For the past week, I’ve been completely head-over-heels for the group Habibi. Arabic for “my beloved”, Habibi is a wonderful mixture of girl group harmonies and low-fi noise pop instrumentals. It feels (and probably was) an album simply recorded in one’s bedroom. I also find it wonderful how the music doesn’t attempt to mask itself as something it’s not. It’s pure unadulterated fun and I love it.

This quick admiration for Habibi is not the main focus of this blog post, but instead as another instance of my interaction with Burger Records. A independent record label/record store out of Southern California, Burger Records interests me by its ability to have created its own niche. Realizing that existing record labels were almost exclusively focused on distributing vinyl and CDs, Burger Records believed cassettes would then be a viable market to enter. Receiving support from larger labels like Sub Pop, they’ve been able to release hundreds of artist’s work. According to their Wikipedia catalog, they’ve released over 400 cassette albums. That’s HUGE.

While not the only label to do this (Gnar Tapes and FIT come to mind), Burger has really managed to become very successful off this formula. They even have a annual festival in LA called Burgerama, which my friends Kim and Dani went to a few weeks ago. My favorite part of Burger Records, however, is that they don’t sign the bands that release on their label. I’m not at all saying being apart of a label is bad, but I like how this alternative exists for musicians. It allows the groups full control over their work. I’m not sure how the profit shares would be split in this scenario, but I’m sure it would be somewhat comparable to Bandcamp.

So, what does this success of Burger Records represent to the music landscape as a whole? Despite the popularity of streaming sites like Spotify, physical albums are not going to die anytime soon. While they probably will never reach the levels achieved pre-Internet, this revival of vinyl and cassettes shows a fervent audience hungry for more. And the consumers seem to be growing yearly. This current trend shows humanity constantly combating with wanting technological progress and with desiring to relive a sense of “nostalgia”. People like how owning cassettes or records, even those made by new artists, harkens back to a close (but out-of-reach) past. While no one can be sure how long this trend will exist for, it’s fascinating to see these changes.

In terms of cassettes, I’ve collected a few ever since I started driving. Why? My car has a cassette player. Through this minor interaction with tapes, I have found one major advantage of them. Yes, the tape and casing can easily be broken if you are vicious with it. Yes, you can’t skip between tracks. And yes, the quality is the worst of any medium. Yet, I find most of these negative parts completely mute over how cheap cassettes are. New cassettes almost always go for around $5 and I’ve even bought some old ones with the random change in my pocket. The small cost makes it really  easy to purchase music you might not have otherwise. In the end, if it wasn’t for Burger Records and their cassette love, I wouldn’t have found Habibi. And that would have been very sad.

With Spring finally releasing Winter’s grip over the past few months, music festival season has  officially begun! Well, very soon at least. Time for listening to dozens of bands, drooling over food vendors, tip-toeing through sketchy bathroom facilities, observing people under the influence of suspicious materials, and generally reveling in the surreal experience. However, recently, I’ve begun to grow increasingly hesitant about going to future music festivals. There just are certain, key elements about festivals that don’t fit with my character. So, let’s weigh out, in my opinion, the highlights and “ehhhs” of attending  a music festival.

Music festivals, in general, get a wonderful spread of musical groups. I don’t mean in genre particularly, but in the level of popularity. At the beginning, tiny bands with a small following will open up. Usually, this is your best chance to a) get close to the stage where you will mark your territory (not literally) for most of the day and b) discover bands that may or may not become popular. It’s very satisfying in a somewhat egotistical manner to then tell your friends about how you saw group “X” before they made it big.  The other end of the spectrum, however, are the headliners, which could cost big bucks if you bought tickets to their individual concert. It is fun to see how the festival transforms throughout the day as the groups get more and more renowned.

