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welcome to the house of music
i talk about music stuff in organized mini-essays diving into musical elements of songs i like, or i geek out about cool gear. so get ready to be exposed to my wildly inconsistent music taste cuz y'all are about to learn things.
the matpi hub
memes, and the role of music
Yeah, you heard me right. I'm gonna be talking about memes. Lately, I've been thinking about how much music has become intertwined with meme culture, and how certain songs can become memes on their own. Given that I write a music blog, I thought I'd write about my thoughts on the subject. How DOES music reach meme status?
Well first, we have to define what a meme even is. Obviously it's not just an image edited with a funny caption in Impact font or oversaturated to the point at which it's incomprehensible. Music has to be involved somewhere in there, or else this whole argument falls to pieces. There has to be a broader definition somewhere, right? Yes, there is, and it gives us a perfect grounding for establishing the meme status of music. According to Wikipedia, the term "meme" was coined in Richard Dawkin's book The Selfish Gene, and it defines the word as a cultural entity that can be considered a replicator; basically an idea that can be spread by people copying it and showing it to others, and it can include images, melodies, behaviors, and anything else that can easily be transmitted.
So why does this matter? We can now devise a way to categorize music memes based on what aspect of culture they appeal to. I won't go into every single meme song that exists, but I will go over some of the biggest meme songs in the past couple of years, and there are four main categories that all of them fall into:
Songs that have some sort of cultural significance on their own
Songs relating to shared cultural experiences
Songs that serve as part of a meme, without which the meme potential is lost
Remixes, typically of a sound that has cultural significance
For songs with their own cultural significance, we need look no further that January 2021 with the sea shanty craze; specifically, "The Wellerman". It's a perfect example of how social media has become embedded in musical culture and how sites like TikTok can bring people together through features that allow collaboration. Adam Neely made an in-depth video on this, but the gist of it was that the duet feature in TikTok allows people to come together with collaborative projects like singing sea shanties in a time when we're forced to stay apart. There are other songs that became memes through similar means. "Gangnam Style", "The Cha Cha Slide", and "The Cupid Shuffle" all became popular to the point of memes because they went viral on social media (mainly YouTube) and they were participatory in the sense they had signature dances, which were easy enough for anyone to do, solidifying them into a widespread culture. Some songs are memes due to their established presence in this culture, and they're songs people are expected to know either within a certain group or just in general. Just think "September", "Mamma Mia", and even "Renai Circulation" all became memes simply because of their existence within modern culture.
Culture also follows songs that are entertaining, i.e. funny, and funny songs are part of the epitome of meme culture. These come from the very early days of YouTube all the way to some of the newest TikTok audios. Take the keyboard cat on YouTube for example. Who doesn't love a cat in a suit playing some funky tunes on a keyboard? And Nyan Cat; an upbeat tune made out of synthesized meows while a cat with a PopTart for a body flies through space while farting rainbows. These random gems reflect the spirit of the internet in terms of creativity and just pure fun. There are also songs that are almost like musical shitposts; songs that have almost no meaning but exist for the sole purpose of entertainment through the random. Big Shaq's "Mans Not Hot" is such a fun song, and was really popular a few years ago because of its random lyrics and especially the verse that was just beatboxing. Songs that are so bad they're funny are popping up a lot as well. "Gucci Gang", sporting a laughably terrible sounding beat and 99% of the lyrics just being "Gucci Gang", climbed its way up to meme status just because of how bad it was. The meme status of these songs depends on the hilarity and ridiculousness that internet memes were founded on, and because of that, have embedded themselves into the worldwide meme culture.
Next is songs that relate to shared cultural experiences, so basically all of the movie tunes, game soundtracks, and just other experiences that aren't inherently musical, but contain musical elements. Everyone loves Smash Mouth's "All Star", and was popularized through none other than the hit movie Shrek. On its own it's a great song, but it's unlikely it would have reached the fame it has today had it not been for Shrek, which in and of itself has become a meme. Of course, the other one that everyone knows is "Megalovania" from the game Undertale. Its simple musical motifs combined to make it the insanely recognizable tune it is today, and has almost detached itself from its source entirely. Mario Kart has had several songs that have become memes, including "Coconut Mall" as well as "Dolphin Shoals", which gave birth to the famous Mario Kart Lick. And who could forget about Star Wars with its main theme, "The Imperial March", and "Duel of the Fates" among others. Lazy Town gave us a few gems as well, like "Cooking by the Book" and of course "We Are Number One". Most of these reach meme status because there are simple musical elements that make them instantly recognizable and can trigger pleasant memories of whatever media they came from, that media being a shared piece of culture among the majority of a generation. "All Star" begins that iconic leap from the the root to the fifth of the scale on the opening line, and "Coconut Mall" creates that frenzied feeling like entering a Macy's on Black Friday which just makes it so fun to listen to.
I need to take a minute to comment on the songs in this category that arguably had the biggest impact on the culture of this generation: Minecraft Parodies. Simply say "Creeper" in a room full of high schoolers and I guarantee you it will be followed by a chorus of "Aww man", most likely followed by the rest of the song. You probably already know what song I'm talking about. "Revenge" by CaptainSparklez and Tryhardninja was the song that powered a generation of Minecrafters, and its resurgence in recent years was met with a flash flood of nostalgia and overall good vibes. We had other hits that grew to immense popularity, like "Fallen Kingdom" and "TNT", along with countless others (and I really do mean countless). The parody craze was so prevalent, some people who otherwise probably never would have gotten into music began releasing hit songs. Not to mention all of the original Minecraft songs that came into the spotlight, like "Take Back the Night", "Creepers Gonna Creep", and so many others. This craze spread beyond Minecraft to some newer games like Fortnite, which allowed the creation of one of the most popular parodies today: Leviathan's "Chug Jug with You". Overall, these helped define a generation and not only allowed musicians to be involved in the things they like, but also allowed many people into the world of music.
