Unexpected Harmony

The flames of music piracy purportedly eating at the music industry are not untamable. Although glancing at the cover of the February 2003 issue of Wired Magazine, one may think otherwise:

In the piracy debate today, electronic distribution is at the forefront, having cut into labels’ profits much more than the ripping and burning of CDs, referenced on the WIRED Magazine cover. You may already be aware that the mass dissemination of music over internet networks was made possible by the innovation of the .MP3 compressed audio file format and the creation of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing networks. The first P2P network was called Napster, created in 1999. Although the onset of music piracy would appear to lead to homogeneity within the popular music industry, heterogeneity is the actual product of music piracy as P2P file-sharing has become a tool for promoting new music. It is quite an unexpected harmony.

The structure of P2P file-sharing intuitively seems to preserve homogeneity by only promoting well-known artists. For those who aren’t familiar with this process, P2P file sharing involves both downloading and uploading parties: once a person downloads a complete file from others online, he (the archetype of a music pirate is a teenage male) automatically becomes capable of uploading that file to others in the community. Search engines within P2P software prioritize tracks for download based on the number of people currently downloading and those who already have the complete file for uploading purposes. Moreover, the increased popularity of a track is directly related to increased download speeds. Therefore, if an artist or specific track already has a large audience, it will benefit from the majority of the P2P community’s attention. This suggests that P2P file-sharing widens the gap between major and minor artists by filtering and promoting in favor of the already well-established artists. However, the industry has managed to overcome this side-effect of P2P file sharing. I looked at the rap industry in particular to demonstrate this idea.

There is a positive correlation between the rise in piracy and the diversifying trends we see in artists within the hip-hop industry. From 2000 to the present, the number of main and featured rappers represented in the Billboard Top 100s has increased by over 400%(5-26 unique rap artists represented). Addressing the argument that the increased number of rap artists within the mainstream charts to the rising popularity in rap music in general, it is important to note that the first rap song to enter the mainstream charts was over thirty years ago, appropriately entitled “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. Until 2000, and until the onset of music piracy, the number of unique rap artists represented in the charts has been below five. It is clear that something happened in 2000 that flipped a switch. That something was piracy. The observed trend in diversification today is not limited to the number of unique artists.

Piracy has also positively influenced the variation in labels within the charts. The major labels, namely Sony, BMG, Universal, EMI, and Warner Brothers account for over 75% of music sales. These powerhouse labels have basked in considerable control over the recording, distributing and promotional aspects of the popular music industry. A study conducted in June 2005 examined the influence of sharing technologies on the market. The study provides data before and after rise of P2P sharing networks. It was found that the rise in piracy had a negligible impact on the chart-survival of low-ranked albums on the Billboard Top 100s (the lower the indicated rank, the more popular). However, after the onset of music piracy, the gap in survival times of albums associated with major labels and those associated with minor labels was made smaller. The implication of this is that minor labels are somehow benefiting from increased exposure, directly or indirectly due to piracy. 

Music piracy will not kill the music industry, although you have probably heard otherwise. To the contrary, it is contributing to its diversified vibrancy. The blimp may be on fire, but heat rises as the industry is currently showing us.

Crossing Genres

After people find out that I make music, I can predict with auto-tune- accuracy the next question that will be posed. It is invariably: "What kind of music do you like to listen to?"

Throughout my early years of schooling in the 90s, my stock answer was that "I like to listen to pretty much everything. Everything except for rap!" Upon utterance of the word rap, I remember curling my mouth in disgust. Rap/hip-hop culture, still largely underground, was portrayed a lot differently back then. When I thought of rap, I imagined senseless violence and death wish- drug usage. And when I heard this music, the monotonous vibes bared no redeeming qualities to me and the lyrics made me cringe. 

Today, I have a drastically different perspective on hip-hop. The modern hip-hop lifestyle has been extremely glamorized by the mass media, a life of exorbitant amounts of money, Bentley's, and last, but not least, women. Drake's spells it for you in "Successful". Surfacing from underground in a more positive light, hip-hop has become a regular element of today's mainstream music. It has a wider audience then ever before--and that includes me. Appropriately enough, what initially hooked me on this music was the hooks (the chorus-like parts), but I soon began to appreciate the artists' unique flows (where they lay with reference to the beat), the intense rhythmic quality to the music, and the “rags to riches” stories behind a lot of the defining artists. 

