Thoughts on Music

Words are an expression of the mind.

Melody is an expression of the soul.

Rhythm is an expression of the heart.

Does this mean that music is the ultimate expression?

Belle and Sebastian

Why are they the only band I've felt like listening to for the past several months? Specifically, the second CD on the album Push Barman to Open Old Wounds.



I love their soothing and calming style. The music flows; you feel like you're drifting down a stream when you listen to it. Though the music itself is primarily major, upbeat and positive in a natural, quiet way, it's not necessarily happy.

Often, the text doesn't fit the music, which is something else I love about them. The melodies and harmonies can be quick-paced and major, but they somehow weave darker themes into the text. They'll often sing about death as if it's a completely normal and natural part of every day life (which it is, though we in our safe, clean, youth-idolizing western culture tend to repress it).

They're also perfect in their imperfection. Sometimes one of the instruments isn't completely on beat and sometimes you have the feeling that someone is singing slightly off key. But you never have the feeling that they're being show-offy or striving for the perfect recording; they simply seem to love making their music.

Is it normal to listen to one CD for months at a time? Or one band? Who knows... but if you choose to do so, then I'd recommend Belle and Sebastian.

Supernatural

This world's a tortured place to be,
So many things to torment me
And as I stumble down this road
it takes a toll.

These days and nights I turn to you,
No human hand can pull me through,
No cosmic force or magic brew
will ever do.

Beyond this physical terrain
There's an invisible domain
Where angels battle over souls
in vast array.

But down on earth is where I am
No wings to fly, no place to stand
Here on my knees, I am a stranger
in this land.

I need an intervention,
A touch of providence.
It goes beyond religion,
To my very circumstance.


"Supernatural", by dcTalk

Dance Tonight

Is he not one of the most adorable people ever? Gotta love the walk and the Converse.

Yes, it looks like Paul McCartney has a new song... the style reminds me of the early Beatles stuff - it's upbeat, positive and innocent. But why he's using itunes as a medium is beyond me. You can do better than that, Sir Paul. There's some weird stuff going on.

I don't know where he is, but I'd like to be there singing and skipping. It looks all bright and colourful and happy.

Rest in Peace

Today is a sad day in Music History.

Rest in Peace, John Lennon.

"Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind, possessing and caressing me... limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the Universe. Jai Guru Deva Om... nothing's gonna chance my world."

Oh, Love that wilt not let me go

Oh, Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

Oh, Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

Oh, Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

Oh, Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Thanks to a Hymn-Writer Unknown

The Music Genome Project of Sheer Brilliance

I normally don't promote websites here, but thanks to myspace and various people from my past hunting me down, I've been made aware of a fabulous internet radio site:

http://www.pandora.com

It began as a project, the Music Genome Project, and here's the description:

"Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like."*

So... what you, as the listener, can do is enter in a favourite song or artist, and the radio will automatically generate similar-sounding songs. It's freaking brilliant.

The "catch" is that you have to register... all they want is a name, an e-mail address and a US zipcode. If any of my German friends want to register, feel free to use my Texas zipcode: 78681. :)

I've recently gotten into some new music genres I've never listened to before, which means I'm unfamiliar with artists in that particular genre. Pandora's helped me discover other similar musicians, and it's really been great fun.


*Source: Music Genome Project