits regardless:

> “Copper’s ‘copters / Stopped us and shook us up and down / We know the graph
> too, we know the due process / They started discussin’ whether to let us off
> for doing nothin’ or / Maybe pop us for luck, like we might be hiding
> something and / The radio buzzed in / “They can’t come here man, we’re full
> up” / Thank fuck I bought you enough time not to get shot“





–

shame

Hailing from South London, shame bring less of the of the languidness in some
post-punk, and more of the brazen confidence that’s the calling card of
irreverent youth. The melodies are boisterous and the singing is at a yell.
However, it has a certain catchy funk that makes the aggression inviting too.







–

Dry Cleaning

Dry Cleaning, another London group, brings out bass-driven melodies with
understated vocalism that makes lead singer Florence Shaw seem unbothered, even
apathetic to even be singing. Add the left-of-center lyricism, Dry Cleaning’s
songs are emotionally unavailable words with afflicting melodies. A groove for
the jaded. The words themselves reflect this dichotomy:

> “I’ve come to learn how to dance / I’ve come to join the knitting circle”

> “Do everything and feel nothing”





–

Viagra Boys

These Swedes might be a bit closer to plain punk as opposed to post-, but I had
to get them in here. This song just feels like one big joke, and there’s nothing
more punk than taking down the establishment of sincere songwriting. It’s crass,
it’s unmannerly, and we love to see it.



New Wave



That’s right; get your legwarmers on and your Tab soda out, we’re getting
tubular with the synth, 80’s inspired songs that came out this year. I think
this genre trend, more than others, has commonly influenced music that his come
since it was “in.” However, this year it seems that acts are really giving
full-blooded tributes to the era. And nothing is more 80’s than fully committing
to the bit.

Mitski

Mitski, Japanese-American singer-songwriter, historically creates more analog
indie rock, with folk or pop tendencies. However, with 2018’s album “Be the
Cowboy,” Mitski starting utilizing synthetic sounds in the song “Washing Machine
Heart.” That song went pretty well for her (with over 167 million streams on
Spotify) and now she’s back with her second single from the upcoming album
“Laurel Hill,” “The Only Heartbreaker.” Her sound most reminds me of Kim Wilde,
singing over fast-paced, crescendo-ing electric riffs that are songs of
heartbreak you can dance to. (The Spotify sample will only show the chorus for
“Kids in America” – and it only really sounds similar in the verses. I recommend
the full song so you don’t think I’m crazy.)




It also has some of this magic:



Mitski more or less follows this melodic framework, but lyrically and vocally
distances herself from the passionate gravitas and gives us a cooler, more
emotionally-detached performance.







–

Nation of Language

Nation of Language are a Brooklyn-based band who really lean into the 80’s
aesthetic. Their sound heavily leans into the new wave milieu with an
electronic, atmospheric sound. What really brings it into nostalgia is lead
singer Ian Richard Devaney’s melodramatic, croon-y voice that captures new wave
staples such as Morrisey, Simon Le Bon, and so many more. Influences that come
to mind are the energetic, sharp synth beats of Devo, as well as the
atmospheric, anthemic quality that Tears for Fears has.




“Across that Fine Line” really melds these two dynamics in their new wave
homage, and doesn’t skimp out on the impassioned lyricism that makes the 80’s
hit different. Here’s that sappy chorus:

> And I’m watching you walk
> Across that fine line
> I died a hundred times
> I reckon you could
> Let it bleed
> ‘Cause I’m resigned









–

Beach House

Beach House has been making acclaimed electronic indie pop for over 15 years,
and thankful for loyalists they did not overhaul their sound for the upcoming
album “Once Twice Melody.” The Baltimore duo capitalize on their hugely
successful hit “Space Song” and make another shoegaze-y, galactic track that
could score your LCD trip to the Milky Way. In my mind, “Superstar” sounds like
these slow-burn, new wave hits courtesy of Kate Bush and ‘Til Tuesday. The
sounds differ in that they are more rock-based, but it’s more a mood thing.
These songs make you feel like your life is a movie in the same way.




Beach House creates a similarly majestic or cinematic sound with their 6 minute
track “Superstar,” however it gets there in a slightly different way with
orchestral strings to create that expansive, dramatic feeling.







–

Sam Himself

Sam Himself, a Swiss transplant living in Brooklyn, embodies the new wave with
the single “Nothing Like the Night” off of his debut album, “Power Ballads.” An
aptly descriptive title, as Sam Himself delivers powerhouse songs through a
combination of his Bruce Springsteen baritone and montage-ready, swelling
arrangements. Here are two songs that, in my mind, are surely direct influences
on Sam Himself and “Nothing Like the Night”





Alternative Rock Anthems



Some songs are just made for arenas: songs with the slow build-up, inspirational
lyricism, and vocals that start soft but end in impassioned balladeering.
They’re the kind of songs that are made with 10,000 swaying lighters (or more
modernly, iPhone flashlights) in mind. And no matter what point in history,
there’s always a place for a song with dry ice and light beams that brings the
house down.

I’m sure I’m wrong, but I can’t think of a song that embodies the rock anthem as
we know it today before The Who did it with Baba O’Reily.



Now that the genre has been established, enter Bruce Springsteen. The Boss made
his brand on the kind of uplifting, heartland rock that Gen X’ers still get
teary-eyed over.



Fast-forward to the 80’s: rock has died, pop dominates the charts. With
synthesizers, disco, and the impending dominance of rap, rock has been relegated
to the “alternative.” However, U2 is about to make the alternative mainstream
with the worldwide sensation, “Joshua Tree.”



Into the 90’s, grunge and slacker culture dominate the rock scene and “the lost
decade” doesn’t see enough action to inspire much of the glamor of arena rock.
However, the 2000’s came along and The Killers with it. After initially making
polished garage-rock for their debut album “Hot Fuss,” the group changes their
sound for “Sam’s Town,” bringing back the anthem to the masses like it never
left.



Now, today we’re seeing a little revival of acts picking up the mantel of where
these stadium-fillers left off.

Sharon Van Etten &
Angel Olsen



Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen are two established rock stars in their own
right. Long-time friends who formerly collaborated for a cover track on the
recent Velvet Underground tribute album, the two team up again and recreate the
vintage anthem. The song is a heavy dose of nostalgia, both in theme and in
genre. There’s this tinkly music-box piano which creates a childhood-memory,
reminiscent effect and there is the overt rose-tintedness of the lyrics:

> Lighting one up like I used to
> Dancing all alone like I used to
> Giving it up like I used to
> Falling in love like I used to
> 
> Open my heart like I used to
> Making out long like I used to
> Holding hands openly, rights to
> Taking what’s mine like I used to



–

TORRES

TORRES, the stage name of Mackenzie Ruth Scott, embodies the sweeping emotion of
an anthem song but with a different emotion. While “Like I Used To” was a
dichotomy of the good times then and the bad times now, “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes
in My Head” is about the love of someone who won’t commit to you. It’s romantic,
but resentful; hopeful but defeating. Here’s the chorus:

> I know promising forever’s not your thing
> But now, if you don’t want me to go dreaming
> Don’t spend your mornings and your evenings in my bed
> If you don’t want me believing that you’re never gonna leave me, darling
> Don’t go putting wishes in my head







–

Sam Fender

“Seventeen Going Under,” the title track of Fender’s second album tells of his
experience attempting to financially support his mother after she couldn’t work
due to illness. Having a tumultuous childhood, Fender takes that strife and
flips it, making a cathartic ballad of identity and lessons learned. Fender
cites Bruce Springsteen as a direct influence, and it’s evident.



Best Albums of the Year

While it’s one thing to make a single hit, but these artist put together
cohesive albums that keep their zest through 9-12 songs. These are the albums of
2021 that are all rippers, no skippers.

1
 * 2
 * 3
 * 4
 * 5
 * 6
 * 7
 * 8
 * 9
 * 10

1. Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend
On their third album, the London group doesn’t transform their sound so much as
enhance it. With lush arrangements, overlaid vocals and slow-burn crescendos,
Wolf Alice’s sound here is cinematic and simply big. While some songs are
mosh-ready, hot and heavy punk songs (see “Smile” and “Play the Greatest Hits”),
the album really shines with its emotional confessionals. Whether the songs are
about taking back a cheater (“Lipstick on the Glass”) or a scathing attack on a
man’s ego (“The Last Man on the Earth”), Ellie Roswell’s incisive lyrics and
balladeering match the occasion of the dramatic compositions.
Favorite Track: The Last Man on the Earth
If you like: Alvvways, Yeah Yeah Yeahs



2. St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
Annie Clarke with this album (and subsequent tour which I saw a show of) earned
herself a spot on my list of “People Who I’d Thank for Punching Me in the Face.”
Her sixth solo LP, Clarke reinvented her persona and look with a blonde
shoulder-length bob and 70’s style; and the music matches. With inclusion of
funk, soul and jazz to her typically experimental repertoire, Daddy’s Home is
nostalgic but fresh at the same time. There is a distinct mood to the A-side
versus the B-side, as Clarke starts the album with swaggering, sexy songs (see
“Pay Your Way with Pain” and “Daddy’s Home”). However, the B-side is my personal
favorite part of the album (maybe even because of the juxtaposition to the
A-side) because it is more intimate and lounge-ier, with minimalistic
instrumentation. This way, you’re more confronted with the lyrics of the song,
such as Clarke’s reservations about motherhood (“My Baby Wants a Baby”) and a
vignette about a 60-70’s transgender icon (“Candy Darling”) that are affecting.
Favorite Track: My Baby Wants a Baby
If you like: Weyes Blood, Alexandra Savior