I realize hip-hop specifically isn’t the new popular music though. The popular music of today is something far more complex, often defying genre-specificity. This is no accident.

The popular music produced today is calculated to please. Labels need to be confident in a track's success because production is not cheap. The big record company’s are always trying to market to an even larger audience. One way of doing this is to cross genres, something I have noticed happening more and more.

For example, have a listen to the chart topping "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz featuring two hearty raps by Ludacris. Besides its undeniable catchiness and shadenfreudisticly empowering lyrics, this international ear-pleaser has another reason for its success. It combines elements from many genres. The hip-hop influence is evidenced by the hard hitting back-beat, and incorporation of two rap sections. There is a definite pop influence in the vocal style and the standard pop form exhibited. Also infused heavily in this track are many aspects of techno music: synthesizers are used throughout as melodic elements as well as chordal pads. Whether you are into hip-hop, classic pop, or techno, this song was recorded for you. Kevin Rudolph’s “I Made It” is a fusion of hip-hop, techno, and rock(surprisingly enough). Check it out for yourself and you will have no trouble identifying the distinct influences.

One of the effects of this trend in genre-infusions is softly introducing listeners to a variety of styles. Another positive effect of such tracks is the collaboration of artists from different genres, such as rap in my case. I believe this sharing of musical perspectives is an incredibly positive influence on the entire musical community.

Now when people ask me what kind of music I listen to, I cooly reply, “everything but death metal.” I don’t see my tastes changing on this one though...

Addressing Issues with Perfection

Imagine, if you will, that life could be auto-tuned. So you got a B+ on a paper. Just fire up the auto-tune and that becomes a solid A. So you came this close to getting a job. With auto-tune, that dream position is all yours...

Let's put this back into a musical context where it's most comfortable. Using auto-tune, you can tune any inputted pitch to any other pitch, and a person's vocal range and agility becomes theoretically boundless. Popularized by the likes of T-Pain and Akon, and now featured on a large percentage of the tracks produced today, Auto-tune has definitely left its on-point mark on the pop music scene. With powerful musical implications, auto-tune has secured its place in the industry. While I understand why Auto-tune has gotten a boat-load of flak in recent years because some people view it as musically deceitful, I do not share this view. Check out T-Pain's "Buy You a Vocal Coach Buy You A Drank" for the all too familiar sounds of this industry-shaking software.

In defense of auto-tune, I offer these sentiments:

Auto-tune in some cases is a crutch in other cases it is used as an effect: as a crutch if a singer can't hit a note they hear in their head due to vocal constraints, and as an effect if a singer just wants that infectious, metallic shimmer on their recorded vocal tracks. In either case, Auto-tune allows the artist to sing the melodies in their head regardless of their vocal virtuosity. Does this represent a breach in  integrity or honesty? I prefer to think of it as a vehicle for musical honesty. Now an artist can convey the melodies that are truly playing in their head without hiring someone to do the vocalizing for them.

I have a great respect for the singer who doesn't require auto-tune to hit atmospheric notes with the precision of a laser-guided missile. Granted, these people have a load of talent. But not everyone will ever be able to hit certain notes accurately no matter how much vocal training is received. I am not arguing that users of auto-tune are the most talented of vocalists, but they are not talentless. Successful artists utilizing auto-tune often have strengths in other areas such as lyrics, rhythm, and unique vocal timber. Auto-tune allows artists to display their musical strengths even if hitting pitches perfectly isn't one of them. This shouldn't be such an issue because popular music isn't largely an exhibition of vocal virtuosity. It isn't opera. It isn't Broadway.

