Wanted: Rich expression in music

December 31, 2006 1:27 PM

Music with an edge - terms to characterize this, where to find/learn more?

I have a hard time finding new music that is very interesting. I tried pandora, but I put in a sample track and it gives me back something relatively bland. How do I find more or the golden stuff with an edge? I put in Carmen McRae's "Look at that Face" live in '65, and I get bland, quasijazz studio shlock back. I put in Elvis Costello and I get gravelly/squeaky male vocalists with simple repeating song structures. A few golden performances by Maddy Prior and June Tabor return generic folk. I'm scared to put in JS Bach because I'll probably get Mozart (wonderful music, but lacking this thing I'm looking for). I put in tracks from transcendent Funkentelechy, I get some generic soul. Thelonious Monk/Beatles -- what else reaches this part of the stratosphere?

Some qualities are: dynamic expressive vocal range, with changes in tone colour; vocal harmony with 2 to max 4 voices; polyphony more than homophony; through-composed; for want of proper terms, shifting rhythms; a little dissonance. Is this just about rich variation in multiple aspects of the material, or am I missing something?

(1) How to characterize this or (2) any example recommendations that would be equivalent in character or (3) where I should go to learn more about this? Hoping for some insight from the metafilter musos that are here. (I am a self-taught amateur musician.)

posted by Listener to media & arts (23 comments total)

Bulgarian music?
posted by mykescipark at 1:47 PM on December 31, 2006

Whoops. Posted that too soon. Ahem. Bulgarian music!

- dynamic expressive vocal range (check)
- vocal harmony with 2 to max 4 voices (check)
- polyphony more than homophony (check)
- shifting rhythms (check)
- a little dissonance (check).

Kremena Stancheva
"Dve Sa Drujki Drugovali"
posted by mykescipark at 2:00 PM on December 31, 2006

Good call. I had forgotten about Bulgarian music. That one is nicer than many I've heard in the past. Now, what's the most golden of it? Some elements of the linked mp3 remind me of Strunz & Farah -- guess they stole (most artfully) from that region, too. Thanks for that.
posted by Listener at 2:15 PM on December 31, 2006

Off the top of my head, and only are weak on the vocal harmony (though it is found, just not prevelant):

Talking Heads
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Dead Can Dance
Thievery Corporation

I have no idea what a classification for your description would be. Seems to diverse for a single title.
posted by iurodivii at 2:20 PM on December 31, 2006

*too
posted by iurodivii at 2:21 PM on December 31, 2006

Some qualities are: dynamic expressive vocal range, with changes in tone colour; vocal harmony with 2 to max 4 voices; polyphony more than homophony; through-composed; for want of proper terms, shifting rhythms; a little dissonance.

You might like the first two albums by Soft Machine, because they're pretty much exactly this.
posted by interrobang at 2:27 PM on December 31, 2006

...sorry, that link makes the chronology of their proper albums confusing. Their first two albums (which sound to me like one long album) are sold together, here.
posted by interrobang at 2:29 PM on December 31, 2006

Polyphony is probably the most distinctive thing you're asking for. The vast majority of western popular music is homophonic. Is polyphony what you meant? Because it seems odd to list that after "vocal harmony with 2 to max 4 voices."

Through-composition is pretty specific as well - here's a definition to make sure everyone's on the same page.

I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head, but I don't think The Talking Heads fit the requirements you've laid out, despite being an awesome band.
posted by ludwig_van at 2:40 PM on December 31, 2006

But on re-reading, the Elvis Costello I'm familiar with doesn't satisfy those requirements, and neither do The Beatles, so I'm a little unclear on what you're looking for.
posted by ludwig_van at 2:42 PM on December 31, 2006

ludwig_van Yes, I didn't mean that every quality has to be present in every example. I mean those are qualities that do stand out in the examples I gave. I find a richness in the examples that is beyond the generic mainstream, that takes a tradition and perfects it or something. I'm not sure. Just don't be limited by my attempt to list attributes. Some Javanese music does this, maybe some Byrne/Eno, like Bush of Ghosts. I think all those qualities exist in Elvis Costello's/Beatles' material. Thanks for the through-composed example. I got that from pandora as a description of some Costello tunes. I mentioned polyphony and voices because by voices I meant vocal. But you are right, using both expressions was mostly redundant.
posted by Listener at 3:11 PM on December 31, 2006