3. Lunar Vacation – Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp
Lunar Vacation is a four-piece indie rock band from Atlanta, and IEFIADW is
their debut. Though they have been releasing music since 2017, this is their
first full-length album. The delay has served them well, as the album
distinguishes itself from the typical indie rock album with it’s polish and
eclectic-ness. Some songs have pop-sensibility (see “Mold” with a groovy
bassline running through it, and “Cutting Corners” with a fast indie pop riff
akin to heyday Two Door Cinema Club), while others are chill and contemplative
(see “Making Lunch (Not Right Now)”).
Favorite Track: Mold
If you like: The Greeting Committee, Sjowgren



4. illuminati hotties – Let Me Do One More
What’s to love about Sarah Tudzin’s second album under the illiuminati hotties
moniker is that you never get the impression that she is compromising or making
any concessions (one song is titled “Mmmoooaaaayaya”). Every song you know is
unabashedly her. Because she takes risks with every song, I don’t think they all
hit; but the majority do and are a ton of fun. Tudzin makes high energy,
irreverently humorous indie rock that is influenced by 00’s pop-punk
(self-proclaimed “tenderpunk”). Some songs are more straight-forward pop-punk
archetypes (see “Knead,” “Pool Hopping”) but some are more experimental. “u v v
p,” featuring Buck Meek adds some Americana elements, while “Joni: LA’s No. 1
Health Goth,” a tribute to the idyllic “cool girl,” is a blistering shredder of
pure punk. There’s even time to calm down with a slower track, “The Sway.”
Favorite Track: Joni: LA’s No. 1 Health Goth
If you like: The Beths, Beach Bunny



5. Snail Mail – Valentine
Snail Mail, A.K.A. Lindsey Jordan, follows up her self-titled debut (which came
out when she was 18) with “Valentine.” Jordan says she titled it “Valentine”
because there’s “nothing more tender and innocent” than referring to someone as
a valentine in a “love-lost” way. It is an apt way to title it, as Jordan relies
almost exclusively on romance thematically. However, Snail Mail shows more range
musically this time around. With R&B beats (“Ben Franklin”), Orchestral strings
(“Light Blue”) and Synthesizers (“Forever (Sailing)”), Jordan graduates from
lo-fi indie rock to good effect.
Favorite Track: Madonna
If you like: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus



6. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
Japanese Breakfast (A.K.A. Michelle Zauner) releases her third album in the wake
of having written a New York Times bestseller. “Jubilee” as a title sets the
tone for the buoyant, polished indie pop album. “Be Sweet” is the obvious radio
hit, with catchy hooks and bouncy arrangements. It’s more subdued tracks still
radiate charisma, equipped with toe-tapping melodies under Zauner’s intimate
singing. (see “Slide Tackle,” “Savage Good Boy”)
Favorite Track: Be Sweet
If you like: Alice Phoebe Lou, Clairo



7. Remi Wolf – Juno
Wolf’s debut album is a fresh introduction. “Juno” is a slick pop album injected
with humor, making it contagiously fun. “Sexy Villain” is basically a string of
jokes about being hot and bad, “Grumpy Old Man” about being emotionally
unavailable akin to curmudgeonly geriatric, and “Quiet On Set” is a self-assured
homage to 00’s hip-hop (think “Run to the Sun” – N.E.R.D). It’s evident Wolf is
enjoying herself in making these, and it’s infectious.
Favorite Track: Sexy Villain
If you like: [I dont know; what can I say – she’s one of a kind]



8. Durand Jones and the Indications – Private Space
Durand Jones’ group is exclusively his only by title, as it is really a two man
co-ownership. In addition to Durand Jones’ Sam Cook-esque soulful vocals, there
is also drummer Aaron Frazer, who released a solo album of real quality himself
this year. Aaron Frazer joins in on lead singing on a couple of tracks (see “The
Way That I Do” & “Ride or Die”). They make a complimentary pair, as Jones’ deep,
scratchy vocals are juxtaposed by Frazer’s smooth falsetto, keeping every track
interesting. The group follows what seems to be the natural progression for
neo-soul groups: initially a 60’s Motown sound, and then progress into a 70’s
funkier, sexier, disco-inspired album (see St. Paul and the Broken Bones & Leon
Bridges). However, just because it’s been done doesn’t mean we all shouldn’t be
appreciative.
Favorite Track: The Way That I Do
If you like: Leon Bridges, Black Pumas



9. Art D’Ecco – In Standard Definition
Art D’Ecco, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, is a glam rocker that has
a knack for hook. Derivative of acts like T. Rex and Sparks, D’Ecco’s debut
album is a piece of 80’s nostalgia that is brazenly confident and danceable.
Which is only expectected from an artist that has songs titles like “I Am the
Dance Floor” in his debut.
Favorite Track: Head Rush
If you like: T.Rex, Sparks (redundant, I know)



10. Nation of Language – A Way Forward
Nation of Language’s second album isn’t really very different from it’s debut,
but hey – when it works it works. The Brooklyn band isn’t really reinventing the
wheel here, but it’s a damn good wheel. It’s synthetic, new wave 80’s pop, and
although filled with artificial sounds, lead singer Richard Devaney’s
empassioned croon adds the humanity to make all of these tracks welcome
advancements on the sounds of groups such as New Order and Devo.
Favorite Track: Wounds of Love
If you like: Future Islands, Black Marble, machinegum



New Artists to Watch



Again I also wanted to highlight a couple of artists that are new on the scene,
and I think we should expect some exciting stuff from them in the future.

Wet Leg

Wet Leg chose their name by simply toying around with different emoji
combinations, and the water droplets and leg combined stuck for them. This is
the kind of nonchalance that makes the duo from Isle of Wight, UK so compelling.
They blew up immediately after releasing their first single, “Chaise Longue”
which typifies their unbothered, self-assured humor. With post-punk guitar riffs
like The Strokes but with the attitude of No Doubt, “Chaise Longue” is an
emphatic introduction to the scene.



Wet Leg follow it up with their second released single, “Wet Dream.” Another
bona fide hit that alternates between grooving and rocking out, it’s
bounce-around fun that is suited for both the garage and the big stage, somehow.



Their self-titled full debut is released April 8, 2022.

–

CMAT



CMAT has made a liar of me to all the people I’ve told “I don’t like that
modern, pop-country.” To be fair, no one has done it the way Ciara Mary-Alice
Thompson (thus CMAT) is. Dublin-born, and never yet having been to Nashville,
CMAT makes what she calls “basterdized” country music, describing her style as
“Dolly Parton meets Weird Al Yankovic, mixed with Katy Perry.” It’s goofy but
sincere, extravagant but down to earth. And most of all, it’s catchy. CMAT first
came to my attention with the 2020 single, “I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!” which
earned my hear by being based on an ICONIC vine:



> “Oh, I wanna be a cowboy, baby
> 
> I wanna be a cowboy, baby
> 
> Spin round on the playground”



CMAT followed that up with “I Don’t Really Care for You,” a genuinely funny pop
song about loathing both herself and the ex in the wake of an ended
relationship.

> I just spent seven hours looking at old pics of me
> 
> Tryna pinpoint where the bitch began
> 
> Somewhere after the Passion of Christ
> 
> And before I had an Instagram



In her latest single, CMAT warns herself against dating any more Virgos because
they’ve all been bad news. Over 80’s synthesizers, she departs a little from the
country genre but there’s no complaining from me.



Watch out for her full length album debut, February 25, 2022.

schaeferry Uncategorized Leave a comment December 23, 2021 17 Minutes
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TIRED OF DATING APPS THAT DON’T LET YOU REFLECT YOUR INNER GEEK?


DIVING INTO MY SPOTIFY COLLECTION (ALSO THE SCIENCE BEHIND SPOTIFY)

Hello nerds.

Today we will be exploring my Spotify library with some data analytics.

I got this idea as I was trying to figure out a way to get artist information
from your Spotify for another idea that I had, when I came across this site,
https://exportify.net/. Using this site, anyone can log in to their Spotify
account, and export playlists as a .csv file. The author of this site, Pavel
Komarov, then set up a fancy dancy webpage (Jupyter notebook) where one can
upload their exported playlist and do some neat analysis on it. So what I have
done is added all of my liked songs (total of 6,195) into a separate playlist
titled “TheCollection” and then exported it using exportify, uploaded it to the
notebook, and followed his code, with some slight modifications, to produce some
cool graphs. Most of the heavy lifting is done for you already so if you
yourself are curious about your own musical tastes, the process shouldn’t be
that hard to replicate, the only thing you would need to do is upload your own
playlist!

Along the way I take two tangents and take a look behind the curtains of Spotify
to see how some of the data that is analyzed is collected and what exactly they
do with this data.

Let’s dive in.







First up is songs per artist.

You can see that a large proportion of my library is artists for whom I’ve only
liked one or two songs. I think this reflects how I often listen to music, being
more explorative of different genres and artists and rarely immersing myself in
a complete discography. However, there are a handful of artists for which it
seems like I’ve liked their entire collection. I had no trouble guessing the top
two artists with the most liked songs, however I was surprised with some others,
mainly Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.

This graph really highlights those handful of artists that I’ve spent a good
month or two really listening to their complete collection. Back in the early
days of my Spotify, I went into a deep dive of Sublime’s discography (as every
20 something college kid does) and was liking virtually every song from their
albums. Nowadays, I rarely listen to Sublime, but still enjoy a one off song
here and there. The Beatles is the same scenario, in the early days of the
pandemic (April 2020) I listened to all 13 of their albums all the way through.
Naturally, my Top Songs of 2020 also had around 15 Beatles songs. Kanye West and
Kendrick Lamar are a different story, I never did a deep dive for these artists
as I did with the others so I am surprised with how many songs of theirs I have
in my library. My only possible explanation is that they are frequent
collaborators on a ton of other artist’s songs, suggesting I am more of a fan of
mainstream rap/hip-hop than Kanye and Kendrick specifically. I would still
listen and enjoy these artists (Sublime, The Beatles, Kanye West, Kendrick
Lamar), but I wouldn’t say they are within my top 10 favorite artists. Something
which I am able to say for the likes of Toro y Moi, STRFKR, Vampire Weekend, and
Childish Gambino. Lets expand the ranking to see if who I think are my favorite
artists make an appearance.

