Side Projects as Solutions

Side Projects as Solutions

 

Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year" (Ben Gibbard's main band)

The Postal Service - "Brand New Colony" (Ben Gibbard's side project

            A musician’s talent often requires more than one outlet for expression.  To feel creatively fulfilled, members of bands often engage in side projects, which can consist of new bands or solo work.  These side projects offer the musician more creative license than they may have in their original bands.  For this reason, there has been a recent increase in the number of side projects that artists are creating to use their talents in expanded ways, especially in the alternative/indie rock scene.  In this genre alone, side projects have been created by some of the most well-known band members, including Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart, and The White Stripes’ Jack White.  The bands these artists have started offer a glimpse at other talents they possess because they play different instruments, perform in different styles, or make music in an entirely different genre.  Side projects are important to pay attention to because of the subtle differences between an artist’s work in his or her original band and their side project.  Sometimes, these differences go undetected; however, focusing on them allows the listener to better understand the artist themselves. 

            In the past, musicians did not engage in as many side projects because simply collaborating with other artists was more common.  Musicians would contribute to a song, or even an EP, but not unite to form an entirely new group.  Recently, the rise of side projects has proven to be an important facet of the alternative/indie rock scene that more people are paying attention to, given that the artist’s original band averages two or three years to release an album.  People grow increasingly impatient for new music because of the way most music is currently distributed and disseminated, via the internet.  With this impatience, fans embrace side projects as something to keep them occupied or temporarily entertained until the artist’s original band releases new music.  However, the side projects themselves occasionally outshine the work of the musician’s main band. 

            The understated style and smaller scale of side projects provide the artist with an opportunity to not be as widely criticized as he or she may be with their original band.  With this freedom, the artist is able to explore realms of their creative talent in ways that would not necessarily be included in the music produced in their main band.  Some of the more famous side projects displaying more artistic freedom include:  The Postal Service (Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie), The Dead Weather (Jack White of The White Stripes and Alison Mosshart of The Kills), and S. Carey (Sean Carey of Bon Iver).  Although The Postal Service has only released one album, “Give Up” (2003), it was Sub Pop’s best-selling album since Nirvana’s “Bleach”, proving that side projects are just as marketable as the original band itself.  Jack White, known for his masterful guitar playing evident in his work with The White Stripes, explores his skills as a drummer in The Dead Weather with Alison Mosshart as lead singer (she is also lead singer of The Kills).  Sean Carey is the drummer for the popular indie band Bon Iver, but displays his vocal talent in his side project, S. Carey. 

As many musicians are skilled in more ways than one, their side projects allow them to be creatively fulfilled and exhibit more control over work that might not make the cut with their main band.  The juxtaposition of audio recordings and live performances from artists’ original bands and their side projects would show that side projects deserve just as much attention as the original band.  The array of talent evinced in side projects enhances the authenticity of a musician by providing a scene in which creative risks are celebrated. In essence, side projects themselves have become a subgenre within the alternative/indie rock scene.  Side projects have proven to be invaluable to musicians and fans alike.  

The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (Alison Mosshart's main band) and The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (Jack White's main band)

vs.

The Dead Weather - Hang You From the Heavens (Jack White and Alison Mosshart's side project)

Bon Iver - Calgary (Sean Carey's main band)

vs.

S. Carey - In the Dirt (Sean Carey's side project)

An Eclectic Evening with The Elected (Live Performance Review)

An Eclectic Evening with The Elected

The Elected (Live example from MySpace Secret Show)

            The alternative/indie band, The Elected, achieves an original, eclectic sound with the inclusion of instruments that conventionally belong to different genres.  By allowing their individual creativity to flow through the various talents of each band member, the uniqueness of The Elected leaves one puzzled, wondering why they have not yet garnered more national attention.  The band performs with both precision and emotion, giving an expressive quality to their music.   Having released three albums since 2004, The Elected possess the experience necessary to inspire their audience with powerful lyrics and performance value that indicate passion and professionalism.  On June 22, 2011, the small, intimate setting of Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC allowed The Elected, and the opener, Tristan, to engage with the audience in a way that is almost impossible in larger venues.   Standing a mere twenty feet away from the stage, I could see the rawness of the performances on the band member’s faces.  The liveness produced as a result of the emotional energy in the music and on stage is what makes live performances one of the most fulfilling ways to experience music in an embodied way. 

