Alternative R&B: Marian Hill

I don't know exactly why, but when YouTube suggested Down by Marian Hill to me I figured it would probably be a cliché ballad. The start of the song seemed to confirm this since I only heard a piano and a female vocalist. It sounded nice but not really remarkable. I kept listening however and it's a good thing I did, because when the beat dropped, at 56 seconds into the song, my opinion changed completely. If you're a regular visitor of my blogs you've probably noticed that I'm a fan of hip-hop and trap beats as well as electronic parts. Down manages to combine these elements with cut up vocals, reminiscent of C2C (see my earlier blog) while at the same time maintaining a relaxed feel. I fell in love with the song.

Marian Hill, consisting of producer Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol, is a relatively new group that started out in 2013. My two favourite songs of their debut EP 'Play' are Loveit and especially One Time. I like the jazzy feel that both songs have due to use of a saxophone.

In 2015 the group released a second EP with several new songs, but it wasn't until 2016 that they released their debut album 'Act One'. The album contains a nice range of songs, from the relaxing I Know Why, to the urban Mistaken and the swinging I Want You. This last song reminds me a bit of the electro swing produced by ProleteR.

Currently their latest released song, the earlier mentioned Down, has almost 21 million views on YouTube so it's safe to say the group is blowing up. I can't wait to hear more of their saxy songs.

Other favourites: Got It, Lips and Wasted

Check out more videos on Marian Hill's Official YouTube Channel

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest, the longest-running annual international TV song competition in the world, was broadcasted again last week. This year several hundred million people watched the 42 participants put on a show on the stage in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Many people however, especially the ones that call themselves music fans, don't like Eurovision. They associate it with bad (read: commercial) music, crazy outfits and stupid dances. I have to admit this is partly true, but in recent years the amount of good acts is certainly increasing. 

The reason I still watch the event every year is because it's an excellent way to discover new music. On the one hand there's the traditional/folkloristic songs like Belarus and Hungary, while on the other hand there are the modern ballads as performed by Poland and Denmark (coincidently both were playboy models, but that's beside the point). Both electro (Norway) and rock (Ukraine) fans could also find something to their taste. Norwegian EDM producer JOWST was actually granted an exception for the use of pre-recorded vocals, which is normally not allowed. There's also room for different singing techniques as shown by the opera singer from Croatia and the yodelling duo from Romania.

The winner of this year's contest is an eccentric singer from Portugal named Salvador Sobral. His song Amar Pelos Dois sounds like it was composed in the 1960's but at the same time doesn't sound outdated. It's a beautiful composition that had the power to completely relax me amidst all the hard hitting dance tracks. A rightful winner if you ask me.

Other favourites from this year's show:

The Netherlands (the girls from O'G3NE have hands down the best harmonies in the competition)

Iceland (Svala brings a retro 80's electronic sound)

France (A catchy pop song sung by the beautiful Alma)

For more Eurovision songs check out the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Downtempo: Elsiane

I believe it was a Thursday or Friday morning some weeks back, when I walked into the laboratory I work in. Most of the times the radio is tuned in to a pop or rock station, playing all the regular hits. This particular morning however something else entirely was playing.

What I heard was one of the most unique voices I've ever encountered in music. The arrangement itself had a relaxing downtempo drum beats, beautiful moody strings and several layers of mellow synthesizers. The music was such a perfect fit to my end-of-the-week-tiredness that I stopped walking and just listened to it for a while.

The song that played was Mend (to Fix, to Repair) by the Canadian duo Elsiane and is featured on their 2007 debut album Hybrid. It's a great album that showcases the diversity of Elsiane's sound. There are some easy listening pieces like Across the Stream and Prosaic, but also some more experimental works like Ecclesia and my personal favourite, the title song; Hybrid. There's even a cello solo on the album, In a Crisis...

In 2012, five years later, Elsiane released their second album: Mechanics of Emotion. This album is a lot more experimental, featuring several songs which are not much more than some ambient electronic chords, and thus not really my cup of tea. That is not to say that the album does not contain any nice songs at all, Slowbirth and Acceptance are both quite enjoyable.