Looks like some of my favorite artists just miss the top 10 (Chance the Rapper,
Isaiah Rashad, Hockey Dad) while some others are further down the line (Neon
Indian, Fleet Foxes, Future Islands). Again some surprises (ASAP Rocky, Calvin
Harris, Black Eyed Peas) and some humorous glimpses into my past musical taste
(I had a weird fun. obsession in high school).







Now onto the genres and our first tangent of the day. If you use Spotify, you
must have wondered at some point what the hell are all those weird genres and
why are there so many of them on Spotify? Well it turns out that a culprit
responsible for this madness can be singled out and his name is Glenn McDonald.











Glenn

Glenn is an employee at Echo Nest (something you will learn about later, but
briefly it’s what powers everything that Spotify does) and his job is to
basically create genres of music.

Not in reality, but he does get to name new genres whatever he wants which makes
for some funny reading. What Spotify actually does, again more information later
on in the post, is they keep track of certain features for every song in it’s
database. These features are music related (i.e. tempo), but also include other
things such as where in the world the artist is from and the context to which
that song was listened to (what was played before it, time of day it was played,
etc.). All this information is combined and using some high level computer
science and math, tracks and artists are attempted to be put into clusters based
off of their similarity to one another.

Cluster Map for genes with implications in autism

It is from this clustering that Spotify genres are born. When a group of songs
or artists start to form a recognizable and independent cluster away from
others, they can be technically called their own genre. This is where Glenn
comes in with his naming. His job is to listen to the music and come up with an
appropriate name for that genre. A genre that appears in my collection, “Escape
Room” can be described as artists who feel “connected to trap sonically,” but
are more related to “experimental-indie-r&b-pop” than they are to traditional
trap. Glenn says “it just sort of felt like it was solving and creating
puzzles.”. Right on Glenn.


Example of the escape room genre

So now that we know how genres are formed and why there are so many of them
(5,507 as of today), I want to introduce you to Glenn’s little side project, a
website that attempts to show all genres in a 2-D scatter plot of the genre
space. Take a look:



https://everynoise.com/engenremap.html

The site is pretty cool. It is generally organized as those things closer to the
top being more mechanical, down is more organic, left is denser and more
atmospheric, right is spikier and bouncier. You can click on any genre to hear
an example track that represents that genre as well as click the arrows to the
right of any genre to see a map of the artists that fall into that genre. If you
were ever curios what the genre of fussball (which just seems to be songs and
artists singing about German football) looks like here it is:


Kinda catchy, ngl

As you can see, you can click on the buttons at the top to be taken to a variety
of playlists for that genre, playlist being the master playlist for that genre,
intro being a shorter playlist, pulse being what fans of that genre are
currently rotating, 2020 and new being pretty self explanatory.



The site also has a lot more to offer. If you click on the other things button
at the top you will be brought to a list of various off shoots of the website.
If you’re bored you can spend a good couple hours exploring but here are a few
of my highlights:

Every Place at Once: thousands of playlists for individual cities that are
filled with songs that distinguish that city from every other city. An example
for Bellingham:


Some Shakey Graves, STRFKR, Hippocampus, Babe Rainbow. Lots of good stuff.
Wonder if we had anything to do with that?

Every School at Once: same idea but for universities around the world. WWU’s
playlist:



The Needle: This machine basically attempts to find songs that are “rising from
the depths of obscurity”. Its divided into three playlists based on the depth
the machine attempts to find songs. Current is the shallowest search, while
underground is the most extensive and obscure.



Back to the graphs




Turns out I have 1147 unique genres within my collection, representing 20.82 %
of Spotify’s genres. Similar to my artists, there is a large proportion of
genres with only one or two songs and a handful of genres with multiple hundred
songs.

Not really surprised by my top ten genres, seems pretty cut and dry.

Some more obscure genres start to pop up when we look at the top 50. Some of
those being “mellow gold”, “escape room” and “vapor soul”. Maybe there are some
strange ones down at the bottom.

Definitely some unique names.

Looking at what songs these actually are:

Song – Artist Genres:Collarbone – Fujiya & Miyagi Genres: alternative dance,
brighton indie, electronica, neo-kraut, new raveFeelin’ It (Salva Remix) –
Umii,Salva Genres: portland indie, glitch hop, purple soundElectric Pow Wow Drum
– The Halluci Nation Genres: canadian indigenous, canadian indigenous hip hop,
escape room, ottawa rapSurrender – Josh White Genres: christian upliftLes
Champs-Elys̩es РJoe Dassin Genres: chanson, chanson paillarde, french popMake
It Wit Chu – Queens of the Stone Age Genres: alternative metal,alternative
rock,blues rock,modern rock,nu metal,palm desert scene,rock,stoner metal,stoner
rockBad (feat. Vassy) – Radio Edit – David Guetta,Showtek,VASSY Genres: big
room, dance pop, edm, pop, pop dance, classic hardstyle, electro house, euphoric
hardstyle, progressive electro house, progressive house, australian
danceSwitzerland – The Last Bison Genres: hampton roads indie, stomp and
hollerOld Love – Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers Genres: michigan indieOkan
Bale – Angelique Kidjo Genres: afropop, beninese pop, worldVarúð – Sigur Rós
Genres: bow pop, dream pop, ethereal wave, icelandic rock, melancholia, nordic
post-rock, post-rockCalabria 2007 (feat. Natasja) – Enur,Natasja Genres: reggae
fusion,classic danish pop, danish hip hop, danish pop



As I mentioned earlier, Spotify’s algorithms creates genres based off where that
artist is from (hampton roads indie, michigan indie, beninese pop, danish hip
hop) which is kind of disappointing. I would agree that this makes sense for
larger geographical regions (i.e, nordic post rock, australian dance) or for
certain genres such as rap and hip hop where where you’re from does have a large
say in the style (southern hip hop, chicago rap). However narrowing it down to a
city like Brighton just seems strange. I doubt every indie band from Brighton
has the exact same sound.



Spotify also has a Popularity value that it assigns to every single song,
ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 being most popular. My library has a pretty
normal distribution of popularity values if you ignore the large number of songs
with 0 popularity. I took a closer look at some songs with 0 popularity and I
believe some of them have been misclassified or simply haven’t had an
appropriate value assigned to them yet showing errors within Spotify’s
framework. There are some Drake songs with 0 popularity which just doesn’t make
sense.

The popularity rating also seems to have a bias for songs that are popular right
now, meaning that #1 hits from decades ago will most likely have a popularity
rating around ~50 which I guess makes sense. Taking a look at my top ten most
popular songs confirms this.

                     Track Name                        Artist Name(s) 
Popularity       Leave The Door Open  Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk
Sonic   95            Blinding Lights                            The
Weeknd   94                  telepatía                            Kali
Uchis   92           Save Your Tears                            The
Weeknd   91                 Rasputin                     Majestic, Boney
M.   91                        BED          Joel Corry, RAYE, David
Guetta   90   Head & Heart (feat. MNEK)                       Joel Corry,
MNEK   89                    Circles                           Post
Malone   88                  bad guy                         Billie
Eilish   87               Dance Monkey                           Tones And
I   86



In order to analyze the rest of the metrics that Spotify tracks and the
algorithms it uses, a little history lesson is needed.





















The story starts in 2005 with the doctoral dissertations of two graduate
students in the Media Arts and Science department at MIT, Tristan Jehan and
Brian Whitman.



Tristan Jehan
Brian Whitman



These two, as I think they should forever be referenced as, gods of music
discovery shared a deep interest in combining science and music during their
graduate studies. In general terms, they were both attempting to break down and
simplify an extremely complex language, music, into something a computer could
understand and utilize.

Specifically, Tristan was interested in building tools for audio analysis, with
the end goal being using these tools to create a computer that was capable of
synthesizing novel pieces of music. Immediately, my mind jumped to a scenario
where you come home from work, take off your shoes, pour yourself a stiff one
and your robot sitting on your kitchen counter crafts up and plays you the
modern day equivalent of Fur Elise while you heat up some frozen chicken nuggets
in the microwave. As Tristan put it in his thesis, “Our goal is more
specifically to build a machine that defines its own creative rules, by
listening to and learning from musical examples.”. I am no computer science
expert (side note: all theses should include a section that is limited on
technical jargon and is written for the general population explaining what the
thesis is about), but it is my understanding that the system Tristan built takes
a ginormous database of songs, uses the tools that Tristan created to analyze
each song and learn what makes a song a song, and then chops up various songs
and puts it together in a novel fashion. For an example of this technology in
action, visit his personal website and click on audio example:

https://web.media.mit.edu/~tristan/

However, the real goldmine wasn’t this computer that was capable of stitching
together various bits and pieces of music, it was the tools the computer used to
learn about music. Tristan realized that the tools could be used to make music
more personal by understanding on a deeper level why a certain song is enjoyed
by a certain person.

This particular paragraph from his thesis explaining the motivation behind his
research points to this realization.

“The motivation behind this work is to personalize the music experience by
seamlessly merging together listening, composing, and performing. Recorded music
is a relatively recent technology, which already has found a successor:
synthesized music, in a sense, will enable a more intimate listening experience
by
potentially providing the listeners with precisely the music they want, whenever
they want it. Through this process, it is potentially possible for our
“metacomposer” to turn listeners—who induce the music—into composers themselves.
Music will flow and be live again. The machine will have the capability of
monitoring and improving its prediction continually, and of working in communion
with millions of other connected music fans.”

It is no wonder why this guy made it with that kind of entrepreneurial thinking.

