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Chapter 15
Hyphenated-Rock & Explorations of the Postmodern Self (1994– )
Outline
I. Neo-Progressive bands
a. Radiohead
b. Coldplay
c. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
d. Sigur Ros
e. TV On the Radio
II. Neo-Psychedelic bands
a. The Dandy Warhols
b. The Flaming Lips
c. Phish
i. Neo-Jam band
III. Emo
a. Style characteristics
b. Emo bands
i. Embrace
ii. The Smiths
iii. Jawbreaker
iv. Sunny Day Real Estate
IV. Pop Emo bands
a. The sellout question
i. Weezer
ii. Jimmy Eat World
iii. Death Cab for Cutie
iv. Dashboard Confessional
v. Fall Out Boy
vi. My Chemical Romance
V. Nu-Metal
a. Style characteristics
i. Music
ii. Imagery
b. Bands
i. Tool
ii. Rage Against the Machine
iii. Godsmack
iv. Korn
v. Slipknot
vi. Marilyn Manson shock rock
vii. Linkin Park
VI. Garage Rock
a. White Stripes
i. Jack White and spin-off projects
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b. Limp Bizkit
c. The Strokes
d. Babyshambles
e. The Arctic Monkeys
f. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
g. PJ Harvey
VII. Technology
a. iPod
Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics
1. Innovation. Tom Morello’s guitar solo in “Bulls On Parade” mimics the sound of
turntable scratching.
An electric guitar played with a cello bow dominates the sound of Sigur Ros.
(This technique was used by Jimmy Page as a feature in Led Zeppelin concerts).
TV On The Radio adds a heavy guitar element to hip hop to provide a rock
identity.
Korn uses a 7-string guitar to add lower, darker tones to their sonic palette.
Compare the three approaches. SEE: Suggested Listening.
2. Visual presentation. Compare groups that rely heavily on visual elements.
Slipknot. This Nu Metal group uses a visual gimmick—gruesome masks.
Tool. This Nu Metal outfit has benefited from exposure on MTV. Tool’s “Prison
Sex” is a good audio example of the Nu Metal genre with very dark irony and matching
heavy metal sounds. SEE: Suggested Listening.
3. Shock rock. Marilyn Manson also relied heavily on visual elements, with an emphasis
on the grotesque and gruesome. Manson did not disappoint. What happens to the careers
of shock rock stars? What would you invent if you were going to start a shock rock band?
4. Garage Bands. Jack White; the White Stripes. “Seven Nation Army” showcases his
minimalist approach to garage rock. Typically, all the songs are recorded without any
instruments other than guitar and drums. This approach would not work if he weren’t an
accomplished guitarist. On “Seven Nation Army” he uses a stomp box (effects pedal) to
lower the sound of his guitar. Listen for a home-made sound.
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Chapter 15 – Suggested Listening
Artist
Song/iTunes Preview
Representative Style
Radiohead
“Creep”
Introduced the band to an
international audience;
angst/pain for the masses—
“I don’t belong here” soft–
to-loud dynamic swings
Sigur Ros
“Ny Batteri”
Electric guitar played with a
cello bow; ethereal
TV On the Radio
“Dancing Choose”
Heavily electronic; faster
than typical hip hop; guitar
provides rock genre identity
The Flaming Lips
“The Wizard Turns On…”
Cartoonish, award-winning
neo-psychedelic—and rare
instrumental
“She Don’t Use Jelly”
A song-based effort with
vocals
Weezer
“Buddy Holly”
“Buddy Holly” Video
Hooky, pop-rock; a video
tie–in to TV’s Happy Days
“Undone – The Sweater
Song”
Quirky, alternative slacker
song
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Jimmy Eat World
“The Middle”
A video featuring teens
dancing in their underwear;
pop elements with modern
rock sensibilities
Dashboard Confessional
“Screaming Infidelities”
Acoustic guitar; Emo
introspection
Fall Out Boy
“Sugar, We’re Goin’
Down”
Pop hooks and melodies; an
MTV mainstay; self-
deprecating humor
My Chemical Romance
“Skylines and Turnstiles”
Expresses the writer’s
anxiety following 911
Tool
“Prison Sex” N/A
Very dark irony; heavy
metal
Rage Against the Machine
“Bulls on Parade”
Tom Morello’s guitar effect
mimics turntable scratching;
strong anti-war message
Godsmack
“I Stand Alone”
Very successful heavy
metal band
Korn
“Alone I Break”
Heavy metal with some pop
appeal; drop D guitar tuning
for lower, darker sound
White Stripes
“Seven Nation Army”
White uses a stomp box to
deepen the range of his
guitar. A home-made, DIY
sound. One guitar does it
all.
