How Different Are Pop & Punk?
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Konstnärligt examensarbete How Different Are Pop & Punk? Författare: Marcel Tiggemann Handledare: Tobias Rydén Examinator: Professor KG Johansson Termin: VT21 Ämne: Musik Nivå: Kandidat Kurskod: 2MU30E Abstract A look into song identity and the building blocks of music through a process of analysing five different punk songs and then repackaging them into a modern pop production. After completing these new versions, I compared them to their original recordings and discovered that there are more similarities between the two genres than one might initially think, and that each song’s identity was preserved on slightly different levels and in different forms. I discuss my analyses and process in terms of both music theory and non-musical descriptions, leading to generally positive results. Each song was recognizable, but I discovered that some identities were stronger than others because of factors such as original arrangement, era of release or differences in experience from person to person. Keywords Punk music, pop music, song identity, songwriting, arrangement, cover versions Thanks § To my mentor, Tobias, for pushing me in the right direction § To my classmate, Jakob, for singing a feature vocal § To all the punk bands I grew up with, for helping me become the songwriter I am today Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Purpose 2 2.1 Questions 2 2.2 Terminology 2 3 Method 5 3.1 Overview 5 3.2 Chosen songs 5 3.3 Analysis 1: Song identity with music theory 6 3.4 Analysis 2: Song identity with general adjectives 6 3.5 Practical 7 4 Process & Results 8 4.1 “Crushing Grief (No Remedy)” 8 4.2 “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” 8 4.3 “Dear Maria, Count Me In” 9 4.4 “Dance, Dance” 9 4.5 “Learn to Love the Lie” 10 5 Discussion 11 5.1 “Crushing Grief (No Remedy)” 11 5.1.1 Adjectives – Driving, Sentimental & Youthful 11 5.1.2 Overall 12 5.2 “Lying is the Most Fun…” 13 5.2.1 Adjectives – Melancholy, Heated & Emotional 13 5.2.2 Overall 14 5.3 “Dear Maria, Count Me In” 14 5.3.1 Adjectives – Lively, Youthful & Nostalgic 14 5.3.2 Overall 15 5.4 “Dance, Dance” 15 5.4.1 Adjectives – Playful, Energetic & Suspenseful 16 5.4.2 Overall 17 5.5 “Learn to Love the Lie” 17 5.5.1 Adjectives – Energetic, Hopeful & Determined 18 5.5.2 Overall 18 5.6 Similarities between songs 19 6 Conclusion 21 6.1 Overall 21 6.2 Further study potential 21 1 Introduction My degree in songwriting has placed me in all sorts of interesting sessions and constellations of people, and musical backgrounds has often come up, not only as a point of discussion, but also as a reference to whatever song I or we have worked on in these sessions. I’ve always found this discussion interesting, and the following question of how one’s musical upbringing affects what they create today is equally intriguing. I was raised on mainly rock and punk music – both of my parents introduced me to their favourite rock bands in my early years, and I discovered punk music myself a little later. As I got more into music, I started to broaden my horizons and got into producing electronic music, which eventually led to pop and to my current situation where I write and produce predominantly contemporary music. I have, however, always held on to my roots in rock and punk, and this comes forward in different ways – I’ve played in many bands between the two genres over the years, but I’ve also noticed that I bring influence from these styles, albeit mostly subconsciously, into the writing that I do on a day-to-day basis. This led me to start looking at similarities between the genres, and I realised that rock was pop in the 1970s, ‘80s, and even early ‘90s, but I found that discussions around “classic” rock (as it’s now labelled) were more about the fans than the music, making it less interesting from a songwriting and arranging perspective. Punk music, however, particularly that from the last 20 years, I feel has a lot of un-analysed similarities with modern pop, and I wanted to dive much deeper into this subject. 1(22) 2 Purpose What I aimed to discover during this project was how the building blocks of music affect a song’s overall identity and if it is possible to translate this identity into a different context. This was important to me as it allowed me to analyse my own tastes in music and what I bring with me from my background, which is very different to the genre I spend most of my time working within, and with this knowledge I can hopefully utilize it more actively in the future. While my project is based on cover versions of punk songs, I believe that my method is better described by the term adaptation or repackaging. According to online song database SecondHandSongs, whose primary purpose is cataloguing original and cover versions, a cover is defined as: “…a performance of a work that is not an original, performed by a different artist from the artist performing the original performance.”