Alt-j (∆) is a British indie rock band that was formed in 2007 and released their first album in 2012 ‘An Awesome wave’ produced by Charlie Andrew. Over the past few years, the four-piece band have taken the indie rock music scene by storm winning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2012 and their second album going straight to number one in the UK. The band members met whilst studying at Leeds University and it was there that the four of them started to experiment with music together, all bringing different abilities, styles and musical influences to the band.
‘Taro’ is the last song of ‘An Awesome Wave’ and beautifully completes the album. Compared to the rest of the songs on the album, this used much more ethereal organic sounds which
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This helps to balance the song with not putting too much emphasis on the drums and rather having them intwined with the instumental. Alt-j drummer Thom Green said that “Phil Selways drumming definitely influenced my style. The off beats and the odd time signatures, he just fits so well with the instrumental, and I just started playing like that”(Rolling stone, 2015). As Charlie Andrews explains in an interview with Sound on Sound, 2013, drummer Thom Green does not use cymbals, “The only slightly cymbal-like thing he uses is the back end of a saucepan, which he uses for the hi-hat, and that in itself is quite a unique sound. That gives you a lot of space to mess around with the room sound for the drums without the cymbals going all over it.” Andrews also mentions that the snare drum used is a “tiny 10-inch thing” that he possibly bought from the toy shop. This allows the snare to have a good ‘crack’ to it and then also with a little distortion, can make the snare ring (2013, Sound on Sound). Buy using these kind of makeshift, minimalist drum sounds, it ads to the songs organic and worldly feel as though they are tribal percussion instruments rather than actual
“We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Pérez. “These guys [on the records] were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started
The Big House, the largest prehistoric native American structure in North America, is a four-story building constructed by ancient Sonoran Desert people, the Hohokam. The Hohokam were native American tribes that vanished in the 1400’s leaving behind archaeological evidence of a sophisticated culture revealing advanced canal systems, and the “Casa Grande,” a big house in the Sonoran Desert valley. Missionary, explorer and mapmaker Eusibio Francisco Kino, was the first European to discover the site in 1694 and named it “Casa Grande”. After the railroad came through in 1879, travelers would scratch their names into the walls, some took artifacts, even pieces of the wall were taken as souvenirs. In 1889, Congress voted to take action to protect the site from vandalism and looting. It has been protected since 1892 by the General Land Office and then it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1918. This
“Let me get this straight,” Bryan Seacroft said during his interview of the twin Ponas Brothers.
The syncopated rhythms that initiate “Duality” are also velvety. They are an integral part of a magical soundscape, which, even shifting along the way, maintains both the consistency and stability. The improvisations are further extended here, beginning with Cowherd, who pulls out interesting melodic lines over exuberant chord changes. Giving the best sequence to a short bridge, packed with horn unisons and counterpoint, it’s Walden who, taking advantage of the recently appeared balladic tones, makes his alto saxophone cry and beseech intensely within an outstanding, repeatedly motivic post-bop language. Holding an absolute control of tempo, “Broken Leg Days” closes the session, flowing elegantly while Blade's drumming brings together simple rudiments and dynamic rhythmic
Regardless of what the title advocates, Strickland actually creates something new by mixing all these diversified influences with a confessed passion for beat making. The 14-track album, produced by electric bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, begins with “Tic Toc”, which sounds and feels like a work song, displaying free-flowing saxophone phrasings and vehement words. This somewhat eloquent ritual tags along with “The Chant”, delivered at a frantic Brazilian rhythm and impeccably adorned with the resolute in/out approach of the bandleader.
Then, after twee pop guitar led tracks “Thanks” and “A Hug Too Long” we arrive at the home stretch: “Everything You Love.” The slower droning synths and raw vocals on this track almost sound like a christmas carol, in a good way though… (not the obnoxious repeated major chord type dreaded by non-christians across the eurocentric western world.) Then, the quiet finale “That’s O.K.” coos the album to sleep with lullaby vocals and soft guitar: a perfect ending to this
In response to the article, some the information was new but a lot of it not surprising. It was surprising, however, to read that although Mr. Naets is somewhat more educated and most likely in a higher tax bracket than his parents were, his standard of living is a lot lower than that of his parents. That is alarming only because we have a lot more opportunities available to us through networking or technology and on a scale that was never available to our parents. Also in Mr. Naets case, he and his wife earn well above the national average which is also alarming because you would think that someone in such a position would not be as worried as someone of the opposite spectrum. It is discerning to think that no matter how hard we strive to for a better life, we will always feel that is not enough.
