MUSIC LOG for GROUP 9

1. “Nothing But Flowers,” 1988; Talking Heads.

Formed from core members who met as students at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Talking Heads released their first self-titled debut in 1977, sealing their reputation for fusing the relentless rhythmic sensibility of punk and the melodic vitality of new wave.  Among both punk and new wave contemporaries, their lyrics stood out as witty, often ironic commentaries on the social and political complexities of modern life.   Their sound continued to evolve over the years; 1988’s Naked, which included “Nothing But Flowers,” partook in the contemporary “world beat” with an emphasis on Afro-French influences that included “soukous from Zaire and Cameroon, mbalax from Senegal and zouk from the French Antilles” (Jon Pareles, NYT, March 20, 1988; also in Stambler, The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock, and Soul, p. 666).  The detached humor of their lyrics remained a constant.

2. “Give It Away,” 1991; Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik marked the movement of this post-punk L.A. band from the alternative hard rock scene to commercial stardom.  Their sound emphasized a hard rock aesthetic seasoned with funk and, in the words of the Rolling Stone bio, “macho, sexed-up lyrics” (see http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/red-hot-chili-peppers/biography), which have mellowed as the band ages.  Notably, this released was produced by Rick Rubin, whose initial notoriety came via his partnership with Russell Simmons on Def Jam Records, fusing rap and metal (and, thus, black and white audiences) through his work first with the Beastie Boys and then, most famously, through the collaboration between Run DMC and Aerosmith.

3. “Constant Craving,” 1992; k.d. lang.

Kathryn Dawn Lang began her career as a performer of classical and experimental concert music in Canada.  While in college, she won a theatrical role in a tribute to the country music singer Patsy Cline, whose music came as a revelation to lang.  In 1984, her band, the reclines, produced Truly Western Experience, featuring a honky-tonk sound and country-western costumes.  Throughout the late 1980s, lang met with critical success, including Grammy awards and collaborations with influential Nashville figures like Owen Bradley, Brenda Lee, and Loretta Lynn.  Despite her critical acclaim, radio stations refused to play her music, seemingly put off by her ambiguous gender presentation and her promotion of vegetarianism. In the early 1990s, lang “came out,” a public revelation that, according to country music scholar Mary A. Bufwack, was “met by a collective ‘So what?’ from fans and Nashville alike.”  The early 1990s Ingenue begins a move away from country music toward broader musical influences.

The rest of the tape log is written by students in previous semesters of American popular music.  Thus, they range in quality.  Nevertheless, I trust you will enjoy!

4. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” 1991, Nirvana.

Nirvana changed alternative music into a pop culture phenomenon with their 1991 album Nevermind. Although Nirvana started out as a punk band, they began the Seattle grunge movement that influenced teens across the country, creating an authentic and meaningful image and a unique, noisy, and furious style. When they burst onto the popular music scene with this song in September 1991, Nirvana set the tone for the 1990s, firmly pushing away the previous decade’s image of hair bands and cheesy stadium rock.  In this song from the album Nevermind, they crafted what many consider the anthem of Generation X.  Nirvana’s combination of rocking instrumentals, alternately angry and melancholy lyrics, and wicked hooks hit upon a sense of frustration and apathy within America’s youth and transformed it into something, if not greater, then more outspoken and painfully honest. Lead singer Kurt Cobain’s personal pain and confusion comes through clearly in every mumbled verse and howled guitar lick, alternating between fiercely loud and tensely soft in the manner of The Pixies, whom Cobain idolized. Though the band created several more well-received and justifiably praised albums before breaking up after Cobain’s suicide in 1994, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” remains a benchmark of teenage angst and the need to just kick it and give in to a little cathartic rage. Here we are now, entertain us. [Rolling Stone Magazine; December 2000; http://www.nirvanaclub.com/]

5. “Let’s Talk About Sex,” 1991; Salt-N-Pepa.

Salt-N-Pepa are most famous for being the first all female rap group.  Soon after the release of “Let’s Talk About Sex,” Peter Jennings asked Salt-N-Pepa to rewrite the lyrics so that the song was more focused on AIDS.  Their new version, “Let’s Talk About AIDS” was played on ABC during Peter Jennings’ public service announcement dealing with the AIDS epidemic.  It became an “anthem for people everywhere who were struggling to deal with the AIDS crisis.” (Encyclopedia of Popular Music Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989-98).

6. “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” 1993; Garth Brooks.