It is important to note that the “deeper level of understanding” is key here. It
turns out that it is quite easy for a computer to listen to a song and extract
information such as tempo, pitch and loudness. This is what Tristan and Brian
call low level information. What really sets Tristan’s audio analysis tools
apart, is that it combines this low level information using machine learning
(taking a huge set of data and telling the computer to separate data into
appropriate classifications, repeat using information learned about the accuracy
of the first go, see above) to create high level information about songs such as
danceability, acousticness, valence (mood). These metrics can more accurately
describe a song compared to low level information such as tempo. For example,
just because two songs have a medium-high tempo, does not necessarily mean they
are both danceable.



A good example:

Lazy Eye – Silversun Pickups Tempo: 127 beats per minute



Thriller – Michael Jackson, Tempo: 127 beats per minute



Although if a song has a tempo of 127 it is typical for it to also be a song
with high danceability (see three tracks below). Therefore, tempo has a large
influence on the danceability rating but it is not everything. Instrumentation,
key, even how the song is structured (no large stretches of downtempo and
irregularity) which can be tracked with these tools also have effects on the
danceability of a song.


Tempo: 127 bpm

Tempo: 127 bpm

Freshman Year Banger, Tempo: 127 bpm

So Tristan is the bee’s knees, but what about this Brian guy?



Well, his thesis was titled “Learning the meaning of music”. Big ask.

Much like Tristan, he was also attempting to better understand music on a deeper
level. However, where their interests differs is the approach they took to
understand the music. While Tristan trained a computer to listen to music to
understand it, Brian trained a computer to read about music to understand it. An
excerpt from his personal website explains it better than I ever could:

Can a computer really listen to music? A lot of people have promised it can over
the years, but I’ve (personally) never heard a fully automated recommendation
based purely on acoustic analysis that made any sense – and I’ve heard them all,
from academic papers to startups to our own technology to big-company efforts.
And that has a lot to do with the expectations of the listener. There are
certain things computers are very good and fast at doing with music, like
determining the tempo or key, or how loud it is. Then there are harder things
that will get better as the science evolves, like time signature detection, beat
tracking over time, transcription of a dominant melody, and instrument
recognition. But even if a computer were to predict all of these features
accurately, does that information really translate into a good recommendation?
Usually not – and we’ve shown over the years that people’s expectation of
“similar” – either in a playlist or a list of artists or songs – trends heavily
towards the cultural side, something that no computer can get at simply by
analyzing a signal.

This was the motivation behind Brian’s research, he believed that what people
were saying about the music could tell you just as much if not more information
than the information within the music itself. An interesting example of this
ties back to my listening habits. Tristan’s audio analysis tools can tell you a
lot about one particular song, but what about multiple songs arranged in an
album, or taking it a step further an artist’s complete discography? It would be
hard to pin down Toro y Moi as an artist (and any artist for that matter) with a
handful of quantitative metrics. Firstly, his music can vary in sound quite
dramatically, and secondly, saying he has a valence of 0.63 just doesn’t really
make sense. Instead, it would be easier to pin down his music with words such as
“mellow”, “groovy”, and “eclectic”. In this way you can learn more information
about the music as there are often various connections and influences to other
music, i.e. the culture, that will not be captured using audio analysis. So,
using a lot of techniques and terms that are way over my head, he basically
built a way to scour the internet for any mentions of albums, songs, artists.
When any mentions are found, what is being said about the music is also picked
up. This is not limited to the basic-ass generic adjectives that I used
(“mellow”), but will include anything and everything that one could write about
music. A funny example that kept on popping up through his thesis was:

“reminds me of my ex-girlfriend”

These terms and phrases are what Brian calls “cultural vectors”. Important to
note is that when a cultural vector is written, it is picked up and given a
weight score that basically says how likely it would be to use that to describe
a piece of music. So for example, if I said Justin Timberlake sounds like an
alley cat eating a tuna sandwich, the cultural vector “cat eating a sandwich”
would (hopefully) get an extremely low weighted score because what the fuck does
that sound like and who describes music like that. This is beneficial as this
cultural vector is essentially useless in attempting to make connections to
other pieces of music, which is really the end goal. Rather, if millions of
people tweeted about how “hot” Tyler, the Creator’s new album is (tis hot), he
would be associated with the term hot and connections to similar artists can be
made by looking for those artists also having “hot” as one of their top cultural
vectors. Each artist and track has thousands of cultural vectors which change
daily as the conversation around the music changes meaning connections can
change drastically as an artist evolves.



Another excerpt from his personal website that gave me hope that we are making a
difference out there!

“At the time I was a member of various music mailing lists, USENET groups and
frequent visitor of a new thing called “weblogs” and music news and review
sites. I would read these voraciously and try to find stuff based on what people
were talking about. To me, while listening to music is intensely private (almost
always with headphones alone somewhere), the discovery of it is necessarily
social. I figured there must be a way to take advantage of all of this
conversation, all the excited people talking about music in the hopes that
others can share in their discovery – and automate the process. Could a computer
‘read’ all that was going on across the internet? If just one person wrote about
my music on some obscure corner of the web, then the system could know that
too.”

Fuck yeah. This guy is also the bee’s knees.



So these two legends met and decided to merge their ideas and form a startup
called The Echo Nest.



The Echo Nest does exactly what I have just attempted to describe, it combines
Tristan’s audio analysis tools with Brian’s text mining for the culture
associated with the music to generate highly personalized music recommendations.
And it is the best at what it does. This is due to something that has been a
mainstay in Echo Nest since day one and what Tristan and Brian call “Care and
Scale”.

Scale is what it sounds like and is pretty straightforward, how big is the
database from which you learn about music. If you only listened to and knew
about Lady Gaga, you wouldn’t be able to accurately recommend someone Mumford
and Sons. Even more importantly, if you don’t know about some small time girl
with a guitar who just released a banging EP from her garage, how are you going
to recommend her? Echo Nest at the time (early 2010s) was novel as it had a
collection of 30 million songs that it had information for. Spotify today has an
extensive database (70 million songs) that is automatically updated daily
(60,000 new songs per day).

Care is what they describe as being useful for both the musician and listener
and is a bit more difficult to describe. An example they provide which helps in
envisioning care is to use various music discovery platforms and look at similar
artists for The Beatles. Most often, the similar artists will be individual band
members (John, Paul, George, Ringo) and their associated acts following the
breakup of The Beatles. Is that what the listener really wants when they ask for
similar artists to The Beatles? Not really, if you’re a fan of the Beatles you
are most likely already going to know who John, Paul, George, and Ringo are and
their various projects. Care is really where Brian’s work on the culture
surrounding music comes in. Rather than using purely computer based science and
mathematics to tell people who they should listen to, it really makes sense to
factor in what actual humans have to say. By providing more “care” and quality
assurance than any other music discovery platform, Echo Nest is able to minimize
it’s “WTF count”, instances where you are in disbelief why some particular music
has been recommended to you.

Get shit on Pandora and Amazon













So fast forward ten years to the early 2010s and Echo Nest has now become the de
facto leader in music discovery. It is being used by clients such as MTV, Island
Def Jam Records, BBC, Warner Music Group, VEVO, Nokia, and SiriusXM. In March of
2014, Spotify splashed out 100 million dollars and bought the company outright.
Today, Echo Nest and the algorithms that Tristan and Brian have developed are
what makes Spotify such a great music discovery and streaming service.

Now let’s take a look at the full list of the metrics that can be tracked:

Acousticness: A confidence measure from 0.0 to 1.0 of whether the track is
acoustic. 1.0 represents high confidence the track is acoustic.

Danceability: how suitable a track is for dancing based on a combination of
musical elements including tempo, rhythm stability, beat strength, and overall
regularity. A value of 0.0 is least danceable and 1.0 is most danceable.

Duration: duration of the track in milliseconds

Energy: a measure from 0.0 to 1.0 and represents a perceptual measure of
intensity and activity. Typically, energetic tracks feel fast, loud, and noisy.
For example, death metal has high energy, while a Bach prelude scores low on the
scale. Perceptual features contributing to this attribute include dynamic range,
perceived loudness, timbre, onset rate, and general entropy.

Instrumentalness: Predicts whether a track contains no vocals. “Ooh” and “aah”
sounds are treated as instrumental in this context. Rap or spoken word tracks
are clearly “vocal”. The closer the instrumentalness value is to 1.0, the
greater likelihood the track contains no vocal content. Values above 0.5 are
intended to represent instrumental tracks, but confidence is higher as the value
approaches 1.0.

Key: The key the track is in. Integers map to pitches using standard Pitch Class
notation . E.g. 0 = C, 1 = C♯/D♭, 2 = D, and so on.

Liveness: Detects the presence of an audience in the recording. Higher liveness
values represent an increased probability that the track was performed live. A
value above 0.8 provides strong likelihood that the track is live.

Loudness: The overall loudness of a track in decibels (dB). Loudness values are
averaged across the entire track and are useful for comparing relative loudness
of tracks. Loudness is the quality of a sound that is the primary psychological
correlate of physical strength (amplitude). Values typical range between -60 and
0 db

Mode: Mode indicates the modality (major or minor) of a track, the type of scale
from which its melodic content is derived. Major is represented by 1 and minor
is 0.

Speechiness: detects the presence of spoken words in a track. The more
exclusively speech-like the recording (e.g. talk show, audio book, poetry), the
closer to 1.0 the attribute value. Values above 0.66 describe tracks that are
probably made entirely of spoken words. Values between 0.33 and 0.66 describe
tracks that may contain both music and speech, either in sections or layered,
including such cases as rap music. Values below 0.33 most likely represent music
and other non-speech-like tracks

Tempo: The overall estimated tempo of a track in beats per minute (BPM). In
musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece and derives
directly from the average beat duration.