^^Favorite festival I’ve been to: Treasure Island.  Picture tells all.^^

However, seeing a dozen or so bands in a day can be too much for me. I’ve remembered the groups I’ve seen at the individual concerts I’ve been to, but festivals, on the other hand, make it easy for a lapse in your memory. “Oh wow, I completely forgot I saw Y live” is a comment I’ve made more times than I’m proud of. This complaint sounds haughty, but I like being able to recall these few experiences I’ve had.

The other major highlight for me at music festival is the food. Festival food is always (at least at the ones I’ve been to) provided by food vendors, so you can generally expect relatively strong quality as well as a decent helping of originality. This love I have for the food might also be attributed to how exhausted and hungry you get at festivals after standing in the crowd for hours.

The food does represent the other major bummer about music festivals, which is the cost. Damn, everything about music festivals wants to take the last of your money. Tickets are already pretty pricy as a 3-Day ticket to most major festivals is around $300 to $400.  Once you additionally factor in food, transportation, parking and possible merchandise, it can add up to a surprising amount. This complaint is mostly based on me being incredibly cheap though, but regardless, it does factor into my ultimate decision of attending or not.

Still, after this tug-of-war, I usually end up going. Why? There just really aren’t any viable substitutes for the array of experiences that will happen at music festivals. So, if you have never been to a music festival, I highly recommend you research if any are happening near your hometown. Trust me, attending one will become a highlight of your summer.

The music reviewing site Pitchfork writes an annual feature called “5-10-15-20”, where they ask artists to talk about music that made an impact on them at these ages (and sometimes older). Here’s my own take on that list, with a span of 3 years to highlight key years.

Age 9: Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk 

I was considering picking an album that I listened to at six, but I couldn’t really think of any stand-outs. For some reason,  watching the video for the Black Eyed Pea’s song “Pump It” on MTV is one of my first memories of consciously choosing/finding music to listen to. In third grade, I remember I had to ask my parents to buy the album. They were hesitant at first to get me a hip-hop album, but once they caved in, I was able to download it onto a CD and listen to in continuously in my room. It also sparked (for some reason) an interest in breakdancing, which I tried to emulate embarrassingly.

Age 12: Chiodos – All’s Well That Ends Well

It was sixth grade and I was hanging out my friend Sean McSherry when his older brother bursts into the room. He rushes to the computer screen and turns on the song “There’s No Penguins In Alaska” by this band called Chiodos. The music was unlike anything I heard of before. It was a strange medley of hardcore guitars, clean/ unclean vocals and keyboards — and I instantly loved it. It was one of the first albums I ever bought on my own. With the interest in this album, I dove into a self-described “Myspace Era” for the next couple years. Bands actively used Myspace as free publicity, leading me to find most of my music from the site. I also really enjoyed buying band t-shirts at Hot Topic in this period of my life.

Age 15: Tegan and Sara – So Jealous and The Con

I would not be exaggerating much if I said I listened to Tegan and Sara exclusively for much of my freshman year. I think I found one of their studio performances online and was hooked. I was torn between choosing their fourth album So Jealous or their fifth album The Con, so I could only rightfully choose both. On So Jealous, I enjoy the greatness of certain songs. “I Bet It Stung”, “Downtown” and “Speak Slow” are among the best music Tegan and Sara have created. Plus, I find myself with more nostalgia towards So Jealous. On the other hand, The Con is hands down the best album they’ve created. Tegan and Sara was the band I needed in ninth grade, as they transitioned me over to the indie music I would later discover.

Age 18: Hospitality – Hospitality

This was the hardest age for me to choose an album for. I downloaded over 500 albums from the Mountain View library’s collection in my senior year alone. For most albums, I would be obsessed for a week or two and then lose interest. Hospitality’s album, though, stands out for how much the lyrics and overall style fit my senior year. The album addressed the millennial issue of disillusionment with becoming an adult and facing changes. I was, in general, overwhelmed with the idea of college and this album managed to keep me grounded. When I listen to this album now, the music still fits like a glove, complementing any mood I am in. It isn’t close to my favorite album, but I’ll always have a special place for it.