This next category involves music that became associated with a certain format, as in there's little to no meme within the music outside of that format. The one everyone knows is the iconic Rickroll, the act of building suspense and breaking the tension with the beginning to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" rather than whatever else would logically release tension. Meme formats are tailored to the individual song, and this is no different. The song begins with a sudden electronic drum fill before going into an upbeat 80s dance tune. Often the video preceding the Rickroll will build up to something desirable to the viewer, and that sudden fill subverting their expectations invokes a sense of disappointment, having been cheated out of their reward. However, the fun sound of the rest of the song helps ease that disappointment. The Coffin Dance and Shot on iPhone memes employed a similar concept by building up tension and releasing it by cutting to the music. However, here the music played throughout to help build up that tension while a video, often depicting someone doing something risky or getting hurt in some way, cutting to just the music at the climax of the clip. This employs driving principle of EDM, building up tension and releasing it at the drop. The meme works by mirroring that suspense and resolution of the video with that of the song, and that resolution being different than what would otherwise logically happen is what allows the meme to spread. Obviously, this isn't the only way songs can be part of a format; songs like "Baka Mitai" and "Shooting Stars" have all had their time to shine. However, these memes that work to subvert the expectations of the audience arguably have the biggest impact of the songs in this category.
Finally, we have the remixes, which typically involve altering any of the songs from the above categories. One of the most popular forms of the remix is the mashup, and who better to bring up here than the legendary SilvaGunner, whose videos advertise a track from a video game OST, but end up being some other meme mashed up into it. The reason mashups work as memes is because it subverts our expectations, even when we know it's a mashup. Our brains know how each song goes, but when we listen to them together it creates something completely new that either sounds great or absolutely horrendous. Yet we still listen to them because they're interesting. Additionally, remixing a meme song in a funny way is a common form of musical meme. It can occur through, super heavy distortion, or repeating a section of a song throughout the song at a level far more than a mere motif, or deleting parts of a song leaving only the memeable parts, or simple pitch shifting, among so many other ways of remixing. The possibilities are endless. The reason remixes are such good memes is they take songs with cultural significance and change them entirely, giving them a whole new meaning.
Well there you have it. Music and memes have gone hand-in-hand since the very beginning, and as culture evolves and memes become more advanced, there's no doubt that these threads will entangle themselves even further. Thanks for reading and if you have any interesting thoughts on music memes or just wanna talk about your favorite ones, feel free to share! That's all, and I'll catch you at the double barline!
the colorful stories tag, except it's music
I was nominated for this blog challenge tag by my good friend deathby1kslimes (that's a link to their blog that you should totally go check out) who writes about anime. I read through the rules of the tag, which is really meant for stories, and thought, "Hey, music works really well with this too! I should definitely do this!" So here we are. These right here are the tag rules:
#1 Share your favourite stories—movies/books/anime/manga/drama/songs—by classifying them on these seven colours’ traits:
red: passionate, exciting, invigorating
blue: peaceful, calming
pink: romantic, caring
orange: warm, motivating
black: mysterious, thrilling
green: fresh, unexpected
white: random
#2 Send this challenge invitation to at least one of your friends. Let them fear your superiority, as you—decide their fate. (I mean, I'm not too good at assigning interesting fates so,,,,)
#3 Link back to the original post here! And, enjoy!
So, without further ado, let's paint a musical rainbow!
Red - "FIRE BIRD" by Roselia
I honestly do not think that there is a song more fitting for this color than "FIRE BIRD". Like what more could you want from this song? A heavy double time beat accompanies lush guitars and flying piano lines. Not to mention Yukina Minato's vocals (voiced by the talented Aina Aiba) soar into the heavens, taking the song with it. The bridge of the song really does a phenomenal job of creating the image of the Phoenix rising again from the ashes, and leads into an amazing final chorus and just a simply spectacular finale.
Blue - "Misty Frosty Love" by You Watanabe and Riko Sakurauchi
I'mma be totally honest, I don't know why I love this song as much as I do. Love Live winter songs really just do not miss. Either way, this song won out of quite a few songs that definitely could have been here. The use of atmospheric synths as well the chimes creates just an air of calm and repose. The instrumental during the verse is also very Animal Crossing-esque, which helps sort of escape from your current world into a stress-free world of stability and relaxation. I could listen to this song for hours curled up under a blanket in front of a fire while I drink hot chocolate and look at the snow falling outside of the window. That aside, I definitely want to make a full post about why this song is as good as it is, and how someone who enjoys heavy rock, like me, got to love it so much.
Pink - "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City
Owl City had a lot of songs that could have worked for blue, but this one fits perfectly for pink. A pensive song about stargazing with a loved one, I don't think there's a better song for it. It's got an atmospheric sound with some glittery sounds mixed it, which really help paint the starry sky, unpolluted by any light which could reduce the visibility of the cosmos. It's touched with a tinge of loneliness and yearning as well, tying perfectly into the romantic theme. Overall it's just a very sweet song and I really love it.
