The Subtle Notes

Hello and happy June to everyone! 

As we're both aware, it's been a good while since my last post, but I'm thrilled to be back with a new entry! I decided a while back that doing these posts are only truly motivated and relevant when I'm stirred enough by a piece of music to actually want to engage in a written dialogue about it. Unfortunately, (or fortunately?), this doesn't happen too often. When those few and far between stand outs do come along however, it makes blogging about them all the more enjoyable for both parties. 

Bearing that in mind, the song above is the perfect example of one of those pieces of music. I knew the moment I heard this little gem that I'd adopt it into my foster home for needy and unloved soundtrack cues that are destined to fade into the maelstrom of movie scores past. I just couldn't let that happen without at least an honorable mention. So here goes nothing. 

The cue in question; "Path of Destruction". We're already off to a good start. I'm a huge fan of self assured art. In other words, art that knows exactly what it is, and has no airs about being just that. In the case of this cue, it's certainly not afraid in the slightest to be brutally, unashamedly evil in almost an arrogant way. The truncated runtime of the song only bolsters this effect, creating the musical equivalent of a 5 hour energy drink, condensing an operatic Wagnerian movement into a concentrated dose of villainy. That's the beauty of film scores that sometimes is lost on more lofty classical arrangements. Often, the constrictions of the film dictate the length and intensity of the cue. The scene that this song accompanies in the film is very short and powerful, but to the point (Maleficent rising to power and assuming her evil throne, crowning herself queen of the Moors). As such, the cue needs to get it's point across in a very short window of time, forcing the composer to dive right into the thick of the thematic material, instead of priming the audience first. In this case, I think that condensation aids the cue tremendously, it makes it's statement and it's over. Almost like an elevator pitch for orchestral movements ("Here's what I can do, hire me?"). 

This cue is brought to us by the veteran composer James Newton Howard. Howard is an interesting egg as composers go, because unlike many of his contemporaries that have singular stylistic giveaways, James has no such "singular trademark" stamps, but rather has about 5 of them that alternate between scores, tones and themes of the movie he's scoring. If one listened to the lush Maleficent score, they may or may not correlate that this is the same man who wrote the chilling "Sixth Sense" creepers or the moving violin eulogies of "The Village". Interestingly enough however, there is still an imperceptible quality to a James Newton Howard score that permeates all of his work, but it's not something I can effectively put into words. If I had to spitball terms that all of his scores have in common, I would start at "1/2 steps, full orchestra, organic, interrupted phrasings, soft piano motifs and interludes, brass fanfare, rapidly shifting key signatures etc" but those are all vague and nebulous qualifiers at best. Perhaps, for lack of a better term, all of his scores are simply, undeniably, him. Yet, strangely he has still managed to become one of the most versatile composers in the business, adapting and shifting according to each project. Almost like a method actor, Howard disappears somewhat into whatever movie he's writing for. This sometimes works to his detriment because his score might sound unmotivated or perfunctory, but it can also work to his benefit in many cases because on occasion, he'll fully embrace the thematic palette of his current project and in turn, will lift it to new, unexpected musical heights. That, in my humble opinion, is certainly the case with his masterful score to Maleficent (which is in many ways a return to form for him). Some composers (Hans Zimmer, another favorite) attend the church of themselves. Though it sounds derogatory, it only means that they bring their skills and pallet to each project, and deliver something that's very recognizable as "their" work within a certain bracket. Some of the best scores we have were birthed from this methodology, so no complaints there. James Newton Howard however, is not one of those composers. Back to "Path Of Destruction". 

This cue has so many small moving parts, that there are considerably more sections I'm going to break it in to than your average 1 minute 48 second cue. 

0:00 - 0:07 - Classic Newton Howard build up, dissonant trilling strings and faint voices act as audible harbingers of doom, warning the listener that something nefarious is coming. 

0:07 - 0:16 - I like to call this the "Jaws" section. Very reminiscent of Williams and his previously mentioned "JAWS" overture, only adding one additional note, creating these rapid, foreboding triplets on the bass cello, accented on the 4th beat by massive percussive hits. 

0:16 - 0:24 - We're now hearing the beginning of a conversation between brass and vocals. The brass speaks first here, reinforcing the still plodding bass cello rhythm. 

0:24 - 0:33 - The second part of the "call and response" is answered by the voices, summoning all the powers of hell with their decaying, melodious chanting. 

0:33 - 0:41 - Brass and voices come in together now talking in unison. 

0:41 - 0:42 - Brief flirtation with the kay of F major before leaving it just as quickly. 

0:42 - 0:43 - F minor key shifting upwards to G maj also very briefly. (make note, that's 3 key changes in the last 3 seconds. That a key change per second). 

