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Headed West
I am spending this spring semester in Los Angeles California, taking a few classes and interning at an amazing company called Chop Shop Music Supervision. We are on our second week now and for class tomorrow we had a homework assignment to complete a playlist of songs that depict our thoughts on spending this semester in California working in the music industry. These songs are supposed to demonstrate our personal hopes, fears, and aspirations all relating to this incredible trip out west. Through the process of making this playlist I went through various different emotions.
First, I began with the obvious: Best Coast. I mean COMMMEEEE OOOONNNN! How do you expect me to do a project like this and not include this band ?? I honestly had to hold back and it pained me to only include one song. Then there are a few of the originals on there like The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas, The Beatles. I threw in some fun 80’s tunes with Donna Summer and Animotion, then used Jack White and Cat Stevens to express my exposed naiveté to my new situation. Finally I ended it with some ego boosting rap, and in the words of the great Santigold…
Look at these pros.
Look at these clothes
Look at this dough.
Look at this go, looking evil.
Look at me, then look at these hoes.
These bitched ain’t fuckin’ with me, killa!!!
Playlist: West
- The Momas & The Papas – California Dreamin’
- Best Coast – The Only Place
- The Beatles – I’ll Follow The Sun
- Group Love – Naked Kids
- The Beach Boys – Surfin’ USA
- Best Coast – When The Sun Don’t Shine
- The Raveonettes – She Owns the Streets
- Ramones – California Sun
- Animotion – Obsession
- Donna Summer – She Works Hard For The Money
- Jack White – I’m Shakin’
- Cat Stevens – Wild World
- Angel Haze – Werkin’ Girls
- Chris Brown – Look At Me Now
- Santigold – Look At These Hoes
- Wiz Khalifa – Work Hard, Play Hard
So there ya go. Check it out on the Track:Unknown Spotify playlists (Spelled without the : because Spotify said no). Enjoy.
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Covers
Artist: Dum Dum Girls
Song: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
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Everyone does covers. Anyone can chose a fimilar song and copy it, it’s how most learn how to play instruments. It takes a certain artist to do it right, and this ocures only once in a million. This specific song struck me during a Spotify radio session.
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∆Riding the Wave∆
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Artist: Alt-J
Song: Fitzpleasure
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Are you reading this on a Mac? Look down to your keyboard, hold down the option/alt key and type the letter J. Voila, Alt-J! These guys are not just some ∆∆Hipsters∆∆ with out a cause, that little triangle has a more in depth meaning for the band. According to their biography, guitarist/bassist, Gwil Sainsbury, stated that “in mathematical equations it’s used to show change,” and the members of Alt-J knew they had something great that would alter their lives for good when they released their debut album, An Awesome Wave.
Although the album, An Awesome Wave, is said to successfully cover various genres, the band holds a coheisive unique sound that sands out as their own through the album’s 14 songs. Singer, Joe Newman’s voice is just about as one of a kind as it gets. Sung in any other style, it could be considered painfully annoying, but it is just right when paired with the other eclectic sounds of Alt-J’s members.
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#tbt
Artist: Nick Drake
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Legendary musician, Nick Drake, lead an incredibly talented and short lived life. He was unknown for his songwriting craft during his career lasting from his first album release in 1969, Five Leaves Left, to 1972’s Pink Moon, however his music survived him. It is not right for a human being to be trapped on this earth with so much genius and expertise, holding a desire to create delicate, captivating, art that was so strong it could produce a fire. When the reception of his work becoming ever increasingly quiet and as removed as he was, it drove him down the gaping, black, rabbit hole of depression of which he never made his way back out. Drake died in 1974 of an arguable tragic accident or through his an act of his own choosing.
