Music has the power to manipulate time, to manipulate our perception of time, by quickening and slowing the pulse. 'Time flies when you're having fun' because there's so much to think about, to react to, that our perception of time quickens. That's why small children, bored in the backseat of a car, keep asking, 'Are we there yet?'
posted by Victor Lombardi at 11:32 AM
Massaging the silence. Godsmack's "Awake" - full of heavy power chords - will, before a pause of an entire beat, sustain the chord a tiny bit and then muffle it. Before much shorter pauses they'll quickly silence the chord, Metallica style. In fact, that's an interesting contrast to Metallica, where those
stacatto chords draw attention to themselves instead of the silence.
posted by Victor Lombardi at 7:14 AM
Quiet moments, like 1:20 into "Savior" by the Chili Peppers
The combination of humor and stinging reality, like TMBG's "Your Racist Friend" or Paul Simon's "Darling Lorraine". The latter a stunningly moving song, filled with anger and touching sadness, sprinkled with a bit of humor ("All my life I've been a wonderer/Not really I mostly live near my parent's home") and bits of detail ("I'll go down to the corner store and buy us something sweet.")
Emotional power, from Simon's "Darling Lorraine" and "She Moves On" to "Add It Up" by the Violent Femmes, to "Disposable Heroes" by Metallica. It's always through lyrics that get down to root emotions, and sung in music that reflects those emotions, and yet is always beautiful somehow.
The song is king. Don't let petty egos get in the way of doing the song right.
Decide up front if you're doing it to make money or to make your own music.
posted by Victor Lombardi at 9:24 PM