0:44 - 0:55 - SLAMS in epic fashion into a hard hitting orchestral E minor chord, supported by a C major shortly there after. Many composers come to mind here, most notably Danny Elfman. There is a heavy, macroscopic orchestral gusto, yet it's still very intimate and in close range. The bravura is almost operatic as the listener is bombarded with brass, voices, percussion and strings all playing to full capacity here in perfect concert with one another. 

Still with me? Keep track of the ground we've covered, and we're not even at the minute mark yet. 

0:56 - 1:05 - Pure, unadulterated Wagner. Those ascending brass notes are right out of "Ride of the Valkyries" (I haven't heard James doing anything with this much gusto in years. Again, so unashamed to be pure evil. And we're not even to the most diabolical section yet. That's next).

1:06 - 1:15 - A modern equivalent to the "duh duh duh!" paradigm. I absolutely adore it. It's the distilled essence of what it means to be villainous, powerful and corrupted. No subtlety is present because no subtlety is needed. 

1:16 - 1:28 - Yet another key change ushers in the final punch of this roller coaster. It comes in the form of a strict 4/4 time, accenting every beat. The listener literally gets the sensation of being beaten over the head with the orchestra, which is honestly an effect I'm not wholly accustomed to, but thoroughly love. A brave compositional choice. 

1:31 - 148 - A final crescendo returns us almost home, to E natural, whereas we started on E flat. This song took us all over the map musically and it's even more disconcerting that we never returned to our starting point in terms of key signature. Yet another facet that might subconsciously unnerve the listener. 

Alas, who would've thought a Disney film about forgiveness could foster such powerful music? Surely not I. Maleficent's score as a whole is a lush and cinematic experience of the likes we haven't heard in a while. It has reminded me why I love big, bold, sweeping cinema music, which is in many ways a breed all it's own. This score is just packed with cues I almost did a post on. Honorable mentions here are "Maleficent Flies", "The Army Dances", "The Christening" and "Maleficent is Captured" and last but certainly not least, "The Maleficent Suite". 

Since classical symphonic movements aren't being composed with the regularity that they used to be, movie scores serve in many ways as our final outlet into that type of music. They are contemporary, modern day symphonies composed by masters of their own time. Makes me wonder what a film score composed by Bach would sound like. 

As always, thanks for reading, and be on the lookout for more entries in the near future! 

Yours in music, 

Justin 

Maleficent OST on Amazon 

http://www.amazon.com/Maleficent-James-Newton-Howard/dp/B00HZVX1C6/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1404078601&sr=8-12&keywords=maleficent

Maleficent Flies 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJvY7um-9Tk

The Army Dances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA_StwAgDTo

The Christening 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgesosFIROE

Maleficent is Captured

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nL0RAveRzA

The Maleficent Suite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpiZsUt_ym8

Ride of the Valkyries

Happiest of Saturdays to everyone! 

First of all, allow me to issue an apology for such a prolonged hiatus from "The Subtle Notes". Though these notes on my favorite music are subtle, my absence has regrettably been "not so subtle", but I'm going to do my utmost to return to a semi regular posting schedule. Since my last post, I've finished my Junior year in college, completed a feature film (of which the IMDB page is linked below) and embarked on my senior year of film school. Many many things have unfolded since I posted about Philip Glass's score to "The Hours" back in April. Regardless though, what better way to kick off this new leg of Subtle note entries than with some good old fashioned action Zimmer? My thoughts exactly. 

Today's post is a powerhouse treat on steroids. A short frenetic punch of thematic tension, revolution and resolution. I'm referring to Hans Zimmer's score to the inescapably loud and frenzied action epic "Man of Steel". In particular, this entry will be focusing on one of the more truncated, aggressive tracks on the album "If you love these people". This cue covers a vast dearth of Zimmer's style. Though it might not be immediately apparent, hopefully after reading this post, you'll see what I mean. 

0:00-0:34 - Almost right out of the gate, Zimmer hits us with his signature heavy handed low brass. This is the amplified Hollywood Zimmer that has become so sought after in the recent years of blockbuster films. 

0:34-1:58 - The main body of this song employs a range of techniques that vary from traditional orchestration, choral phrasings and string tension. On top of this however, Zimmer had added something he has coined a "drum orchestra". I promise, that's exactly what it sounds like. What he has done, is pull 12 of the best drummers from around the world and has created a circular orchestra of drum sets, that all bang away in syncopated unison to create an effect that's something akin to being hit over the head with a cinder block repeatedly until you see the glory of superman. This album is the distilled essence of Whey Protein mixed with Iron from only the heaviest sea anchors. What's interesting about this section of the song however is that as the motif builds, it begins to sound slightly reminiscent of a score Zimmer composed almost 20 years ago. Give up? None other than "The Lion King" of all scores. Don't believe me? Listen to this cue while watching the clip from The Lion King linked below and tell me you don't hear some similarities. That's what I mean about this composition spanning many years of Zimmer's style trends. 

