For my birthday, I went to go see Victor Wooten and Stanley Clarke play in the area. May I just say that the level of skill required to not only play, but also compose jazz like that is astronomical. I grew up listening to people like Stanley Clarke, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Bob James, and it never ceased to amaze me that they could put so much emotion and feeling into songs without lyrics. To me, that’s the true essence of music, the kind of music who’s melody, harmonies, chords and rhythm can stand alone and all come together to hit you on a deep level. Although I do love (and I mean love) well written lyrics, I feel that instrumental music is an entirely different beast all together.
Sophomore at Binghamton University
I'm a big fan of the "music" of music. I believe that instruments, melodies, rhythm, and harmonies can say just as much as the lyrics themselves. This blog is dedicated to the smaller things in music that don't get the credit they deserve.
Submit
I'm a big fan of the "music" of music. I believe that instruments, melodies, rhythm, and harmonies can say just as much as the lyrics themselves. This blog is dedicated to the smaller things in music that don't get the credit they deserve.
Submit
Posts tagged Music.
“You Are a Tourist” by Death Cab For Cutie
The second half of the second verse always stands out to me. The guitars remind me of wind chimes and they help make the song feel dynamic and even brighter than it already is: a perfect fit for the optimistic track. Sometimes small parts like that can say a lot.
“Ice Monster” by Minus the Bear
I love the chorus of this song. It comes unexpectedly. After a verse of wistful guitars and playful bass, the song changes gears with syncopated guitars, changed time signature and bluesy melody and lyrics. Not many abrupt changes sound so right.
“You Won’t Know” by Brand New
This song uses one of the most chilling effects I’ve heard used in this genre. I love how the singer’s chopped-up yell fades in right before the louder section of the song kicks in and reappears after the section ends. I don’t know exactly what they did to get that effect, but it was nice.
“Follow and Feel” by Saosin
The drums in this track are amazing, especially the fill that was played in the bridge. The drummer does a good job with playing a variety of beats that go from being staggered and intricate during the verses to simple but effective in the pre-chorus kicks in. I also love the little nuances the bassist adds into the chord progression in the second half of the chorus.
“Stylo” by Gorillaz
This track has a very retro sound to it. The bass line and drum machine that spans the entire song makes it feel drone-like vibe while the higher synths makes it feel trippy and almost dated (in a good way). And I thought that it was also interesting how much the vocals in various parts of the song contrast each other.
“Fed to Death” by Say Anything
One of my favorite things about this song is how bold it sounds. The track starts right off with vocals with out hesitation and gets straight to business. And the intensity only escalates more when the full band kicks in. I’m also a big fan of the acoustic guitar tone in the intro.
“Tree Village” by Dance Gavin Dance
The section after the first screamed vocals has to be my favorite part of the song. I love the effects on the left guitar and the intricate drums underneath. They give that section a trance-like sound and help make it stand out from the rest of the song.
“Fortress Around Your Heart” by Sting
I’ve always loved the guitars in this song. Listening to their chime-like tone and the low synth sound in the beginning always makes me think of a late, rainy day.
“Stare at the Sun” by Thrice
The bass line during the verses of this track is so sweet. It’s constantly moving, never quite centering on a specific chord. Combined with the syncopated guitar chords, it makes the verses almost unsettling (in a good way) to listen to.
