Music Monday (Ironic Because It's Wednesday)

Roughly ten minutes ago I stepped back into the relative warmth of our townhouse, having just stood in the somewhat cold to listen to what I suppose could be called a "show." Standing out there with my hands deep in my pockets I had the opportunity to be washed in the sounds of deadhorse, a band that dropped by from Pennsylvania. Suffice to say, it really got me thinking about music.

Recently I teased one of my housemates about the genre of music he enjoyed, and he retorted that rock music hits you "here" (as he motioned to his midsection). Being at an outdoor show really allowed me to experience it fully, to feel the music as it hit me here (I am motioning to my midsection). As I listened I was also struck by the fact that in spite of having a purely instrumental sound, deadhorse managed to appeal to my emotions. Did I feel more melancholy because one of their songs reminded me of another I'd heard before, or did the actual sound of the song in and of itself create that feeling in me?

With music on the mind I was almost forced to mull over the theory a friend and I had discussed as kids (and continue to talk about today). Musical trends come and go, and we managed to ascertain between the two of us that eventually there will be a return to more natural sounds, a putting off of auto-tune and distortion pedals and the like. I continue to wonder when pop music will swing its way back to a more simplified sound. Pop music having its etymology in "popular music," though the definition has most definitely changed, especially in our current age.

Lastly, since I feel these are a lot of thoughts at once, I wanted to share this one idea I had while riding home with the radio on one night. We began our trip on a jazz station, and rather than being extremely chill it was very upbeat, prompting my often quiet and confused grandmother (the one with Alzheimer's) to dance. Afterwards the radio was switched to a more contemporary top hits station, with songs such as Usher's OMG. Both songs serve the same purpose, to provide music to dance to, and for the rest of the ride I wondered if somehow the synths of today's dance music could be replaced with strings, the generated beats replaced with an actual drum kit, the singer's modulated voice replaced by three or four singers, or just one with backup.


These are a lot of thoughts about a topic I'm not even that knowledgeable about, so for that I apologize. What I've decided to stop apologizing for, however, is the lateness of these posts. I've come to the conclusion that my college schedule is the most demanding I've had thus far, and I can't always control when I'll have time to write these posts. I do, however, promise at minimum one a week, for each blog, roughly around the days they would usually update. It's not ideal, but it's just how it's going to be for now.