Thursday, June 14, 2007

What a Difference an L makes



1. Emo. A massively popular style of music featuring whining vocals, monotonous melodies, static rhythms, and vacuous lyrics. [Embrace, one of the originals, is pictured top.]

2. Elmo. A massively popular monster, nephew of Grover on Sesame Street, featuring soft red fur, a curious mind, and a winning personality.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Household Rhythms


The spirit of John Cage [pictured] is alive and well, and you know he's looking down with a rakish grin. Check out this four-movement percussion piece video from Sweden called "Six Drummers," created entirely of found objects in an apartment!


Wednesday, June 6, 2007

More Snap in My Rap



Recently I've been listening to Beck [top], who proves that rap can be articulate -- even exquisite -- yet lose none of its power. For my money, the only other interesting innovations in rap right now are coming from Kanye West [bottom], who uses the style as a backdrop for his gospel-music sensibility and his intense social criticism.