Garth Brooks was country music’s golden boy of the 1990s. With fourteen albums released between 1989 (Garth Brooks) and 2001 (Scarecrow), he was the top-selling country artist of the decade as well as the top selling solo recording artist of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He represents stellar success in both the fields of country and pop, “Callin’ Baton Rouge” best reflects his abilities as a live performer.

7. “Waterfalls,” 1994; TLC (from Crazy, Sexy, Cool album)

You can’t talk about music in the 90s without talking about TLC. T-boz, Left-eye, and Chilli enjoyed success as one of the most popular, outspoken and influential groups of their genre, conveying messages of safe sex while portraying their in-your-face sexuality with undeniable style. “Waterfalls,” perhaps their biggest and most influential song of the decade, addressed social issues facing not only the black community, but the younger generation in general. In the late eighties and early nineties, HIV/AIDS was finally gaining some recognition as a serious health epidemic affecting America’s youth. TLC was at the forefront of musicians promoting safe sex and social awareness in general.

8. “Gangsta’s Paradise,” 1995; Coolio.

Coolio, a.k.a. Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., crafted “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, borrowing the beat from Stevie Wonder’s “Pastimes Paradise.” “Gangsta’s Paradise” is a product of the gangsta rap movement prominent during the 1990s.  To Coolio’s dismay, “Gangsta’s Paradise” was revamped by Weird Al Yankovic into a parody that made fun of the gangster lifestyle by comparing it to an Amish life.  Coolio felt that Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise” took away from the seriousness of his lyrics.

9. “Lucky,” 1995; Radiohead.

Though they are not from the U.S., this British band has been influential for their originality and experimentation, which keep them from being neatly categorized into a pop music genre. Radiohead’s third album, OK Computer (1997), was nominated for the Best Alternative Album of the Year. Like the concept albums of the 70s, the songs of this release mesh together and should be listened to as a whole. All five Radiohead members agreed upon recording that “Lucky” was their best song to date. This song was recorded for the 1995 charity album Help whose proceeds went to benefit children in Bosnia and was added to the later OK Computer.

10. “Ironic,” 1996; Alanis Morisette.

Released in 1996 “Ironic” was a big hit for Alanis Morissette with its catchy chorus, and of course the sheer force of her unique voice, along with its well known music video in which Alanis is driving three other incarnations of herself around in the snow. The song launched her U.S. debut album “Jagged Little Pill” into popularity.  It followed the success of “You Outta Know,” the initial single from her first American album, Jagged Little Pill.  Prior to this album, the young Canadian maintained a different image of a pop princess, more bubble gum and wrist bangles.  She represents a wave of women rock singer/songwriters (along with Fiona Apple and Jewel, followed by other rocking “angry women” artists like Pink and Avril Levigne).   Jagged Little Pill was intended to be an introduction to an American market; no one ever expected that she would sell 3.2 million copies in America alone.  Alanis Morissette distinguished herself through her edgy voice, her graphic lyrics, and her ability to rock. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=50&cf=50]

11. “Two Step,” 1996; Dave Matthews Band.

The Dave Matthews Band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in early 1991, including vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford, saxophonist LeRoi Moore, local jazz guru John D’earth, 16-year-old musical prodigy Stefan Lessard on bass, keyboard player Peter Griesar, and classically trained violinist Boyd Tinsley. Their music is described as written and played organically, with a grass roots mentality. In 1993 DMB released its first album, Remember Two Things. Crash, Dave Matthews Band’s second album for RCA, was released on April 30, 1996, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.   Besides their studio albums they have released many live recordings as well. [http://www.davematthewsband.com/history/history_main.asp] DMB is one of the more important bands of the 90s for their popularity, influence, and the use of string and brass instruments. “Two Step,” from the album Crash, exemplifies the style for which the band is so famous.

12. “ATLiens,” 1996, OutKast.

OutKast is a central creative body in the technically progressive Atlanta rap scene. Unlike the ‘hardcore ganster rap’ of the west coast, the Atlanta based rap duo successfully raps about southern life in a smooth and lyrically powerful way. Their topics range from the ‘ghetto life’ to the racial tensions in the south today. “ATLiens,” from the album by the same title, is one of the first mainstream songs the group released. “ATLiens” signifies the entry of OutKast into the mainstream while keeping true their roots.

13. “Mmmbop,” 1996; Hanson.