Some people mark the rise of Auto-tune with the downfall of creativity. This is completely and utterly false. Auto-tune is not a melody-generating software. An artist still has to define and realize a melody. The software bares no creative input into the music. There is still a lot of human in the equation. This is not machine-music of any kind--it is not an algorithm that spits out searing singles. It influences a layer of the track(the vocals) and increases the preciseness of a singer(to a degree determined by the sound engineer and artist). Auto-tune does not sing for anyone, and it can't make just anyone a singer You can't go into the booth, spit gibberish in mono-tone, run it through auto-tune, and have a hit that goes platinum in a week. As an auto-tune user, I can attest to this fact. Factors that make for a successful auto-tuned recording include: raw vocals which come close to the desired pitches, having an interesting quality of voice, and good air support.

If you want to purchase auto-tune or take advantage of the ten day full-feature demos visit
Antares. This is the software the professionals are using.

If an artist creates a catchy song, I believe the end justifies the means. Auto-tuned or not, that's all that pop music boils down to--creating a song that plays on repeat in many a person's head long after the song stops playing.

1

Trifecta

1. Pay Attention!

Hello World! Welcome to my blog, a commentary on today’s popular music through the eyes (or ears, rather) of me, trisax. Why ‘trisax’? Well, I play three saxophones: the soprano sax, alto sax, and tenor sax. I also dabble in piano and am fluent in the jazz and pop idioms on all of my instruments. I play sax in a college big band (with a focus on modern jazz), lay down the sax/keys parts in a folk rock group (we are currently in the studio working on our next album), and have a solo project focusing on electronic/indie music.

Music has always been a subject that resonated with me, and a great passion of mine since I can remember. Sometimes music relaxes me. Sometimes it inspires. Sometime it gets my blood-pumping. And often music leads me to introspection. I love compiling the soundtrack to my life by the songs I listen to and helping to write it through my own composition. Currently I am pursuing this passion with a jazz studies degree. I have been exploring both the academic and creative sides of music on a daily basis. I am also working towards a Biology degree, for what it’s worth.

I’d like to give you a taste of my musical preference.  Some of my favorite jazz artists include John Coltrane, Brian Blade, Vincent Herring, Bill Evans, and Joshua Redman. I highly recommend checking out the music of all of these fine musicians. As for popular music, I enjoy listening to The Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, and Owl City. I also enjoy listening to hip-hop artists if I’m in the right mood/place such as Jay-Z, Mos Def, and Lupe Fiasco. As I previously mentioned, this is only a taste of my favorite artists. While reading this blog, you will definitely gain a more complete view of my musical taste. But this isn’t all about me--I will not be limiting my discussion of popular music to the music I like. This blog is about popular music whether or not it is popular with me or not.

I love casually listening to as well as critically listening to/dissecting pop music. For clarification purposes, by ‘popular music,’ I am referring to the ‘Top 40’ songs that grace (or plague, depending on the song) the radio. I would like to share my thoughts on the current state of the popular music scene with you via this blog. I aim to provide insight into this scene from a jazz-pop musician’s/scientist’s perspective.

Among other topics, I will discuss the evolution of popular music from the 90s to today, trends in popular song lyrics and how they reflect upon societal ideals, conformity and originality within the industry, current technology being utilized in the industry today, and the future of the industry. Furthermore, I will relate the topics discussed to the music I am involved in creating.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I am looking forward to composing it throughout the coming weeks.

2. Profile of a Blogger: Mike 

At first glance of the “Pop Trash Addicts,” the simple layout is tastefully pink. You can see for yourself right here: Pop Trash. It isn’t one of those glaring hot pinks, right? It’s more of a soft pink that I wouldn’t mind looking at for a while--even every day for that matter. I suppose that is a good feature for a blog to have.

This pop music-oriented blog is very sleek. It is clear that this blog is about reviewing pop music, not an exhibition of a mastery in computer code or an excuse for a deluge of pop-up windows (as is the case with some blogs I have come across). My blog will follow suit in this category—a focus on content above all.

