Hallelujah

Robin says,

Wow, check out this titanic feat of pop archaeology: Michael Barthel on the cultural journey of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Don't miss this part, about a third of the way down the page:

What's fascinating about all this is not simply the song's ubiquity on TV dramas--it's that it's used in the exact same way every time. Songs can be used sincerely, ironically, as background shading, as subtle comment, as product placement. But "Hallelujah" always appears as people are being sad, quietly sitting and staring into space or ostentatiously crying, and always as a way of tying together the sadness of different characters in different places. In short, it's always used as part of a "sad montage."

Now, I could go into details about how exactly the "sad montage" is constituted, but it's more efficient and probably more effective just to show you a montage of the montages. You'll see what I mean.

The montage is pretty hilarious. And then, a bit more of Barthel's analysis:

The way Hallelujah is being used here is the auditory equivalent of a silent film actress pressing the back of her hand to her forehead to express despair -- emotional shorthand. It's sometimes called a needledrop, and it's an element of visual grammar that signals the mood of the scene loudly and unmistakably. In the Scrubs musical featurette, creator Bill Lawrence says, "How are we gonna make a show where a lot of the comedy comes from broad, silly jokes switch gears on a dime and suddenly be dramatic? What we found is we were able to make that transition quickly if we chose the right song."

Seriously, you've got to check this out. There are graphs!

This Is Not a Music Blog

Robin says,

No links to MP3s next week, I promise. But MGMT is super-fun. Try "Time to Pretend."

Snarkmarket Artistes

Robin says,

Track of the day: Santogold remixed by XXXChange. Just feels very Thursday-appropriate, you know?

Update: Hey, I have a question. What's the deal with these music blogs posting MP3s? Do they have special (unofficial) arrangements with labels? Or is it just sort of understood that it's okay to share MP3s as long as you practice restraint? I wouldn't mind dropping some tracks on Snarkmarket from time to time but it still makes my spidey senses tingle. Are my spidey senses stuck in 2004?

Spore's Procedural Jams

Robin says,

Snarkmarket pal Aaron McLeran gave a GDC talk about his work on Spore's music system.

That link includes a small picture of the programming environment he used, but you've got to see Aaron interact with it live to understand how truly cool it is. It's this crazy hybrid of computer code and, like, circuit design, and the music keeps playing as he makes changes, so you hear it evolving and improving in real-time.

Bonus: Here's some video of Aaron demoing part of the game.

Tonight the Streets Are Ours

Matt says,

Just returned from a concert I've been on tiptoes for all week: Richard Hawley, at one of Minneapolis' most intimate, acoustically divine little bars. And it was just perfect. The impeccable, impossible clarity of Hawley's baritone surrounded everything in the room. And each of his songs is a gem. The tiny crowd lapped up every moment of the performance. To the SF folks, he's coming your way in five days. Highly recommended for a chill night out.

Selling Out, Quantified

Robin says,

You know I love pop-culture equations! Here's one from the Washington Post, by way of Current.com: The Moby Quotient. Excellent visual treatment.

Dollywood, Dollygood

Robin says,

Admittedly, I was primed for this new Dolly Parton song and video by a recent Economist piece (!?) about the deep American-ness of Dollywood, her theme park in the Smoky Mountains. But, whatever: It's great. You can definitely hear the pop-industrial complex at work in that multi-tracked chorus... but it's still sort of Dolly-simple and Dolly-good.

One Voice, Many Layers

Robin says,

Music of the moment: Julianna Barwick. Via G vs. B.

The "Ma Fama" version of "Dancing With Friends" made me think of Fredo Viola's sad song.

He Traded His Vowels to the Devil for Fame and Power

Robin says,

Peter Rojas' new music label just launched: RCRD LBL. Simple concept: The music's free! It's all supported by advertising.

Feels a bit thin right now, but that's okay: The internet felt a bit thin in the beginning, too, and that didn't make it any less The Future.