            I, personally, felt connected to the live performance because I was not familiar with The Elected prior to attending the show.  Therefore, I found myself hanging on every lyric, rhythm, and riff in an effort to absorb as much as I could of the performance.  I usually take the time to immerse myself in an artist or band’s music prior to a show, but decided to see The Elected without any expectations or preconceived notions of how they might perform.  As a result, I noticed the unique qualities of each song in The Elected’s varied instrumentation.  For example, The Elected use a steel pan drum, violin, and lap steel guitar in addition to the more commonly used instruments of alternative/indie music—the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, and drums.  The lap steel guitar usually signifies blues, country, or bluegrass music, but The Elected use it with the rhythm guitar to create a layer of extended chords on top of the rhythmic strumming of the electric and acoustic guitars, played by the lead singer, Blake Sennett (who was also the lead guitarist for the more popular indie band, Rilo Kiley).  The soaring chord progressions of the lap steel guitar coupled with Sennett’s vocal range add another dimension to the music that keeps the listener anticipating when the tension of the song will be relieved in the coming chorus.  A fascinating instrument, the steel pan drum is associated with Trinidad and Tobago and is commonly used in music produced in and around the Caribbean.  Adding an interesting element to the sound of The Elected, the steel pan drum was used in a way that replaced keyboards.  It accentuated the rhythm with lighter notes, brightening the songs that featured it.  The violin, most often used in classical music, incorporated a sophisticated quality to the performance.  The orchestral timbre of the violin’s strings would hover above the melody and intensify at the right moments to make certain songs bolder and more emotionally charged.  People in the audience did not move around or nod their heads at these emotionally charged moments; instead, their expressions indicated that they were completely focused on the performance and intrigued at how The Elected seamlessly incorporated these unconventional instruments to create a successful fusion of international styles in their performance. 

            The liveness that was undeniably present at this performance was a reminder of the importance of small venues and local music scenes in which the music is whole-heartedly embraced by an audience that seeks good, live music, not a grandiose spectacle usually found at larger venues.  Smaller venues offer a more intimate setting in which the audience can feel a truer sense of community and connection, as well as interaction with the artist(s).  Blake Sennett frequently engaged with the audience between songs, offering short stories and a few awkward jokes that got the crowd to laugh while the rest of the band tuned their instruments.  The small breaks between songs and the dynamic between band members on stage allows the casual listener to experience a familiar recording with live nuances and additions.  At times, the performance could have been more interesting, if only because the set list was crafted in a way that made two or three successive songs sound similar, and perhaps lackluster.  However, The Elected drew and kept the attention of the small audience of about forty to sixty people for the entire show by maintaining the energy and presence one would expect upon hearing their albums.  The Elected were not simply performing their music, they were selling the emotion of it to the crowd, offering a chance for an embodied experience through metacommunication for each audience member to connect with.  The raw feeling in each song, present on Sennett’s face and in his vocals, as well as in the way each band member played their respective instrument(s), lets the audience feel comfortable responding to their energy in order for an unspoken bond to form in the live performance aesthetic.

            The musical hybridity of The Elected’s live performance gave the show an eclectic quality because unconventional instruments were incorporated, which blurred genres (alternative/indie, classical, and music of Caribbean origin).  The lap steel guitar, violin, and steel pan drum added an unexpected fluidity to the overall sound of The Elected’s performance, even though they are an alternative/indie band.   The artistic skill present was remarkable because almost every band member played more than once instrument.  The stage presence of Sennett and his bandmates contributed to the liveness of the performance, which captivated the attention of the audience throughout the show.  It is simply impossible to experience recorded music in the same way as live music because a live performance stimulates more senses.  The Elected displayed impressive musicianship as well as a mesmerizing connection to their music and the audience. 

Photo taken on night of show by the author:

The Depths of Dirty Dubstep

The Depths of Dirty Dubstep

Dubstep, popularized within the last decade mainly in the UK and United States, has been described as “the music that is created from transformers having sex”, “audio thunder”, and “the purest form of musical crack cocaine” (www.urbandictionary.com).  Adjectives used to define a good dubstep track are “dirty”, “filthy”, “grimy”, and other terms that one would otherwise associate with negative characteristics.  On the surface, dubstep is a genre that functions as party music; for a large number of dubstep fans, it is something to be experienced while on drugs, such as ecstasy or marijuana.  The heavy bass, loops, and drops of dubstep make it ideal for dance parties and raves.  Dubstep is a derivative of the grime genre that is popular in the UK.  It has been largely criticized because the producers of dubstep are DJs rather than musicians—they use laptops and software rather than instruments.  Dubstep tracks are widely disseminated and circulated through the internet, where DJs and producers release countless mixes, EPs, and full length albums in mp3 format that are then featured in forums, blogs, and social media sites.  The genre is unique because it is completely original in that the artist controls all aspects of their work and it has created a scene for people that gravitate to dance music that incorporates much more than catchy hooks and electronic beats. 