Orange - "LOUDER" by Roselia
Again, this one was a bit hard to pin down because I have a lot of songs that help me get motivated, but that warm part was a bit tricky. Since "FIRE BIRD" is already here, I couldn't pick that one, but then I remembered "LOUDER". Not only does the blistering tempo with the heavy power metal feel get you pumped up, the changing of key signatures between the verse and chorus make that chorus feel that much warmer, almost mimicking a sunrise. That key change creates two completely different colors within the song. The verse feels like a colder dark blue while the verse flips to a warm bright orange.
Black - "Hikari no Akuma" by εpsilonΦ
Yeah, I could put down Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for this one, but that's boring and predictable. Instead, I scoured my entire Spotify library to find this song. It's thrilling that's for sure. Fresh sounds combined with a constantly changing drum beat make this song feel like a roller coaster. The trading of vocal lines make this song even more interesting. The funky sounds and chord progressions scattered throughout the song create an air of frenzied mystery around the song as well; not to mention the polymetric figures pulling you every which way as you keep listening.
Green - "BURN IT DOWN" by Linkin Park
You probably weren't expecting this one. If I had to pick something that would really fit this color, it would actually be Linkin Park's album "A Thousand Suns", but I can't do such a masterpiece justice in a post like this, so I'm giving it its own post in the future. Besides, me listening to that album probably wouldn't have happened without this song. "BURN IT DOWN" was the song that got me into Linkin Park. I used to think Linkin Park was just a bunch of glitchy screamo music that really only appealed to those who actively listen to super experimental stuff. I was dead wrong. One summer I was listening to the radio on Amazon Prime Music and this popped up. I was enthralled. It was a sound I'd never heard before. Something I didn't expect the band to sound like. This song was what let me say that I actually had a favorite band for the first time. To this day, Linkin Park remains my all-time favorite band because they came out of nowhere and brought me the music that I'd been longing for.
White - "Sparkle Mountain" by Andrew Huang
If there's one song that defines random, it's this one. I don't even know where to begin. The lyrics create some very vivid imagery, but there's almost no cohesion at all. Just random things on a mountain known as Sparkle Mountain. The sounds used also help create just random chaos which makes this super fun to listen to. Sparkly synthesizers, drop C guitars, microtones, and a funky keyboard solo are just a few examples. In terms of the music itself, the song is centered on a weird chord progression that's grounded on the wonky bassline. The production makes everything sound super pop yet also super glitchy and it all comes together in a way that makes you think "What the heck even is this song?" and "This is a straight up banger." at the same time. If that wasn't enough, the music video is linked above and it adds a whole new level of sheer insanity to it all.
Well folks, there you have it. A few of my favorite songs separated by color. This was a really fun post to write because it made me think about other kinds of music than just the standard rock I'm used to writing about. I'm supposed to tag a friend for this challenge, but I don't know any other friends who actually write things, so if you do write, go ahead and take this challenge! Anyway, with that said, see ya later and I'll catch you at the double barline!
top 5: ho-kago tea time
"K-On!" has solidified itself as one of the keystones of the slice-of-life genre of anime, and with good reason too. A phenomenal coming-of-age story under the guise of cute girls doing cute things, it's one of my all-time favorite shows. That's not all though; the series has some killer music that's both super fun yet tugs on the heartstrings to no end. Today, I'll be ranking my favorite songs by Ho-Kago Tea Time, the band behind all of these amazing songs.
5. "Fuwa Fuwa Time" - Nothing screams classic like this song. This was the first song featured in the anime before Ho-Kago Tea Time had even come up with their name. Musically, it's not complex at all, but that's what makes it so good. The simplicity combined with the fluffy imagery created by the lyrics makes a lovable, memorable, and just an overall fun tune.
4. "Fude Pen - Ball Pen" - There's not much to say about this song except that it's a total vibe. The guitar riff at the beginning starts off strong with that high-pitched lead guitar giving the song some great energy, and the chromatic phrases add a lot of just pure fun to the song. Not to mention the pre-chorus doing a great job of building up to the chorus where all that momentum goes full force with the harmonies in the vocals as well as with the instruments. Overall it's a really great song that keeps your interest peaked throughout the entire thing.
3. "No, Thank You!" - The ending themes are a complete change from the traditional fun vibes of the opening and insert songs. They often take a darker tone while also exploring slightly more serious topics within the lyrics. Yet, the lyrics still present uplifting tones, providing a really nice contrast with the dark, heavy sound. Speaking of the sound, it turns to a more heavy rock sound combined with synthesizers which is something I really love. This song especially takes it to the max, starting with a very stripped down intro, and leading into the intro riff with the snare and the effects with harmonics on the guitar. It stays heavy throughout the song and just doesn't get boring, which is why I really like this song.
2. "U&I" - I feel that this song captures perfectly how the perception of a song changes with the context within which it is listened to. This song is an insert song in episode 20 of the second season, an episode which in and of itself has cemented itself in the legacy of slice-of-life shows. While the song on its own is still pretty good, it is rather simple and not very musically interesting. However, as Ho-Kago Tea Time have continuously demonstrated, simple can be good. It makes it memorable; not to mention this song was written and performed for the first time during the climax of this story arc, at which the emotional tension was highest. It's in A major too, which I've already talked about as screaming emotion in a previous post. All that combined gives us one of the most loved songs that the band has put out.
Honorable mentions
"Gohan wa Okazu" - It's a song about rice, and it's an absolute bop. Captures the importance of simplicity perfectly.
"Go! Go! Maniac" - The chaotic, bopping opening to K-On!'s second season, it's overall a super fun song, and you really can't go wrong with it.
"Tenshi Ni Furetayo!" - A lot more chill than the frenzied chaos of pretty much all of their songs, not only is this song probably the most emotional of them all, it posed a perfect ending to the series as a whole.