Short Schrift on Sasha

Matt says,

Hot diggity. Sasha Frere-Jones writes a whizbanger of an article about indie rock's racial influences, then Tim Carmody blows it out of the water. I adore dialogues like this. Read 'em both!

Musical Genre Name Generator

Matt says,

If you're a music critic, you're constantly searching for combinations of terms to describe the flavor-of-the-moment in a novel but legitimate fashion (e.g. "metal-queer," "mumble-core"). I've made it easy for you. Presenting the Musical Genre Name Generator™. After you generate your new musical genre, you can click the term to search Google to see how original you are. (By the way, this won't work in the RSS feed.)

Clearly, this is a statement on how nothing's original anymore; everything's been done. Even the Musical Genre Name Generator™.

Tracing the Virtual Band

Robin says,

When the band isn't the band: There was Prodigy and his "frontmen," of course. Then the awesomely synthetic Gorillaz. Now (via Rex) Justice subs in some, er, new faces of its own. I think it's terrific. Other examples? (Only honest ones -- I know you could cite a whole history of lip-synching, etc.)

Sampleur

Robin says,

Sampleur-Sample: a blog of pop song sample origins.

High and Low

Robin says,

Awesome riff on music over at n+1:

If you could write perfectly, you would write the way Charles Mingus composed music: uncompromising intelligence and seriousness married to shit-kicking raunch.

Frustratingly sans permalink -- it's just the site front page -- so get it while it lasts.

P.S. n+1 seemingly in parody of itself: "Against Email."

And Timbaland Hasn't Changed His Clothes in Three Days

Robin says,

Remixing Stronger. Actually really illuminating to see these super-famous guys sitting around like schlubs, just banging on keyboards. Everybody's normal.

Marching Storm

Robin says,

Great great GREAT NYT story about the Prairie View Marching Storm. The video is really good, too -- although, as always, the thunder of a good marching band eludes recording somehow.

Diplo for the Weekend

Robin says,

Diplo's new Pitchfork mix is tons of fun. Listen for the Heartbeats (also) cover by, er, a girls' choir. You can download it alone but it's better in the mix.

Paper Planes

Robin says,

Rex is right: The best song on M.I.A.'s new album Kala is "Paper Planes." You can find it on this page... search for "paper planes."

P.S. Also here on YouTube, but what is up with this new genre? I have seen a bunch of them -- sort of ragtag musical slideshows.

Elbo.ws

Robin says,

Realize it's old news to some, but just in case: elbo.ws is a crazy music blog meta-aggregator. Plug directly into brain.

Doing It Right

Robin says,

In a nice bit of musical apologia, Gorilla vs. Bear writes:

So I was talking to that dude from Marathonpacks about his contention that the Go! Team is essentially "twee-as-all-holy-hell kiddie rap, it's ESG minus the sexuality and implied danger, it's perfect for roughly 74 percent of mp3 bloggers." I agreed that this was probably all true, but refuse to concede that these are necessarily bad things.

Indeed. There is a new Go! Team video waiting for you there as well. It might just be the perfect thing for a Saturday afternoon.

Video Architecture

Robin says,

Yeah, maybe mix DVDs really do just belong on the internet: Here's a big collection of music videos that use architecture in interesting ways.

Be sure to watch the Mum video (direct link). Every flock of birds should come with a soundtrack.

Best Video Ever

Robin says,

Kick your week off with this. Pure distilled essence of fun. (Via!)

Chamber Pop

Robin says,

The Arcade Fire plays a Parisian freight elevator. Not the original plan, but:

We had discussed dates and places, imagining the Madeleine at night, the knoll at the Ile de la Cite, an old cafe, a roundabout behind the Olympia...We checked the weather every day, put to despair by the cold front that's passing through Paris. We had surveyed the entire inhumane neighborhood from top to bottom, trying to anticipate the crowd, the will power of the group, the cold, and the fatigue. Then suddenly we had a plan. Win asked if there was a freight elevator. We found it, he smiled, and the Take Away Show was no longer in our hands.

