Current Reflections

Hello Everyone,

Man, what a time to be alive right now. In the past month I've found myself caught up in all the newest albums and all the political events in the US. And at the same time, my mind and heart have been experiencing some deep thinking and deep feelings about many things pertaining to music, songwriting and people. But before I get to that, I will just give an update on my Top 101 albums of 2016 list.

There are still many many albums I have yet to listen to and I don't think I will be able to listen to every single one. With that said, my current list is up to more than 90 albums, and with just a few more releases to go in the next month and a half, I might actually be able to get the list up before New Years. I will also say that there is a big difference with this year's list compared to last year. Don't get me wrong, there were many great albums in 2015 and a good amount of them I still listen to. But man, 2016 just has too many good albums. From Bowie to Beyonce, Bob Weir to David Crosby, Common to De La Soul, Drive-By Truckers to Dillinger Escape Plan. Many veteran artists have been releasing some of the best albums of their careers while there are also some great work from the more contemporary artists. Unlike last years list, I can say with confidence that I recommend every album that will appear on this list. I think these albums deserved to be heard and revered by all music lovers and music fans. So you can look forward to that.

Now I don't usually do this often, but I would like to drop some serious dialogue about things that I've been feeling strongly about in the last couple of months that relates to more than the music I've been listening to recently. As some of you may know I am a songwriter. I have been writing songs for about 10 years now and I am currently in a songwriting masters degree program. Over the past few years I have developed my songwriting abilities through working with others, exposing myself to many types of music, living through many experiences, and learning how to communicate my thoughts and feelings in a profound yet sincere manner. The key word is sincerity, and we'll come back to that in a little bit.

As a songwriter, I find myself surrounded by many other musicians who are striving to become successful artists in their own right. Some are turning out some great work and I greatly admire them. With that said, I tend to be a very harsh critic of other people's work if I don't care for it. Of course, to each their own and I might not have the same tastes as other musicians, but I do often find other artists' music uninteresting. Usually this is because of one of two reasons, or both.

One, I find the music to sound boring. This has less to do with the melody and chord structure and more with the arrangement and the vocal performance. For example, it can get tedious when a band uses very echo-y and reverb-y sounds on every song they perform with very little dynamics. Also, I find many many vocalists, both male and female, to sound very whispery and soft and quasi-operatic. It's like they're all trying to copy Bon Iver, Lana Del Rey, Regina Spektor or a wimpy version of The Tallest Man On Earth. At least those vocalists have an edge to their voice that makes it a bit more soulful and present.

Two, I find the lyrics very disinteresting. I know there is an art to performing songs with simple lyrics, and I'm not against simple lyrics. What frustrates me are lyrics that are either self-absorbed or pretentious, especially when written in cliches. In other words, lyrics that say something without actually saying anything. Lyrics that make it difficult for audiences to get immersed in the story or the emotional journey because either they are not in on what's going on or it's not clear. And I'm not talking about what we are supposed to feel after we hear the song, because that's where interpretation comes into play. I'm specifically talking about what we are supposed to feel when we hear the first few lines. In listening to a songwriter, you ask yourself - "what's the point?" or "what's the point of not having a point?" (purposeful irony as opposed to irony for the sake of irony).

Of course, I understand that this is all subjective and everyone is going to have their own opinions about these things. And this is not to say that I am not open-minded about listening to other people's music. I do my best to listen to all styles of music from all backgrounds and have good things to say about it all. It's just that at times I can't help but have these other critical thoughts in the back of my mind that can be difficult to express because they don't seem constructive or fair. Nonetheless, the thing that I look for the most in a song is sincerity. Does the song mean the message or story it is attempting to convey, and in extension, is the artist conveying sincerity?

We are at a point where ethos of songs like "Shake It Up", "Work" and "Chandelier" are just starting losing their relevance in the culture of popular music. Most pop music today tends to sound either ironic or cynical sounding, saying either that things are inevitably going to go to shit so you might as well live it up today by partying or talking about yourself with self-deprecating humour. These are all concepts that make up the term "post-modernism"–weird for the sake of being weird or ironic self-awareness. We are starting to see this trend more in television series, moving away from the parody, cynicism and self-deprecating humour of Family Guy, The Simpsons, Seinfield, and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and moving towards qualities of sincerity and human connection that exists in current shows like Bojack Horseman, Community, The Office, Steven Universe, Rick & Morty, and Parks & Recreations. The video below explains this in great detail using these examples.