1. "Watashi No Koi Wa Hotchkiss" - This is by far the most musically interesting, with super cool harmonies with the guitars, and a funky variation on a pretty standard drum beat that also mirrors the syncopation in the guitars. The melodies are also really pretty and combine that with the fact that it's in the key of F, you have a pretty much perfect song. It's also a lot more laid back than a lot of their other songs, and it's a very nice change of pace.
Well, there you have it. I bet this list will probably spark a good amount of debate, but I stand by it. Anyway, thanks for reading till here, and I'm more than happy to hear what y'all have to say about this so feel free to discuss. This was a bit of a shorter post than usual because there's not much musical analysis to be done here. K-On! employs lyrics and the context in which the songs were written in order to convey more meaning and emotion, the latter of which is an essential part of both listening to and performing music. I think there is a lot more to talk about relating to emotion in music as a whole, but that's probably gonna be a future post. With that, I'll catch you at the double barline!
roselia's underwhelming song
As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of Roselia’s music, and to summarize why, it’s the combination of rock, orchestral, and electronic music styles. One of the key components tying these together is the drumming, including both its timbre and its style. "Blessing Chord" is one of Roselia’s newest songs, released back in January (link to listen here). There was a short version of the song released all the way in June 2020, and I could tell the song had a lot of promise just from that. However, when the single released a few months ago, I found that the drumming left much to be desired from what the song could be.
This isn’t going to be a very lengthy post because, of course, it’s an amazing song; there’s just one aspect of the drumming that makes the song fall flat, and it all comes down to this beat:
On its own, it's not a bad groove. Nice and simple, and has a great upbeat feel to it. There's one problem though; it simply doesn't fit. It sounds too dance-y, which is not at all what Roselia have established this song as. It's an epic orchestral anthem that screams power. What does that mean for the drumming? It's gotta feel super grounded. This beat feels too floaty if that makes sense, and doesn't really fulfill the song's musical objective as a power anthem. I feel that something more like this would better work for a power anthem at this tempo:
Notice how the emphasis on the strong beats really helps to ground this beat, yet it still works in the context of the song. This would really help make "Blessing Chord" the power anthem it was meant to be.
Now, there are some things that I feel like I should address. I said that the above beat felt grounded because of the emphasis on the the strong beats. That's not always the case, and you can hear it with this beat that happens during the song:
It's very syncopated, but the heaviness of it as well as the bass drum filling in the gaps between the accents still keeps it grounded. Additionally, "Blessing Chord" has sections where it switches to a fast double-time feel that sounds like this:
Note that this still sounds grounded, just at a faster pace. When switching feels, like here, the change in where the strong beats lie is actually what's responsible. Finally, the floaty beat can actually work in some power anthems, but usually only when it's sped up. Another of Roselia's songs, "LOUDER", actually does use this twice in the context of this beat:
Overall, "Blessing Chord" is still a phenomenal song, and I will still half-joke about playing it at my wedding instead of procession music. That said, it's really important when writing a song to keep in mind what the song is supposed to convey, and how each and every part contributes to either the message or the musical atmosphere. Anyway, I hope you liked this quick analysis of drum beats and I'll catch you at the double barline!
ok so my mind was just blown
Music always finds new ways to be the most amazing thing of all time, and today I learned about what could be the most mind blowing thing in music theory that exists to this date, and it's been around since the birth of the universe itself. Yes, I am talking about the harmonic series, the almighty combination of math, physics, and music that gives us the foundation of every pitch we hear.
But first, what is the harmonic series anyway? Before we get into that, let's discuss how we even hear pitch in the first place. The actual mechanics of it are simple; a thing vibrates, which causes the air to vibrate, and if that vibrating air reaches our ears, our eardrums vibrate, which our brain then interprets as pitch. The frequency of the vibrating air determines how high or low the note is.
Now that we know how pitch works, let's take a listen to a piano, playing A4, which is at a frequency of 440 hertz:
Simple enough right? Not much going on here, or so you thought. Every single pitch we hear creates overtones, which are additional frequencies dictated by the harmonic series. Before we go any further though, there is one notable exception to this rule: sine waves. Sine waves are the purest form of pitch that exist, and they don't produce any overtones. Here's an example of a sine wave at 440 Hz, the same pitch as the piano above:
The overtones (or harmonics) are sine waves, which means the overtones don't have overtones of their own.
These harmonics naturally occur everywhere, and there is a real simple formula for how they're created. Let's take a look at that pitch from earlier, 440 Hz. We'll call this the first harmonic, or the fundamental harmonic. If we multiply this by 2 to get 880 Hz, the pitch goes up an octave to A5, the first overtone or the second harmonic. Multiplying the fundamental by 3 gives us our third harmonic or second overtone, which is about E6, a fifth higher than the last harmonic. Each overtone has a frequency of an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. If we visualized this as a vibrating string, this is what we get:
Okay, cool. What does this have to do with anything? Well I'm glad you asked! The volume of these overtones is what gives each sound its timbre, or musical texture for lack of a better term. For example, here's an audio of the piano sound from earlier followed by the same note on an electric piano:
They sound completely different right? The majority of the differences in sound are because of the presence of these overtones and how present they are or aren't. It applies to sounds on a single instrument as well. Stringed instruments employ this a LOT. On a violin, viola, cello, or bass (the orchestral kind), where you drag the bow is extremely important to getting the right sound because of the overtones. Electric guitars and electric basses exploit the sound changes by allowing musicians to select where the vibrations of the string are being picked up. The pickups (see below) are placed to allow some variation of tone when the guitar is plugged in. By switching the pickup selector to only use the pickup closer to the middle, it creates a sound where the overtones are less present, and using only the pickup closer to the end creates a sound where the overtones are more present.
