New Blog Site

Greetings,

I decided to switch from Blogger to WordPress for this blog.  You can find new updates at:
http://shanmcdowell.wordpress.com

Shannon McDowell

Podcast 2 - Pixies' "Gouge Away"

Pixies' "Doolittle (1989)"

The Pixies’ 1989 album Doolittle predates the “grunge” scene of the 1990s, but it was influential to many artists and acts of that era (Sisario, 2006).  With the exception of its production qualities (an emphasis on gated drums, for example) it did not sound like the music of the 1980s, in my opinion.  Dark and disturbing lyrics, dramatic dynamic changes between soft and loud musical motifs within the same song, and peculiar atmospheric guitar wails are all hallmarks of the Pixies’ Doolittle, hallmarks that later became the norm with bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden (Sisario, 2006).  In 1994, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana fame told Rolling Stone that he “was basically trying to rip off the Pixies” when he wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit (Sisario, 2006). 

Ironically, both Pixies and their work were not entirely successful upon release but continued sales and an expanding fan base have eventually brought then much deserved recognition (Sisario, 2006).  Doolittle became certified gold in 1995, and approximately 800,000 to a million copies of Doolittle were sold in America by 2005 (Sisario, 2006).  And although the band dispersed in 1993, after much in-fighting, their growing success brought them back together in 2004, and they have been performing off and on since then (Sisario, 2006).

As a side-note, Doolittle was polled by NME as the second-greatest influential album of all time in 2003 (“Doolittle (album),” n.d.).

I had heard of the Pixies for years but never knew much about them.  I knew they were an alternative rock back of the late 1980s and were popular on college radio, but other than their video for Here Comes Your Man from Doolittle, I did not listen to them.  It was only until I discovered that the forewoman of the band The Breeders, Kim Deal, was originally the bassist for the Pixies that I decided to explore their music.  I was immediately drawn into their dark and quirky world and was amazed that I had not been a listener earlier in their career.  As with their trend, I became a fan and admirer years after Doolittle’s release.

As a professional influence, my lyrics also tend to be dark and esoteric in nature as with Doolittle.  However, I am still in the process of learning Gil Norton’s (the producer of Doolittle) techniques of adding a clean sheen to a raw sound without stripping the rawness completely away.  And despite the age of the alternating dynamics of soft and loud found in 1990s music, I still enjoy adding a contrast of dynamics in my own work.

The question I have been asked in my Music History II course regarding my place in the industry in five years is a difficult one for me.  I suppose the best way to begin answering this question is to state what I have learned from the various artists throughout this course.  The commonality that comes to my mind is that all these artists were genuine and honest with their standards.  None of them were trying to recreate albums that came before them, neither by themselves nor by other artists.  Each artist had strengths and weaknesses and worked within the given boundaries.  Whether the limits were technological (Kraftwerk worked with synthesizers before MIDI was available) or personal (the trials that Marvin Gaye had to work through when creating What’s Going On), each artist managed to produce stellar material despite the circumstances.  This topic is important to me on a deeply personal level.  I know my road ahead will be a challenging and difficult one, but I am going to make the journey as rewarding to me as possible.

I do not project myself in the future at all, so I do not know where I will be in the industry in five years.  I do know that my passion for music and music production keeps me open to many opportunities.  I will be happy as a freelancer creating music for various libraries, as a soundtrack composer for film or television, or as studio producer helping talent to record his or her material.  In the process, I will strive to keep my originality and be honest with my talents (or lack thereof).

And my final bit of advice is to always keep learning and evolving.  If I ever feel as if I had reached my “destination” in the music industry, it will be time for me to find another line of work.

Shannon McDowell

Electronic Music Innovation: MIDI

MIDI is the acronym for Musical Instrument Device Interface.  Developed in 1982, it is a protocol that allows separate electronic music equipment to communicate amongst each other (History 2012).  In those early days of MIDI, the communication was rather simple: data relating to switching a note on and off and volume control (History 2012).  In time, the MIDI protocol became much more robust with added datasets.  These datasets can control a multitude of parameters and allows a single performer to play a rack of synthesizers and drum machine from a single MIDI controller.

The impact of such a common data language among different electronic instruments and computers has been dramatic.  MIDI incorporated in modern software, known as Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs, allows complex sequences to be programmed and played back at variable settings.  And MIDI controller devices can be played as instruments to control a huge array of musical equipment.  As a result, a single performer can control a symphony of sounds.

MIDI is now used in virtually all contemporary genres of electronic music.  I am unable to think of an example of modern electronic music production that would not employ MIDI.

As a music producer, I thrive in a MIDI environment.  The DAWs that have developed over the years have allowed me to produce music on a relatively low budget, all things considered.  I am curious about the new MIDI controller called QuNeo and have done some preliminary research on it.  It can control several DAW parameters via MIDI to produce sophisticated electronic music.