The dirtiest dubstep, based upon personal knowledge of some of the most popular artists and tracks, consists of climactic drops, minimal manipulated vocal loops, and dynamic interplay of heavy bass and lighter electronic elements.  For example, the artist known as Skrillex has quickly ascended to the ranks of most notable dubstep producers through his innovative approach to production.  Sonny Moore, former lead singer of the hardcore band From First to Last, incorporates his experience with his former band as well as his lifelong love of electronic music to create tracks that consistently top the charts of popular electronic/dubstep websites, such as www.beatport.com.  When asked about the difference in personae for Skrillex and From First to Last, Moore said, “It's the idea of being in my home studio and making whatever I want to make at the time that I create it. I can do anything I want at any time, and there are obviously pluses and minuses to doing anything, whether you're in a band or doing a production. It's always nice to collaborate with people, but it's also really nice to do everything you want to do and not necessarily be bound to drums, bass and guitar all the time. I do enjoy playing live music as well, so it's simply another outlet to throw it all together” (interview from Artist Direct, August 2010, http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,7350623,00.html).  Although Moore recently signed to Deadmau5’s label, his statement clearly demonstrates the creative license every dubstep artist has over their work, regardless of their status as signed or unsigned.  The lack of creative control in many of today’s popular music genres is a major problem because originality is stifled by producers’ financial goals and artists are not given a platform to create art that is truly their own.  This has created a popular music scene in which artists appear to be carbon copies of one another and half of forthcoming albums are released as singles beforehand in an effort to make as much profit as possible.  Thankfully, dubstep has not fallen under the curse of the producer’s hand because the artist is the producer.

Additional aspects of dubstep that make it a fascinating genre, full of depth and character, include the fact that vocals/lyrics are never the focal point, the tension built up in every track is unmatched by any genre, vocals (if present) are often manipulated beyond recognition and become enmeshed in the recurrent beat or theme, and a single dubstep track often incorporates many more elements than a more “traditional” song composed by a band with instruments.  The facets of dubstep as a music genre should be given more attention because they comprise a type of music that has spread at an extremely rapid pace in the last decade.  Sonny Moore (Skrillex) commented that “traditional dance music is a lot of loops that last for like five minutes, which really works on the dance floor. What come naturally to me are the more progressive elements in dance music. Dance music can't have too many stops, starts and changes. Then it's not dance music anymore. I grew up listening to … records that are a bit less danceable but more challenging on a production front. I like to mix that glitch and fidget element with dance music. It feels urgent and in-the-moment because things are changing a bit more” (http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,7350623,00.html).  The overlapping beats and interlocking loops of dubstep create a complicated sound that somehow comes together to envelop the listener in a complex cacophony of rhythm and pulsating beats that allow for instances of musical transcendence. 

Examples:

Skrillex – Ruff Neck (Flex) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKi0WQx2kbg

Skrillex (Feat. Foreign Beggars and Bare Noize) – Scatta - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw-YjVp_ibQ

Skrillex – Bad Romance Remix (Lady Gaga) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VQC486qQgk&feature=related

The Killabits – Stray Bullet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_raq79sOs50

Sources:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dubstep

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,7350623,00.html

MTV Europe Music Awards (2005) - Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."

2005 Europe Music Awards - Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc" VIDEO

Gorillaz’ first live performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005 incorporated new media and production techniques that led to a change in the discourse surrounding live performance.  Regarding live performance, audiences usually share a few expectations:  the live music should sound close to the record itself, the artist or group will most likely engage with the audience, and the artist or group may incorporate something new or change aspects of the performance to make the experience stand out.  At the MTV Europe Music Awards, Gorillaz used “the Motion Eyeliner System to beam three-dimensional holographic style performing cartoon characters on stage” and their appearance was “billed as ‘the world’s first 3D hologram performance’” (http://www.eyeliner3d.com/gorillaz_mtv_awards.html).  The Gorillaz essentially created a new performance aesthetic in which they are not performing as themselves—they are instead performing as their alter egos. This is radically different from the overwhelming majority of live performances because artists and groups almost always perform as themselves, and are visible to the audience.  By using three-dimensional projection technology in their first live performance, Gorillaz are able to maintain the alter ego cartoon identities that they have associated with all of their work, including album art, music videos, short cartoons, and a fictional Gorillaz universe on their website.  As the first “virtual hip-hop group”, the only permanent members of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewett, have established themselves as musicians that blend many different styles of music with an alternate concept of representation and identity, especially in performance.