I believe this trend is beginning to take place with music. I feel that in these times that we live in, inspiration can be taken from many different places that can make for interesting songs that can elicit an emotional impact. Writing purely about nature, existential rumination, cynicism, and heartbreak is passe. That's why there is so much great music coming out recently. The songs are creative, thought-provoking, relevant and sincere. Listeners relate to new music from David Bowie, Chance The Rapper, Esperanza Spalding, Snarky Puppy, Common, Drive-By Truckers, David Crosby, and Beyonce because they are creating music that is present and forward thinking. They are not relying on their established morals. They are seeking more creatively–new sounds and relevant lyric topics such as mortality, racism, empowerment, identity, sexuality, and expressing love and empathy. Then you also have artists like The Monkees, Bob Weir, Vulfpeck, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Van Morrison who may not be breaking new ground musically or striving to communicate messages based on those serious topics, but are still creating music with enough subtlety that still makes it present and current, and listeners will still find it relatable and full of sendimentality, sincerity, reflection, and occasionally some redemptive optimism.

“What passes for hip cynical transcendence of sentiment is really some kind of fear of being really human, since to be really human [...] is probably to be unavoidably sentimental and naïve and goo-prone and generally pathetic.” - David Foster Wallace

Songwriters tell stories to convey emotions. We are troubadours. We are bards. We can write about social issues (prejudice and misogyny for example), growing up, family, friends, lovers, places, imagination, revolution. We can write about real people going through real struggles. We can SAY we are happy, sad, angry or afraid, and we can SAY it with raw soul and grit, holding nothing back. Now more than ever is music/art so important. Harsh realities are setting in and we should write about that too. Being broke, jobless, hopeless, uncertainty of where the journey will take us. All of these ideas and subjects are as relevant as ever. The times are a-changing and we must grow and adapt with it while also striving to communicate ideas of change that makes the world a better place not just for a few individuals, but for every single human being on earth. Say something and let it be heard.

Thank you!

–MT

The White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar

In the past year, I have developed somewhat of a youtube addiction. Some of my top favorite youtube channels include Channel Awesome, Stoned Gremlin Production, PeanutButterGamer, and Andre "Black Nerd". It's fun to watch and hear criticism of films and television series that is humorous and satirical, yet insightful and intelligent.


One of my other favorites is Todd In The Shadows. He often reviews current pop songs, one hit wonders, and Top 10 best and worst current and past songs. Todd is entertaining, insightful, and brutally and satirically honest. I admire those with confident snobbish attitudes, even if it is just for the sake of satire. I especially enjoy his one hit wonder reviews, because I enjoy commentary that highlights underrated artists who unfortunately only had one (or more) successful pop hit in the US. Examples include Marc Cohn ("Walking In Memphis"), Dexys Midnight Runners ("Come On Eileen"), and Cameo ("Word Up"). He looks at the overall career of each artist, gives his own critique, and then decides whether or not they deserve better. Some do, some don't. The one's that don't usually fall under the categories of novelty songs and covers of previously recorded songs.

At this point, you might be asking where I am going with this. Well, I'll tell you. I'm sure most are familiar with The Axis of Awesome four chord medley. It's both hilarious and ridiculous. But here's the thing, the Axis of Awesome was not meant to be taken seriously. It was a joke poking fun at the how hilariously simple pop songs and pop artists were. What I am specifically referring to here is the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar" (or white chick with piano). Growing up playing music, and to this day, I finding myself coming across people who perform pop songs with a pretty voice and an acoustic guitar - both guys and girls. To me, this always came across as cheesy or boring. This was mostly because they would perform simple boring four chord pop songs, or worst, butcher a more complex pop song to the smallest common denominator. And they try to come off as sincere or sensitive when it's really just bullshit because all they're interested in are females taking off their underwear. And for the record, I don't mean all of this literally.

As Todd In The Shadows states, "White Guy with an Acoustic Guy" is not necessarily a literal thing. You don't have to be white or play specifically an acoustic guitar or piano. It is more of a state of mind, a stereotype, sometimes a douchey stereotype. And he uses this term specifically with mainstream pop music songs and artists. Two of the best examples that I've seen he uses are "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber and "7 Years" by Lukas Graham. On a sidenote, let me be clear. Writing or performing a song that fall under the category isn't necessarily a bad thing. If it makes people happy or makes you successful, then more power to you. This is just all my own thoughts and perspectives based on personal experience and analyzations. Anyways, on with the banter. Where did the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar" originate? Some say you could trace it back to the grunge years when every guy with a guitar was trying to be either Kurt Cobain or Alanis Morissette - angsty, angry and depressed. But in all fairness, everyone was playing ELECTRIC guitar. Sure Nirvana kicked off the rise of MTV Unplugged, but they didn't record any songs specifically for acoustic guitar, although I prefer the acoustic version of "All Apologies".