1:59 -2:08 - My favorite portion of the song. What he does in these 10 seconds is something only Hans Zimmer can do. He takes everything he's established in the first 2 minutes and completely turns it inside out and upside down. This wonky inharmonic chord progression is straight INCEPTION. Listen to it long enough and your own hallway will start rotating. This is the full force APEX of the song, but strangely it's not ascending upwards like a typical climax. It does something else. It boldly creates a motif that, if repeated frequently enough, could even be a new "in your face" theme for one of the major characters. Unfortunately, it isn't used that way. What's even more enigmatic about this chord progression (which I'm admittedly slightly obsessed with), is that it's tricky to pinpoint exactly what kind of emotion it emits. Is it heroic? Evil? Sinister? Action? Suspense? All of the above? None of the above? It's a phrasing unique in it's own  right, and it creates an interesting twist that negates what your ears are expecting in that moment. Brilliant

2:08 - 3:02 - Payoff. Catch your breath. Go change your pants. You've earned it. This section is the cathartic moment after a roller coaster before you stand up and get dizzy. It sustains the tension but also issues an under spoken resolution that allows the piece to end gracefully without overstaying it's welcome. 

What really impresses me, is that Zimmer is able to take us on this journey, from beginning to end, in 3 minutes. "If you love these people" It's a taught, tight musical statement and it really illustrates Zimmer almost completely in a very short period of time. One of my favorites. This album is chock full of cues with this kind of passion and intensity. Do yourself a favor and buy the album, youtube it, Spotify it, borrow it form a friend, something. If you're a soundtrack fan, this isn't one to miss. 

Until next time friends. 

My feature "The Owl" on IMDB - 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3214068/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

"The Lion King" Stampede Scene - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IFLz4CETj4

"Man Of Steel" Soundtrack on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Steel-Original-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B00C2U6EUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381616764&sr=8-1&keywords=man+of+steel+soundtrack

"Man Of Steel" Soundtrack on iTunes!

Happy Saturday everybody! 

Today's post is a real treat, and I'm going to prove it! Ever heard of Philip Glass? If you have, than no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, then read on and appreciate. Philip Glass is an American composer and is widely regarded as one of the most influential musical artists of the 21st century. His work varies from operas, full classical movements and film scores (which is what I'm choosing to focus on).

More specifically, I'll be focusing on his masterful film score to his film "The Hours", and even more specifically still, the song off that OST "I'm Going To Make A Cake". There are so many Glassisms in this piece, that it just seemed an ideal choice to showcase the man's talent. His methods are very simple, and he has fostered a whole career off of them. But unlike many who rely on the blanket of simplicity to cloak the fact that they're devoid of any greater means of expression, Glass uses simplicity as a tool. It allows the music to skate under the surface constantly without ever calling attention to itself outright, which is where his mastery lies. It is in this subtlety that his genius truly shines. 

Glass usually employs one of, if not multiple examples of these methods; Quick alternations between two chords (For you music nerds, usually a minor that resolves to a major by raising the 3rd i.e. G minor to B flat major etc.) rapidly. There are different beats and timing to this method, but it always remains constant over the vast breadth of this work. He also takes the broken notes of these combined chords and creates rapid arpeggiations out of them, as he does in "I'm Going To Make A Cake" at 2:26. Finally, he caps all of these stylistic variations with a plodding bass line that can be heard above at 1:42-1:54. Instant Glass. 

I've often said that Glass's music is the perfect "study/work" music because of it's repetitive and almost hypnotic nature. His work has a way of flattening into the background, but never ceasing to paint it's lush imagery even in the back of your mind. That is the mastery of Glass. Listen to any of his scores or operas and you'll pick up on this. 

One of my all time favorite Glass collaborations was something called "The Low Symphony" in which Glass collaborated with David Bowie, and orchestrated his full "Low" album symphonically. Even though the fusion seems to read as more Glass than Bowie, it's still an amazing collaboration and is worth mentioning. 

Anyways, hopefully you enjoy his stoic simplicity in the song above, and I'll leave you with a full barrage of links that you can view for your education and listening pleasure. 

Until next time! 

Philip Glass and David Bowie discuss their collaboration. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_SxYgtUVu4

A video tutorial on how to play piano like Philip Glass (this guy hits on many of my points) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNiOqa1nWgI

"The Hours" OST on Amazon 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hours-Music-Motion-Picture/dp/B00007BH3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366487758&sr=8-1&keywords=The+hours+ost

"The Low Symphony" on Amazon

For today's post, I'm delving deep into the film score vault to bring you a personal favorite, that has recently resurfaced in my life quite serendipitously, but in perfect timing for a Subtle Notes post. I'm referring to none other than Carter Burwell's score for the homespun classic, "Fargo". 