But wait! There's more! I hinted at this earlier, but the harmonic series gives us musical intervals that help us make nice sounding harmonies. The interval between the first and second harmonics is an octave; the second and third, a perfect fifth; the third and fourth, a perfect fourth; the fourth and fifth, a major third -- the list goes on. Essentially, these are natural intervals that sound super pleasing to the ear because nature was just built like that.
The ratio between the frequencies of each harmonic plays a role as well. This is where the math comes in. The third and second harmonics have their frequencies in a 3:2 ratio, and that ratio always designates a perfect fifth. The sixth and fourth harmonics have a 6:4 ratio, which can be reduced to 3:2, so they also make a perfect fifth. The same principle applies to any pairs of harmonics that share a common frequency ratio. Hoo boy that was a mouthful. Here's an interactive program that demonstrates the harmonic series with sounds and a lot more other details that would make this post way longer than it already is.
One thing that I feel definitely should be here, however, is that modern music doesn't use the nice sounding intervals of the harmonic series; at least not all of them. You see, the harmonic series is the foundation for what we call "just intonation." The intervals between notes are taken from the harmonic series. This creates a problem when writing music, because these intervals are all relative to a single fundamental frequency, meaning simple harmonies within the key of the fundamental are the only ones that actually sound good. In order to write more interesting music that still sounds good, musicians decided to adopt a system known as "12-tone equal temperament," or just "equal temperament." What this does is it takes the ratio of the octave, 2:1, and uses that as a base. Then, they space 12 frequencies equally between the octave, which gives us something with a lot more consistency between different keys and funky harmonies. As music evolved during the periods following the Renaissance in Europe, the 12-tone equal temperament system came about as composers began writing more complex music. That doesn't mean that this new system is dissonant; there's a lot of beautiful music that uses this system, and by "a lot" I mean pretty much everything you hear. It also doesn't mean that we shouldn't use just intonation either. It can be useful for chord voicing when in an ensemble setting. When my band director tunes major chords, he has the people playing the third play slightly flatter than equal temperament and the people on the fifth play slightly sharper, as is in the just intonation system.
Anyway, the harmonic series is something that really fascinates me because it's so interesting and so fundamental. There's so much about it that I couldn't get into here and so much more I don't even know yet. But yeah, thanks for reading all the way through and I'd love to talk with y'all about this more if you have anything to add or anything you want to learn more about. I have a lot more ideas for posts so get ready for those in the near future, and with that, I'll catch you at the double barline!
key signatures: what’s the difference? part 1/2
Y’all may have heard me talk about key signatures a lot, especially if you know me personally. Some of you may be thinking things like “Ok, what does that mean?” or “How are these to keys different?”. Well then, my friends, prepare to learn some things about sounds today.
First, let’s talk about what a key signature is. I’ll keep this brief because today isn’t for defining things, but a song’s key is the central musical scale it’s based around. What key the song is in can dramatically change the song’s mood, and a lot of artists employ this effect by changing keys at certain points during the song. This is basically gonna be a list of the 24 commonly used keys and modes and what kind of feelings they spark. Of course, this is gonna all be from my point of view, so feel free to discuss what certain key signatures sound like to you.
Anyway, we’ll start with the major keys. Also, called the Ionian mode by music nerds, the major keys are typically associated with happy songs. To me, they often give off a brighter color than their minor counterparts. Without further ado, let’s start talking about sounds.
C Major - While there is a lot you can do with this key, it gives off a feeling of home and contentment. It’s got a nice sky blue color to it, which sort of adds a sense of relaxation and restfulness to some songs that use it. A few songs that use this key include “House of Gold” by twenty one pilots and “All the Small Things” by blink-182.
D♭ major - One of my favorite keys, this one is similar to C major in conveying a sense of contentment or stagnation, but this one can pack a ton of emotion into it as well. The specific emotions packed into this key vary by song, but pretty much any song you hear in this key will be full of it. Take a listen to “Sasanqua” by Afterglow or “Amaryllis” by Shinedown to get a feel for what I mean.
D major - This is a very sunny key to me, evoking feelings of getting up and doing things and just seizing the day sort of. It’s definitely a very happy key signature, and you can see this in songs like “I’m Not Alright” by Shinedown or “Stars” by Andrew Huang.
E♭ major - A versatile key, E♭ major can convey a wide range of emotions, from nostalgia, to inspiration, to wonder, and many others. Overall, it carries positive and hopeful undertones, and songs in this key typically help me during a rough patch. You've probably heard this key in a lot of songs, such as Coldplay's "Fix You" and Imagine Dragons' "Demons". Another song I definitely recommend is "This Isn't The End" by Owl City, which starts off in E♭ and is just a beautiful song overall.
E major - Like E♭ major, E major has a ton of versitality. The main difference here is that this key cranks it up to 11. All emotions are amplified listening to songs in E. Especially nostalgia; any nostalgic song in E major just feels so much more so than almost any other song. "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey and "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic are perfect examples of this.