The usual activity I did the summer before senior year, other than working at a local Panera, was continuously try to find new music.  One fateful day, I stumbled upon this site called Bandcamp. I soon realized that this was my music paradise. I only, on the other hand, really started using the streaming website Spotify a few months ago but I quickly fell in love. So, what makes these two sites wonderful?

Bandcamp is a online music store tailored individually to the independent artists. Any musician can join as it is completely free to make an account. Bands starting out with virtually no fan base can make their downloads completely pay-what-you-want to spread their music. I abuse this freedom often by getting free downloads of their work, but more generous people can throw a few dollars towards the musicians. For bands with paying customers, Bandcamp only takes between a 10 to 15% cut from the profits. The artists get a much more significant amount of money through Bandcamp than sites like iTunes, where bands basically earn only a dollar from a full album sale. In general, by keeping costs minimal, Bandcamp allows bands a better chance at earning a living.

Besides the benefits it provides to the artists, Bandcamp is a great site to find up-and-coming bands. It can be overwhelming at times how much content is on the site, but it is surprisingly well-organized. You can look up by genre, by best-selling, or (my favorite category) artist-recommended. Music updates frequently, so it’s hard pressed to not find a group you like within a few minutes. In my personal use, I utilize Bandcamp mainly to find contemporary groups and, ideally, to download their music.

Spotify, in the past few years, has become an incredibly popular site for good reasons. It almost seems trite talking about Spotify because so many people know/use it, but I find it worth noting my favorite parts. The ability to create playlists, like in iTunes, is wonderful. I make mine almost as pseudo-archives, grouping the music into the month when I found it. It allows me to not forget what I listened to a few months ago. Additionally, I think the radio feature is top-notch and (in my personal opinion) beats Pandora’s. Allowing the user to base the radio off a playlist makes the site’s choices as varied as the user wants. The fact that you get unlimited skips in your playlist is just icing on the top.

It’s funny the  sheer number of sites that exist which all revolve around the same premise: introducing and providing the user music to enjoy. There’s even a site where you enter in the name of the artist and it physically connects similar bands to highlight the commonalities they share! Yet, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Music is everything, so I’m happy the Internet has allowed it to become increasingly easier in discovering the groups to provide the soundtrack to one’s life. With the increased time we spend on computers to accomplish our responsibilities, music sites can make the unbearable so much better.

Band camp finds:

• elvis depressedly      http://elvisdepressedly.bandcamp.com
• summer twins             http://summertwins.bandcamp.com
• radiator hospital       https://radiatorhospital.bandcamp.com
• young lyre                     http://younglyre.bandcamp.com
• frankie cosmos           http://ingridsuperstar.bandcamp.com

Site that makes flowchart out of artists: http://audiomap.tuneglue.net

In today’s music environment, it can feel like most contemporary artists are only rehashing similar styles already established in the past. Of course, this isn’t necessarily bad. The new musicians could simply combine different elements to make their music original, but where are the revolutionary new genres that can completely take over the culture? The 50’s underwent the roots of rock. The 60’s experienced psychedelic and progressive rock. The 70’s saw the rise of disco. New age music emerged in the 80’s. Lastly, the 90’s had grunge as well as “the golden age” of hip hop. So, where have similar emergences been since the beginning of the new millennium?

To me, new genres still happen, but the presence of the Internet and its complete storage of music allows for listeners to be able to overlook these trends. Many genres almost seem equally popular. For example, Dubstep is probably the most famous past-2000 new genre (as computers can be utilized solely to make this music). Yet, it hasn’t been all-encompassing of the music culture and nowhere close to defining the style of “now”.