Also: Same city, sunnier day, and The Shins hit the streets.

Update: I didn't even notice the guy tearing pages out of a magazine in the background! That's the percussion!

Teknochek Collision

Robin says,

Band of the week: Slavic Soul Party! Interview plus performance on Fair Game. Listen to "Teknochek Collision" on their MySpace page and tell me you don't love it.

Aurotic

Matt says,

Aurgasm was my favorite music discovery of last month, if only for this wonderful remix of the song "Kiss the Girl."

Where's the Podcast?

Matt says,

I'm seriously appreciating the musical tastes of CitizenFork.com. Their weekly playlists are more delicious than Multigrain Cheerios.

Long Live Looping

Robin says,

I've got a new Current blog entry up about this musician I saw on Saturday -- a live looper named Dosh. Check it out.

Sample-Boxing

Matt says,

Ratchet Up points to a video demo-ing software that let's DJs rapidly remix music videos on the fly. The technique is a mix between fast sampling and beatboxing, and I'd be psyched to see it done live. Especially if the source video was this.

Xmas Tunes

Matt says,

PlanetDan's Kick-assiest Xmas List is actually pretty kick-ass.

Missing the Concert

Matt says,

I heard one of this woman's songs week-before-last, immediately bought the album, listened to it during lunch at work the next day, and instantly went to a coworker's desk to announce I'd found her new favorite thing. And now I give her to you. Her name is Shara Worden, but she goes by My Brightest Diamond.

Tomorrow night, she'll be at 7th St. Entry, First Avenue's adorable little brother venue, but I cannot attend. This makes me sad. Support her when she comes to your town, that she may return to mine.

Stoner's Delight

Matt says,

I can't tell you what I find so incredible about it, but I spent about 45 minutes just staring at this Flash program yesterday, and I don't regret a minute of it. Turn down your speakers before you visit.

You Gotta Hear This One Song, It'll Change Your Life I Swear

Robin says,

In modern movies, especially modern movies by Zach Braff, pop songs are extraordinarily "load-bearing." Music, not action or dialogue, generates all of the emotion.

I don't know whether this Garden State remix really proves that point or not, but either way, it just made me laugh out loud. Awwwesome.

3qd-ynamic.

Gnarls Nelly

Robin says,

I want to love this as much as I love the Postal Service/Feist mashup, but unfortunately it's kinda weak: Nelly Furtado covers Gnarls Barkley. Well, whatever, still fun. (Via.)

Sparks Fly

Matt says,

My new favorite song comes courtesy of this Ask MetaFilter thread I posted. The identity of the song had been driving me crazy for weeks, ever since I first heard it play in a commercial for HBO Documentary Films before a movie at the Landmark Theater by my apartment. Ask MeFi to the rescue! Within hours, site members had it pegged -- "Sparks Fly", by Daniel Agust (mp3).

500 Greatest Songs

Matt says,

Blender's made a list of the 500 greatest songs written since you were born. Assuming you, like me, were born in 1980. (Yglesiastical.)

Feist Sings "The Build Up"

Matt says,

Feist's cover of the Kings of Conveniences' "The Build Up" was one of my hands-down favorite moments from her concert. And now you, too, can hear it (mp3 link). Here are all the tracks from the performance. (Waxtastic.)

Postal Substitute

Robin says,

Man, ever since that Feist remix, I can't stop wishing for more Postal Service. If you too are longing for clicky, computer-y goodness... here are some stand-ins:

• Milosh (mp3)
• Psapp (mp3)
• The Album Leaf (mp3)

Excellent Nonrequired Reading

Matt says,

Sasha Frere-Jones on Mariah Carey. Sample: ["Vision of Love"] begins with several bars of lovely, wordless melisma, as if Carey were warming up, and it ends with two very loud passages of melisma, one of them an a-cappella expansion on the word “all” that can be roughly transcribed as: “ah-ha-uh-uh-oh-oo-oh-ooah-ha-uh-uh-oh-oo-oh-oo-ah-oh.”

