Midterm 2 (Part 3) Flashcards
Alternative Rock Rebellion (2 responses)
Feeling that Rock had become too mainstream yielded 2 response:
1. Punk = simple, back to basics rock/anti-authority lyrics
2. New Wave = experimental rock
The Velvet Underground
Garage band who took the New Wave route
- Anti-commercial, focus on dark subjects
Velvet in Furs (The Velvet Underground)
Emblematic of Velvet Underground sound (anti-commercial)
- Theme: Sexual bondage
- Single cover like Led Zepp 4 (no labels)
The Stooges
Garage band who took the Punk route
1969 (The Stooges)
Emblematic of The Stooges sound (back to basics, anti-authority lyrics)
- Flat lyric presentation
CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers)
Music clubs in Manhattan which seeked to showcase alternative rock groups
- Ex. Ramones = first punk group to perform → got a record contract (Talk Heads = same situation!)
Ramones
Punk band; took the ‘back to basics’ approach in all respects!
- 50s outfits
- Loud, fast, energetic (Chuck Berry!)
I Wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones)
Punk song; famous for cynical lyrics (only solution to drug-induced insanity is drug-induced paralysis!)
- Basic, ‘boring’ bridge and key change
The Talking Heads
New Wave band; famous for nerdy image
- Funk achieved with minimalism and layering
Psycho Killer (The Talking Heads)
New wave song emblematic of their funk sound
- Inventive stereo use (sound alternates in L&R speakers)
- Byne’s Vocals: hard R’s, shift to speaking, switch to french, strange noises (all represent mind of Norman Bates)
Emergence of Funk in Early 70s
A back to basics approach (like Punk) to the dance crazes of the 60s
Characteristics of Funk
- Catchy melodies
- Syncopation = groove
- Rhythm AND horn sections
- Call + Response b/w instruments
Parliament
Funk group
- Originally an acapella group
- Joined forces with Funkadelic on tour = Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk)
George Clinton
Funk innovator → formed both Parliament and Funkadelic
Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) (Parliament)
Funk song; exemplifies all the characteristics of funk (except call+response):
- Catchy melody, syncopation created by layering, horns in rhythm section
- Voice acts as bass at start of song
Trinity of Funk
James Brown, George Clinton, Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Frontman of Sly and the Family Stone
- Central aim = uniting audiences
- Diverse background (gospel singer –. DJ at R+B station)
- Unique expanded funk style allowed him to top both R+B (black) and Pop (white charts) with same song
Sly Stone
Frontman of Sly and the Family Stone
- Central aim = uniting audiences
- Diverse background (gospel singer –. DJ at R+B station)
- Unique expanded funk style allowed him to top both R+B (black) and Pop (white charts) with same song
Sly and the Family Stone
Significance of name (not because Sly’s brother in band)
- Aimed at uniting diverse audiences → reflected in band makeup (symbolic of overcoming differences)
Everyday People (Sly and the Family Stone)
Funk song; band arrangement reflects their band goal (work as unified rhythmic machine)
- Entire song = single chord = UNITY
- Theme: we are all just people, segregation is absurd!
Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone)
Group’s most successful song; funk sound more mature (complex polyrhythms, wah wah pedal)
- Theme: Commonalities that unify people
Origins of Hip-Hop
Intersection between Africa and America music
Characteristics of Hip-Hop
- Rap = form of expression (local identities, underrepresented)
- Built on culture beyond rap (dance, dress, speech)
Microphone Evolution (DJ Kool Herc)
Rhymes that would be spoken over breakbeats