As the 90s progressed, we did get a fair amount of rock music that almost crossed the border into "white guy with an acoustic guitar", but not quite. Sure, there were artists like Blind Melon, Spin Doctors, Eagle-Eye Cherry, and Third Eye Blind, but none of their songs at the time necessarily felt like they catered to a pop demographic, mostly because their songs were a product of the times and did not age well in terms of timeless quality. No, that honor belongs to the band you would have least expected in the 90s - GREEN DAY. The song - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)".

When you listen to the song, what do you hear? An acoustic guitar. A white guys voice. And some strings. That's it. This should have bland written all over it. But somehow, it falls short of being cheesy, bland and insincerely sensitive. But why? Well, the song is introspective. The singer is not trying to come off as someone who is wise or deep. The singer's not trying to show off with his singing or the lyrics. "Good Riddance" is a song about how life is experienced - time is fleeting, and there's nothing anyone can do about it, so enjoy the time you live in now. I also want to add that this song has also aged very well. Both the recording and the song itself. Yeah, we all get sick of hearing it at 8th grade graduation ceremonies. But if that song came out today, it would still sound fresh. It's also quite a feat to have that song recorded by older artists such as Glen Campbell and Albert Lee, artists who are famous for singing and performing timeless classics. So if "Good Riddance" isn't the source of the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar", then what is?

Well, let's move forward a few years and shift gears just a little. Let's take away the acoustic guitar and give the guy a piano. And what do you get? Five For Fighting. The song - "Superman (It's Not Easy)". Ideally, this has all the most common attributes for a "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar" song - four chord structure, high falsetto vocal, and a blandly orchestrated arrangement. Clearly, girls would go nuts for this song, unless they new the song's history. See, Five For Fighting's "Superman" was released in April 2001 to modest Top 40 success. But a few months later Five For Fighting (John Ondrasik) was invited to perform the song at the Concert For New York benefit concert, honoring the first-responders of the 9/11 attacks, with a line-up that included Billy Joel, The Who, Destiny's Child, Adam Sandler, Backstreet Boys and David Bowie, to name a few. Obviously, Ondrasik was the odd man out. Still, the song became an anthem for the firemen and policemen of New York City.

The song itself is quite vulnerable, in a sincere way, especially with it's connection to 9/11. It talks about how the common people few someone (Superman in this example) as this mighty, all powerful and perfect being when in reality the person is just as human as the next. "Superman" isn't perfect. "Superman" is flawed. He has doubts, fears, insecurities - the things that humans struggle with nearly every minute of our lives with. It's also a longing to be understood, to be loved and accepted not as a perfect entity, but as a human like everyone. Five For Fighting is one of my favorite modern singer/songwriters. While many of his songs fall victim to the four chord pop-esque structure, his lyrics are always introspective. I mean, he's no Bob Dylan, but he gets his point across in a very simple and relatable perspective. So if Five For Fighting didn't invent the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar", who did? Well, to tell you the truth, I'm pretty sure you know. I know I do.

Pop quiz! What was the MOST overplayed song of 2008? Times up! "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz (which is also the song "Mistletoe" ripped off of). Let's be real, we all have heard this song. And with basic knowledge of how to play the guitar and somewhat of a sense of pitch and time, you too can be the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guy". Now, to tell you the truth, I have performed this song, mostly because it's the only song I know how to play that others know all the words to, that and "Hey There Delilah". Oh shit, I forgot about that one. Let's back up.

"Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's came out in 2006, two years before "I'm Yours". "Hey There Delilah" is also a perfect example. But there's a few thing that helps "Hey There Delilah" slide just underneath the line. First off, the band plays pop punk music - a la Green Day and blink-182. Despite the recording's acoustic nature, it contains a fairly good balance of pop and punk. The chord structure is simple, but they at least mix up the melody in the bridge. It also doesn't sound nearly as repetitive as most pop songs. The acoustic guitar and the intro line to every verse are the what pull the listener into the song, and the chorus has a great hook that is both memorable and subtle. Second, the background of the why this song was written is quite interesting and adds dimension to the sincerity of the song, whether or not you think it's bullshit. Personally for me, I can hear it and appreciate it for the message it's attempting to get across. Thirdly, there is no denying the intimacy of the recording. It is literally a guy and a guitar, and that's it. Even if there was work done in post-production, it at least enhanced the quality while still capturing the intimacy of the song and the performance. The singer could speak these words to Delilah or you could read them from a letter and it would fulfill the same purpose. Yes, the song is cheesy and unbelievably sappy, but the charm of the performance gives it a pass.