Time signature: An estimated overall time signature of a track. The time
signature (meter) is a notational convention to specify how many beats are in
each bar (or measure).

Valence: A measure from 0.0 to 1.0 describing the musical positiveness conveyed
by a track. Tracks with high valence sound more positive (e.g. happy, cheerful,
euphoric), while tracks with low valence sound more negative (e.g. sad,
depressed, angry).

Here is the distribution of these metrics for the songs in my library (left)
compared to the entirety of Spotify’s database (right). For all graphs shown,
the distributions are largely similar suggesting my collection is representative
of Spotify’s library.

One can rank their playlist by each of these metrics to discover some of the
most extreme songs in their library.

Fastest song: The Way We Touch – WE ARE TWIN 218 bpm



Slowest Song: Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton 49 bpm



Most Acoustic: Avril 14th – Aphex Twin Acousticness: 0.996



Least Acoustic: So Tired – Hockey Dad Acousticness: 0.000001

Bottom ten were all similar Australian punk rock songs, maybe there is something
about that genre that results in a low acoustic rating.



I was curious at how well the liveliness metric held up and it turns out it does
just alright. In the top ten most “live” songs, 4 of them were actual live
recordings. The most live song was not a live recording, Momma Told Me –
EARTHGANG (0.989), but just beat out the second most live song Trenchtown Rock –
Live At The Lyceum, London/1975 – Bob Marley and the Wailers (0.97)



Fantastic live version btw

Valence was another intriguing metric to look at and see how it compared to my
own personal opinion. Here are the most “sad” songs in my collection.

SongArtistValenceSansevieria GreenHouse0.0193S.T.A.Y. Hans Zimmer0.0250Nite
RiteSTRFKR0.0290GravitySynthetic Epiphany0.0315MulticellularEnrico
Sangiuliano0.0327Beach 77B770.0352L$DA$AP Rocky0.0352Extreme Northern Lights
Majeure 0.0353The Finishing – Original Mix Stavroz 0.0363Annika’s Theme
MATRiXXMAN 0.0365



Most of these are just electronic ambient songs that I wouldn’t necessarily
agree stir up any negative emotions (with some exceptions, watch Interstellar to
get a good cry), rather, I would say they are devoid of emotion if that makes
sense.

On the contrary, I would agree that the top ten most positive songs do fit that
billing.

SongArtistValencePressure DropToots & The Maytals0.985What a Fool BelievesThe
Doobie Brothers0.985The Ghost InsideBroken Bells0.983O Sol (feat. Tita Lima)The
Echocentrics, Tita Lima0.981SeptemberEarth, Wind & Fire0.981Demon’s CaveRoy
Irwin0.981Two Extra Pumps Of BlissEnjoy0.979RydSteve Lacy0.979Twist and
ShoutChaka Demus & Pliers, Jack Radics, The Taxi Gang0.977Cocaine
BluesEscort0.976



Most Energetic:

Satisfaction – Benny Benassi Energy: 0.999



Least Energetic:

Clair de Lune, L. 32 – Claude Debussy,Martin Jones Energy: 0.00532





Danceability was another one of these higher order metrics which I was curious
if could hold up.

Top ten most danceable songs according to Spotify:

SongArtistDanceabilityPoor RelationsMr Twin Sister0.984FreelanceToro y
Moi0.975Gronlandic Editof Montreal0.971Turning AroundBreakbot0.966Shake
ThatEminem, Nate Dogg0.964One Night In Bangkok – Single Version Björn Ulvaeus,
Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, Murray0.962So High – Acoustic Version
Rebelution0.961Blow My High (Members Only) Kendrick Lamar0.959H.S.K.T. Sylvan
Esso0.959Island Girl Psychic Mirrors0.958





To my disappointment, the danceability metric performs just alright as well.
There are some catchy tunes in the top ten but there are also some WTF
instances, most notable being So High by Rebelution. Not a danceable song at
all. I was surprised that none of my songs that fall under the actual “dance”
genre (besides Toro y Moi) do not appear on the list. It seems like the indie
pop/dance genre has more danceability. according to Spotify.

Least Danceable Songs:


Paw PrintsTango In The Attic0.0883Clair de Lune, No. 3 Claude Debussy, Isao
Tomita0.0942VaruoSigur Ros0.12S.T.A.Y.Hans Zimmer0.12I ❤ U SOCassius0.1260Giant
TortoisePond0.1330When I’m With YouBest Coast0.1350109Toro y Moi0.1370Hey
Now!Oasis0.1400I Don’t Wanna DieJeff Rosenstock0.148





Toro y Moi shows up again, guy has so many different sounds and nails all of
them.







So there you have it. I hope you learned something today, I know I did while
writing this. Now that I am aware of these metrics, I hope to test out some of
my own data analysis chops and do some higher order analysis on them in the
future, so stay tuned for more!

strawnyg Uncategorized Leave a comment July 2, 2021 22 Minutes


THE RETURN

I am back from my sabbatical, where I was studying music theory and lyricism. It
was through an institution that is super undercover, so I’m not allowed to say
where these studies took place, nor am I able to put it on my resume. Just know
that I am now more educated in the realm of music. Some would say I should get
paid more for this gig but that is neither here nor there.

I’ve unearthed some good tunes! Tunes that would get a biologist out of his lab
coat and into some Burning Man attire, and get a lawyer’s nose out of the books
and into some hard drugs, such as Adderall (sustained!).

Here’s how this is gonna go: I’m going to rank my top 5 favorite songs in this
cohort of cadences, and then I will list 5 songs that would please on
microscopic level as well as in a court of law (should I stop trying? Yes. Will
I? Not sure.).

I encourage you guys to listen to the other’s recommended songs of course. I
will attach a playlist with all of these songs and more for you guys to check
out. Hope you are both doing well fellas


I want a poster of that

Not sold on the music video, lost some points for me tbh

I would also like a poster of that


Lol

I had to include this one, my favorite song of 2020

Top Picks for: Garrett







Top Picks for: Ryan



A music video!




The Playlist


nickmorganmusic Uncategorized Leave a comment March 26, 2021 2 Minutes


MY 2020 PLAYLIST

What up everybody

Just a bit late (3 months) but I think I can still say happy new year and cheers
to making it to 2021!!! We all know that 2020 sucked major balls for the
majority of us out there. However, some industries and livelihoods have been
more effected than others. Musicians have been hit especially hard, specifically
some of these lesser known artists that rely on small gigs to make ends meet.
With that in mind, I present my long anticipated 2020 end of year playlist. I
have been wanting to do a version of this playlist ever since Ryan and I first
thought about blogging so I am excited that I finally found a way to make it
work.

The idea for this playlist was to highlight some lesser known artists out there
that made some bangers in 2020 and are on the path to superstardom. In the
playlist, you can find one song from the artist’s 2020 discography and one song
from an earlier piece of work (or current if they are new) that also showcases
their sweet sweet sound. With an eye on the future, as things start to open up
and shows resume, keep an eye out for any artists that strike your fancy. If you
are lucky enough to have them stop in your city, show them some love and support
and go see them do their thing. As you get groovy and boogie your butt off,
remember to be appreciative of where you are and never take anything for
granted!

To keep things easy for you fellas out there, I have made a mini list of 10
artists whose music from this past year I am especially fond of. Check these out
first and then take a good long listen through the rest! Hope you enjoy!

1. Ivy Sole



Heavy – Southpaw EP, 2020


A track and artist that I really wanted to put first. This song about a breakup
has some haunting lyrics that sums up the feelings of 2020 pretty damn well.
Certified banger.

All Mine (Eden, 2016)



2. Peach Fur



Preloved – Awake EP, 2020


Favorite song of 2020, excited to see if this band makes it over to North
America anytime soon

Funkn Oath (Awake)



3. Kowloon

Yet to release an EP or album, watch out for when he does

Come Over (Single, 2020)



Wake Up (Single, 2020)



4. Scribz Riley

A Grammy winning producer out of London so not technically unknown but his debut
solo work is not getting the plays it deserves.

Introduce Myself – Wish Me Luck, 2020



Eastside (Wish Me Luck)



5. Small Forward

Their self-titled album is definitely worth a listen through, another band I
hope to catch in the future

Most of You – Small Forward, 2020



Out of Luck (Small Forward)



6. Babeheaven



November – Home for Now, 2020



Seabird (Single, 2019)



7. Sault

Interestingly, this band has never appeared publicly and no one is sure who is
actually behind the SAULT name

Wildfires – Untitled (Black Is), 2020



Why Why Why Why Why – (5, 2019)



8. Q

Big fan of this guy, surprised the name Q wasn’t taken already

Take Me Where Your Heart Is – The Shaving Experiment EP, 2020



Lavender – (Forest Green 2019)



9. Surfliner

With their easy going surf rock, I find it really hard to believe this gang is
from Massachusetts

Vertigo – Single, 2020



Surfliner – (Kiska, 2019)



10. Astro Heart

Indie Folk for the soul

Dear – Pen Pals, 2020



Astro Heart (Pen Pals)



Here is the full playlist with the above artists included. Enjoy!


Click on the link for the full playlist



strawnyg Uncategorized Leave a comment March 15, 2021March 15, 2021 3 Minutes


THE 2020 RECAP

As we’ve all trudged through 2020, slogging through each subsequent
contradiction to “at least it can’t get any worse,” I know there has been a
light at the tunnel keeping everyone going: my famous year-end recap!

Here is the second installment of my annual playlist, the best 50 songs by 50
different artists that I’ve heard this year, highly curated for public
consumption. Not ranked or in any particular order.



New Artists to Look Out For

This year I’d like to highlight some freshman faces to the scene. So get out
your poncho, you’re in the splash zone and these artists are going make a big
one!

