In the first three installments of the “Earwitness” column I’ve given us all a soundtrack / song to hear in our heads as we read my illuminating observations on popular music and culture. So fun and instructive. All I can say is You’re welcome!
But I’ve arrived at a bit of an impasse with this one. I wanted to talk about the ‘soundtrack’ of our times—the one that decidedly captures the mood, feeling and spirit of popular culture today. Is there an artist or a sound that’s pervasive, dominant? Maybe it’s everywhere and I’m just too old to hear it. But I’m gonna rule that out on principle. You want a soundtrack for this? Do an edit-medley of these things in your head: “All Of Me” by John Legend; “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX; “Problem” by Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea; “Boom Clap” by Charli XCX; “Rude” by Magic!. Good luck to you, dear reader.
Allow me to jump into the deep end for a moment. A few days ago a commentator, writing in The Times, cited the extraordinary number of recent tragedies and atrocities around the world—from the shooting down of Flight 17 to the civilian toll in fighting between Israel and Hamas, increasing turmoil and chaos in Iraq, threats of genocide in Central African Republic, unaccompanied immigrant children on our borders, millions of square miles in flames in the Northwest, America’s booming poverty levels…(I added a couple). His exasperated question: “Where’s the outrage?!”
To be glib, TMI. Too much information. We can barely digest it all—if we’re paying attention at all—so we either ignore or internalize it. It pops up on our Times news feed like online ads, Tweets, Instagram pics, texts or profile updates on LinkedIn. And we look at these things, most happening “somewhere else,” and think, “Well that’s outrageous, that’s fucked up, those poor innocent souls, good God!”
There’s no (apparent) single, galvanizing story: no Vietnam, no Civil Rights movement, no 911, no Katrina nor Sandy around which to sound our communal alarm. We have all this information to process and little certainty about where to place our feelings. Little time to share those feelings with others—things are changing so quickly.
Maybe it’s just easy to numb down with a song like “Happy” (a previous Earwitness soundtrack!) or Owl City’s “Always A Good Time” or Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling”…our “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” from a once upon a time.
But I’m still not getting a “soundtrack of our time” from these trifles. A moment ago it felt like Mumford & Sons , The Lumineers, Phillip Phillips might have a campfire sound we’d all sit around…but that fire kind of burned out quickly. And the plaintive ballads of longing from Adele, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Mr. Legend—lovely, but always about The One, not The Many.
Maybe we won’t know what this soundtrack is—or was—till the decade’s over. Like looking back on the impact of grunge in the early ‘90s, the glam and electronic excesses of the MTV era ‘80s, disco (once reviled) of the ‘70s, the emergence and power of hip-hop through each of those decades. Or maybe you can give me a clue—I’m all ears (except for some hearing loss on the left side).
Every minute a hundred hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. All of the major music streaming services offer 20+ million songs for your listening pleasure. This year over 2,000 artists performed at SXSW, in front of 25,000 music industry professionals and peers. And there are still only Ten openings in the Top Ten. Number One: “Rude” by a band that wants to be “like a modern version of The Police.” WTF! (Is this my cry for help? Then help me already!)
And just when I’m losing my battle with despair in this Great White Noise of Confusion along comes a stunning new album, rising immediately to the top of the charts, each of its 12 songs accompanied by a video far more compelling that any of Beyonce’s, pulling me sonically back from the edge. Yes, it’s “Weird Al” Yankovic’s ‘Mandatory Fun’ featuring such mood-altering sendups as “Tacky”, “Word Crimes” and “Foil”. The first comedy album to enter the charts at Number One in almost 50 years, and a gut busting reminder that humor tops rock, paper, scissors and overwrought analyses of cultural soundtracks, which are just so…tacky.
Lyle Greenfield is the founder of Bang Music and past president of the Association of Music Producers (AMP)