F major - One of my favorite keys, there’s a lot of ways it can be used. It lends itself to the meaning of the song and amplifies whatever emotion it conveys. You see this in songs like “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars and “21 Guns” by Green Day. It’s hard to really pinpoint a specific set of emotions conveyed by this key because it’s so damn flexible, but the one thing that remains consistent is that it’s an extremely beautiful key. It is the musical equivalent of the word “beautiful”. Take a listen to ONE OK ROCK’s “Wasted Nights” or LiSA’s “No More Time Machine” and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
G♭ major - Come to think of it, there aren’t many songs that I’ve heard in this key. There are several songs in its relative minor key, E♭ minor, but the major key is almost devoid of music I’ve heard. So based on the few songs I have heard, those being “All Star” by Smash Mouth, “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay, “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People, and of course “ZEAL of proud” by Roselia, I’ll try to come up with something. The one thing these songs (well, three of them) have in common is the sentiment of getting back on your feet, so it’s definitely a very uplifting key signature, and listening to “A Sky full of Stars”, which is a much different song thematically than the others in the list, the uplifting undertones are very present within the song. So there we have it. G♭ major exudes uplifting vibes.
G major - These next few keys are gonna be a lot clearer than the past few have been. This one definitely evokes the feeling of returning home after a long journey, and the way that home is defined, as well as the way it manifests within the song can vary a lot. Take, for example, “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance. They both have that feeling of coming back home, but differ wildly in how it’s expressed. Also listen to “The Messenger” by Linkin Park and “Sanctuary” by Roselia.
A♭ major - Alright this was one of the clearest of these 24 keys in terms of the feeling evoked by it. Pretty much every single song in this key conveys a sense of longing. Whether it be for love or for better times, that sense of longing is ever present in every single song. If you needed a few examples of this in action, take a listen to “One More Light” by Linkin Park, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, “American Idiot” by Green Day, or “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay.
A major - Now here’s a key that just screams emotion. Songs in this key can make you an emotional wreck, send you into a tsunami of nostalgia, or both. It definitely depends on the song, but A major is just filled with these kinds of emotions, and they hit especially hard for the songs that mean a lot to you. You’ll feel this in songs like “Heavy” by Linkin Park and “Take On Me” by a-ha. As for songs with a lot of personal meaning, one of my personal favorites in this key is “U&I” by Ho-Kago Tea Time, as well as the stripped down arrangement of it featured in the ending of episode 20 of the “K-On!!” anime’s second season.
B♭ major - This key is known for conveying a sense of familiarity; sort of like visiting a place that was important to you in the past. In that sense it conveys a lot of nostalgia as well. I’ve noticed a lot of popular movie themes are either in this key, or its relative minor key, G minor. That, I believe, has to do with the familiarity conveyed by this key. For themes in B♭ major, take the main themes from Star Wars or Jurassic Park, both composed by the legendary John Williams. As for other forms of music, “Charlie Brown” by Coldplay, “Karma Chameleon” by the Culture Club, and “Battle Symphony” by Linkin Park are great examples of songs in this key.
B major - This one’s kinda hard to pinpoint. If I had to pick a word to describe it, I’d use “introspection”. Why? A lot of songs in this key feel give of the vibe of looking in towards oneself, like “Shadow Of The Day” by Linkin Park, “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Holding on to You” by twenty one pilots, or even “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters. That said, there are some very notable exceptions to this, including “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. But for the most part, you’ll feel a lot of introspectiveness from B major, and perhaps a mountain of emotions as well.
Anyway, in order to keep this from getting too long, I’ll split this into two parts, and I’ll get the minor keys in next time. So before I go, I wanna say that music is subjective, and this kind of thing applies to myself. I’d love to hear y’all’s opinions on music, and how certain songs make you feel. With that, I’ll see you at the double barline!
nijigasaki hot takes: the wasted musical potential within the series
Yeah, a pretty strong title there. Basically, I'm gonna be talking about what could have been better in some of the music in Love Live!, specifically from the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. The Love Live! series overall is a phenomenal franchise with amazing music. It's what popularized musical idols around the world, and paved the way for other projects, such as The Idolm@aster, BanG Dream!, 22/7, and several others. While most of the Love Live! series features some great music, some songs from the newest installment in the franchise fell short of what they could have been in my opinion.
First of all, let's talk a little bit of context. The premise of the Nijigasaki Idol Club is that it's comprised of solo idols, rather than a group, like there were previously. The reason behind it was because the members had differing perspectives on how they wanted to connect with their audience, including aspects like their style of music. I'll be talking about two idols, Emma Verde and Shizuku Osaka, who both had songs that fell short of what they could have been.
Emma Verde comes from Switzerland, moving to Japan after being enthralled by the allure of being an idol. She transferred to Nijigasaki academy, which has an up and coming school idol club to develop her skills as an idol. A lot of her music takes influence from traditional music -- either that of her homeland or Japan -- and this seemed to be the case with her newest song, "La Bella Patria," which started off with heavy traditional European influence, but abruptly changed to a generic pop music vibe early in the song. Herein lies the problem I have with it; that intro was almost tacked on to the beginning, never to be revisited. I feel that the vibe from the intro should have persisted through the entire song, or should have been omitted entirely. It kinda makes you feel cheated out of a new kind of music, like "Hey, let's just slap this part on to the beginning to show that Emma still takes influence from her homeland." There just could have been so much more with this song that never happened.
Shizuku Osaka is a proud member of the drama club as well as the idol club. Her music draws influence from her experience as a stage actress. Most of her songs sound like soliloquys from a musical, which is a really neat style. Unfortuately, this style went almost to the wind with her latest song "Solitude Rain." It's a pretty good song on its own, but it still sounds like just another idol song, rather than a song unique to Shizuku. If the music had been a little more dynamic and characteristic of something that could be featured in a musical, not only would it have been a much better song, it would have better distinguished Shizuku as an idol and a character within the franchise.