The 1990s were a time for the Seattle grunge scene to take center stage in all parts of the country.  However, three blonde musicians challenged that.  Hanson, three brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, took the country by storm with their #1 hit “Mmmbop.”  In a world with grunge and “alternative” as the norm, Hanson brought back bubble gum pop.  When they were young, their father got transferred to Europe and the Hanson family took with them Time-Life’s jazz and early rock series.  Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, and the Beatles, to name a few of the artists on this series, was the kind of music they listened to during their childhood in Europe.  They returned to the states, with ideas about performing music.  When they released their first independent record in 1995, Isaac, Taylor, and Zachary Hanson were 14, 12, and 9, respectively.  They released another record available only in Tulsa, OK in 1996.  Their worldwide debut was Middle of Nowhere featuring “Mmmbop,” followed by other hits, “I Will Come To You” and “Weird.”  The “blonde brothers from Tulsa” had brought back a style of music that adults missed and teenaged fan found newly engaging.  They had put the “pop” feel back in popular music. [Information from hanson.net.]

14. “Doo Wop (That Thing),” 1997; Lauryn Hill.

The song comes from the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, released August 25, 1998, and inspired by a now-classic work of Black Studies, The Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson. The song is an excellent example not only of Lauryn Hill’s style, but also of an emerging genre of music at the time—neo soul.

15. “Jump, Jive, and Wail,” 1998; Brian Setzer.

The underground swing movement began in the late 90s to the present, and “Neo-Swing” bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers began to increase in popularity.  People began to emulate the “swinger” social structure of the days of their grandparents.  The movie “Swingers” is based off of this new party culture.  But Brian Setzer was the band leader that really broadcasted the “Neo-swing” movement and image .  Setzer’s “Jump, Jive, and Wail” — a Louis Prima cover, received more radio play than the underground bands.  His cover became even more popular from GAP Swing commercials.  This commercial spawned a desire in young people to re-learn the dances of their grandparents.  Social dance organizations grew in numbers in many cities and on college campuses.

16. “The General,” 1999; Dispatch.

Dispatch is not a band that fits very easily into any single genre. Their unique music mixes rock, reggae, funk, world, and even rap to create a one-of-a-kind sound that cannot be imitated. The band formed in 1994 and drew an audience simply by playing shows and word of mouth–Dispatch took a very do it yourself attitude to their music. The three band members openly switch instruments during sets, rotating between guitar, bass, and drums, and sing beautiful three part harmonies in the majority of their songs. “The General,” from Dispatch’s album Bang Bang, is often one of the most widely known Dispatch songs, characterized by its unique play on singing style and harmonic choruses.   www.dispatchmusic.com

17. “Baby One More Time,” 1999; Britney Spears.

Britney Spears released her first album “Baby One More time” in the beginning of 1999. She was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late 90s. While her first album created an air of innocence aimed for audiences for all ages, her music video (outfitted in a full catholic- school girl regalia), sent her on her way to become an international sex symbol. Dubbed “one of the last teenage pop superstars of the 20 century, Baby One More Time was certified 14x platinum in July 2004. The year the it was released Britney also received 4 MTV Europe Awards, including best pop performer, and 4 Billboard Music awards, most notably female artist of the year. “Baby one more time” displays a true pop sound of the 90s.

18. “New World Water, 1999; Mos Def.

Mos Def’s contribution to hip-hop is on multiple levels: a developed sense of musicality, a keen ear for choosing a potent word, and a willingness to express his own vulnerability.   “New World Water,” from his solo debut Black on Both Sides, stresses water conservation without being “preachy.” Here Mos Def suggests that one distinguishing marker between future generations of haves and have-nots will be access to clean water—not a settling thought. But, then, the highest calling of art has never been to settle us but to shake us from complacency.

19. “Good-bye, Earl,” 1999; Dixie Chicks.

The Chicks’ second CD titled Fly, also proved to be a crossover success, putting another spin on “good-ol’-boy” country.  Its best-known cut, “Goodbye Earl,” is a song of girl power and murder that stunned some and enthused others.   Controversy lies with its lyrics about Marianne and Wanda, who carry out a plan to kill Wanda’s abusive husband, stuff his body in the trunk of their car, and dump him into the lake.  The Dixie Chicks were not troubled by those critical of their song.  As the group’s guitarist Natalie Maines said, “We don’t want to be too cautious. Be yourself, that’s our thing. Tell the truth . . . don’t get wrapped up in what’s politically correct.”  Though the song was banned by some radio stations, it seems to be well received with the public: fans across the country adorn their cars with black and white bumper stickers reading “Earl’s In the Trunk.”