It's difficult to even begin this post because there's just so many ways once could approach reviewing this score. I guess I'll just start with the obvious. I don't think I've ever heard a score that, for lack of a better term "fit" it's accompanying film as well as this score fits Fargo. Burwell has successfully created a token "sound" for the upper midwest, that reads perfectly within it's context. I would almost be willing to argue that if you listened to his score, having never seen the film before, you would almost be able to detect the snow, the cold and maybe even the rough geographical location of the story. This is just a theory however, but when watching the film, the music and visuals mesh so well that they almost become a unified entity, which speaks volumes to the compositional prowess. 

The title track that I'm providing above is the most recognizable theme from the film, and in essence, Burwell has created an anthem for unwonted tragedy and despair, that's lurking under the surface of superficial pleasantries. "Minnesota Nice" is a term coined by the filmmakers to describe the tendency to handle dire situations with a sort of misplaced calm, and even optimism.  This has become the stereotype of the people in that region, for better or for worse, "don't ya know?" 

The anthemic qualities of Burwell's theme might be partially attributed to the fact that it's based off of a Norwegian folk song, which is in turn based off of La Folia.  Regardless, the instrumentation and subsequent orchestration creates a sense of undying liberation that can be found in the practicalities of life. This is the movie score equivalent to a Bruce Springsteen battle cry, that recognizes tragedy and rises from the ashes of despair towards a new and hopefully better day; or another day anyways. 

Below is the link to purchase this soundtrack on Amazon, in a combo pack with the "Barton/Fink" score (also a good one). 

http://www.amazon.com/Fargo-1996-Film-Barton-Fink/dp/B000000GTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365959976&sr=8-1&keywords=fargo+ost

It's been far too long since we've seen each other! And that is no fault of yours, let me assure you. Finals week has really kicked into high gear here at school, and music blogging, though preferable, always takes the back seat, when the bloodthirsty finals are out at night. But that is the case no longer fellow bloggers and music enthusiasts! 

Today's post is all about Hans Zimmer. Over the past year or so, he has slowly escalated to being one of my all time favorite composers. This wasn't a conscious decision. I simply noticed one day that 8 out of 10 songs on my playlist were Hans Zimmer tracks, and that's usually indicative of one thing or another.

When choosing to showcase Hans, there is such a vast plethora of music to chose from, so picking one individual track for today's post wasn't an easy decision. I chose to go with his track "The Red Book" from Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows OST. Odd choice maybe, in loo of his more flashy, bombastic melodies from the Pirates scores, or the relentless tension of The Dark Knight scores. However, today I'm looking to accent a slightly different aspect of Zimmer's mastery. 

The man knows how to craft excitement in music almost unlike any other film composer I know of, and I'm still trying to dissect why this is. It happens in film after film. Zimmer has a way of accentuating the overall pace of a narrative and subconsciously makes you appreciate the movie as a whole, rather than many small scenes strung together. 

This is especially true in Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows. A movie that is entertaining enough, but lacks any deep substance. Yet, A Game Of Shadows is still one of my favorites simply because of how Zimmer's score reflects back on the film itself, giving it more laudation than it deserves (in my humble opinion.) "The Red Book"  is an exciting little cue that showcases multiple Zimmerisms in one track. 

0:00-0:40 : Twisted Zimmer, pushing boundaries and making people uncomfortable.

0:40-1:54 : Plotting Zimmer (The villain is making his moves, and crafting a master plan)

1:54-2:24 : Pre-Overture in which Zimmer gears up for full thematic, glory

2:24-3:06 : Full thematic glory. (Zimmer's signature. This cue is exciting, with a chord progression in FULL ORCHESTRATION that is better/more catchy than it has any right to be. Listening to it makes you feel smart, almost like you've solved your own mystery, side by side with Sherlock. You just feel clever, and excited about it, when listening to this cue). 

3:06-4:00 : The wind down. Can't just end on a high note, gotta let them down gently. 

This song is one of many many many Zimmer cues that I could talk about all day. As a filmmaker, if I could be lucky enough to work with this man at least once in my career, I will be happy. His bold, brash, loud, unapologetically bombastic scoring style is truly musically unique to him, and I just love it.  This is possibly because said style is very similar to my own (with film) so I believe it would be a advantageous pairing. 

Regardless if this is a legitimate review of Zimmer's work, or the incoherent ramblings of a college aged aesthete, Hans Zimmer is and always will be a composer I hold in the utmost regard, solely for his ability to make cinema, cinematic again. Enjoy.

