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Concert: Tift Merritt, "Good Hearted Man"

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:07:33 -0800

<$MTEntryBody$> <$MTEntryMore$>

Great Venues: Celebrate Brooklyn

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:43:23 -0800

Great Venues: Buddy Guy's Legends

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:56:07 -0800

Great Venues: Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:43:24 -0800

Studio Stories: Monster Island, part 3

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:58:12 -0800

Studio Stories: Monster Island, part 2

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:57:41 -0800

IDM and Glitch

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:29:22 -0800

When he's not analyzing industrial and metal albums for the Music Genome Project, Will Redmond is often out on tour as BlipVert, performing his twisted and hyper-intense take on IDM. This is electronic music at its most challenging, where samples and microsamples are arranged like chips in a mosaic or dots in a pointillistic painting. Standard beats are thrown out entirely, discarded in favor of fractured chunks, bits of signal, and electronically damaged sound. IDM can be exquisitely beautiful, disturbingly jarring, or beautiful and jarring at once. Here is the website featuring Will's work as BlipVert, called Synapse Compound; he dubs this site "a nice place for noise." (9 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Ambient music	IDM (intelligent dance music)	Sample	Broken rhythms
Sampler	Theremin	Chaos pad	Analog noise
Synthesizer	Sequencing	Electronic music	Sourcing
Musique concrete	Tape splicing	Pitch wheel	CDJ
Sample banks	Track switching	Mixer	Vocoder
Air FX	Looping

INDUSTRIAL MUSIC: MIXING METAL, PUNK, AND ELECTRONIC EXPERIMENTATION

	by Throbbing Gristle
	by Skinny Puppy
	by Ministry
	by Nine Inch Nails
	by Merzbow

From top to bottom on the near table: a four-channel mixer, an Air FX unit, and a sampler. That long strip to the right is a vocoder, which is a vocal effects processor. BlipVert's live sound-mangling relies heavily on these four pieces of equipment.

AMBIENT MUSIC PIONEERS

	by Brian Eno
	by Harold Budd
	by Tangerine Dream
	by the Orb

Yes, his hand is a blur because he's moving so quickly. Here is BlipVert manipulating a piece of CDJ (compact disc jockey) hardware. Much like an analog record player, the CDJ is set up so that the speed and direction of the turntable's motion alters the audio playback.

1990s EXPONENTS OF IDM (all of whom are still producing great work in the 2000s)

	by Aphex Twin
	by Squarepusher
	by Orbital
	by Underworld
	by Autechre

Those two microphones are each going into separate signal processing units that warp the sound of Will's voice.

OTHER CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS DEALING WITH GLITCHES, BLEEPS, AND ELECTRONIC ABSTRACTIONS

	by Venetian Snares
	by Boards Of Canada
	by Odd Nosdam
	by the Books
	by Matmos
	by BlipVert

Similar to a theremin, the Air FX unit monitors the movement of air near the instrument. As Will's hands move near the pad, the sound changes. Depending on what parameters he has set to have the Air FX control, those rapid-fire hand sweeps could change pitch, resonance, or any number of other sonic variables.

Gypsy Jazz

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:24:52 -0800

If you are familiar with the films of Woody Allen, you've heard examples of gypsy jazz, a French variant on American jazz begun by Django Reinhardt and others in the 1930s. Pandora engineer and lead guitarist Vic Wong brings in other hot club players to demonstrate how gypsy jazz is played: bassist Ari Munkres, rhythm guitarist Jack Fields, and violinist Benito Cortez. Hear how this drummerless swing style is presented with rhythmic flourishes, shorter upright bass tones, and heroic guitar work. (10 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

hot club	drum set	upstroke	upper register
musette	swing rhythm	downstroke	chord voicing
waltz	grace note	syncopation	overtone
rhythm guitar	drum fill	upright bass	steel strings
bend	tremolo	chromatic	triplet

AMERICAN RECORDS THAT THE PARISIAN HOT CLUB MAY HAVE LISTENED TO

	by Bix Beiderbecke
	by Louis Armstrong
	by Sidney Bechet
	by Cab Calloway

Bassist Ari Munkres demonstrating the upright bass techniques used in playing hot club music -- short, enunciated notes being crucial.

EARLY DJANGO REINHARDT RECORDINGS (1928-1945)

	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt

Vic Wong playing a modern replica of the guitar type used in Western Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.

POST-WAR DJANGO SIDES (1945-1953)

	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt
	by Django Reinhardt

Benito Cortez's violin work is clean and influenced by classical training, as was the playing of Stephane Grappelli.

LATER RECORDINGS FEATURING STEPHANE GRAPPELLI

	by Stephane Grappelli
	by Stephane Grappelli
	by Stephane Grappelli
	by Stephane Grappelli

Rhythm guitarist Jack Fields hosts a fantastic resource on the guitar of 'jazz manouche,' which is Djangology.net.

