January 11, 2011
Music Flavor Profile: Gourmet Dining as Meaning
Gourmet Dining as Meaning: An essential ingredient for a full-flavored song.
There's a difference between eating because you haven't in 5 hours, and eating intentionally. The difference between good food and merely filling your gut.
I know a lot people listen to music and don't pay any attention to the lyrics. I remember someone arguing with me that if Dave Matthews voice was replaced with a keyboard, nothing would change.
As a writer, I contest this. I believe in the power of words. I am grateful for the emotions stirred by certain songs, such as "Strong Weakness" by Village Thrift, embedded above.
Now, this isn't to say that instrumental songs are void of meaning. Or that we should simply put background music behind the world's greatest poetry. But, we should search for that synergy. The merging of lyric and song. Into something bigger.
Because if you're not going to say anything, just shut up.
January 10, 2011
Music Flavor Profile: MSG as the Hook
MSG as the Hook: An essential ingredient for a full-flavored song.
There's a reason you like Chinese take-out so much. After all, you've made meat and vegetable stir fy on your own plenty of times, but never crave that nearly as much. Why? MSG. It's an addictive chemical additive. And it makes you want to use your chopsticks again the next day.
Great songs all do that same thing - addict you. It's the hook that gets stuck in your head. It helps you learn the song, and feel like you know the song. And therefore, you want to hear it again.
There's probably no better master of the hook than the Fab 4. And it's not just a melodic lyric. You can hook with a guitar riff. You can hook with alliteration. And they did all of it - in just about every song, including "Paperback Writer" embedded above.
Lesson for the day: Don't forget the hook. If it's not getting stuck in your head, it won't get stuck in theirs.