Drake’s music was like a good wine, growing stronger with age. In the 80’s many musicians came out saying they held the musical creations of Nick Drake close as inspirations to their own art. In 1999 sales of Drake’s song “Pink Moon” skyrocketed as a direct effect from a Volkswagen commercial. Next, cue the 2000’s and even more artists are listing Nick Drake as a influence on their band’s Myspace page. Then in 2004, Zach Braff, released a compilation of songs as the soundtrack to the movie, Garden State, including Drake’s song, “One Of These Thing’s First.” The album went on to gain award worthy attention and took home a Grammy.
Volkswagen Cabrio Commercial featuring Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”
Nick Drake “One Of These Things First”
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Synths Galore
Artist: Bear In Heaven
Song: Sinful Nature
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Bear In Heaven’s 2012 album release was received with mixed reviews, however, with a first glimpse of I Love You, It’s Cool songs, “Sinful Nature” and “The Reflection Of You” I developed a strong love. “Sinful Nature” begins with a sound mirroring Neon Indian and then brings on the synth-ambiance true to Bear In Heaven’s style. The lyrical parts of the song sound just far enough away to not to have a major hold on the listener but instead form more of a complete piece of art in the way they blend into the other characteristics of the song.
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Alter Ego
Artist: Angel Haze
Song: New York
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It’s as true as a mathematical equation; a haunted rebellious past, turns out a talented driven young raper. Angel Haze lived through a military family, a cult, various rapes and sexual abuse. She has been known to say that her Angel Haze personality gives her the chance to speak out, throwing daggers through her lyrics when raping about her misfortunes. Angel is showing great promise and range in her debut album rumored to include collaborations with Jason Mraz and Bassnectar. In her song “New York” Angel shows off her talent with an I don’t give a fuck bad ass attitude. It may be a little ambitious when she says, “I run New York” seeing as she hasn’t been on the scene long, but with the power conveyed through her musical style I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
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Slackers Unite!
Artist: Mac DeMarco
Song: Freaking Out The Neighborhood
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Mac DeMarco, caries an air of aloofness in connection with an artistic flair. The sound is playful with a note of seriousness. His laid back attitude displayed through his songs becomes addicting to listen to as you find your worries floating away.
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SBTRKT
Artist: SBTRKT
Song: Right Thing To Do
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United Kingdom DJ, Aaron Jerome, better known by his stage name SBTRKT is a breath of fresh air in the mess of today’s electronic music take over. I was having some problems describing his genre so I took to Pitchfork and as always, Wikipedia to help me out. Pitchfork said, “He was loosely dubstep in the way, say, Floating Points is, using the genre as a rough guide but also weaving in several other strains of contemporary bass music.” – Joe Colly. Then Wiki followed it up with “SBTRKT’s music is a mixture of two-step, UK funky, dubstep, US RnB and Chicago house.” Now I’m not too sure about that Chicago House thing, but the rest of it seams to round out the definition of SBTRKT’s sound very nicely. I personally enjoy the dilemma of describing genres, especially with sounds like this one. I believe that when you have a hard time describing a genre of an artist, that will most likely mean that there is nothing else like it, that music is truly their own creative work.
Just like its genre, this song is a combination of things. A mix of a two-step beat on the edge of dubstep with its bass overlaid with beautiful, intimate vocals sung by the ever talented Jessie Ware. The vocals have a repeated message, “Walking alone in the red lines, trying to find, find the right time…” Walking alone, eyes shut, eating lies, with a hurricane trapped in a soul. It creates an interesting imagery that stays with you throughout the song.
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Twin Sister
Artist: Twin Sister
Song: Bad Street
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Twin Sister may have only been around for the past few years, but listening to their music feels just like hanging out with a good friend you have known forever. It also brings images of glitter, lots of sparkly glitter…
Their more popular songs for example “All Around And A Way We Go” may fit this description as well as the band’s style better then the song I chose for this entry, “Bad Street” but this one struck a chord with me, probably because it is so danceable. This song brings more of a pop element to the band’s sound, but it is still so obscure and synthy that it must have the indie connotation in front of pop, indie pop, in its finest that is. The lyrics are also very clear and repeated but they can mean absolutely anything – “I want it bad” or “Feel it with you, in you feel it.”
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