As this is pop music, naturally it is a hot topic for discussion. I was browsing the web for other bloggers in the same vein as me and found Mike’s blog: “Pop Trash Addicts.” Mike is obsessed with music, a true music lover, as I am. This blog, written in Australia, has been in existence since November 2006. Posts occur every week or so, although sometimes more frequently. The audience is clearly anyone who listens to pop music. The musical eye candy in this blog is courtesy of the imbedded movie clips (often from Youtube.com) displaying the songs being discussed and also the good supply of large album cover .jpgs throughout the posts relevant to the current musical discussion.

Pop Trash focuses on casual, yet detailed pop album/single track reviews and also artist/album countdowns. In fact, On December 23rd, Beyonce Knowles was named "Pop Trash Woman of the Year." Mike writes that Beyonce

cleaned up at every award ceremony and revolutionized the way albums are promoted with her dual singles and 'Sasha Fierce' alter ego. The pop pioneer also somehow found the time to release a remix album and a live album as well as two brilliant duets (with Lady GaGa and Alicia Keys). Like it or not - 2009 was the year of Queen B

Furthermore, Mike displays a clear command of sarcasm and a witty sensibility which I appreciate very much. For example, on Thursday, January 21, Mike thoroughly reviewed each track on MTV’s Heidi Montag’s debut “pop masterpiece:" 

Never before has one reed thin voice belted out so many unforgettable anthems about topical issues like clubbing, shopping and looking hot. Heidi's music will not only make you dance - it will widen the horizons of your mind and help put you on the path to righteousness

You can read more from this post and get your full serving of sarcasm for the week here: Heidi Montag

This blog provides insight while inducing a giggle every now and then. I definitely recommend regularly reading this blog. While my blog will be less about full album reviews, I hope to include a similar graceful mix of wit and social/musical commentary in my own blog as Mike has done.

The sub-line of the “Pop Trash Addicts” title reads: “Oh no, you didn’t.” Well, oh yes, I did.

3. A Melismatic Dream

'Melismatic' is a musical adjective describing a melisma-full vocal performance. Melisma could pass for some sort of skin cancer, couldn't it?

Doctor: "I’ve identified a melisma.”

Patient: “Is it B9?"

Doctor: “Well…yes. That’s the chord it's being sung over”

In actuality, a melisma is characterized by the vocalizing of many notes over one syllable, either out of necessity or for aesthetic embellisment. Melisma is often exercised within a bluesy, honest, and emotional context. Think Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Whitney Houston, or Christina Aguilera. Check this out: Melisma Examples

I'm sure you've heard melismas before as it is all the rage in the pop music industry today, but feel free to impress someone with your now increased vocabulary when you hear it next.

"Melismatic" is also the title of a fascinating pop music blog which I highly recommend checking out for yourself. The author of this blog is Mel, a 22 year-old self-proclaimed "Pop Diva". She hails from Manhattan, New York. Besides being a pop fanatic, she has a love for "guilt pleasures, elephants, and all things aquamarine." Interesting.

After reading a handful of her posts like it was an addiction of mine, I identified her consistent, playful, casual, and honest voice which is rather enrapturing.

One of her posts cleverly entitled "Grammy Got Run Over By A..."details her impressions of the 2010 Grammy Awards which aired Sunday, January 31. As the title suggests, she was generally unimpressed with the Grammy's this year. I found them rather lacking as well.

The first paragraph of this post is essentially a couple long strings of phrases connected with commas.  This creates momentum and effectively pulls you along into the point-of-no-return. I have noticed that a lot of her sentences are rather lengthy, which also increases the impact of her short sentences when used.

Every year, I, like many audiophiles, get some weird feeling that this means it is must-see-television, when in actuality, I could already tell the folks who I wanted to win, or thought deserved to win, would likely lose in favor or what is more successful saleswise...

On occasion, her diction is a reflection of her content. Lady Gaga's opening performance for the Grammy's this year was dark and morbid. Appropriately, Mel begins by mentioning Lady Gaga's  "so-dead-it's-been-beaten-multiple-times-like-a-dead-horse "Poker Face" live performance. I agree that even Lady gaga looked dead-tired of the song (but perhaps it was just her stoic poker face). Mel continues to write that Lady Gaga then returned with a "morbid black piano" across from Elton John, singing "Your Song/Speechless." Emphasizing “dead,” “morbid,” and “black” in this section of the post, Mel subtly reflects the morbid theme of the entire performance. 