Below are the links to the Sherlock Holmes OST on Amazon and iTunes. 

http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Game-Of-Shadows/dp/B005ZHB84U

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sherlock-holmes-game-shadows/id484447636

Dear all, 

Happy Thursday. (Which is Friday for me because I attend a fancy art college where we have Fridays off) 

Today's post is one of my new found favorites, and I hope you'll find it enjoyable as well. Still coming down off my high from Bowie's new single "The Stars (Are Out Tonight), I had to turn to something equally as lush. The song I'm referring to is none other than "Play Dead" by Bjork from the "Young Americans" Soundtrack. 

Odd choice no? Indeed. Allow me to explain myself. David Arnold has always been a composer that I've enjoyed (Predominantly for his scores to popcorn movies such as Godzilla, and Die Another Day). I can remember as a child going to Arnold's website, and being completely blown away by the melodic little diddy that played on his home page. Hear it for yourself by following the link below. 

http://www.davidarnold.com/

For the longest time, I had no idea what it was. (This was in the stone age before commodities like "Spotify" or "Youtube" were readily available to yours truly) So I was stuck with the short little 15 seconds of pure orchestral glam pop from outer space that made me melt every time upon contact.

Recently however, for whatever reason, I was researching David Arnold some more, and remembered his website, which is remarkably untouched since at least 2002, which allowed me to hear the 15 second burst of cosmic bliss yet again...and THIS TIME, I was prepared to find what it was. Swiftly, I opened my Spotify and searched David Arnold, and endeavored to search through the entire list of results until I either found that song or died trying. Much to my chagrin however, the first cue on the list was none other than "Play Dead". At long last, the search was over and I had found my song. Now that I've overcome such a hurdle, I really had nothing left to do with this song except blog about it, and enjoy it. 

In all seriousness though, what a track? My favorite aspect of course is Arnold's background orchestration...which surprisingly compliments Bjork's pixie steampunk vocals quite nicely. The whole mood of the song is unique, and the vibes it omits are unlike any other I've heard. It has the melodrama of a film score, with the edge of a progressive/alternative pop hit. Personally, I think it hits both genre's on the mark pretty well, which is what culminates as a truly unique listening experience. Amidst the soaring strings, defiant brass, and the sultry percussive rhythm, this song gives you just enough tease without hitting you over the head with it's agenda. It's bold, yet underplayed. A certain someone I know, (Who shall remain nameless) made the comment that this song reminded them of "pornography" music. Not sure how they arrived at that machination, because even in the worst of scenarios, this track would surely elevate the standard of said porn into the realm of "art". But that's besides the point. 

Is this song sexy? Yes. Pornography music? No. Not by a mile. This song is beautiful, powerful and strangely epic in an organic, almost otherworldly kind of way. Hearing this live would just be icing on the cake, especially with a full stringed orchestra. When listening to the orchestral flourish from 0:10 - 0:47, the filmmaker in me sees a shot that's circling a troubled actress in the middle of a city street in slow motion. I see stark angles looking straight down on people dancing, and high speed shots of clothing blowing in the wind. I see a man falling off a roof, just moments too late for his fiancee to save him on the ground below, her eyes glowing green in the setting sun as her lover falls to his death. I see a child opening a present on Christmas, but never revealing what's in the box (presumably something profound and bigger than you and me)...I could go on and on...point is, this song is creative fuel, and Arnold + Bjork make an exquisite music making team, if only for a brief time. 

Do you like "Play Dead"? Let me know. Below is the link to buy the "Young Americans" Soundtrack on Amazon. 

Until next time friends, I bid you adieu and farewell. 

-Uncle Justin 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH7dMBcg-gE

Hello all, 

Today is a very exciting day. I'm about to do something that I never do, and by so doing, breaking a cardinal rule of this blog, by posting two songs from the same artist back to back...however, the truth is that sometimes exceptions have to be made. I was originally going to post a song from "Les Miserables" today, but that'll just have to wait until next time, because ladies and gentlemen, Bowie is back in full force with a new rocker or a single "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)". Let's dive in! 

So, after ending his "Reality" tour abruptly due to a blocked artery back in 2004, Bowie has remained pretty fervent about staying out of the spotlight. Initially, because of health reasons, but as the winters have weathered on, and the years passed, it had become the bewildered consensus of all of Bowie-ites that the Thin White Duke had indeed retired from the music scene...and that we'd have to enjoy his work from 2003 as his most recent creative expulsion...and strangely, as sad as we were, it was a fate we had almost come to accept. 

But then, on one fateful February morning in 2013, that happened to fall on the great dame's 66th birthday, us fans got the news of a lifetime. David Bowie is back, and has big plans for 2013. Somehow, defying all contemporary conventions, Bowie has been able to successfully conceal the recording of a full album, in secrecy, and has waited until now to reveal the news of the soon to be glorious and impending tour de force album. "The Next Day". (We're looking at you March 12th)

The first cue he dropped was called "Where Are We Now?", which was a melancholic art piece that focused on the corroding nostalgia of post modernism during Bowie's days in Berlin. It had it's moments, but the true delight of "The Next Day" was dropped last night at 11:30 PM EST; "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)".

