Music Blog : singer songwriters

Coldplay accused of plagiarism...again.

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:42:00 GMT

In a June 2008 interview with MTV UK while promoting his band's upcoming album, Coldplay's singer-songwriter Chris Martin stated: "We look at what other people are doing and try and steal all the good bits. We steal from so many different places that hopefully it becomes untraceable."

Upon the album's release a couple weeks later, indie band Creaky Boards made headlines by accusing that the album's title track borrowed liberally from a song of theirs. They claimed that Coldplay's song Viva La Vida was a rip-off of their track The Songs I Didn't Write (IRONY!). Creaky Boards frontman Andrew Hoepfner claimed that Martin saw them play in an October 2007 concert where they performed the song, writing:

"We were flattered when we thought we saw Chris Martin in the crowd that night. He seemed pretty into it. Maybe too into it."

Coldplay immediately denounced the claims, as they'd recorded a demo of Viva La Vida in March 2007, prior to the alleged concert. In fact, Martin couldn't have been at the October '07 concert, as he was in London recording. Hoepfner retracted his claims, intelligently stating...

"I must have been mistaken about seeing Chris (Martin) at the show because all British people look the same. I lived in London for six weeks and I seriously thought every third person on the corner was Coldplay."

Wow, just wow.

So Coldplay's off the hook, right? Nope.

In court papers filed on December 4, 2008, instrumental guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani claims that Viva La Vida (the same song!) copies "substantial original portions" of his 2004 song If I Could Fly. As the court papers have been filed, his team of lawyers thinks he has a case.

What peeves Satriani is that If I Could Fly isn't just any song. It's a composition, a love song dedicated to his wife, he'd been laboring over for more than 10 years before recording it. According to him:

"Everybody assumes I'm trying to go after these guys in Coldplay, as if I'm doing this with malice. That's the furthest thing from my mind. I'm just doing what I need to do as an artist, to protect what's mine, to protect those feelings I put down in song.

"I did everything I could to avoid a court case with this situation. But Coldplay didn't want to talk about it. They just wanted this whole thing to go away. Maybe they figured this little guitar player guy will leave them alone after a while, I don't know.

"But we're talking about a piece of art that I created, and that's something I feel is important. I think everybody should feel that way."

Listen to the songs in question via the YouTube links below or by checking out the CDs. What do you think? Is Coldplay a fraud? Mere coincidence? Or did all these songs rip-off Cat Stevens' Heaven? Sound off in the comments section!

	YouTube	EVPL Collection
Viva La Vida by Coldplay	Music Video	Check availability of album Viva La Vida
If I Could Fly by Joe Satriani	Listen (Skip to the 50sec mark)	Check availability of album Is There Love in Space?
The Songs I Didn't Write by Creaky Boards	Listen	Not available

More Info

Joe Satriani speaks about Coldplay lawsuit: Hear what Satch says in this December 7th interview.
Did Coldplay copy Joe Satriani? Let's Do the Music Theory - PART 1 & PART 2: Those with an understanding of music theory should check out these two vids.

"Ain't no party like my nana's tea party!" Flight of the Conchords albums are musically, comedically brilliant

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:13:00 GMT

Flight of the Conchords is an award-winning New Zealand comedy band, self-described as "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo". While a couple previous blog posts (1 2) talked about their recent TV series on HBO, this post will focus primarily on their music.

Bret McKenzie & Jemaine Clement formed Flight of the Conchords in 1998. They create original songs that parody real songs, both in style and lyrics. With an odd mix of guitar, bass, & synthesizers, along with hilarious lyrics, they cover all the genres: romantic/R&B, rap, pop, new wave, techno, and more!

In 2007, they released their six song EP, The Distant Future, in the US; this album contains three studio tracks and three live tracks. In 2008, they released their self-titled album Flight of the Conchords. The EVPL has both albums, and both are definitely worth checking out! Here are a few of my favorite songs:

"Inner City Pressure": (On Flight of the Conchords) A spot-on parody of the Pet Shop Boys 1985 hit "West End Girls". It received a 2008 Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics". Check out the video below to see for yourself! Here's a snippet of lyrics:

"Counting coins on the counter of the 7-11,
From a quarter past six 'til a quarter to seven.
The manager, Bevin, starts to abuse me
Hey man, I just want some Muesli.
Neon signs, hidden messages,
Questions, answers, fetishes.
You know you're not in high finance,
Considering getting second hand underpants."

"Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenoceros (Featuring Rhymenoceros & The Hiphopopotamus)": (On Flight of the Conchords) A hilariously tame gangsta rap song, featuring too many rap clichés to count. Here's a sampling of the hardcore lyrics:

"They call me the Hiphopopotamus
Flows that glow like phosphorous
Poppin' off the top of this esophagus
Rockin' this metropolis
I’m not a large water-dwelling mammal
Where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?
Did Steve tell you that, perchance?"