The Elton John and Lady Gaga duet was the musical highlight of the Grammy's, and Mel writes that:

and the fact that it opened the show should show you -- the rest was kind of downhill from there.

Mel's uses italics effectively throughout her posts. The double dash is also used to add emphasis to the preceding statement. Both also add to her casual vibe.

In addition, this post is brimming with colorful descriptions. The most visually inspiring moment had to be Pink's high-flying, graceful choreography to her song "Glitter in the Air." She hung from the ceiling and spun around, often upside down, all the while giving a solid vocal performance. Mel writes:

Then the performance took a whole different turn when she was dipped in water then again rose high and spun around, spraying the audience of awe-induced celebs like they were watching a Shamu Show at SeaWorld. Crazy.

It is just this whale-of-a comparison that is representative of Mel's creative way with words, which is on display in every one of her posts. I bet Pink would not be too keen on being compared to Shamu, but, regardless, I still appreciated it. Mel infuses humor into many of her lines, which is a good way to cultivate readership.

Her subsequent discussion of Taylor swift is particularly evident of her causal tone.

But girlfriend -- this whole Gee Willikers! I'm so shocked I won! schtick is starting to feel real thin.

She playfully refers to Swift as her girlfriend as one would do in conversation. Similary, the Taylor Swift impression interjected in here (accurately capturing the sweet Swift persona) contributes to the conversation-feel. Furthermore, Mel casually calls Taylor Swift's song "You Belong with Me" "a whine fest.

In fact, colloquial diction is used throughout this post and al of her posts--she calls the Grammy's a "bit of a wash" but offers a "sum-up" for those who didn't bother tuning in. Evidently, she is very conversational and relatable in the way she writes.

Another of her posts I read (http://popdivalc.blogspot.com/2010/02/wgo-may-best-charity-single-win.html) again gained momentum and garnered interest within the first two sentences--only this time via conciseness. The Haiti disaster, as any major disaster with international attention will do, has spawned a number of charity singles. Leading a discussion on two of these tracks (one produced by Simon Cowell and the other by legendary Quincy Jones),  Mel cuts to the chase and writes: "Let the battle of the Charity Singles Begin!"

She is very straightforward when she gives the details of the two tracks. So many artists were involved on each project, that the majority of her paragraphs could double as the invite lists to the past three Grammy's combined. She acknowledged the insane name-dropping with: "Just writing that made my head spin."

A bit off topic a bit for the post, she discusses Taylor Swift's

latest single, "Weak New Version of 'Love Story'" "Today Was A Fairytale."

This strikethrough is particularly effective in showing what she really thinks of the song. Mel's posts contain many phrases in parentheses, such as a  "(::cough::cough::)" every so often, and strike-throughs when extra commentary on certain subjects is deemed appropriate or inappropriate. I feel like she is supplying a window into her mind, or as if I am the privileged owner of a limited release DVD with BONUS special features. This is a good feeling.

Mel's voice is casual, honest, and creatively playful. If she were a singer instead of a blogger she would definitely be singing with melismas.

A Melismatic Dream

'Melismatic' is a musical adjective describing a melisma-full vocal performance. A melisma is characterized by the vocalizing of many notes over one syllable, either out of necessity or for aesthetic embellisment. Melisma is often exercised within a bluesy, honest, and emotional context. Think Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Whitney Houston, and Christina Aguilera. This vid does a good job of showing many strong examples melisma: Melisma Examples

I'm sure you've heard melismas before as it is all the rage in the pop music industry today. Feel free to impress someone with your now increased vocabulary. It could pass for some sort of skin cancer, couldn't it?

Doctor: "I’ve identified a melisma.”

Patient: “Is it B9?"