"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" is a raging rocker in the vein of some of Bowie's 2003 work i.e "Looking For Water", "She'll Drive The Big Car" etc. But something else, that is elusive and beautiful that was missing from those pieces is present here in full breadth. This song has an unmistakably "Bowie-esque" sound, and it's all too welcome to my ears after nearly a decade of silence. The man simply knows how to make music, and this is a prime example. His lyrics, his melody, his androgyny and theatrics and his fearlessness are all facets that make Bowie my favorite musician, and today's track is a prime example of that. 

And they know just what we do, that we toss and turn at night, they're waiting to make their moves, but the stars are out tonight.

This song, like most of Bowie's work, leaves itself open to all kinds of interpretations. I heard someone mention that it depicts the hypocrisy of getting old and holding distain for the younger generation, when you were in fact a prime example of said generation at one time. Someone else pointed out that it could be Bowie reflecting on the way society deifies celebrities as almost super human god's and the idiosyncrasies of such behavior. Lastly, I've heard it interpreted as Bowie and his wife being haunted by the memories of their younger selves and having to confront who they really are beneath their facade of suburban utopia. Watch the video and decide for yourself. However you spin it, this little nugget of platinum is sure to get your mind thinking and your foot tapping. The vocals, instrumentation and arrangement are all very fitting for the times we live in, yet hold a somewhat timeless quality that is unique to so much of Bowie's work. If this song is in any way indicative of what's to come, we're in for a delicious treat indeed. 

Below is the link to buy "The Stars (Are Out Tonight) on iTunes. 

Until next time, 

Drink drink raise your glass, raise your glass high! 

Hello and welcome to this bright and wonderful Tuesday! (If you're in Savannah, you understand my dry joke). As I may have mentioned, my musical identity is really split into two hemisphere's. My love for film score and aesthetic, sonic noise...and my love for more rock oriented music. 

Today, I'll be focusing on the latter. David Bowie has always been a musical inspiration for me, not just for his lyrics or message, but just his overall persona. Ever since I saw the film "Labyrinth" in my youth, I've been completely enamored with his style. Now, close to 17 years later, my appreciation for the thin white duke's music hasn't waned one iota. And, in honor of his first album release in a decade coming March 12th, you'll be seeing a lot of him on here in the coming weeks. Why not start now? 

Today's track is from his last album "Reality", from 2003. "New Killer Star". It's strange how different songs can speak to you differently depending on where you are in your life while listening to them. I was never a huge fan of this song when I was on my first "Reality" kick back in 2006. For whatever reason though, upon repeated listens now...this song is really getting under my skin. It's just so great!

My favorite aspect of Bowie's music is double-fold. First of all, I enjoy his lyrics. He writes with an intelligence and restraint that I've never, and I mean NEVER heard any other artist pull off quite as well as he does. His words, are highly intellectual, yet abstract enough that you can apply them to whatever you want to...even if that is only creative for the sake of itself. 

"See the great white scar, over Battery Park. Then a flare glides over But I won't look at that scar. Oh, my nuclear baby. Oh, my idiot trance. All my idiot questions, let's face the music and dance"

This is just a prime example of how, even with relatively simple lyrics, Bowie can evoke cerebral thought. Another aspect of his music that I love is his affinity for chord structure. If I hear one more 2-4 chord pop structure, I'm going to jump off the Talmadge bridge. Bowie has a way of making even the simplest of melodies seem strikingly unique and original. "New Killer Star" is a prime example of this. Beyond that, Bowie's artistic fascination with the outsider, and the freak, has always appealed to my a creative pallet, and allows me a musical escape whenever I need it. He's just extremely well put together as an artist, and he's NEVER afraid to showcase his artistic vision...like it or not. Listen to the piece above and you'll see what I mean. I just can't say enough good things about this man and his music. Enjoy.

Below are the links to REALITY on Amazon + iTunes, and the link to "New Killer Star" on iTunes. 

http://www.amazon.com/Reality-David-Bowie/dp/B0000AR8NK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361310158&sr=8-1&keywords=reality+david+bowie

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/reality/id204126116

Good evening lovely people. (Or morning. I guess 12:30 am counts as morning. It’s still evening in my book) 

I’m really excited about todays’s post. So, before I go any further, I need to preface myself. Not all the music I post on here will be melodious and beautiful. Many cues will be rather dissonant in fact. As a writer/director of predominantly horror/thriller films of a psychological nature, I find myself flirting with quite objectively cacophonous music all the time…because it fuels me to write, and in that way, I find it beautiful. 

Ahem. Now that we’ve got that out of the way. My favorite composers are as follows. 