"Think About It": (On Flight of the Conchords) A parody in the vein of Marvin Gaye's/Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?" The lyrics talk about society's ills: violence, AIDS, sweatshop labor, etc.

"They're turning kids into slaves just to make cheaper sneakers.
But what's the real cost?
'Cause the sneakers don't seem that much cheaper.
Why are we still paying so much for sneakers
when you got them made by little slave kids?
What are your overheads?"

"The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)": (Studio recording on Flight of the Conchords; live recording on The Distant Future) A rousing, romantic love song to the most beautiful girl (in the room).

"Looking 'round the room
I can tell that you
Are the most beautiful girl.....in the room.
(In the whole wide room.)
And when you're on the street
Depending on the street
I bet that you are definitely in the top three
Good-looking girls on the street.
(Depending on the street.)"

"Not Crying": (On The Distant Future) An emotional break-up ballad, trying to save face.

"I'm not crying. No, I'm not crying.
And if I am crying, it's not because of you.
It's because I'm thinking of a friend of mine who you don't know who is dying.
That's right, dying.
These aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me.
I've just been cutting onions.
I'm making a lasagna...for one."

This is just a small taste of the Conchords. Check out their albums for the full deal, including some songs I can't mention here.

Finally, if you're a fan of their music, check out the Flight of the Conchords TV show on DVD! Bret & Jemaine play a fictional band that moves from New Zealand to New York to make it big. They're constantly breaking into song (the ones on their albums, along with some additional ones) to tell the story. Quite possibly the funniest show I've seen in a long time!

Here's a video of "Inner City Pressure" as it appeared in "Bret Gives Up the Dream", the 2nd episode of the TV show.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Search for the FotC music CDs and DVDs in our online catalog.
What the Folk!: Unofficial fan site about Flight of the Conchords.
Amazon.com: Purchase CDs, DVDs, & other FotC merchandise using this link, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase!

Lake Street Dive - Prize-winning Song-writing and a Unique Sound

Bufkinite@evpl — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:56:00 GMT

My daughter turned me on to this group, and the recording In This Episode..., and I was completely taken in by them. Everyone with whom I've shared this recording has been similarly impressed. Lake Stree Dive is comprised of vocalist Rachael Price, trumpeter and guitarist Mike Olson, Bridget Kearney on bass, and Mike Calabrese on drums, guitar, and keyboards. The band gained prominence when Kearney's song "Sometimes When I'm Drunk and You Are Wearing My Favorite Shirt" won a Grand Prize and Lennon Award in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest. The prize resulted in increased exposure for the band, a Midwestern tour and this, their first recording.

The group combines playful lyricism with creative arrangements, and Price's voice is unique enough - pure and rough-edged, earthy and sweet all at once - to be recognizable the next time you hear it. They've just recently released a second recording, entitled Promises, Promises, but you'll have to wait if you want to check it out from EVPL

Here's a link to the group's MySpace page.
Here's a link to Lake Street Dive recordings available at Amazon.com, where your purchase will benefit the Public Library Friends

And below is a YouTube video of the group's prize winning song, "Sometimes When I am Drunk and You are Wearing My Favorite Shirt." Sound quality isn't the greatest, but it'll give you an idea of this creative group's sound and creative dynamic.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Conor Oberst's Mexican Getaway

HoodooVoodoo@evpl — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:28:00 GMT

I've never listened to a Bright Eyes album before. This revelation usually comes as a surprise to most of my friends who know my musical tastes. However, for some reason I decided to give Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) a shot. Maybe it was the fact that Conor used his real name for the album, I don't know and it doesn't matter, but what matters is that this album is very good.

Singer/songwriter types are usually hit or miss for me. Bob Dylan for example is my musical hero but artists like Jackson Browne or James Taylor just don't do it for me. I'm a big fan of Ryan Adams (although that is souring), Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Mason Jennings, and Steve Earle, but not Paul Simon or Jack Johnson. It's a fine line with me, but this album has struck that nerve.

Conor Oberst, using his birth name for the first time, gathered a group of musicans he called the Mystic Valley Band and headed down to Mexico to record the album. The album itself has some references to Mexico in it but the music has more a country-rock feel. There are a few melodic slow songs and some raucous bar beauties in this twelve collection. I recommend this album to anyone who enjoys good music, because that's what it is. Good music has no catergory or label, it's just good and so is this album. Check it out or reserve your copy today.

"Souled Out" off Conor Oberst's new self titled album:

(Please visit the site to view this media)