Doctor: “Well, yes. That’s the chord it's being sung over”

In all seriousness, some people think melisma as it is exercised today is a cancer in the music industry. I was talking with my Godmother a few months ago about pop music, and, recalling a recent performance of the national anthem she witnessed, she questioned me (with a disgusted tone): "Why do all these young singers sing so many damn notes. I want to hear the melody without all that extra stuff." I agree that it can lose its impact if done in excess, as most things do. When tastefully done, however, I dig it. This is beautiful: "Let It Be"-Across The Universe 

"Melismatic" is also the title of a fascinating pop music blog which I highly recommend checking out for yourself. The author of this blog is Mel, a 22 year-old self-proclaimed "Pop Diva". She hails from Manhattan, New York. Besides being a pop fanatic, she has a love for "guilt pleasures, elephants, and all things aquamarine." Interesting.

After reading a handful of her posts like it was an addiction of mine, I identified her playful, casual, and honest voice which is undeniably clear, consistent, and enrapturing.

Her latest post cleverly entitled: Grammy Got Run Over By A...details her impressions of the Grammy Awards which aired Sunday, January 31 2010. Generally she was unimpressed with the Grammy's this year. I found them rather lacking as well.

Her comprehensive look at the Awards ceremony is chock-full of colorful descriptions, which makes for a very engaging read, and is also a huge part of the strong voice that permeates her posts. Lady Gaga opened the show with a performance of one of her singles: "Poker Face." Mel describes it as "so-dead-its-been-beaten-multiple-times-like-a-dead-horse.” I think that is a very accurate description of the musical number. Lady Gaga appeared tired of the song herself (perhaps her Poker Face would have come in handy?). Mel mentions Lady Gaga's more than redeeming duet with Elton John, which I agree was the musical highlight of the Grammy's. Lady Gaga and Elton John

The most visually inspiring moment had to be Pink's  high-flying and graceful choreography to her song "Glitter in the Air." She hung from the ceiling and spun around, often upside down, all the while giving a solid vocal performance. Mel writes:

Then the performance took a whole different turn when she was dipped in water then again rose high and spun around, spraying the audience of awe-induced celebs like they were watching a Shamu Show at SeaWorld. Crazy.

It is just this whale-of-a comparison that is representative of Mel's creative way with words, which is on display in every one of her posts. I bet Pink would not be too keen on being compared to Shamu, but, regardless, it still made me laugh.

The way Mel presents her musical commentary is conversational and pleasantly casual. When delving into a light discussion on Taylor Swift and her Grammy sweep, she begins with

But girlfriend--this whole Gee Willikers! I'm so shocked I won! schtick is starting to feel real thin 

I can definitely hear Taylor Swift in her sweet, innocent, little voice of hers saying just that. I think Mel hit the nail on the head with this one. I couldn't have put it better myself.

Furthermore, Mel's posts contain many phrases in parentheses and strike-throughs when extra commentary on certain subjects is deemed appropriate or inappropriate. I feel like she is supplying a window into her mind/writing process, or as if I am the privileged owner of a limited release DVD with BONUS special features. For example, in discussing who she thought should win awards she writes that her top picks

would likely lose in favor or what is more successful saleswise, or what the typical Grammy Voter deems worthy (::cough::cough::)

Mel is casual, honest, and creatively playful with her words. If she were a singer, instead of a blogger, she would definitely be singing with melismas.

Profile of a Blogger: Mike

At first glance of the “Pop Trash Addicts,” the simple layout is tastefully pink. You can see for yourself right here: Pop Trash. It isn’t one of those glaring hot pinks, right? It’s more of a soft pink that I wouldn’t mind looking at for a while--even every day for that matter. I suppose that is a good feature of a blog.

This pop music-oriented blog is very sleek. It is clear that this blog is about reviewing pop music, not an exhibition of a mastery in computer code or an excuse for a deluge of pop-up windows (as is the case with some blogs I have come across). My blog will follow suit in this category—a focus on content above all.