N.P. Mafia

Matt says,

I'm not even going to link to it, because 1) you've already seen it, and 2) you know where to find it,¹ but the Natalie Portman video really is a masterpiece. Even as a ripoff of an Easy E song, it's pretty breathtaking. I can even live with the random Viking segment.

¹ If 1 or 2 is not true ... my child, I give you the Internet. Try not to break it.
² Brokeback was robbed.

This Is the Part Where I Steal Matt's Link

Robin says,

Download this song now but don't play it 'til summer: The Postal Service remixes Mushaboom. (Wax on.)

Here's an RSS Feed That Will Make You Cooler

Robin says,

Podbop rules. You enter your city name and get a feed of upcoming concerts -- complete with MP3s!

(Foghorntastic.)

A Fine Entertainment

Matt says,

Did I say Gondry + Kanye = Yay? Try Gondry + Chappelle + Kanye + Mos + Erykah + Jill + Legend ...

Music Video Fantastico

Matt says,

In case any of you haven't seen this link yet, enjoy. It's the top 65 music videos of 2005, and all the selections I've seen really are brilliant. A few are available for watching without downloading the torrent; def. avail yourself of that opportunity. And watch "Mushaboom." (Waxtastic, and side note: If Feist comes to your city, make every effort to see her perform; she's wonderful in concert. Her voice really is as deliciously birdlike as it sounds on tape. And she's great at banter. And she plays some mean drums. And she's Canadian.)

PS: Gondry + Kanye = Yay. (fimoculicious)

One-Woman Band

Robin says,

I thought Imogen Heap's performance on Letterman was only so-so, but I loved the fact that she was just standing there surrounded by all her electronic gear. Much potential. As you know, I loves the Frou.

Idlewild

Robin says,

The trailer for "Idlewild," the OutKast movie, is finally available for viewing.

As Matt will tell you, this is of course just the warmup for their inevitable "Chity Chitty Bang Bang" remake.

But in the meantime... looks pretty sweet.

But Will It Be Staged With LEGOs?

Robin says,

Hey, speaking of robots...

Coming in 2006: Death and the Powers, a robot opera. It's a collaboration between the MIT Media Lab, poet Robert Pinsky, and the production designer behind Minority Report.

To which I say: COOL.

(GTA-tastic.)

Follow the Buzz

Robin says,

Today, NPR's Jacob Ganz did a nice tick-tock story on the rise of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -- the indie band that went from nowhere to 25,000 records sold on blog-power alone. Well, not quite. You can get the full story here. It's a really cool, complete piece -- this is excellent journalism, says I.

(Got it via NPR's story-of-the-day podcast, which I recommend.)

Hipster Norah Jones

Matt says,

Am I late to this party? This album has been lying around since April, and I'm only now discovering it? It's awesome! A+++ super-fast seller! will use again!!1!

The Heights of Pop

Matt says,

I totally agree with Michael Idov's words on t.A.T.u. and the recent spate of critically acclaimed guilty pleasure pop music. "All the Things She Said" was a wonderful song containing, as Idov says, "at least five distinct parts, each catchier than the other." I'm happy critics recognize this. And having utterly fallen for Kelly Clarkson during the first American Idol, I'm thrilled that she's recorded such a universally beloved gem of trash-pop as "Since U Been Gone," even if I don't much care for the song itself. I look forward to hearing t.A.T.u.'s new album. May they never jump the shark.

The New Jam

Matt says,

"Breakfast Club" by DJ Z-Trip. Pass it on.

Garden Choreography

Matt says,

Very fun music video from OK Go. Via MF.

And just to toss in another random link, check this out, from Things Magazine.

Famous on the Internet

Robin says,

Minus Kelvin, Creative Commons darling, is back in the mix at ccMixter with some new tracks and some hot hot heat. Check him out in the two-slot on the Mixter Favorites chart.

Skip the Encore

Matt says,

This is what I want for Christmas.