Anyway, this was a little bit different than my other posts and honestly, it's not something I really expected to write about until earlier this afternoon. I'd really love to see some discussion about this, though. Love Live! as a franchise is honestly phenomenal, as I said before, and the songs that I criticized here aren't bad at all. I thought it would be interesting to think about how they could be made even better. With that, I'll catch you at the double barline!
matpi’s 2020 top ten
With this crazy year finally being thrown to the wolves, I thought I’d share some of my favorite songs. Usually I rank songs based on my mood, but I thought long and hard about this list to make it as accurate to my tastes as possible. In addition to the musical elements, I’ve also considered my personal experience with each song. With that said, get ready for a list that defines the phrase, “all over the place.”
10. ”約束” - Roselia
Translating to “Promise,” this Roselia song rounds out the list with its dynamic highs and lows and metric complexities. Combine that with Roselia’s signature sound and you have yourself a straight up banger. There are a lot of feel changes, with sections of 3 against 4 polymeter, steady rock groves, and a double time chorus, and this keeps the song interesting and super fun to listen to. Not to mention the powerful lead vocals, courtesy of Yukina Minato, played by the insanely talented Aina Aiba, as well as the occasional trading of vocal lines with bassist Lisa Imai, voiced by Yuki Nakashima, allow the song to really shine.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQS0LZfXRCs&list=OLAK5uy_l6KyKKWX1j8vHY-PjK6yJHkIZpOV0WMrE
9. “Avant-garde HISTORY” - Roselia
Going up the list now we have another Roselia song. This song is marked by its progressive rock influence in the intro, with a lack of adherence to a single key or time signature, all while remaining an epic intro to the majestic 6/8 rock ballad that follows. Combining rock with orchestral elements is a recipe for greatness, and Roselia really pulled through here. The lead vocals are supported by a chorus of the other members in a really significant way in this song, contributing even more to the sheer glory that it exudes. Add in some huge drum fills and epic buildups between sections, and it creates this absolute work of art.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nakW_Ziciik&list=OLAK5uy_lImYujueVzq7DDMrRc2TX8qnp1ZzMlHKM&index=6
8. “Ride” - Samuel R. Hazo
No, this is not the twenty one pilots song, nor is it a cover. It’s a wind ensemble piece chock full of the good stuff. Spicy harmonies, giant fanfares, fast runs, solos, time signature changes, heavy yet tasteful use of percussion, what’s not to love? I really wanna play this in band one day, because aside from being fun to listen to, it’s a real challenge to play, especially with a large ensemble. Wind ensemble pieces in general are really cool because they are light-years ahead of most modern music in terms of dynamic contrast, and "Ride” has a ton of it.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au4geHy_S_0
7. “Amaryllis” - Shinedown
I honestly don’t know how to describe why I like this song so much; I just do. It’s a really nice song. The amaryllis as a flower is extremely beautiful, sporting vivid reds and pinks in its petals, and that imagery really shone through with its lyrics and 6/8 ballad feel. I’d like to mention the key signature as well. The key of D♭ just feels like a beautiful key signature, and here that beauty was thoroughly reflected.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixltBz9IENw
6. “FIRE BIRD” - Roselia
Back again with another Roselia song. First of all, this song is great because of the story of the Phoenix. I always thought an immortal bird of fire rising from the ashes was such a glorious thing, and this song captures the essence of this tale perfectly. A quiet start with just piano and vocals gives way to a ginormous sounding intro as all the band members sing as a choir, which then leads into a crazy double-time groove which persists throughout the song. Combine that with Roselia’s sound and you get a triumphant anthem that’s sure to energize anyone and anything.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_F7l7n_oP8&list=OLAK5uy_lImYujueVzq7DDMrRc2TX8qnp1ZzMlHKM&index=4
and here’s a live version because the visuals are IMMACULATE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AwP7S9f3A8
5. “Guilty All The Same” - Linkin Park
Off of one of the greatest rock albums in my opinion, “Guilty All The Same” is nothing short of a masterpiece. A nearly 6-minute song, and it’s never boring for a second. The unique drum grooves and use of 3 against 4 polymeter are what make this song so damn interesting to listen to, and lead singer, Chester Bennington’s, vocals are nothing short of spectacular. Rakim’s verse in the bridge combined with the sick guitar riff and the drums backing them up makes it one of the best combinations of rock and rap that I’ve heard.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEaEdLQbAFM
4. “LOUDER” - Roselia
This being one of the first Roselia songs I’ve listened to, it has a really special place in my heart. But musically, it’s super awesome too. At a blistering 195 BPM, it’s one of the fastest songs on here, meaning it’s also super fun to play on the drums. It also changes keys between the verses and choruses from D minor to D major and back. And of course, who could forget lead vocalist Yukina Minato guiding the song through her soaring melodic lines. All in all, it’s a great song that managed to top my Spotify Wrapped.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYSXZQ2b1-c
Now before we get into our top 3, let’s look at some honorable mentions:
“A DECLARATION OF ×××” - RAISE A SUILEN: A song inciting revolution, this combination of rock and EDM is a straight up vibe. We also get some djent as a bonus! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=713nCe8LLa0
“DIVE!” - Setsuna Yuki: Rock music in the world of anime idols is a foreign concept, and to me it’s a welcome one. It seems, however, that others disagree... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXXxW8hEF3o
“Neo-Aspect” - Roselia: I swear this is the last Roselia song, but it was way too good not to include here. A powerful song filled to the brim with expression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snp_DT9EqiQ
“カレンデュラ“ - RONDO: “Calendula” for those who can’t read Japanese, this heavy song carries a lot of weight in it’s lyrics as well. Overall a really epic song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRnaYwx2fH4
“Daybreaker” - Waterflame: Made fairly recently by a producer who made music that was a huge part of my childhood, this song just vibes so fucking hard. Fun fact: it was released on my birthday! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLomCDE7E50