As this is pop music, naturally it is a hot topic for discussion. I was browsing the web for other bloggers blogging in the same vein and found Mike’s blog: “Pop Trash Addicts.” Mike is obsessed with music as I am. This blog, written in Australia, has been in existence since November 2006. Posts occur every week or so, although sometimes more frequently. The audience is clearly anyone who listens to pop music. The musical eye candy in this blog is courtesy of the imbedded movie clips (often from Youtube.com) displaying the songs being discussed and also the good supply of large album cover .jpgs throughout the posts relevant to the current musical discussion. Pop Trash focuses on casual, yet detailed pop album/single track reviews and also artist/album countdowns. In fact, On December 23rd, Beyonce Knowles was named “Pop Trash Woman of the Year.” Mike writes that Beyonce

"cleaned up at every award ceremony and revolutionized the way albums are promoted with her dual singles and 'Sasha Fierce' alter ego. The pop pioneer also somehow found the time to release a remix album and a live album as well as two brilliant duets (with Lady GaGa and Alicia Keys). Like it or not - 2009 was the year of Queen B"

You can read more about Beyonce's greatness in the full post:
Woman of The Year

Furthermore, Mike displays a clear command of sarcasm, and a witty sensibility which I appreciate very much so. For example, on Thursday, January 21, Mike thoroughly reviewed each track on MTV’s Heidi Montag’s debut “pop masterpiece:"

"Never before has one reed thin voice belted out so many unforgettable anthems about topical issues like clubbing, shopping and looking hot. Heidi's music will not only make you dance - it will widen the horizons of your mind and help put you on the path to righteousness"

You can read more from this post and get your full serving of sarcasm for the week here: Heidi Montag

This blog provides insight while inducing a giggle every now and then. I definitely recommend regularly reading this blog. While my blog will be less about full album reviews, I hope to include a similar graceful mix of wit and social/musical commentary in my own blog as Mike has done.

The sub-line of the “Pop Trash Addicts” title reads: “Oh no, you didn’t.” Well, oh yes, I did. And I will. Make of that what you will.

Pay Attention!

Hello World! Welcome to this blog, a commentary on today’s popular music through the eyes (or ears, rather) of me, trisax. Why ‘trisax’? Well, I play three saxophones: the soprano sax, alto sax, and tenor sax. I also dabble in piano. I am fluent in the jazz and pop idioms on all of my instruments. I play sax in a college big band (with a focus on modern jazz), lay down the sax/keys parts in a folk rock group (we are currently in the studio working on our next album), and have a solo project focusing on electronic/indie music. Music has always been a subject that resonated with me, and a great passion of mine since I can remember. Sometimes music relaxes me. Sometimes it inspires. Sometime it gets my blood-pumping. And often music leads me to introspection. I love compiling the soundtrack to my life by the songs I listen to and helping write it through my own compositions. Currently I am pursuing this passion with a jazz studies degree. I have been exploring both the academic and creative sides of music on a daily basis. I am also working towards a Biology degree, for what it’s worth.

I’d like to give you a taste of my musical preference. Some of my favorite jazz artists include John Coltrane, Brian Blade, Vincent Herring, Bill Evans, and Joshua Redman. I highly recommend checking out the music of all of these fine musicians. As for popular music, I enjoy listening to The Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, and Owl City. I also enjoy listening to hip-hop artists if I’m in the right mood/place such as Jay-Z, Mos Def, and Lupe Fiasco. As I previously mentioned, this is only a taste of my favorite artists. While reading this blog, you will definitely gain a more complete view of my musical taste. But this isn’t all about me--I will not be limiting my discussion of popular music to the music I like. This blog is about popular music whether or not it is popular with me or not.

I love casually listening to as well as critically listening to/dissecting pop music. For clarification purposes, by ‘popular music,’ I am referring to the ‘Top 40’ songs that grace (or plague, depending on the song) the radio. I would like to share my thoughts on the current state of the popular music scene with you via this blog. I aim to provide insight into this scene from a jazz-pop musician’s/scientist’s perspective.

Among other topics, I will discuss the evolution of popular music from the 90s to today, trends in popular song lyrics and how they reflect upon societal ideals, conformity and originality within the industry, current technology being utilized in the industry today, and the future of the industry. Furthermore, I will relate the topics discussed to the music I am involved in creating.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I am looking forward to composing it throughout the coming weeks.