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN HOT CLUB STYLE JAZZ GROUPS

	by Hot Club of San Francisco
	by Hot Club of Cowtown
	by Hot Club of Detroit
	by Hot Club De Norvege
	by Anouman (also featuring Vic Wong)

CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN GYPSY GROUPS

	by Bireli Lagrene
	by Angelo Debarre & Ludovic Beier
	by the Rosenberg Trio
	by Romane
	by Fapy Lafertin Quintet

Great Venues: Southgate House, part 1

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:26:05 -0800

Great Venues: Southgate House, part 2

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:29 -0800

Dissonance

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:03:16 -0800

Classical music enthusiasts, this one's for you. Pandora classical music analyst Russell Johnson drops by to investigate the onward march toward atonality throughout the history of Western art music. From Renaissance times through Classical and Romantic periods onto Stravinsky and Schoenberg, the slider on the consonant-to-dissonant spectrum has edged ever more toward the dissonant. He plays examples on guitar and piano of different intervals, and talks about the frequency ratios attached to those intervals as well. (9 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Dissonance	Pitch	Harmony	Resolution
Consonance	Major chord	Diatonic	Harmonic systems
Major third (M3)	Minor second (m2)	Classical era	Tonality
Sharp ninth (sharp nine)	Chromatic	Romantic era	Microtonal
Perfect fifth (P5)	Perfect fourth (P4)	Major third (M3)	Minor third (m3)
Perfect consonance	Imperfect consonance	Stepwise motion	Leap
Triad	Diad	Unstressed beats	Dominant seventh
Tension	Atonality	Functional tonality

RENAISSANCE MUSIC: CONSONANT VOCAL MOTION

	by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
	by Johannes Ockeghem
	by Carlo Gesualdo

BAROQUE MUSIC: STILL VERY CONSONANT

	by Claudio Monteverdi
	by Johann Sebastian Bach
	by Antonio Vivaldi

THE CLASSICAL ERA: POLYPHONY AND COUNTERPOINT

	by Johann Christian Bach
	by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	by Antonio Salieri
	by Franz Schubert

THE ROMANTIC ERA: EXPRESSIVE TENSION

	by Ludwig van Beethoven
	by Fryderyk Chopin
	by Richard Wagner
	by Giuseppe Verdi
	by Sergey Rachmaninov

20th CENTURY ATONALITY: EXTREME DISSONANCE

	by Alban Berg
	by Arnold Schoenberg
	by Anton Webern

Drum Feels (With Hi-Hat and Snare)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:33:13 -0800

Tiny changes in a drummer's playing can create dramatic shifts in a song's feel. Pandora dance music analyst and session drummer Jeff Anthony gets into his trick bag to show some of the little variations he throws in to boost a song's energy going into the chorus. He also breaks down the difference between the two-handed Britpop hi-hat style and the looser, one-handed Yankee hi-hat style. The audio on the outro, by the way, is from a session Jeff played on -- an album for singer-songwriter Stephen Ashbrook. (8 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Snare	Backbeat	Groove	Upbeat
Cymbals	Quarter notes	Open and closed hi-hat	Phrase
Eighth notes	The "and" of three	Grace notes	Ghost strokes
Hi-hat	Swing	Ride cymbal	Bell of the cymbal
Syncopation	Sixteenth notes	Crash cymbal	Downbeat (beat one)

Melodic Construction: Pitch and Contour

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:41:04 -0800

Melody is so central to much of the music we love. This week, singer and composer Melody Parker stops by to describe how pitches can be strung together to form a melody, and the ways in which a melody can quickly burst out, slowly develop, or gradually expand over the course of a whole section. There's a delicate art at play in the placement of pitches, from the use of motives in a sequence to the deployment of broad leaps and arpeggi. (10 mins.)

On the next page, check out clips from brilliantly composed songs that employ different melodic techniques, and hear for yourself how scalar motion can increase catchiness, how a line can be monotonous without being boring, and how simple motives can sound rich and full.

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Interval	Motive (motif)	Melodic development	Sequence
Step	Monotony	Reference pitch	Range
Half step	Monotonous	Scalar motion	Chromatically
Whole step	Scale	Arpeggio	Figure
Pitch	Major scale	Melodic contour	Minor scale
Leap	Bridge	Ascending line	Phrase

MELODIES WITH BROAD RANGES

	by Big Mama Thornton
	by The Beach Boys
	by Elvis Costello & the Attractions
	by Squeeze
	by Rufus Wainwright
	by Radiohead

MELODIES WITH NARROW RANGES

	by Elvis Presley
	by T. Rex
	by Patti Smith
	by Elvis Costello & the Attractions
	by The Runaways
	by PJ Harvey
	by Destiny's Child

MOTIVES USED TO BUILD A SEQUENCE

	by Frank Sinatra
	by Nat "King" Cole
	by Ella Fitzgerald
	by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie

SCALAR MOTION

	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles

ARPEGGI (BOTH TYPICAL AND WEIRD)

	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles
	by the Beatles

Types of Metal

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:01:36 -0800

WARNING: this episode is not for the faint of heart. We tear into the gristle, meat and grisly bones of Metal on this one. Our guests are guitarist Ava Mendoza, bassist Kurt Kotheimer and drummer Weasel Walter, and they show us the musical components of various metal genres: grindcore, metalcore, black metal, death metal, thrash, hair metal, and more. If you've ever wondered about the dark side but were too afraid to ask, dive in here and get your hands dirty. (12 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Boogie	Aeolian mode	Minor chord	Dissonant
Shuffle	Ninth	Minor third	Organum
12/8	Sixteenth notes	Hammer-ons	Gated
Trem (tremolo)	Double time	Two-handed tapping	Compression
Pentatonic	Chromatic	Palm muting

CLASSIC EARLY METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Classical Early Metal example

Blues-based and pentatonic, boogie feel, swung and 12/8 rhythms, mid-tempo or slower.

(Here is a Classic Early Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Black Sabbath
	by Blue Cheer
	by Vanilla Fudge
	by Deep Purple

POWER METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Power Metal example

Sixteenth notes, more chromatic, less blues-based, more classically influenced, tremolo guitar, octave and ninth jumps, use of Aeolian mode, often with a galloping and triumphant feel.

(Here is a Power Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Judas Priest
	by Scorpions
	by Rainbow
	by Dio
	by Iron Maiden
	by Helloween

THRASH --

full-length MP3 of performed Thrash example

Faster, more tremolo octaves and minor ninths, mosh-inducing triple-time drum figures, sudden changes in tempo/time/feel, palm-muted guitar playing, double-kick drumming.

(Here is a Thrash Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Metallica
	by Megadeth
	by Anthrax
	by Slayer
	by Pantera

HAIR METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Hair Metal example

Slower, less busy, more space, fewer chords, anticipated unison hits (often on the 'and' of 4), glam-influenced swagger, more room left for vocalist to take center stage.

(Here is a Hair Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Cinderella
	by Poison
	by Ratt
	by Winger

METALCORE / MATHCORE --

full-length MP3 of performed Metalcore/Mathcore example

Hardcore punk influence, non-repetitive phrases, odd time signatures and unpredictable meters, very little reverb, trebly and thinner guitar tones, staccato playing.

(Here is a Metalcore/Mathcore Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Biohazard
	by Lamb Of God
	by Botch
	by Dillinger Escape Plan

PROGRESSIVE METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Progressive Metal example

Melodic, operatic vocals, use of keyboards, arpeggiations, two-handed tapping on guitar, emphasis on virtuosic musicianship, consonant rather than dissonant, fantasy-inspired lyrics.

(Here is a Progressive Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Yngwie Malmsteen
	by Thunderstone
	by Symphony X
	by Dream Theater
	by Epica

BLACK METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Black Metal example

One type of death metal with lower-fidelity recordings, more obscure, occult and extreme lyrics, and many bands originating in Norway.

(Here is a Black Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Mayhem
	by Gorgoroth
	by Dimmu Borgir
	by Cradle Of Filth
	by Burzum
	by Darkthrone

DEATH METAL --

full-length MP3 of performed Death Metal example

Built from speed metal, compressed and gated "typewriter" kick drum, highly chromatic, extreme density and technicality, panned and doubled guitars, dark lyrics, odd meters, higher production values.

(Here is a Death Metal Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Possessed
	by Morbid Angel
	by Cannibal Corpse
	by Obituary
	by Impaled

GRINDCORE --

full-length MP3 of performed Grindcore example

Very short songs, very fast tempi, also with hardcore punk influence and DIY aesthetic.

(Here is a Grindcore Radio Station based on these examples.)

	by Napalm Death
	by Carcass
	by Cephalic Carnage

Drum Feels (With Toms and Kick)

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:25:28 -0800

When it comes to arranging a song, the drum parts selected for verses, choruses and bridges are crucial. Session drummer and Pandora music analyst Jeff Anthony shows us ways that he uses his toms and kick drum to create these variations. Among the styles he gets into: a kick-heavy sixteenth note part; a spacious, rolling pattern meant to accompany a guitar drone; a syncopated and anticipated style suitable for a lively R&B track in the vein of Earth Wind & Fire; a track that accelerates to push the chorus. (10 mins.)

MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST

Accents	Upbeats	Timbre	"And" of the beat
Kick drum	Syncopation	Eighth-note pattern	Baritone
Sixteenth notes	Downbeat	Floor tom	Tenor
Anticipation	Toms	Backbeat	Frequency range
BPM	Click track	Drum fill	Ostinato
Grace notes	Triplet	"Ee"s and "Uh"s