[1] SecondHandSongs also describe an adaptation as: “…a new version of a work, for instance a translation. An adaptation usually has new credits, and can have original and cover performances as well.”[1] My research lands somewhere between these two descriptions, as I did not simply record my own version of these songs, nor did I translate or adapt the work to a degree that would give me additional credits. As such, I describe my work as repackaging, as I believe this most clearly describes my process and focus on each song’s original identity. 2.1 Questions § What are the similarities and differences between pop and punk music? § Which elements of punk work well in a pop context and how can I translate these into a modern production? § How much of a song’s identity is influenced by its arrangement and how much translates between genres? 2.2 Terminology § A/B comparison/listening: A method used in different situations where one listens to two songs in short sections and in quick succession to compare different elements. § Arrangement: The term for the combination of topline, harmony, song structure and instrumentation. 2(22) § Colour(s): A note added to a basic chord (triad) to give it a different feeling or tension, most commonly a seventh. Also known as tensions or extensions. § Dominant: The fifth chord in a scale or key, often used to mark the end of a section and return afterwards to the tonic. § Double-time: A rhythmic feel that speeds up a section to fit two measures into the place of one measure, essentially doubling the overall pulse. § Dub(s): The name for a vocal recording that is identical to the lead but placed differently in the mix to make the overall vocal seem bigger. § Falsetto: A method of singing higher notes by resonating from the singer’s head rather than chest. Also called head voice. § Fill: A short and prominent rhythmic riff used to transition between two sections in a song. Usually played by drums or percussion. § Half-time: A rhythmic feel that extends one measure over the place of two measures, essentially halving the overall pulse. § Harmonies: Backing vocals sung with the same rhythm as the lead line but with different notes, creating a chord in the overall vocal arrangement. Not to be confused with harmony. § Harmony: The accompanying chords to a topline. § Hook: A sequence, either melodic, rhythmic, or vocal, repeated throughout a song with the purpose of being memorable after only a few repetitions. § Key: The musical term for the scale or group of notes that a song is written or arranged in. § Interval: The musical term for the distance between two or more notes. § Major: The term for a chord, key or scale that uses intervals that sound happy or uplifting. § Middle-eight: The musical term for a section of the song which adds an unfamiliar melody to the topline, usually occurring before the final chorus. Also known as bridge. § Minor: The opposite of major; a chord, key or scale that uses intervals that sound sad. § Off-beat: The rhythmic subdivisions that exist between the regular pulse. § Parallel (chord): The name for the triad of opposite feeling (major/minor) but same function in a scale. A parallel triad always shares two notes with its counterpart. § Pulse: The natural and basic rhythm implied by any given tempo. In pop music this is almost always divided into four beats. § Relative (key): The major or minor accompaniment to a key that shares the same group of notes but the opposite feeling, and by extension features the parallel chords more prominently. § Riff: A memorable instrumental melody or sequence that usually appears several times in a song. § Soundalike: A song written and produced to sound extremely similar to an existing popular song, used mainly in films and TV. § Soundscape: The combination of sounds (usually synths, guitars and drums) that create a certain timbre in a production. § Subdominant: The fourth chord in a scale or key. 3(22) § Swing feel: A rhythmic style that slightly delays the offbeats in a measure, making it less gridlocked. § Synth: A musical sound or sequence created by a synthesizer, digital or analogue. § Tonic: The note or chord that is first in the scale of a key, also used to denote the key. Also called root note/chord.