Last month, again after five years, the group released their third album: Death of the Artist (they're nothing if not consistent).  I like this album better than the previous one since it's less experimental, the songs have a longer duration and feel more rounded. My absolute favourite work on this album is Fragilidad which has a cool bossa nova drum groove accompanied by some sweet woodwinds giving it somewhat of a tropical vibe.

Many thanks to my colleague for introducing me to this unique sounding duo! Let's hope we don't have to wait another five years for their next album.

Other favourites: Vaporous, Nobody Knows and Unstable.

For more videos visit Elsiane's Official YouTube channel.

Southern Rock: Black Stone Cherry

One of the first genres I discussed on this blog was country rap. It might therefore not come as  a surprise to some readers that I'm a fan of country influences in music. A genre that also incorporates elements of country music, but is completely different from the earlier mentioned country rap is southern rock.

Southern rock is best described as a combination of country and hard rock. Often people confuse the genre with country rock which is similar, but milder sounding due to its more frequent use of acoustic guitars instead of electric ones.

I discovered Black Stone Cherry 4/5 years ago in an unlikely place, a Kung Fu video game, where their song Rain Wizard was featured on an in-game radio station. The song came from Black Stone Cherry's eponymous 2006 debut album which also featured Lonely Train. While both songs, and others on the album, are great they don't necessarily clearly showcase the southern rock vibe. The country influence is perhaps more clearly visible in White Trash Millionaire and even better in Like I Roll. My all-time favourite song of the band however is Meand Mary Jane which is a kick-ass song with an addictive hook.

The latest album from the band titled 'Kentucky' dates from 2016 and contains Soul Machine and Cheaper to Drink Alone, among others. I for one have added them to my playlist. Does anybody else have a sudden craving for beer and summer?

Other favourites: Blind Man, Soulcreek & Blame It On the Boom Boom

Listen to more songs on Black Stone Cherry's Official YouTube channel.

K-Rap: San E

Seoul, or the 120 Days of Sodom, the latest single from San E, is a song that describes the vices associated with fame; alcohol, drugs and sex. It stands in stark contrast to the poppy start of the rapper.

Back in 2010 Korean born, but US raised rapper San E signed a record deal with JYP Entertainment, one of the three biggest record labels in Korea. As you might know the Korean record industry tightly controls every aspect of their artists, from their music to their image. In the case of San E this resulted in his debut single Tasty San, a song that's mostly just comical and meant to reach a large audience. Even though he had some minor success San E's ambition and style however made him decide to leave JYP Entertainment in 2013 and join Brand New Music, a label focusing on hip hop and R&B. This change was accentuated by the release of Rap Circus, a hardcore hip hop song in which he criticizes his previous image. This was quickly followed by his first #1 charting song Story of Someone I Know, a serious but more accessible song.

San E's career took off,  he collaborated with many Korean rappers and singers to create hit after hit, including: Where Did You Sleep (with label mates Verbal Jint and Swings), A Midsummer Night's Sweetness (a sugar sweet duet with singer Raina) and the sexy Body Language.

Everything seemed to go well for the rapper. He released an album in 2015 and was a judge and host on TV shows like 'Show Me The Money' and 'Unpretty Rapstar'. By the end of 2016 however all the fame and money started to go to his head. He became arrogant, depressed and addicted to alcohol and drugs. This process and how he overcame it was conceptualised in his latest EP 'Season of Suffering'. In the song Seoul, or the 120 Days of Sodom he describes the first stage, as mentioned earlier. In Counselor he acknowledges that he has a problem and discusses his condition, playing both the patient and the counsellor. Finally in I Am Me he accepts himself and overcomes his depression.

The 'Season of Suffering' EP is probably one of my all time favourite K-Rap releases. I'm glad to see San E is recovered and can't wait to find out which hits he has in store for 2017.

Other favourite songs: Coach Me, Do It For Fun & What If

For more videos check out San E's official YouTube channel or his playlist at the BRANDNEW MUSIC channel.

Classical Music Series: Part I - Baroque

This post is part of my Classical Music Series. Read more about it in the introduction.