So, what does this have to do with Witch house? In my opinion, this is the most interesting genre to emerge recently. The music that fits under this category is heavily influenced by chopped and screwed hip hop samples, dark electronic sounds, industrial beats and ethereal vocals. In the end, the overall atmosphere of a Witch house song can be spooky, gothic, nostalgic or abrasive. It’s a relatively small genre and the few bands that fall under it have names like BL▲CK † CEILING or GL▲SS †33†H. Both as a reaction to the easiness of finding music online and to maintain independent cred, the names are purposely designed in this way to make the scene harder to find.

Do I find Witch house good? That’s debatable. There are bands like Crim3s and oOoOO that technically fall under this genre, but I find I enjoy them for their similarities to either other groups or other music styles. If anything, I find the aesthetic decisions behind Witch house to be more fascinating itself. Besides the cryptic group names, Witch house is recognizable for its art drawing inspiration from  horror movies, the occult, the TV show Twin Peaks, pop culture celebrities and grainy visual imagery. This mash-up art style feels fresh and contemporary. Regardless if you like these choices, I think it’s fascinating how it seems like this genre is defining its own cultural place. Additionally, Witch house seems to have a pretty tight-knit fan base, which feels like a semblance of the past when local music scenes were more prominent.

While witch house will most likely never grow larger than the underground scene, the fact that it exists at all is refreshing to the future of music. It proves that music will never stagnant.There will always be musicians willing to inject new styles into their work, even when they understand it’s not executed perfectly.  Instead, it’s the experimentation that will keep listeners (including me) equally interested and inspired.

CRIM3S “stress” — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91VHPdNBc-M

CVLT SH‡† “ßƟD¥ ßΔGƵ”  — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ogz7NhQKTM&list=PL29C3BE8E2554B30A

oOoOO “Break Yr Heart” —http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40qGRAtBIA0

At the end of the song “Backspace Century”, the music fades out and all we are left to is static. Then, a voice cuts in and we hear the words “not good enough” before the audio cuts out entirely. I always smirk when I hear this, because nothing else describes the perfectionist but tumultuous nature of singer/songwriter Bradford Cox better.

He’s sporadic, outspoken, brash, unpredictable, and always full of surprises. In the Deerhunter, his primary band, Cox has seemingly been the ringleader, controlling how the final product sounds more like a dictator than an equal partner. Understanding interviews he’s participated in is like attempting to create a line out of a circle. He can’t help but speak whatever comes across his mind. Yet, besides these perceived antics, I have no problem in arguing that both Deerhunter and Atlas Sound (his solo project) have created some of the best music of the past decade.

Since they both are lead by the same person, I find Deerhunter and Atlas Sound to be two sides of the same coin. Yes, both have experimented changes in sound and genre, but there definitely is a singularity that threads between the two. I find that Deerhunter is louder, more “full”. I tend to listen to Deerhunter more when I’m feeling extremes. The added grit and gloss (not present in Atlas Sound) their songs possess seem to originate from the group dynamic. Lots of Deerhunter’s songs feel like bottled-up chaos, with the levels being controlled by Cox’s performance. Atlas Sound, on the other hand, feels exactly like a solo project with lots of focus on Cox’s individual experiences. For example, the song “Quarantined” was based around being hospitalized as a teenager due to his Marfan syndrome. Additionally, Cox’s introspections in his lyrics in Atlas Sound seem tamer. Those songs feel more like a diary entry versus how Deerhunter’s songs feel akin to punching a pillow.

Both acts have always garnered strong critical reviews, with Deerhunter’s fifth album Halcyon Digest being unanimously praised, but they have always seemed to dance outside of growing from a devoted fan base to a larger audience. Why is that? Bradford himself can be a polarizing figure, with some people understandably rolling their eyes at his actions. Yet, there have always been artists that have their music appreciated despite their own popularity. So, there isn’t much reason why Cox’s personality should affect the reception of their music. I’m hoping Cox’s work (at the least) finds a larger recognition after his career like The Velvet Underground did. It would be a shame if his music just faded into oblivion.