As for DAWs, I primarily use three different packages.  These include Apple Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Propellerheads’ Reason.  I am able to run two DAWs at a time using another protocol called Rewire.  Rewire is in essence a virtual MIDI connection between two DAWs, which then syncs them to playback simultaneously.

Since I have used MIDI for years, much of this blog entry is from experience and not documented sources.  So I decided to include a few links to discuss MIDI in greater detail:

The History of MIDI: http://www.midi.org/aboutmidi/tut_history.php

MIDI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI

A Short History of MIDI: http://www.rbjones.com/rbjpub/music/mus006.htm

Shannon McDowell

Kraftwerk (1974 – 1981 Period)

Kraftwerk is a pioneering electronic music group from Germany founded by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider (Duarte et al., 2011).  Although they produced albums prior to 1974, it was with their 1974 release “Autobahn” that they first received significant attention (Duarte et al., 2011).  With this album, Kraftwerk demonstrated that electronic music had legitimacy in the musical arts.  Their presentation during the United States 1975 tour was similar to factory workers; the members dressed in business attire as they perform on stage (Johnstone, 2008).  But Kraftwerk’s image would continue to evolve towards an “artist as machine” motif (Duarte et al., 2011).

Starting in 1974, Kraftwerk’s albums were mainly concept in nature.  “Autobahn (1974)” concerned itself with transportation and traffic on the Autobahn.  “Radioactivity  (1975)” had as its main theme an interplay with radio technology and radiation.  “Trans Europe Express (1977)” expressed European connectivity with a train as its metaphor.  However, both “Radioactivity” and “Trans Europe Express” were not successfully commercially when they were released (Johnstone, 2008).  It was with their 1978 album “The Man Machine” that Kraftwerk once again found success on the radio and clubs (Duarte et al., 2011).  And in 1981, “Computer Love” was released as celebration of computer technology.

One of the more significant aspects of Kraftwerk’s place in popular music history is their use of cutting-edge technology.  By 1978, Kraftwerk was using sequencers for their drum patterns as well as other synthesizer instruments (Johnstone, 2008).  It kept the music and their image appeal sounding futuristic.  Also, Kraftwerk’s music grew from more experimental pieces on “Autobahn” to club-friendly singles on “The Man Machine.”  They brought electronic music out of the labs and into the charts.

On a personal note, I have always been enthusiastic with Kraftwerk’s music.  My first love of music involved synthesizers and drum computers, and their artistic sensibilities were always appreciated by me and became a significant influence to my style of productions.  And over the years, I have read that many of the electronic music acts I have enjoyed have stated Kraftwerk as an influence.  I am thankful that Kraftwerk was the focus of our studies this week.

Shannon McDowell

Podcast 1 - The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows"

Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On (1971)”

Prior to What’s Going On in 1971, Marvin Gaye fit the “Motown niche” – Clean-shaven and “image-conscious fashion” (Edmond, 2001).  He already had a few hits, including “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”  (Marvin gaye, n.d.).  His songs were hardly controversial or involved social issues.

After his brother returned from the Vietnam War, and along with the social unrest throughout United States during the 1960s and into the 1970s, Gaye turned his attention to social matters (Edmonds, 2001).  There were riots on college campuses, reports of police brutality were all too common, and the war was clearly taking a toll on the country’s confidence.  These issues were the background under which What’s Going On was produced.

Obstacles were numerous regarding the production and pre-release of What’s Going On.  One of Gaye’s collaborators was attacked by the IRS, Gaye had difficulties within his marriage to Anna, and he suffered from depression as well (Edmonds, 2001).  And there were skeptics against the production, feeling that Gaye was becoming a protest artist (Edmonds, 2001).

One of the significant differences with What’s Going On and other Motown albums at that time was the lyrical content.  While far from a militaristic protest album, the subject matter did raise awareness on a lot of the issues that were at fault in America during the 1960s and 1970s.  Furthermore, the album was released without Berry Gordy’s blessings (Edmonds, 2001).

Sadly, I am not as familiar with the history of Motown as I would like to be.  I do know of many of the hits that were released during the 1960s and 1970s, but I never had the opportunity to listen to a full-length album until What’s Going On.  However, I must say I was thoroughly impressed with Gaye’s work.  I was especially impressed with the reverb and recording techniques employed throughout.  I can see why it is considered an influential album.

On a side-note, I was born the year What’s Going On was released.  I recall the use of brass and strings in contemporary music of my early childhood.  It is easy to assume that music had always sounded that way as a child.  It is only upon researching and listening to different eras of music that one can sense the shift in arrangements and recording arts that transpire over time.  I am thankful that Gaye’s work is one of the requirements for Music History II.  I feel as if I discovered a new artist in the process.

Shannon McDowell