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Chapter 16
Remix Culture
Outline
I. Appropriation methods
a. Remix
b. Mashups
c. Compare Readymade visual art
i. Warhol influence
ii. Marcel Duchamp
iii. Sherrie Levine
II. Legal issues
a. Fair use
b. Intent
c. Cover songs
III. Digital sampling
a. Licensing
i. 2 Live Crew vs. Acuff-Rose
b. Club culture
i. DJ sampling
c. Artists
i. DJ Shadow
ii. Moby
d. Key legal precedent
i. Biz Markie vs. Warner Brothers
e. Copyright infringement
i. Napster vs. the RIAA
IV. Originality and creativity
a. Schools of thought
b. The kopimi
V. Technology
a. The MP3 player
b. Digital distribution
i. The Radiohead example
VI. Consumers as producers
a. Mashups
i. Meaning is changed
b. Greg Gillis, Girl Talk
i. Transformative appropriation
ii. Illegal Art label
iii. Dialog between artists and consumers
c. Danger Mouse
i. The Beatles
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d. Trent Reznor
i. Industrial style
e. iPod playlists
VII. Music festivals
a. South by Southwest
b. Lollapalooza
c. Bonaroo
VIII. Portable personal music players
IX. Bedroom digital recording studios
X. Video game activity
a. Rock Band
b. Guitar Hero
XI. The pervasiveness of rock music
a. The sixities vs. today
Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics
1. The issue of remixes and mashups, new experiments in digitally manipulated music,
brings the issue of appropriation to the fore. In your opinion, is it acceptable to use
digital technology to form something new and distinct out of the work of other artists?
2. Discussion. Apart from legal restrictions on remix sound manipulation, is there an
integrity issue?
3. Listen to Moby’s “Why Does My Heart Hurt So Bad?” Moby has been very
successful in recasting old fragments of music into new contexts. The result is an
electronic work with remarkable emotional impact. SEE: Suggested Listening.
4. Discussion. Have you encountered any down side to digital distribution of rock
music?
5. Why would Radiohead release an album online and allow the buyer to name his price?
Why would Nine Inch Nails give an album away online? Is there a business reason for
this or is it motivated by artistic integrity?
6. In what way is downloading and electronic distribution of music a form of social
protest?
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Chapter 16 – Suggested Listening
Artist
Song/iTunes Preview
Representative Style
2 Live Crew
“Me So Horny”
Provocative bad taste; Dirty
South rap style
Biz Markie
“Just a Friend”
A rarity; comedy inserted
into a rap song
Kean / DJ Shadow Remix
“We Might As Well be
Strangers”
One of “the world’s first
completely sampled
album(s)”
Moby
“Why Does My Heart Feel
So Bad”
Moby casts samples of old
records in a distinctive,
modern context
Danger Mouse
“Encore” N/A
A “mashup” combining the
Beatles and Jay-Z; taken off
the shelves when EMI filed
an injunction
Nine Inch Nails
“Hurt”
Industrial style, very dark
“Wish”
A Grammy in 1993 for Best
Heavy Metal Performance