While We Wait: Writer's Block & Other Lame Excuses

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I enjoy pop music that uses vocals sort of like another instrument (so basically taking influence from African music and Buddhist chants, though not always overtly). Paul Simon's Graceland comes to mind, but there are hundreds of examples. In some of these instances, I don't really care if the lyrics don't make complete sense, because the execution is done well (unless the lyrics are on par with "Friday" or something, then I have problems ;)).

To this, and Terrance too, and on vocals in general: What do you think of Sigur Rós?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0AZIFmkogY

And yes, that song is very specifically relevant to the discussion of vocals as instrumentally sound or lyrically sound. The whole album has no lyrics, only phonetic musings.
 
NK: Yeah, I totally agree. I am indeed looking at it from an almost exclusively Western and tonal perspective (because I like it, undeniably because I'm used to it, but if we keep along those lines that ends up being kind of circular). I do think, though, that minimalism has intrinsic problems that must be overcome by composer, musicians, or whatnot, if the audience looks for any large amount of (western-style) intellectual content in their music.

lj: I'm not sure it's really a problem of entry. I think I get minimalist music; I just don't like it much. :p I may be wrong of course. I agree about there being a recognisable structure. You're right about it not distinguishing itself (but there's another similarity to atonality right there, don't you think?)
 
Similar to Yes, I loved Sigur Rós in my high school years, and throughout college. I haven't really listened to them in a long time, but I still find their music beautiful. I think it was their latest album that used a lot more acoustic guitar in it? Or maybe I'm thinking of the frontman's solo side project? Not quite sure. And you're right, Sigur Rós are totally relevant to vocals being used instrumentally.
 
lj: I'm not sure it's really a problem of entry. I think I get minimalist music; I just don't like it much. :p I may be wrong of course. I agree about there being a recognisable structure. You're right about it not distinguishing itself (but there's another similarity to atonality right there, don't you think?)

I actually think much atonality is great at distinguishing itself, but I lack the time to look it up right now. Perhaps when I get home from the university this evening!
 
Personally, I think both are pretty good at distinguishing themselves, you just need to look at good examples of each. Or perhaps I'm just misunderstanding that phrase...
 
I can understand where spryllino is coming from though, however, I'd phrase minimalism's problems of entry differently; I do think there is often a recognizable structure, specifically in the fundamental pattern the songs evolve from, however, it is often about this fundamental pattern which is often quite obscure and it doesn't "resolve" very much, there is often little tension, which is in the genre replaced by slow evolution of the pattern, which is why there is a difficulty of entry. You often don't "get" what's going on because it doesn't often distinguish itself.

I was entirely referring to this, which I took to mean that it's often harder to tell the form of an atonal or a minimalist piece than it is to tell the form of a tonal piece, which is a statement which I was agreeing with (although I may have understood lj). I don't know if that's what you thought I was meant or not.
 
Mmm, okay.

Well, usually atonal pieces aren't actually as genre-breaking as they seem. A lot of the wackier ones still have a pretty clear form. This one, for example, is actually in sonata form. It's just an ugly sonata:


Link to video.
 
I'm actually a fan of Caravan Palace, my brother got me to start listening to them. Of course my music taste aren't exactly "focused". I also listen to power metal, punk, ska, Irish (whatever you want to call Flogging Molly and the like), and so things which I don't have a good genre for.
 
Any web developers out there?

I thought I'd just mention how much I dislike JSP.
 
My High School's gaming club held a MTG draft tonight. Got about $50 worth of cards! I'm pretty freaking happy right now.

Oh, and obligatory plug for my new NES! Join it. Play in it. Or not. It's cool, I'll love you either way.
 
Any good rares? I just recently pulled a Vraska along with several shock lands which will net me a nice amount.
 
[18:05] <+noob> So
[18:05] <+noob> I'm thinking of runnig a space-adventure, FTL-type game
[18:05] <+noob> But with roughly the SysNES ship designer
[18:06] <+noob> And a combination of the two's lore, leaning more towards SysNES
[18:06] <+noob> It'd pretty much have to be single-player
[18:06] <+noob> But there'd be lots of room for guest appearances.
[18:06] <+noob> Interest?
 
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