Why do I think Bradford Cox’s music should be remembered? Nothing about his work is incredibly groundbreaking. He hasn’t been a pioneer in any new or revitalized genre. What he makes up for, and why I find him so enthralling, is his unabashed individuality and its resulting effect on his music’s style. He is in complete charge of the final product to the point where he struggles as it can’t meet his demands all the time. Yet, I feel the incredible work/focus in his work and its his dedication that inspires me. I can only hope his music inspires more in the future.

Fave songs: Deerhunter “VHS Dream”                                                                                                    Atlas Sound “Bite Marks”                                                                                                    Deerhunter “He Would Have Laughed”                                                                      Atlas Sound “An orchid”                                                                                                        Deerhunter “Famous Last Words”

You turn on that song/artist/album and proceed to jam out, but begin to feel almost embarrassed by this unhinged enjoyment.

You start to play it in front of your friends as you just are in the mood.  Your friends end up looking puzzled or even judgemental. “You like this?” they ask.  And we’ve all been known from time to time to respond with to this question with:

“Oh, it’s just a guilty pleasure”.

I always find the use of “guilty” kind of hilarious in this phrase. Why are we “guilty” of liking whatever? It sounds like this interest is somehow violating a set guideline of standards we must share and that the person should feel ashamed for this. I’ve even heard people sound apologetic when talking about how they enjoy it.

What makes music predominantly a guilty pleasure? Obviously, what exact artist or song fits this definition depends on the person. But, as I was thinking about what music typically consists my own, I found certain criteria that seems to cause our guilty pleasures.

1. Nostalgia/Memories

We all love looking back in our past at the positive/fun memories. Music leaves lasting marks, so rediscovering a song you once held close to your heart is a wonderful experience. Even years after since the last listen, the lyrics flood your brain and it takes you right back. This happened to me with albums like MIA’s Kala or Feist’s The Reminder, but I still really enjoy them (possibly even more from rediscovering), so I wouldn’t consider them guilty pleasures. The nostalgic music I listened to that would fall under that category is what I listened to in 8th grade. It either was Hot Topic-esque “hardcore” or this Myspace-produced, derivative synthesizer music. It was all about putting your heart on your sleeve, so lots of lyrics were super over-emotional and poorly written. Yet even today, I sing or hum right along while simultaneously shaking my head at the silliness of it all.

2. Campiness

Speaking of silliness, this can prove to be another reason why we view some music only as “guilty pleasure”. Disco used to be extremely popular in the 70’s, but now, with the exceptions of a few songs, it is seen as relatively cheesy. Yet, people still listen to it for the simple fact it is upbeat and sort of ridiculous. (For example, I deeply enjoy the song “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan.) I believe most boy bands also fall under this classification. Like how can you not say that One Direction’s “Best Song Ever” is completely campy? It doesn’t make the song completely bad though. It’s 100% unabashed fun and sometimes that is all you want from a song.

And for these guilty pleasures, I think that is why they will always be around and why we will refer to them as such. They bludgeon their way into our brains and built nests in our heads. We can’t escape their clutches and, yet, we don’t want to. They bring us such brazen joy that others might not understand. We dismiss it to outsiders and possibly ourselves, but in the end, we secretly thrive on them.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Okay, so not guilty pleasure-related, but Lykke Li’s promo for her new album just came out and it sounds/looks amazing. I am now more excited for it to be released than any other albums announced so far.                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SrEdAeGj6Y

For the past few days, I’ve been incredibly excited for THON this weekend that I can’t think straight. So, while I originally hoped to shy away from creating lists in my passion blogs, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

In no way is this list extensive, but just some of the female musicians making music now that completely intrigue and excite me. I tried to stick mainly to musicians that are seen as solo act or participate in multiple projects. Additionally, this isn’t a ranking.

Jessy Lanza

I can’t resist the urge to move at least some muscle when listening to her music. She creates this unique, electronic-R&B sound that shines with icy synths and percussive snaps, but it is her sparse, echoey vocals that really pulls me in. Also, you got to just love someone in charge of every aspect of the song when they perform live. I really hope she can break through to a larger audience.

Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi reminds me of a bullfighter on stage. A quiet girl in interviews, she controls the stage with such fire and emotional intensity. She is also queen at covering other musician’s (Bruce Springsteen, TV on The Radio) work. As much as she puts in spirited guitar solos, she also places in long periods of silence to let the moment sink in. She tops the list of musicians I want to see live due to this amazing contrast she has for bombastic and quiet moments.

Jessica Pratt

Out of the females on this list, no other musician recalls connections to older music in my mind like Jessica Pratt. I hear traces of Joni Mitchell, early Leonard Cohen, and Nick Drake in her debut album, but she is able to transcend these influences to craft her own sound. Her work is warm, comforting and wraps like a blanket after a walk in the snow. I have a strong affection towards folk music, so there was no way I couldn’t fall in love with her.

St Vincent (Annie Clark)

She is the only artist I’ve ever seen twice. I could talk for an entire blog about her, but my words wouldn’t do much justice. To me, Annie Clark is redefining what it means to be a guitar player and what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. She did a collaborative album with David Byrne that mostly uses brass instruments. She stage dives into crowds in heels while still singing. In short, she seems to fear NOTHING and it is evident in her music. It surprises me at every turn and I stay entranced in all of it.

Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Braids and Blue Hawaii)

While possibly not the strongest technically, she might have my favorite voice of all the females on this list in terms of how I connect. I love her range (how does she hit those high notes?!). I love how powerful, yet fragile, her long notes are. The tone of her voice, especially in her higher range, just sounds so pure. She compliments both the art-rock of Braids and the electronic beats of Blue Hawaii perfectly with her performances. What more can I ask for?

Janelle Monáe

I see her becoming a HUGE icon from today’s music when future generations reflect back. She already has a significant, devoted fan base and it’s all for good reason. She can dabble in almost any genre of music and somehow make it fit her style like a glove. Her lyrics are always motivational with themes of overcoming marginalization and oppression with love. Plus, she can dance. It’s all incredible.

Cate le Bon

She is the most recent of the female musicians whose work I’ve become infatuated with. To me, how she phrases her lyrics really piques my interest. She is Welsh (in fact, her first record was all in Welsh), so her delivery seems tied to this dialect of hers. Her songs sound like a musical sigh, as she sings about loneliness and the toll it takes. Yet in all of this, she still pines for love and it’s this honesty that calls out to me to listen.

Honorable mentions: Chelsea Wolfe, Sharon Van Etten, Laura Marling, Infinity Crush, FKA Twigs

Jessy Lanza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pTBu8B2gN0             Anna Calvi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owx5S7mccXM            Jessica Pratt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnKZ_ZdXp6o            St Vincent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO7mUCO-Xi4            Braids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOxuS892Js                          Janelle Monáe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7qmZcPMwqI    Cate le Bon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI7o4I01IKA

During 2013, vinyl record sales increased by 32% from the previous year.

Yes, records only sold around 6 million units. This is still a small niche in the music market, as CDs accounted for 165 million units and digital sales were 118 million units. Yet, both CDs and digital experienced decreases in 2013 (14.5% and 8.4% respectively).

So, what is with the resurrection in popularity of records? What does it say about our current society, where people are spending additional money on paying for a turntable as well as each record they want to play when you can get the music for free? After thinking it over for a few days, I was able to decide on a few possible reasons why.

1. The Sound Quality

While audiophiles still haven’t fully decided whether records sound better than compressed albums (CDs or MP3), the process of making compressing audio compromises the quality. Apparently, this takes off some of the top end and bottom end of the music spectrum to fit the file. The sound has seemed fuller/warmer when I’ve listened to vinyl, but I don’t think it is anything significant.  It does, however, provide additional incentive to buy vinyl.