Sam Himself

Sam Himself is a Swiss artist that blends a baritone voice having the emotional
gravitas of Matt Berninger with the new wave, atmospheric sound of The War on
Drugs. The result is personal, cinematic music ready for a coming-of-age
montage. Here’s him in drag in an awesome video.



Aaron Frazer

It is a little more dubious to include Frazer as a new musician, as he has sang
and performed drums for Durand Jones and the Indications. However, this year he
has released his first real foray into solo music this year (beyond the odd
singles in 2017). The end result is an easily danceable jazzy blue-eyed soul
sung with a smooth falsetto.



Feng Suave

A Dutch male duo (What ever happened to male duo pop groups?) consisting of
Daniel De Jong and Daniel Elvis Schoemaker, the double-Dans make beachy stoner
soul that is just audio catharsis. Yet to send out a full album, their most
recent 2020 EP is like riding down a lazy river with nowhere else to be.



Albums of the Year

1
 * 2
 * 3
 * 4
 * 5
 * 6
 * 7
 * 8
 * 9
 * 10

 1.  The Strokes – The New Abnormal
     After a seven year hiatus, The Strokes have returned. Produced by Rick
     Rubin, The Strokes have made their best since Room on Fire in 2003. They
     honed the new wave influences that were explored in Angles and Comedown
     Machine and melded it with the tried and true post-punk of their peak. It’s
     Casablancas’ best singing performance, coming out of his typical
     understated croon with emotional balladeering and use of a falsetto. The
     album mixes the angst of garage or punk with the pop sensibility of 80’s
     synth hits, maybe no more evident than “Eternal Summer” which sounds like
     Phoenix covered Pink Floyd’s The Wall. The homages to the 80’s are
     intentional and acknowledged in the lyrics (“Oh the 80’s bands, where did
     they go?” and “The Rubik’s Cube isn’t solving for us”). The
     period-piece-ness is most obvious with “Bad Decisions,” their obligatory
     radio-hit, that is really fun and enjoyable despite being clearly
     derivative of The Cure and Generation X (they gave Billy Idol writing
     credit on the song).
     Favorite Track: Why Are Sundays So Depressing
 2.  Adrienne Lenker – songs
     The lead singer of Big Thief goes solo again. A stripped down, acoustic,
     archetypal singer-songwriter album, with such few tools it’s difficult to
     differentiate yourself. Lenker’s candid and afflicting lyricism is sung
     with a melodic ease akin to Nick Drake’s Pink Moon that makes the heavy
     themes go down smooth. The album is uniquely emotionally powerful and
     calming at the same time.
     Favorite Track: zombie girl
 3.  Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open
     Will Toledo’s frenetic, low-fi indie rock gets a polished revamp. While
     Toledo’s vulnerable, angsty lyricism may be better fitted to his previous
     work that leans towards punk or post-punk, he still has his feverish rock
     anthems with the more slickly produced “Martin” or “Deadlines (Hostile).”
     Also in the album are synth tracks, however they still have the CSH’s
     trademark sound that dramatically swells and crescendos (“Life Worth
     Missing”).
     Favorite Track: Deadlines (Hostile)
 4.  The Undercover Dream Lovers – It’s All In Your Head
     The brainchild of Matt Koenig, UDL makes shimmery synth pop that is like
     Tame Impala with some extra dopamine. Koenig’s slick falsetto hovers over
     funky arrangements that, true to his moniker, have atmospheric, dreamy haze
     while being extremely danceable.
     Favorite Track: You Don’t Have to be Lonely
 5.  Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison
     The front man of The National gives us his first solo album, and it’s about
     what you’d expect. It doesn’t stray much from the general mood or style of
     his band, though the beautiful arrangements are more minimalist and
     accentuate Berninger’s distinctive, middle-aged ennui baritone. This
     emphasis highlights Berninger’s sometimes esoteric lyricism, and sentiments
     that lean in on Morrisey-level self-pity (“Its so hard to be loved so
     little.”) But sometimes those vibes just hit the spot.
     Favorite Track: All For Nothing
 6.  Fenne Lily – BREACH
     BREACH is an album that is a great example of the vogue Gen-Z, emotionally
     intelligent indie rock via Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief. The album
     switches between slow-burn, heart-on-sleeve tracks (“Berlin” and “Somebody
     Elses Trees”) and angstier rock tracks (“Alapathy” and “Solipsism”) that
     are all erudite, vulnerable, and compelling.
     Favorite Track: I, Nietzsche
 7.  The Nude Party – Midnight Manor
     The Nude Party, like their name suggests, is a tongue-in-cheek group that
     produces fun, careless sleaze rock that has influences of the Rolling
     Stones and The Velvet Underground. While sometimes leaning towards the
     blues or to country , the whole album rocks and is simply a lot of fun, fit
     for a dive bar jukebox dance on top of the pool table.
     Favorite Track: Nashville Record Co.
 8.  Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
     With Kevin Parker, you can always expect a meticulously crafted album. The
     Slow Rush is no different, as Parker actually remixed “Borderline” after
     its initial single release for the album to make the bass more prominent,
     evincing him a perfectionist. While lacking the consistency of “Currents,”
     Parker’s lush arrangements are a great time whether they’re club-ready
     radio hits (“Borderline” and “Is It True”) or smoldering slow-builders
     (“Instant Destiny” and “On Track”) as all tracks are the passionate synth
     that Tame Impala has made its name by.
     Favorite Track: Borderline
 9.  Muzz – Muzz
     A supergroup including Paul Banks of Interpol and Josh Kaufman of the
     National, Muzz creates Radiohead-esque, shoegaze-y alt rock. Banks
     melancholily drones over moody, atmospheric arrangements that are beautiful
     in a jading way.
     Favorite Track: Everything Like It Used to Be
 10. Bahamas – Sad Hunk
     Afie Jurvanen, or Bahamas, doesn’t stray too far from his tropical
     feel-good vibes with his latest work. Probably his grooviest contribution
     to date, he channels John Mayer to provide slick guitar riffs with smooth,
     breathy vocals for a catchy, easy-listening experience. What makes this
     album especially good is Jurvanen’s intimate lyricism, baring his
     insecurities and self-failings in a reflective personal commentary.
     Favorite Track: Done Did Me No Good

Honorable Mentions

 * 
 * 

Colter Wall – Western Swing and Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs
Charley Crockett – Welcome to Hard Times
For some reason I felt loathe to include country music into the rankings, maybe
because many fans of the 1-10 albums would be country adverse. However, these
two albums are fresh but nostalgic country albums that starkly contrast from
what’s on the radio. I love outlaw country, and both these artists are modern
cowboys that elicit imagery of the wild west with charming storytelling and
folksy but poignant lyricism to jaunty instrumentation of 60’s and 70’s country.
Favorite Tracks: Big Iron, Heads You Win




schaeferry Uncategorized Leave a comment December 19, 2020December 21, 2020 5
Minutes


FINALLY, A POST

Hello all, after much anticipation, I am here to provide my first contribution
to the website. Was it writers block, lack of free-flowing ideas, or a tingling
of anxiety that influenced this long wait you may ask? Well, I don’t know, I’m
not a doctor. I’m just a dude that likes hearing new artists and songs and
spreading the news to all of my loved ones. Here are 5 songs to start off. I
hope you enjoy.



Pop therapy by Video Age
This song already holds a dear place despite being in my music library for a
little more than six months. The infectious rhythm of Pop Therapy is apparent
immediately, with head-bobbing/foot-stomping synthesizer notes right off the
bat, it’s difficult to not be entranced by Video Age’s second highest played
song on Spotify. The first lyrics of the song are “When you broke my heart
tonight…”, communicating a fresh wound to the listeners, which triggers a sense
of empathy from the listener. However, the upbeat sounds of the song make it
hard to remember that the singer is talking about heartbreak. In the lead up to
the first chorus, Video Age disappointingly sings, “So I look at the man in the
mirror, and I’m not who I thought that I was” emphasizing his diminishing sense
of confidence

Now I don’t want to go line-by-line analysis of the song just yet, I’ll save
that for when I’m hired by Genius. To summarize the second verse, the
heartbroken singer turns his mood around and is the “talk of the town” in his
eyes. He seems to admit defeat in being the master of his own fate and to enjoy
the ride of life instead. Not a bad way to bounce back from a broken heart.

Although the entire song is upbeat if it were stripped of the lyrics, the outro
takes the jovial feeling to another level, signifying a state of bliss that the
singer is now enjoying.

Peach dream by Sniffle Party
Once you press play on this record, you will feel as if you’re at their concert
and you accidentally sipped your friends Molly water. I won’t analyze the lyrics
so much on Sniffle Party’s most frequently played song on Spotify, but the song
would fit right into a movie centered on teenage angst/coming of age storyline.

Sniffle Party haven’t released anything on Spotify in 3 and a half years,
blocking me from increasing my library of music from the duet of Serena Wagner
and Eric Christenson. Peach dream ends as abruptly as it starts, perhaps a
metaphor of peach dreams themselves.

Sniffle Party if you are reading this, I beg you release some new good-good.

Way you walk by Blaise Eldred
Similar ~vibes~ to Pop Therapy, Way you Walk gets started on the front foot with
groovy guitar rifts and once Blaise Eldred’s voice gets involved, you are
magnetically attracted to this gem.

The album cover is a masterpiece in itself, with what seems like a camera
flashing or a light being shown in one’s eyes, with ‘Sex Pop’ written in what
looks like a Microsoft paint production.

Around the 3:40 mark, Way you Walk is stripped of the vocals and for the rest of
the song, you should just close your eyes and imagine yourself in a happy place.

Guilty conscience by 070 Shake (Tame Impala Remix)
The original version of this song by 070 shake is great, but doesn’t quite hit
the same as the Tame Impala remix. Of course that is my opinion and you can
check out both versions to make your own mind up.