So why isn't "I'm Yours" an exception. Why is Jason Mraz the first "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar". Well....look at him. He's white, where's a white or bright colored t-shirt, beach shorts, flip-flops, a beach fedora, and has an acoustic guitar. What more do you need explain. I know, I know, it's a very unfair stereotype. I'm sure that was part of the look, to look like every other white guy that has walked around with an acoustic guitar strapped to their back. And too be fair, Jason wasn't the first one to mostly pull off that image. That was Jack Johnson. Why is Jack Johnson an exception? Well, for some reason Jack Johnson never had that much mainstream radio exposure. I mean, his highest charted song was "You And Your Heart" at #20, and that's not even his most popular song. His music always had this laid back subtlety to it. He never tried to come off as something he's not. He is a fairly laid back casual Hawaiian-born native who likes writing and perform cheerful and somewhat introspective songs, whether they be about love or just the slice of life. Plus, Jack Johnson never wore a hat. He was a surfer. Surfer's don't wear hats.


But I slightly digress. Again, let's take a gander at "I'm Yours". Four chords, except for that diminished chord in the transitions between the 2nd verse and scat section. Plus the scat section has a somewhat different chord progression a la "Canon in D". But even if you played the whole song in the four chord structure it wouldn't make a difference. That's how bland the song is. Also, the lyrics are very very wordy. And I'm not against word lyrics. Hell, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have written the most wordy songs in all of pop music history. The problem here is that "I'm Yours" sounds like attempted word porn. What do I mean by attempted word porn? Mraz attempts to sing every single syllable of every single word he sings even if it doesn't completely match the other lines and overflows into the next lyric line. Plus, he forces his rhymes too goddamn often - "bestest" and "intervention"; "felt it" "melted"; "glass" and "laughed", "sing" and "family", "short" and "yours". I'm not against near-rhymes, but even this is pushing it. And despite the attempted wordplay and alliteration, some of his rhymes are just lame - "reason" and "seasons", "me" and "free". This is an example of very very cheap word porn, the kind that doesn't even care if people get off listening to it or not. Spoiler alert, they don't.

And despite the bare bones production, it does nothing to enhance the quality nor the performance of the song. You craft this song in garage band and it would still have the same effect. This line is especially cringe-worthy:

'Do you want to come on over, scooch on over closer, dear
And I will nibble in your ear'

Who talks like that to a girl? Better question, who sings like that to a girl? Apparently Mraz does. I do admire the rhythmic cleverness of the words in the song, but it sounds more like an exercise you would get an A in in an English class rather than an acoustic love song. Then again, that's pretty much everything you could ever want in an acoustic love song. The acoustic guitar part is catchy and easy to listen to. Jason's voice sounds pretty, and the melody is easy to follow along. But when you get down to it, I think you have to ask yourself - why should I care? The lyrics sound more stream of consciousness rather than a straightforward love song. I don't know if Mraz wrote it or intended it to be stream of consciousness, but interpreting it a love song does not work. The singer is telling whomever they are singing to to think this, think that, do this do that, but there is no emotion expressed in the lyric, and not even in the music rather yet. This song gives the listener no emotional connection that relates to having even the smallest hint of infatuation for a person, let alone deep love. If you were a guy trying to sing this to impress a girl, either the girl will just look at her phone for two and half minutes, or the girl has low standards. Of course, I am making these hyperbolic statements to prove a point.

People with a sense of feeling emotion for another human being, whether platonic or romantic, can tell what is real and what is not. "I'm Yours" contains no passion in the lyrics and is boring as hell musically. And as a result, the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar" stereotype has entered the mainstream consciousness. Here's a list of a few other examples, with the help and courtesy of Channel Awesome and reddit, etc...

"Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars
"Hey Soul Sister" by Train
"The A Team" by Ed Sheeran
"Airplanes" by B.O.B.
"Your Body Is A Wonderland" by John Mayer"
"You & Me" by Lifehouse
"Fireflies" by Owl City
"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
"Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson
"Halo" by Beyonce
"Clocks" by Coldplay

Honorable Mentions:

"Wonderwall" by Oasis
"Mad World" by Gary Jules
"Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls
"A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton

I don't really have an way to end this. I've given my opinions, my analysis, etc. Just know that as long as there are acoustic guitar, beanies, plain t-shirts over long-sleeve sweaters and shirts, pop songs written with just 4 chords and lyrics made of bleh, the "White Guy with an Acoustic Guitar" will always find a way to survive, even if people stop caring, no matter how hard we try not to care. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading this. Until next time!

- MT