Baroque is the name given to music composed from 1600 to 1750, a period during which the foundation was laid not only for classical music, but for Western music in general. Composers started making use of basso continuo (also known as figured bass), in which a group of instruments (usually harpsichord, lute and cello) play a fixed bass line on which the chords and melody are improvised. This melody was usually played counterpoint, meaning that two melodies differ in their tempo and direction (for instance one melody going up, while the other goes down) but still sound harmonious or good together. Probably the most influential early baroque composer to implement these techniques was Claudio Monteverdi, who was also responsible for composing one of the earliest still surviving operas: L'Orfeo.

Thanks to Monteverdi baroque music gained attention and became highly popular by the mid-1600's. To be able to satisfy the public demand composers started to downscale the orchestras hereby creating chamber music, which could be played in smaller settings. In Italy the most influential composer at the time was Francesco Cavalli, a student of Monteverdi, who wrote more than 40 operas for small orchestras. Meanwhile in France Jean-Baptiste Lully, royal composer for king Louis XIV, mainly focused on ballets and comedies. Lully was also what we would nowadays call a conductor. He used a large staff to maintain the rhythm. Unfortunately for him this practice literally killed him. During a rendition of Te Deum he hit his foot with the staff, which resulted in gangrene and ultimately his death (who'd have guessed being a conductor was such a dangerous job?!).

Of course the pinnacle of baroque chamber music is the very well known Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel. Besides being one of the most played classical pieces during both weddings and funerals its chord scheme also inspired many pop songs over the years including Ralph McTell's Streets of London, Green Day's Basket Case and the more recent Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly.

At the start of the 18th century baroque music reached its apex, with dozens of composers creating pieces still well known today. If I say for instance "Quattro Stagioni" you say.... Antonio Vivaldi (or granted, pizza if you're hungry). The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's most famous work, and rightfully so. He really manages to capture the feeling of each season in the music. We hear birds in spring, experience a thunderstorm in summer, join the harvest festivities in the autumn and seek shelter for the gruelling snowstorm in winter, the last being my personal favourite. Of course Vivaldi composed many other pieces, mainly concertos and sonatas, most of which have a very bright maybe even playful style.

A lot of Vivaldi's works were transcribed for organ by another great composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach's works generally sound a bit more serious than Vivaldi's. This is not because Bach was German, but rather the fact that he composed many cantatas, masses and passions played in churches which required a more dignified sound. Nevertheless there are plenty of compositions in his 1000+ work oeuvre which sound uplifting (for example his Brandenburg Concertos).

The last composer I'd like to mention is George Frideric Handel, for one because he's one of the first composers I've ever attended a performance from (the Messiah),  but also because he's one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era. Born in Germany in 1685 (same year and country as Bach) Handel moved to Italy in 1703 before ending up in London in 1710. As such even though most of his works have been composed in England clear German and Italian Baroque influences can be heard in his music. Handel's most famous work is without a doubt the Hallelujah Chorus from aforementioned Messiah. Another piece worth listening to is Water Music, composed especially for King George I who requested a concert on the river Thames.

It's a difficult feat to try and summarize 150 years of music in such a short post, but I hope I've managed to peak your interest in Baroque music and maybe even taught you some music history.

If you want to hear more baroque music there are fortunately many ways to do so. YouTube of course is filled with music from all great composers. Some channels specialise in composers or certain instruments. Plenty of playlists can be found on Spotify and last but not least you can go old-school and turn on a classical music radio station. To help you get started I've listed some great works below.

Several Baroque masterpieces:

Arcangelo Corelli                            Concertogrosso, Op. 6, No. 8 in G minor

Henry Purcell                                  Rondeau fromAbdelazer

Georg Philipp Telemann                 Concerto in G major forViola and Strings

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi            Stabat Mater

Classical music series: Intro

During the past couple of months I have written posts on many different artists and genres. It might be difficult to imagine, but most of these diverse styles find their origins in the same music. Music that is nowadays known as classical music.

When people use the term classical music it is usually an umbrella term used to cover all music composed during a period spanning roughly 400 years. I find it therefore strange to hear people say they do not like classical music. It is like saying you don't like modern music, it just does not make any sense to reject such a wonderful and vast collection of works based on several individual pieces.

Classical music can be differentiated into the eras during which it was made: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Impressionism to name a few. Each era had its trendsetters, innovators and perfectionists. In this series of posts I will highlight each of these periods and explain what separates one from the other, in the hopes of making you understand what it is exactly that you are listening to.

Part I - Baroque