070 Shake has such an intriguing voice that if there’s any rhythm in whatever
song she features on, it’s going to be a song difficult to pass up on. After
hearing her feature on Kanye’s album, I knew I had to keep up with her growing
discography.

I’m a sucker for songs that build up from a mysterious beginning where you don’t
know what kind of song to expect, to a series of climaxes. This song in
particular makes me feel like I am blasting off into space with 070 Shake’s
voice and the drums working as the engine, I’m merely the passenger.

As I just mentioned the drums, Tame Impala knows how to make hits. The explosion
of drums at the 2:53 mark showcases when the song begins its descent is a little
detail that I am thrilled they included into the track.

The story of the song is a deep-cutting dynamic of a tumultuous relationship
that has unfortunately resorted to petty cheating. The point of view is from the
original cheater, who is disappointed in her poor judgement and is suffering
from a *guilty conscience*. Once she finds out that her partner is doing the
same to her, she no longer feels the guilt that was previously plaguing her.

In conclusion, this song perfectly embodies the reality of a guilty conscience.
A chaotic set of background noises with desperate, pleading vocals, with a calm
resolution to cap it off. This song is good. Very good.

Only to Live in Your Memories by Night Moves
I’ve been thinking about saying this for a long time and I’m worried about the
backlash from all of the major news outlets but I’ve summoned up the courage to
say it today. Okay here it is:

Night Moves sounds like U2.

Maybe not this song, but if you listen to Carl Sagan by Night Moves, it’s a good
shout I think. Hopefully I don’t have a horde of white fathers breaking into my
house for that comparison but dammit I said it.

The rugged voice with the introspective tone and guitar, Night Moves is a and to
keep an eye on. Not to mention their cool album art on their Pennied Days
record. An artist to keep your eye on.



Thank you for reading!

nickmorganmusic Uncategorized Leave a comment December 2, 2020December 2, 2020 4
Minutes


COUNTRY FOR THE NON-BELIEVER

Howdy, Pardners. Greetings from Music City, The City That Never Sleeps, The Big
Apple, The Windy City… Nashville, Tennessee. That’s right, I stuck the stirrups
in and giddy up’d all the way to the sonic south. And to indoctrinate my first
post as a resident of the country capital of the world, I figured I might make
an effort to show some southern hospitality to a genre I’ve long neglected:
country.

You may be skeptical! You might be like I once was, shirking country all
together because I had only ever known pop songs thinly veiled with exaggerated
drawls and sleeveless flannels as the anthems of conservative America . You may
be shuddering at the songs that soundtrack commercials of Ford F-150 or play to
slow motion Clydesdales pulling Budweiser. You may think of the genre as rich
celebrities pandering to blue collar sensibilities by recycling tropes of
alcoholism, barn hoedowns, idolatry of country, and an over-enthusiastic
romanticism of the “good ole days.”

There’s some of that.

However, I’m here to make the case that there is something for everyone in
there, if you know where to look. So in an effort to make a case for the genre
to every disposition, I’ve compiled a playlist of songs that may appeal to those
that didn’t find what they were looking for on the radio.

In promoting the genre to those resistant, I’ve included two categories: First,
I’ve included some of the established icons of the genre. If you don’t find
Cash, Prine, and Van Zandt to your fancy, then you might want to forsake the
genre completely. The rest of the list is what I would categorize as
“alternative country.” These are songs that are country, but will incorporate
some other genres that you know and love (folk, blues, rock, soul) to ease your
transition into country-dom.

Yee haw and godspeed,

Ryan





schaeferry Uncategorized Leave a comment November 19, 2020 1 Minute

Changing of Seasons (Part 2 of 2)

Hello again and happy autumn! Today is the first day of the fall season and to
commemorate the occasion, I thought there would be no better way to celebrate
than by making a blog post! This post is extra special as it is the much
anticipated second part to my previous Quarantine Jams post (see below).
Originally, I had the idea of making a playlist that touched on the highs and
lows of higher education (see Campus – Vampire Weekend) as I have recently
decided to get educated myself. However, this proved both difficult and boring
so I scrapped that idea. My apologies if you were one of the few who read this
and could not function until you saw that playlist. In the process of coming up
with an alternate post, it struck me that I should try something besides a
playlist! So to put this thinking into action and celebrate the changing of the
seasons, I have somewhat cornily assembled a small, elite ranking of the artists
that are guaranteed to get you in the mood. The mood for trudging your way
through seas of orange and red leaves and visiting your nearest pumpkin patch
only to get your appropriately colored tan cashmere sweater dirty with mud. As
always, enjoy!


HONORABLE MENTION:

The Head and the Heart


Subpop may just be a theme in this post

Gregory Alan Isakov



Ray LaMontagne



Kishi Bashi



Death Cab for Cutie



Wild Child


This video is not what I expected

Bahamas



The Shins



Caamp


Artist to watch

Rainbow Kitten Suprise



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3. BON IVER

We kick off our rankings with the one and only Bon Iver, fronted by
singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. I am gonna assume that almost everyone reading
this knows who Bon Iver is so I will spare you from all the details of his past.
However I do think it is important to point out the background for his first
album, For Emma, Forever Ago as it is pretty legendary. Prior to the recording
of this album, Justin was having a rough time at things. He was diseased and
sick, possibly due to complications from excessive drinking, recently broke up
with girlfriend at the time (Emma? No, Christie.), and did not have any future
plans to make music. Feeling discouraged, it is said Justin packed up everything
he owned and drove through the night strait to his hometown of Eu Claire,
Wisconsin. He then traveled even further, eventually settling at his father’s
hunting cabin isolated in the Wisconsin woods. Arriving at the dawn of winter in
November, Justin has said that he spent the first three weeks just drinking and
watching tv. During his time at the cabin, which lasted until February, Justin
hunted his own food, and went into the local town to trade venison for money.
After a couple weeks, he began to feel some sort of motivation and started off
on crafting the tracks that would eventually make up his first album. I think
this background is pretty essential to keep in mind when listening to the album.
It is a lonely dark album, but it is also a genuine work of art.



Like I said, there are some incredible tracks in this album, the highlight of
which is probably Bon Iver’s most famous song, Skinny Love. I can only imagine
there is a bunch of anger and sadness in that song directed at his breakup. The
other two aren’t bad either. This remains, for me, the best of Bon Iver so it is
worth your time to stick around here for awhile. Nothing really does compare to
For Emma, Forever Ago.



Here we see a glimpse of Bon Iver’s future, ditching the low fi sound of For
Emma, Forever Ago in favor of grand multi-layered productions. Indeed, after the
release of his first album, Justin began getting attention from artists across
the musical spectrum. Most notable of those was Kanye West who invited Justin to
collaborate and aid in the production of his universally acclaimed album My
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This thrust Justin’s name even more into the
spotlight and he continues to work as a producer for various other artists
including future Kayne collaborations.




Bon Iver’s second album, Bon Iver, is the album that really cemented the band as
a name in the music industry. The album produced a total of four nominations at
the 2012 Grammys, with the lead single, Holocene, being nominated for both
Record and Song of the Year, and the album as a whole being nominated for and
winning Best Alternative album. The band also picked up the Best New Artist
award. Not bad at all for the second go at things.



Unfortunately, our time with Bon Iver ends at their third album. As hinted
before, both Justin and the band, decided to change the sound of the band after
the 3 year hiatus they took following the second album. What emerged from that
was a vastly different Iron and Wine, favoring a more electronic and
experimental sound. This can be seen in the one track I enjoy from this album,
22 (OVER Soon). From my brief personal experience, (I saw Bon Iver once at a
music festival), I think the band favors their new music more than their more
famous and well received earlier work so more power to them. I will say however
that even if the sound changed, the emotional underpinnings that made the band
famous in the first place still remain. So maybe the later albums are worth a
listen if that is what you’re looking for.

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2. IRON AND WINE

The man himself, Samuel Beam. Surprised he is not number one? Me too. Iron and
Wine has been adorning our lives with his music since the release of his first
studio album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, in 2002 through Subpop records (hint,
hint: this Seattle based record label also gave the number one ranked group on
this list their start). My first experience with Iron and Wine I am ashamed to
say was the inclusion of their hit song “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” in the
original Twilight movie during Bella and Edward’s first dance at prom. Watch
below if you dare.


This is peak cringe.

Actually, I take that back, in reality I love those movies and I live for ABC’s
Twilight weekends, the perfect fall activity. Back to the music. Iron and Wine
has, to date, released a total of six studio albums, all very well received, as
well as a handful of EPs and singles. He has done numerous collaborations with
other artists and has been a staple in the indie folk scene for some time now.
He got his start in music later than normal, completing an undergraduate degree
and getting a job as a filmography professor before recording his first album. A
native of small town South Carolina and currently residing in the foothills of
North Carolina, Iron and Wine often draws inspiration from his Appalachian roots
in his music, the banjo and harmonica appearing throughout his discography. You
probably have come across Iron and Wine tracks before and/or know who this guy
is so enough of that, let’s hear some music. As his discography is huge, I won’t
go through each album, instead handpicking tracks which I think are essential
listening or are hidden gems. To start:




The triple threat trio right from the start.

All three of these tracks come from Iron and Wine’s first studio album, The
Creek Drank the Cradle. As none of these appear on Iron and Wine’s top 10 tracks
on Spotify, I have designated them as hidden gems/essential listening. These are
the tracks that got me into Iron and Wine originally and they perfectly
demonstrate what makes his sound so appealing. Starting with Faded from the
Winter, the plucked (I’m gonna say) banjo riff that ends the song is magical.
Promising Light is none the lesser, again showing off Sam’s relaxing vocals.
Upward Over the Mountain, which touches on the relationship between mothers and
their son, will make you cry depending on your current emotional state. It
really hammers home the sound of early Iron and Wine releases.