Talking heads may not have the harmony, but they often have the dynamic vocal expression with rich texture and the rhythms. Maybe I should check out something beyond the first 3-4 albums?
posted by Listener at 3:13 PM on December 31, 2006

You know, I think I meant counterpoint rather than polyphony. Individual parts that play against each other rather than just an overall very full sound. There can be chordal accompaniment (Costello, folk, jazz) but it does not carry the day alone. And as far as human voices, just 2 is best. I feel so stupid having asked this question, stupid but grateful to get some leads.
posted by Listener at 3:36 PM on December 31, 2006

There's tons of great progressive rock, which has lots of musical kick: shifting rhythms, key changes, non-traditional song structure, dissonance galore, etc.

You could try, for instance, Spock's Beard or The Flower Kings. Spock's Beard does vocal harmonies and polyphony very well. It's one of hallmarks of their sound, to my mind. I fell in love with The Flower Kings after discovering their song "Big Puzzle" on Pandora. That song has everything—it's gorgeous and poignant, and fun, and has outstanding musicianship.
posted by Khalad at 3:41 PM on December 31, 2006

I would most definitely check out the Mars Volta. Amazing progressive rock with lots of dissonance, shifting rhythyms, and from what I understand rife with through-composition and maybe even a little counterpoint.
posted by messylissa at 10:40 PM on December 31, 2006

In particular, Talking Heads' Remain in Light sounds good for this.
posted by abcde at 4:00 AM on January 1, 2007

Oh, man, this sounds just like a job for Polvo. They do lots of weird, awesome guitar counterpoint, complete with shifting rhythms and dissonance, and yet they somehow manage to rock completely.

Some enterprising folks have put samples up on MySpace:
one (try "Fractured (Like Chandeliers)")
two (try "Thermal Treasure")
posted by equalpants at 5:13 AM on January 1, 2007

So, some modern-day classics:

Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# (Infinity)
Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho - Paebiru
OOIOO - Self-Titled
Os Mutantes - Self-Titled
Scott Walker - The Drift
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles

You would probably like Scaruffi's Music Database, he has a similar approach to music as you do.
posted by RGD at 8:04 AM on January 1, 2007

I give you Scott Walker -- one of the few musicians that, to my ear, has no peer. The official site of his most recent album, The Drift. Here's a trailer for a documentary about him. Unofficial fan site.
posted by dobbs at 8:14 AM on January 1, 2007

Wow, I'm so excited to check these out. I loved Trout Mask, so the fact that that got mentioned in one of the links encourages me.
posted by Listener at 2:26 PM on January 1, 2007

Yow, Remain in Light, I had forgotten about that too. I am taking this week off, thanks to all your answers. I have goose bumps.
posted by Listener at 2:57 PM on January 1, 2007

Mongolian throat music fits all your requirements. Check out Chirgilchin doing "Lonely Man".
You might want to investigate all kinds of traditional music from foreign cultures. I second the Bulgarian suggestion, and add Hungarian to that. Also check out Moroccan music (takes some getting used to).
posted by Area Control at 3:24 PM on January 1, 2007

Oh, and PS,

Thank you to mykescipark for posting Kremena Stancheva
"Dve Sa Drujki Drugovali". That was fantastic!
posted by Area Control at 3:27 PM on January 1, 2007

I am listening and listening to the progressive rock recommendations here, and I thank you, but there is always something missing, a lack of sense of resolution, completeness, order. If I want free jazz, I guess there's Ornette Coleman and Coltrane, but I don't swing that way so much. So, obviously I left something out of my list of rqms. I think if someone used the Bulgarian vocal stuff and set it in the right context of other parts, it would be astonishing. Too much loud hard rock pounding bothers me. I prefer the interlocking stuff, like Remain in Light.
posted by Listener at 12:52 AM on January 3, 2007