            With influences from alternative rock, dub, electronic, pop, Latin, punk, reggae, and other genres, Gorillaz combine many styles to create a synthesized sound that makes their music unique and fresh.  At the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards, Gorillaz performed their international hit “Feel Good Inc.”, which reached #2 in the United Kingdom and #14 in the United States.  “Feel Good Inc.” peaked in the top ten in fourteen countries.  With such great international success, Gorillaz’ live performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005 would prove to be one of the most unique performances and help propel them to further success.  During the performance, the projected alter egos of the band members appear to be playing their instruments and singing as a real band would, but the actual band members are behind a screen, hidden from the audience.  In this way, the audience connects with the band as they know them, by their alter ego characters.  This helps promote a sense of authenticity in the performance because Gorillaz represent themselves as their cartoon characters in all of their work; therefore, it would be hard for the audience to identify with a band they had never seen perform in their real identities.  The alter egos present on stage, Stuart “2D” Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs, represent the band as “Feel Good Inc.” gets the audience to stand up and react to the projected cartoons as if they were the actual band members performing before them.  The presence the band has in these alter egos creates “liveness” in this performance that is surprisingly achieved without the actual band engaging with the crowd.  This performance is a breakthrough because it shows that even a “virtual band” can create an embodied experience through live performance. 

            The groundbreaking aspect of Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” as performed at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards is evident in the relationship the group has created with its fans.  Fans have come to expect innovative, interactive productions from Gorillaz, and this performance was a culmination of the group’s inventive achievements.  By creating unique alter egos with eccentric personalities and combining them with music that is also full of personality, Gorillaz are able to perform in front of huge audiences that embrace their alternate approach to what it means to be a band.  The image of Gorillaz is altogether unconventional.  The music the band creates is associated with cartoon alter egos, not the members of Gorillaz themselves.  By using projections of their alter egos, Gorillaz can incorporate actions into their performance that may be impossible in reality.  For example, “Murdoc”, the bass player, is seen licking the strings of his guitar near the top of the neck in this live performance.  In reality, a bass player would probably not do anything to his or her instrument that could jeopardize a performance.  In this way, Gorillaz have a more creative approach toward live performance because, essentially, they have no limitations.  Gorillaz are able to synthesize the expected authenticity of a live performance with a simulation of identity.    

            The 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards performance allowed Gorillaz to gain media attention through the uniqueness of their live performance.  By performing through their alter ego characters, Gorillaz were able to challenge the fundamentals of live performance.  The band members themselves did not appear, but the alter egos simulated the actions that an artist or group is expected to display on stage.  Gorillaz captivated the audience by utilizing technology to accomplish authenticity through simulation.  “Simulating authenticity” is a contradictory notion; however, Gorillaz incorporate the “concept” of the band in a virtual aesthetic in this performance, yet still manage to create “liveness” effortlessly.  This breakthrough performance demonstrates that the context of live performance is always changing and authenticity is determined by both the artist or group’s vision and the audience’s reception of that vision.  A live performance is an interaction between an artist or group and their audience.  In this performance, Gorillaz are groundbreaking because they establish a connection with the audience without being visually present.  In accomplishing the difficult feat of “simulated authenticity”, Gorillaz prove that innovative live performances challenge the audience to let go of expectations and embrace the unexpected.    

“Feel Good Inc.” Lyrics:

Hahahahahahahahaha,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good.........

City's breaking down on a camel's back.
They just have to go 'cause they don't know wack
So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free
You've got a new horizon It's ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they've got to kiss, because I don't get sleep, no..

[Chorus:]
Windmill, Windmill for the land.
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up-a like ass cracks,
Lay these ponies at the track
Its my chocolate attack.
Shit, I'm stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate
Hahahahahahaa.
Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown,
With yo sound
You're in the place
You gonna bite the dust
Can't fight with us
With yo sound
You kill the INC.
So don't stop, get it, get it
Until you're Jet Ahead.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa

Feel good, AHHHHahahahah [x4]

[Chorus]

Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady,
Watch me navigate,
Ahahahahahhaa.
Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ahahahahahhaa.

Feel good, AHHHHahahahaha
Feel good,
Feel good, AHHHHahahahaha
Feel good....