Trying to start a conversation over on poptimists about the new IU video ("Good Day ( Read more... )

I just discovered My First Love Story, a Tumblr whose author, Maddie, describes the blog's objectives as: "My ideas about/analyses of K-pop in relation to feminism, the music industry (both North American and Korean), and the portrayal of Asian femininity in media (both North American and Korean). Continued exploration of my diminished and/or ( Read more... )

Tom asks on Blue Lines Revisited: "If you could have reviewed any record in history at the time it first came out, which would you choose and why?" This is my response, which will shock no one:

Ashlee Simpson's Autobiography. Who knows if I'd have reviewed it with insight, arriving cold; Mikael Wood's review in the Voice was excellent; the point ( Read more... )

Songs from 2006 that people need to nominate for the poptimists Best Of 2000s poll (that I probably won't have the room to nominate myself) - EDIT: But no rush, since you'll have a couple of weeks to contemplate these tracks, as Kat in the meantime has some special fun and games planned. Click on the comments to see ( Read more... )

More convo with Tom on his Tumblr, this time as to whether or not Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" is indiepop. I say not, though I can hear the potential indieness that he hears. (Also, more generally, I can hear parallels between country and indie in that country is up to its eyeballs in alienation and social resentment; one thing I find ( Read more... )

Was going to do this October 1st, then November 1st, now here it is.

1. Danity Kane Welcome To The Dollhouse
2. Ashlee Simpson Bittersweet World
3. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser Juventud En Éxtasis
4. Vanessa Hudgens Identified
5. Buraka Som Sistema Black Diamond
6. Willie Nelson Moment Of Forever
7. Ne-Yo Year Of The Gentleman
8. Santogold ( Read more... )

A truncated chord and a held tone, and I immediately said to myself, "The tone is not going to hold long, and the melody will rise to a particular note," a note I heard in my head. And I was right! I don't know how I did it, but this nonetheless is evidence that Marit has characteristic melodic habits. Of course, almost every melodist has ( Read more... )

This time she's lush right at the start! However, she goes uncluttered soon enough and into what I'd call a typical Marit Larsen melody - though I can't specify what's typical about it, maybe not the melody but the half-offhand, half-blithe, barely inflected delivery, syllables cutting off quickly, sans melisma.* Of course, lushness returns, this ( Read more... )

Love the start: exciting, dark chord progression over which a barrelhouse piano rollicks. Then the melody enters as if this intense beginning hadn't existed, though the bass keeps dancing and pumping, interrupted by occasional moments of dreaminess. Mostly this is sing-songy, though with formal complexity, as the verse runs through several parts, ( Read more... )

Starts w/ acoustic strums on a blues riff, and one expects or fears that the inevitable curlicues and orchestrations will come along and envelope it, but no, she's pickin' and strummin' all through with no embellishment. Her melody stays with the basic chord until it rises up on "takes fuel to light the tiniest star," and in the third verse (or is ( Read more... )