2. Physicality/Artwork/Limited Edition

When you download an audio file, it sort of just sits there on your computer intermixed with everything else. It takes up no physical space. When you own 12″ records, you really can’t overlook them. Additionally, the album artwork is the largest on a record, allowing you to appreciate the design aesthetic more. Lots of musicians also like to put out limited edition versions with colored vinyl or picture-discs. It ultimately makes the buyer of the vinyl develop a stronger connection with their own copy.

3. The Hunt

This mostly applies to older vinyl, but is still such a valid reason why records have stayed relevant for the past few years. To find music on the Internet, you generally just need to search the name of the song/ the artist and it can be found without much trouble. The search for a particular record, however, can be near impossible. There was this record store close by when I used to live in California that I frequented and I would always waste a few minutes digging through their crates. Most of the time, I found nothing interesting. Yet, there was no better feeling than when you found a $2 decent condition record by Joni Mitchell or the Talking Heads. It completely trumps the experience of buying music online.

4. The fad/community

As a part of the “hipster” (that phrase could be another blog in itself) subculture, records have become very trendy. It’s developed into a fad. And you know what, I like fads. It might not make me the most original person out there, but I enjoy the fact that other people are enjoying what I am currently into. Fads allow people to share common interests while strengthening existing friendships and creating new ones. You shouldn’t participate in a fad just cause it’s cool, but you shouldn’t feel like liking it won’t make you unique.

Will the purchasing of records continue to rise or will it quickly become outdated by a new trend? What do you think could potentially become popular next?

A few days ago, a friend recommended me to check out Holly Herndon’s new song “Chorus”. It was the first time I heard of her, so the last thing I was expecting was the sound that came through my headphones. Incredibly chopped vocals with skittering beats filled my ears and I honestly felt very confused by how and why it was produced this way. There is no semblance of a chorus or verses, but instead, a barrage of ethereal and mechanical sounds. I was almost unenthused the first time listening,  but some piece of it kept calling me back and I began feeling very engrossed in this song.

I found myself extremely curious about Holly as an individual. Why make the conscious decision to construct this style of music? It turns out she is a PhD student at Stanford in Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics. She, as a musician and postgraduate student, is very interested in pushing the boundaries that technology can play in creating songs. For example, one of the experimental uses she demonstrated in a video was recording the human breath and allowing the computer to extract sounds that wouldn’t be heard acoustically. In contrast to a good deal of contemporary artists, she doesn’t believe a heavy use of machinery compromises or acts as a crutch to the artistry of the creation.

In fact, the main aspect of “Chorus” is the vocal samples forged from sites like Youtube, Skype and other sources. I believe this decision to be really profound. By using other voices, she is making the act of writing a song almost community-based as it involved these “contributions” from others. However, listening to this song mostly is an individual experience (as I don’t believe you will hear this bumping at your next rager). Additionally, Holly processes the voices to the point where it seems modulated without losing their semblance of humanity. It displays the organic with the inorganic, causing the listener to try and question their differences.

In an interview to Pitchfork about “Laptop Musicians”, Holly talked about how her interests in pop and experimental music intersect. She mentioned that “if you have something that people are like physically engaging with, you can really get people to open up to other new sounds. And I think that’s great”. This idea really resonated with me because I totally can recognize this aspect in other songs. The first one that I thought of was Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, where lots of people (including me) were surprised by its dark lyrics because the dreamy/pleasant haze permeating the music was able to mask them. Being able to utilize music subtly to convey and share unique thoughts, emotions or perspectives is wonderful. Through key contributions, the medium of music can potentially progress forwards.

By no means is Holly Herndon’s music a revolution to what came before it (the experimental genre has existed for some time and probably will continue to long after). However, her artistic vision is unique and is resulting in people taking notice. She’s presenting fresh  ideas in a time when certain individuals say the best, original music is in the past. In the end, I think her ability to show how technology use in music could possibly shift makes her pretty spectacular.

“Chorus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHujh3yA3BE

Pitchfork interview:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVK57x3UzrQ