This song is an example of Afro-Cuban that has a clave rhythmic pattern. This performance started off with the bass and drum creating the beat for the entire song, followed by the piano and then the brass instruments. Drummer Clyde Conner performed a solo showing his ability to play a soulful piece but having the Latin twist to it, which was very impressive. Ben Grier also had a solo where the sounds of Afro-Cuban jazz seemed so fluid though his performance. He also immensely impressed the crowd when he played a high note and held, which caused for a round of
This paper researches and reviews the widening income gap in modern America, going into detail about the activist and non-activist viewpoints on this issue. Discussed is the impact it has on the economy, and the overall wellbeing of the country. Politicians of the political left and right’s opinions and actions they have taken are also touched upon, since it is a hot issue in the 2016 presidential election. Included is an in depth explanation of income inequality, and how it effects the American economy and the country as a whole.
As the United States faces the unceasing economics and political ills of income inequalities between social classes, the glory period of the dominant middle-class “diamond-shaped” society may be beginning to alter. Following the end of World War II in 1945, the middle class began to wear the crown of the most successful and resolute class due to new social programs and the rising economy. “In the second half, roughly from the mid-1970s, this process went into reverse. Set on apparent autopilot, the gains from growth were heavily colonized by the superrich, leaving the bulk of the workforce with little better than stagnant incomes.”(Lansley, 2014). However, this view point varies from person to person. (Bruce D. Meyer, 2014) perceives this
There are three potential consequences of income and wealth inequality in the U.S discussed in the reading by Krueger. One consequence of the rise of inequality is that it makes it a struggle for those who are being born into low-income families to have the same equal opportunities as wealthier families to become successful in life. Children from high-income families have a higher advantage in ways that they are more likely to not only go to a good school and obtain their degrees but further extend that towards graduate schools with chances of promising careers. Growing up in an affluent family, the possibility of having a high-income as an adult is more attainable than an individual coming from a poor family who didn’t have the same privilege
The beginning sounded similar to a salsa type of music due to the drum’s rhythm on the crash cymbal. Each musician had a solo within each piece. The rhythm section (double bass and drums) did a phenomenal job at maintaining as well as driving the tempo when it felt dragging. Moreover, they displayed great control and maturity of their sound throughout their solos. The dexterity and mastery within their instrument of some of the soloist in this group is inspiring because it truly shows their years and years of practice and
Hip Hop music has always been tied to the music and sounds of the past. Sampling might be one of the most apparent nods to past legacies. Andrew Bartlett explored the concept of sampling in his “Airshafts, Loudspeakers and the Hip Hop Sample” article (Forman, 393). In his project, he highlighted authors that referred to sampling as “holding music at gunpoint” and a “mixing of colors” (393). Sampling is all of the above and a keystone in hip-hop. As an avid listener of the genre, many cadences and beats sound the same, and there is a reason why. Beside the stock sounds available to a majority of producers, particular sounds tend to be sampled more than others. One, if not the most, sampled sound in hip-hop is by a drummer on James Brown’s 1986
The income gap currently in the United States of America is wider and larger than ever in recorded history of the country resulting in a poverty level degree and percentage unprecedented and unnecessary. Poverty in and of itself is concerning; however, the repercussions are Systemic, affecting our children who then are ill equipped to break the cycle of poverty,this is my concern.
The chorus is very forte and it has quick volume increases by a synthesizer sounding instrument that accents the downbeats in the chorus. The use of the softness of the piano harmony complements this hardness perfectly in his three verses as you can hear it lingering in the back. The use of his fading in and out with the symbolic piano sound uses dynamics very effectively – especially his opening, which starts by only a unique piano melody creating that feeling of mystery, nostalgia, and adrenaline. Timbre plays a vital role in the layering of this track. The three main instruments come in at different times and add its own unique place in the song contributing to the overall mood of the song. First, it’s the light high pitched piano, which is unusual in a rap song. Then the dark low pitched guitar comes in when he starts asking the question and it’s soon followed by the heavy sounding drums as he starts to rap. The interesting use of timbre gives an acoustic and classical feel versus the drums and synthesizer of hip hop giving the song its diversity and originality.