-Hans Zimmer

-Yoav Goren

-Anne Dudley (Solely for American History X)

-Howard Shore

-Krzysztof Penderecki

-James Newton Howard

-James Horner

-Danny Elfman

I like all of these composers for different reasons and today, I’ll be focusing on Howard Shore. Howard Shore (similar to Anne Dudley) brings such a vibrant organic quality to his music. I’m a huge fan/advocate of atmospheric music, that sets the tone, without hammering you over the head with a melody. It is for this reason that, though Shore’s LOTR score is masterful (and one of my all time favorites), he didn’t win me over completely until I heard some of his more obscure works. The way he uses subtlety (that’s right, I said it) to lightly suggest what you should be feeling, is so powerful, and beautiful to me.

Every composer has a style that penetrates any score they compose. If you’re able to pick up on these nuances, you can quickly identify a score by said composer, even at first listen. (It’s a skill that, on occasion, I’m able to display in front of friends…naming a composer before the credits of a film I’ve never seen. Then, much to my chagrin, witnessing their shock as the exact name I predicted appears on the screen. Little do they know, that’s it’s just musical pattern recognition, masquerading as quasi-omnipitant knowledge. Take solace friends, by reading this blog, it’s a trick that you too, can learn). Regardless, one of Shore’s most audible qualifiers is something I like to call “note stacking”, for lack of a better term. All that means is he literally likes to start with a single note (usually A), then he proceeds to systematically add another note (a whole step up, or down) on top of that A, then another and another, until you have a beautifully lush and dissonant musical spread, simply created by the accumulative sound of 5 or 6 notes being played at once by an orchestra. The higher he stacks the notes, the more intense the sound becomes. If he gets to 7 notes stacked, you know he means business. (Getting goosebumps just thinking about it)

Anyways, this method of composing is probably my all time favorite compositional device for film, because it adds such a level of depth and dramatic tension to any scene, where something more outlandish or complex would simply over clutter things, or leave the audience feeling exhausted. Now, MOST people wouldn’t consider Shore’s note stacking to be melodious and would prefer to listen to the E.T. theme (or whatever. No hating on Williams of course). I however, find Shore’s atmospheric turns to be drop dead gorgeous because they evoke such deep human emotions that are tense, tactile, aggressive and right here in the present, focusing all your energy into one finite moment that could change everything! My cinematic senses are salivating for more…

Would you like more too? Good. Here you go! 

One of the most beautiful examples of Howard Shore at his dissonant best, is his severely under appreciated score to a film called “The Cell”. The film follows people into very bazaar dream states, with lush and disorienting visuals. Naturally, Shore’s score needed to reflect that, and of course, being the class act that he is, it does so with shining colors. There are so many beautiful examples of Shore’s compositional abilities in this soundtrack, however, the cue I’m choosing to show you, seems to sum it up the most succinctly. This track is called “Tide Pool”, and plays when the main character enters the dream world for the first time. Listen to the note stacking that occurs all throughout this piece, especially the accented example towards the end that’s adorned with heavy percussion. What a riveting score. I highly recommend adding this little nugget of awesome to your collection. 

Hopefully you agree. Let me know! 

Until next time,

Peace!

Below is the link to “The Cell” soundtrack available for purchase on Amazon. 

Hello all, 

Today's post is a bit of a 180 from yesterday's, but that's okay with me.  I have to keep this blog fly and fresh somehow! YOLO! 

Ahem... (silence). Clears throat. 

...Moving on. 

I'd like to focus on a little gem called "Toccata" from 18th century organist Charles Marie Widor. This piece is a powerhouse and I love it for numerous reasons. I first heard "Toccata", played live as a postlude to my cousin Laura's wedding back in 2008, and from that moment on, it was true love. Something about a large church organ playing in high gear, ramping up all the low bass notes and foot pedals, is one of the most enrapturing sounds that can be made. It's organic, yet otherworldly and transcendent in some strange way. Not to mention that the particular organist that played this piece at the wedding did so with such conviction and gusto, that I thought the windows were going to shatter in the cathedral. 

Regardless, this piece has been in my subconscious ever since. The organ, in many ways, has the same effect on me as a full orchestra. You've got the highs, and the mid tones, and the rich and commanding lows, all in one instrument, and that, brings me to my love affair with "Toccata". It's a breath of fresh air when compared to most music that a person will digest in a day. I love the low, descending bass notes that really mold the melody into something palatable, whilst the fluttering high notes are going a mile a minute. This piece was, by my very learned piano teacher's own admission, the hardest piece he had ever attempted, so my hat is perpetually tipped to any organist who can successfully pull this piece off. 

The tone of "Toccata" is something that's very enigmatic to me. Yes, at first listen, it could be construed as heroic, or triumphant. But it's the side one finds upon further inspection that appealed to my intellectual aesthetics that day at the wedding. The more I've listened to this piece, the more I've noticed that it's decidedly sinister, and I love every note of it. 