Another track which highlights the sound of early Iron and Wine, I’ve classified
this as essential listening. Interestingly, the opening guitar sounds extremely
similar to the guitar in the more popular track, Naked as We Came. There is
probably a relation there, seems like the Each Coming Night guitar is just
slowed down, but I do not know enough music theory to say anything substantial.
Carry on.



To kick off his rocking third studio album, Iron and Wine goes for a slightly
different sound from his previous two releases and it’s awesome. The added
percussion and bass are an appreciated touch which drives this track forward and
give it some substance. Overall, this entire album is worth a listen through as
it highlights the versatility of Iron and Wine’s sound.




Cover time

Although not his own songs and not released on any official studio album, I do
love Iron and Wine’s various covers he has recorded through the years. These
three are my favorites, with his cover of the Postal Service’s Such Great
Heights coming close. Coincidently, all three cover acts from the 80s, Love
Vigilantes-New Order, This Must Be The Place-The Talking Heads, and Time After
Time-Cyndi Lauper. He must really like the 80s. Theses tracks are easy listening
at it’s best and are a nice return to the simplicity of Iron and Wine’s earlier
work.




I wanted to end with these tracks as I think it really is a nice homage to the
evolution of Iron and Wine’s sound through the year. I am not particularly fond
of his fourth and fifth albums, and I think this sixth album really returns to
what makes Iron and Wine great but with a slight twist. He brings back the
pleasant guitar strumming and mellow vocals we all know and love but has gotten
rid of the stripped down, lo-fi production from his earlier work resulting in a
matured sound. And we are all the better for it.

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Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the post so far and are eager to continue on. If not,
that’s okay, you’ve already clicked on the post so that’s enough for me. So
without further ado, I give you the number one ranked artist:

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1. FLEET FOXES

For me, the quintessential autumn band. Come every October, my Spotify is filled
with wonderful tunes from this Pacific Northwest based band. Personal memories
of runs through dense fall foliage have the folky sound of Fleet Foxes playing
in the background. The band name Fleet Foxes just sounds like something fall
related. In actuality, lead singer and band founder Robin Pecknold chose the
name as it was “evocative of some weird English activity like fox hunting”. It
works for me.

Inspiration for the name Fleet Foxes

The band’s two earliest members, Robin Pecknold and Skyler Skjelset, met while
attending high school in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland. They quickly became
friends over their shared taste in music and began playing music together. As
time went on, the two added three other members to the band and began officially
going by Fleet Foxes in early 2006. To date, actually as of literally today,
they have released four studio albums, each one to universal acclaim. Their
second studio album, Helplessness Blues, went on to receive a Grammy nomination
for Best Folk Album at the 2012 Grammy’s, ultimately losing out to the Civil
Wars first studio album Barton Hollow. Let’s take a look at the numerous
highlights from their illustrious discography.



Fleet Foxes, June 2008

After two EPs which garnered the band both local and international recognition,
the Fleet Foxes came onto the indie folk music scene with the release of their
self titled debut album in the summer of 2008. I’ve always enjoyed the album art
for this album as at first glance it seems like a normal painting depicting your
very typical medieval village. Take a closer look, and the scene is senseless.
The real life painting from which the album art is derived is supposed to be an
expression of various Dutch proverbs and idioms from the 15th century so there
appears to be actual meaning behind the madness. Nonetheless, the music is what
we are here for. If I could link every single track from this album, I would,
but that would make for a very long blog post so I’ll do my best to pick and
choose. I strongly recommend giving the album a full listen through, especially
on a lazy rainy day, you won’t be the same!


The first song I ever heard from this band and perhaps their most well known.
Melodic vocals and tambourines, it does not get much better.

A stripped down acoustic performance by Robin Pecknold. A song about murder and
death (I think ?), I’ve always wondered if the Seattle local chose the name
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song in reference to Tiger Mountain in Issaquah,
Washington where the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy buried some of his
victims. Spooky.

One of the less popular tracks from the album but one of my personal favorites.
Humorous observation, Robin did not change jackets from the last performance to
the filming of this music video, looks like he is going for the smelly, haven’t
showered in weeks look.


Helplessness Blues, May 2011

Just as good as the first one. Yes. Better than the first one? Possibly. After
extensive touring to promote the release of their first album, the band
eventually settled down in New York to record their sophomore effort. Some
changes were made to the lineup between this album and the last, with the
addition of a new bass player who doubles as the woodwind instrumentalist. At
this time the band’s drummer, John Tillman, better known as Father John Misty,
was also beginning to break out and put attention on more solo pursuits, putting
strain on the band and the recording process. Despite the internal strife, the
band pulled through and produced their highest charting album to date. Some
interesting tidbits I found while doing some research, the band wanted a less
poppy, more imperfect sound for this album, so supposedly, all the tracks’
vocals were recorded in one take, taking inspiration from the Van Morrison album
Astral Weeks. Also to note, the attention that lead singer, Robin Pecknold, had
to give to making this album led his then girlfriend to break up with him.
However, after hearing the finished product, she decided to get back together
with the lead singer! To be a musician…


A live performance from 2011 just after the release of the album, really enjoy
the lyrics in this one as well as the images they evoke.

An enjoyable light and whimsical tune. The harmonious vocals are again a major
appeal, as well as the rough twangy sounding violin? fiddle? that appears here
and there throughout the track.

The title track deals with the transition from childhood to adulthood and trying
to find one’s place in this crazy world. The lyrics are especially poignant and
contain some of my personal favorite lines from all the work Fleet Floxes has
ever done. To list a couple:
“If I know only one thing, it’s that everything that I see
Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak”
“If I had an orchard, I’d work ’til I’m sore
And you would wait tables and soon run the store
Gold hair in the sunlight, my light in the dawn
If I had an orchard, I’d work ’til I’m sore”



Crack Up, June 2017

After the release and touring of Helplessness Blues and their drummer, John
Tillman, leaving, the band took a three year hiatus. During this time major
changes occurred, both to the band and its members. Lead singer, Robin Pecknold,
decided to get educated himself and moved to NYC to start his undergraduate
degree at Columbia. He states that he was inspired to go to college by meeting
interesting people outside his musical bubble that shared their unique
perspectives. This experience was very illuminating for him in which he was able
to develop an idea of where he wanted to take the Fleet Foxes sound. During this
time, the band also changed labels, transitioning to Nonesuch Records. For me,
this album definitely drifts away from the medieval and organic sound than the
Fleet Foxes from the previous two projects. I believe there is more emphasis on
production with the tracks coming off as more well produced I guess. Ever
present is the harmonious vocals we’ve grown to love through our time with the
band, so do not fret, the old Fleet Foxes are still there.


The longest Fleet Foxes track I’ve come across this double whammy starts off the
third album with a rollercoaster of intensity and emotion. As mentioned before,
this more put together sound was a nice break from the endless folk tracks in
the previous albums. Robin really shows off his vocals on this one, which is
always a treat.

One of my personal favorites, this mellow track just sounds nice. I am unsure of
the meaning behind the lyrics, but I do know, if you need to, you can keep time
on me.

Another personal favorite, this song highlights the production I’ve been
mentioning that has become a signature of later Fleet Foxes releases.
Specifically, the transition at 2:05 from the stripped down, mellow sound to the
grooving and rhythmic later portion.


Shore, September 2020

Which brings us to the current album of interest, Shore. I’ve only done a once
through on this album and my consensus is still not made up so I’ve decided that
it is now you, the reader, who gets to say something. Give the album a listen
and comment at the end of this post your thoughts on the album or any tracks you
particularly enjoyed. Go on don’t be shy!

.

.

.

So that’s it. Hopefully this post has been halfway enjoyable and has inspired
you to get into the mood of the season and listen to some of your own favorite
autumn artists. Go out there, jump in the leaves, put on your sweaters, harvest
that corn, enjoy all this wonderful season has to offer. Bye for now.

strawnyg Garrett Leave a comment September 24, 2020September 24, 2020 13 Minutes


QUARANTINE JAMS (PART 1 OF 2)

First off, apologies for the extended period of time between blog posts! With
the world grinding to a halt in March, I’ve just been to busy sitting at home
and staring at my phone these past 5 months to come up with a post! Jokes aside,
the loyal contributors to this blog, Ryan and myself, have both recently made
courageous, fiery and stupid? (TBD) leaps into the depths of graduate education
in our respective fields amidst the chaos that is the global pandemic. Without
giving too much away for the sake of personal privacy, Ryan has packed up and
moved cross country, primarily to attend a storied institution of law, but also
equally important, to engage in the local custom that is hoeing down in your
cowboy boots every Friday night (expect more country to be showing up in his
posts). I myself meanwhile, have haphazardly and carelessly thrown everything I
own into my four door sedan and moved myself a mere hour north to the other side
of a lowland river delta. Just so happens that I also crossed international
boundaries and find myself in a large, vibrant new city that more or less shares
the same culture I’ve lived in the past 15 years. To commemorate both our
academic endeavors and the federally mandated 14 day quarantine I currently am
experiencing, I have come up with a two part playlist set that will hopefully
prevent you from both, banging your head against a wall from boredom and banging
your head into a textbook from mental fatigue! Such fantastic times we live in!
As always, happy listening.






strawnyg Uncategorized Leave a comment September 1, 2020September 1, 2020 1
Minute


SONGS OF SUMMER 2020

My phone’s been ringing, my inbox has been flooded, my mailbox is stuffed, and
my DMs are like a slip n’ slide. What’s going on? After the wild success of last
summer’s playlist, the people are out in droves demanding the second annual
installment.

I am no one to deny the people what they want, and have conjured up almost two
hours of sunny songs that pair nicely with vitamin D. This year, I’ve made a
cocktail that’s equal parts new releases and older favorites of mine (it’s goes
down smooth).

So here’s that.


schaeferry Uncategorized Leave a comment June 22, 2020 1 Minute


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