Anti-Folk - Regina Spektor

So...if you don't know who Regina Spektor is, that's okay. However, I STRONGLY suggest you go to youtube and start looking up a few songs...specifically: "Dance Anthem of the 80's", "Eet", "Après Moi", and then her more popular "That Time"...Oh, and "Samson" is dang good, too. Also, this page will be useful in understanding how to take her.

Now, Regina Spektor was referenced in my last post as possibly being one of the most fake. What I mean by this is that her songs are NOT about her, they're about people she observes; they're stories. However, it is brilliant and absolutely ridiculous in all literal meaning of the word, as well. I read one very long interview and listened to another very long interview with her about her music, if I can find them again at some point I'm sure I'll share it on here, but really I think I just googled random stuff about her and found it somewhere in the depths of the internet...so you know, good luck finding that.

While she [her musical composition] is fake, I think she could also possibly be the most real in her production. She thoroughly understands what she's singing about and her music reflects the feelings that you're supposed to be feeling...but it is nothing short of the most ironic thing possible because the point of anti-folk is to make fun of all the seriousness of life. In the music video of "Fidelity" it first shows a lot of seriousness as the title suggest through most of it. Black and white and lots of sharp angles and her always sitting properly and acting as a lady should, but at the end she takes her white heart necklace and seems to suggest giving it up to the headless mannequin and it just falls to ground and shatters into pieces and allows colorful dust to fall everywhere. It then continues with the mannequin coming to life and she becomes happy and they play in the colorful dust. I believe this shows that Regina isn't serious about her lyrics, the what if's in the song are irrational ideas and one should not think of such things, but be confident in who you are and where you are. Rather, "Oh yeah, this is really breaking my heart, watch me laugh and roll around in this colorful dust with this handsome man...WHY WOULD THIS BREAK MY HEART?! Why would I take this for granted?! Why would I even have wishful thinking of NOT having this?!" It's almost sarcastic, but I think ironic is still a better word.

Next thing to...admire with Spektor is her musical talent, something the last performer didn't have the most have, just...wasn't as void of it as people make her out to be. Spektor has a voice I admire in that what you hear on the album is what you hear in real life. It's a raw, good, properly sung sound. She knows how to make her voice weak and strong, how to express and evoke emotion even when it's not necessarily her own emotion and how to edit vowels. A good example of this amazingly expressionate voice is in "Après Moi" Just listening to it you can get a visual of the feelings. I really don't want to say too much on this, it's too good for this, just listen to it.

Probably not the last thing to appreciate, but last thing I'm going to note is...when she is serious. I've come to believe that "Samson" is serious. And this one is a work of real art. If there was an equivalent of literature in music, this would be on the top of the best of all-time list. It references the story of Samson and Delilah. The first comment on the link I attached to the title [at least what I see as first atm...] is quite understandable and another points out that Spektor was in a relationship with someone who had been diagnosed with cancer. This is also the only song/video that doesn't have a hint of her happy-go-lucky self and is purely solemn. Again, I don't want to give too much, because I want to encourage curiosity and independent thought [the real definition of indie: independent, not just recording, but thought]. I'd be thrilled to discuss this though in the comment section or if you want to message me or something. One thing I would like to note though, it says...the Bible didn't mention us...it took me a while to get this because *I* thought she was talking about putting herself in Delilah's shoes, but I don't tihnk she is, I think she's referring to Delilah as another woman who Samson dated after her. "I loved you first...I loved you first." Regina DIDN'T cut his hair, "Your hair was long when we first met." It's not anymore, and she's unsuspecting of this the sound of the song seems to imply to me. Another commenter on the website points out that the "wonder bread" is supposed to be medicine. I think she's actually saying that Delilah is the cancer and that it took Samson away from her and made him weak.

That's all I have on Regina right now. I dearly love her so I'm sure I'll have another post on her stuff at some point. Hopefully this musical she's working on will be brilliant and hey...since I'm on the east-coast maybe I can see it for real!

Min

Pop - Britney Spears

Choosing a single picture of her was hard...

All right, I'm just going to get this one out of the way first thing. She's the biggest thing of my generation as Lady Gaga is for the generation behind me [we'll get to her later].

I first heard of this female when I was in third grade, I believe. All the guys thought she was hot, all the girls knew her song lyrics, etc...I've always been avoidant of mainstream things, so I played it off as not being super into her, but in all honestly she was best thing next to Pokemon. I wanted to sing as well as her, dance as well as her, look as good as her. I got to fourth grade and remembered learning a lot about her from a TV special at the time that was accompanying her concert that was on TV. I remember what really got to me about her: the story of "Lucky" was about her. All I knew was fake music and fake art and fake everything. Seems ironic that Britney Spears was the one to make realize that raw meaning and emotion was far more intriguing than looking good and being perfect. I remember her...million dollar smile...to have parents who loved you that much to allow you to have something that would prevent you from being made fun of and really work on it...and to have the result successfully. It...was an inspiration...to be real and honest with my emotions and in result art. After all art is the expression of yourself, yes?

And here's where everyone says she went downhill -even in her music, not even talking about her life; but how did she? Yes, the music is repetitious and can be annoying and auto-tuned and lip-synced and whatever else, but the composition is what I'm referring to. It's still about her, still has meaning, and still has poetic elements. It is still art. Everything about it. It's simply accompanied by being pop and dance. It's what they were aiming for -it's intentional. It's marketing. It gets stuck in your head whether you want it to or not and THAT.IS.POP.

Now for my point- it's why I generally don't like pop unless I feel like dancing. I do not wholly respect pop as a true art form, but more crafty business that has artistic elements. Like advertising, it's really more business than it is art.

I suppose my other point regarding Spears is that as a child, she was the best. As an adult, she's fun and not as fake as people make her out to be, but still moderately. Purely fake would be...unexpectedly, Regina Spektor. We'll get to her later, too...

- Min

Personal Opinion is Necessary

In analyzing artists to come there are some things I will do and somethings that may help understand where I am coming from.

1. I give the benefit of the doubt. I'm not into bringing any artists and performers down for their work, unless they thoroughly deserve it as always.
2. I am hoping to give a MOSTLY objective view but there will be differences. Just because I like stuff to always be changing with billions of layers doesn't mean you do.
3. I come from a percussive and vocal background. My mother played the piano all the time and was bound to get me and my "long fingers" [though tiny hands] to play the piano GRANDLY...in result I know music theory, but cannot play piano worth a dime.
4. I do not cuss because it pushes away audiences, like my beautiful nieces who I love dearly. Also, it is a bad example and I just shouldn't anyway.
5. Alternately, I do not appreciate professionalism. Honesty means too much to me. I am not here to be a unapproachable snob who builds a nice large wall between humans.
6. I freaking love all sorts of music. Though, the more artistic value it has the more I respect it.

If there's more, I will add onto it, but for now -I'd like to proceed with my first performer review...

Min