3. “Transcendent Journey” - Rossano Galante
Now we’re talking about the true bangers of my music taste. I love Galante’s music because it’s always so dynamic always with super melodious lead parts. This piece is no different in that sense. It really feels like a journey. Fast woodwind runs supporting soaring brass lines, quiet woodwind melodies, blazing fanfares, and varied tempo make this piece of music really feel like a spiritual journey. There’s so much about this piece that I just can’t put into words so you just have to listen for yourself.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuMi2z2F3io
2. “Nostalgia” - Rossano Galante
Another wind ensemble piece making the top 3? Well, aside from being a beautiful piece musically, it brings a lot of good memories for me personally as well. We played this for my band’s spring concert when I was in 8th grade. As 8th graders, our ensemble included the high school band students as well, and that was the year one of my favorite seniors was graduating. He was such a big role model for me, and the entire concert was extremely emotional. This was my favorite piece we had programmed that night, and it’s made its way into my favorite songs of all time.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qaq_WKsatg
1. “The Catalyst” - Linkin Park
This was one of those songs. You know those songs that you fall in love with as soon as you hear it for the first time? Yeah, this was that. With every listen, I only liked it more and more, and it crawled its way to the top. It starts off soft, but it just keeps building. Everything builds and builds and becomes increasingly chaotic until it all collapses in the second half of the song. From there, the repeated lyrics “Lift me up, let me go” carry this song to its epic finale, in which we feel the culmination of all that chaos from earlier. Not only does the song work so well as a standalone track, its use as the penultimate track on “A Thousand Suns” (my favorite album of all time) serves as the final climax before resolving the intricate story weaved by the album. This is a perfect song if I have ever heard one.
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sBjZBn3DQU
Well, folks, there you have it. A playlist of the best songs that got me through this forsaken year and will hopefully empower the next. I wish you all a better and happy 2021, and I’ll catch you at the double barline!
the thing about Roselia covers
If any of y’all are familiar with the Bushiroad franchise, BanG Dream!, you’re probably aware that the mobile rhythm game tied to it, BanG Dream! Girls Band Party, consists of several bands that have several of both original and cover songs. Roselia is my favorite band of the seven currently in the game, and it’s because their music is just so good. Exquisite blending of rock, orchestral, and electronic elements culminate in a giant, anthemic sound, making every single one of their songs a straight up banger. This applies to their cover songs as well; so much so that I believe that their covers are better than the original songs they’re based off of. Right now, I’m gonna dive into one of my favorite covers, “Believe in my Existence,” originally performed by JAM Project as an opening song for the anime, Cardfight!! Vanguard. After having listened to both versions, I can safely say that Roselia's cover of Believe in my Existence is not only a banger in terms of arrangement, but also objectively better than the original.
Alrighty then lets start with the subjective stuff. First of all, D minor is just a more epic key signature than the original G minor, which is really just personal preference; I really don't have any real reason behind it. Also, Roselia honestly pulled off the instrumentation a lot better in terms of combining electronics with orchestral elements. The overall round, blended sound of Roselia's instruments is just better suited to those kinds of elements. I haven't heard much of JAM Project, but “The Hero” (One Punch Man OP) goes really hard, and overall feels more suited for them.
With that we have a nice segue into the more objective stuff. A lot of the important musical lines as well as the drums are too drowned out in the mix for the original. On the Roselia cover, everything sounds super clear and it's even more evident which parts are supposed to be at the forefront, especially the sick guitar riff at the end. On the original, everything's going on at once in a way where it feels like the individual parts are fighting to get the spotlight. While that is a cool effect to strive for, the original song pushed it a bit too far and it sounds a little too chaotic. However, on the Roselia cover, everything was toned down a bit more and the sounds blended together while still creating that chaotic effect. It just works so much better.
Finally, the biggest thing that I noticed; each version's musical contour. The original version starts off good, with a soft intro into an upbeat verse, but therein lies my first problem with it. The verse attempts to try and continue that momentum when there's just not enough gas in the tank. The Roselia cover allows the song to breathe, either slowing down the drums or taking them out entirely at certain places during the verse, creating a more dynamic song. Due to this dynamic nature, the pre-chorus then has room to build magnificently into the chorus. The original, having kept the strength going through the verse and pre-chorus, has nowhere to build up toward, meaning the only way is down. Unfortunately, the momentum ended up slowing down in the chorus through the switch to a half-time beat, which leaves the listener underwhelmed, especially considering the context of the song as the opening to an anime. The chorus has to be a step up from the verse and pre-chorus, which is another thing Roselia got right. By allowing room for the pre-chorus to build, the chorus was able to shine through with guns blazing. Halfway through the main line of the chorus, the cover does switch to a half-time beat; however, the 16th note double bass groove not only supports the music, but also keeps the momentum going as the chorus begins to wind down into the epic finale, which I talked about earlier.
Anyway, that’s about all I have the energy to unpack at the moment, but it’s really interesting comparing covers of songs with their originals, because different artists have such different ways of interpreting music as well as different styles that really provide interesting points of comparison. Another cool cover that is well worth your time to check out is I Prevail’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” It’s the same great tune, but in a completely different genre, and it still works great. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you at the double barline!