If ever I get married, this WILL be my postlude. If my bride to be thinks differently, well...we have no right getting married. 

On that note (pun heavily intended), what are your thoughts of "Toccata"?  Do you find it triumphant or sinister? 

Let me know! Below is the link to this song on YouTube and on iTunes for download. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKejfYzB3ak

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/toccata-from-symphony-no.-5/id422370976?i=422371109

More to come soon!

Hello all.

Today's post is a little out of left field, but I think I'm going to go with it, just for the sake of spontaneity and keeping this blog fresh. Anyways, my roommate's alarm went off this morning at about 3:30 am, and the chosen song that he had appointed as his alarm was none other than "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. At first, I was hesitant to even allow this song past my outermost gate of toleration, for various reasons. Chief among them being that it was 3:30 am. However, initial reactions are never a way to measure a song's sticking power. What really caught my attention was that when I woke up some 9 hours later (i'm in college, YOLO), this beautiful ballad was still on repeat playing in the jukebox in my brain. That's when you know a song deserves at least a second listen. So that's exactly what I did, and am now enjoying it more and more with every listen. Usually, I'm not one to fall head over heels for a commercially bankable song, but I'm starting to see that Adele is commercially bankable for a reason; she's fantastic. There's seems to be less of a mass organized agenda with her music than there would be with say Bieber's "Boyfriend". It's successful because it's good music, simple as that. 

Adele has a way of painting extremely theatrical images in your mind with her lyrics.

But I set fire to the rain and watched it pour as I touched your face

Just the image of flaming rain as a metaphor for a woman scorned is very poignant idea and as a filmmaker, it's very vivid in my mind. I could just imagine the amount of heartache that went into this song, especially in the chorus, and Adele sings it for all it's worth.

The instrumentation is interesting as well, and when paired with Adele's already powerful voice, this makes for an emotional powerhouse of a song, and I hope you agree that there's much more substance in this song than you might initially extrapolate. 

Below are the links to Adele's album "21" on Amazon and to the live version of this song on YouTube. Enjoy!

Until next time. 

http://www.amazon.com/21-Adele/dp/B004EBT5CU

Appropriately, for my first musical post in this blog, I've decided to share an excerpt from my favorite film soundtrack "American History X". I was watching this powerhouse of a film last night with my roommate, and it really reminded me how exquisite the score was. 

The particular cue I'm sharing today is a track entitled "Playing to Win", which is dropped in the film during a heated basketball game that determines who gets to keep the court and who has to walk.

First of all, let me start by praising composer Anne Dudley for choosing to score this scene with such a classic, heavy hand. I can imagine people's initial reaction when hearing this gem, and being told of it's juxtaposition with a basketball game. Naysayers would accuse this piece of being too bombastic for such a seemingly trivial affair, however that's where Dudley's mastery is truly apparent. She understands the deeper implications of the game portrayed on screen, and sees it for what it is; a battle. The foreshadowing of doom in this piece is equalled only by it's heroic follow through that, simply put, makes it one of the most satisfying tracks I've ever heard. Which brings me to the next point. 

The instrumentation of this piece is just superb. There are so many different ways to use an orchestra, and Dudley, along with composers like Howard Shore, know how to layer it to create such unbearable tension, which is of course, where the magic lies. There is something about her musical touch and style that speaks to me for reasons I've yet to fully understand. I keep coming back to the word "organic". It's almost like, through her notes, the orchestra has become a living, breathing organism, tied together with wood and rope, shifting under heavy winds. It's not animated like a John Williams fanfare, or discordant like a Jerry Goldsmith overture. It lies in a happy, not too often explored middle ground, where the orchestra serves to do one thing, reflect human emotion back on itself, in a language we can all understand. 

This cue is in my top 5 favorite film score tracks for sure, and I encourage you to listen to it as well, and let me know what you think. 

Enjoy! 

For more about Anne Dudley and her work, below is the link to her personal website, and to the American History X soundtrack on Amazon. 

Until next time.

http://www.annedudley.co.uk/

Hello and welcome to my new music blog "The Subtle Notes"! (Yes, the title is so intensely punny that I won't even try to explain it). 

In a world completely saturated by sugar coated 4 chord pop songs, I've found that it's easy to lose sight of what music is truly capable of, and it's that exact underestimation that's led me to this end. Music can move mountains, reduce a person to tears, expand your aptitude for intelligent thought or simply raise you to higher ground, if you surrender yourself. 

As a filmmaker, story-teller and musician, my hope is that I might be able to provide some unique insight into the world of music that fascinates me, in the attempt to broaden your horizons just a little bit further, or reaffirming what you already knew. Either way, this blog will be cathartic for me, as I give you a new song in every entry, and explain why I think it's worth listening to. Simple as that.