X Rated

Sometimes I feel like musical artists/bands (specifically those that make it onto mainstream radio) sit with a checklist when creating songs for their albums. It’s like:

One song on love? Check.
One song on heartbreak or betrayal? Check.
One song on a family issue? Check

Not to say that these artists haven’t personally dealt with these issues, I’m sure some have. It just seems like a large chunk of them create songs that touch on these universal life themes so they can attract a wider fan base. It’s as if they write them to ensure that any music fanatic can listen to their album and feel a personal connection to at least one of their songs…. which is nice, I guess.

And looking at these songs that they write…they all pretty much have a PG rating attached to them, only really skimming the surface of feelings and significant topics… which again, is fine.

But, it’s the bands/musical artists that do the exact opposite of this and rather create music about scandalous topics and private moments that keeps the world of music alive and as a result, have a lasting impact on us. The band that does this best is The XX.

Reining from London, England this young punk rock looking group has been praised by blogs around the world for their laid-back sound and seductive lyrics on the “hush-hush” topic of sex.
Now, I know they are not the first musical group to approach this particular subject. I mean, we hear and see rappers’ raunchy sexual fantasies everyday on BET. But, The xx is one of the few groups to approach this subject with honesty, designating every song on the album to the various issues, pleasures and concerns around personal relationships and sex. The song on the album that conveys this best is “Crystalised.”

Five seconds in, we are introduced to the minimalist type sound that continues throughout the entire song. In other words, this song is simple. It’s basic. The beat never changes and the chords stay the same. Together, they produce an unreal, stable harmony. So, sorry ladies and gentlemen… no orgasm in this one.
*My dad will be thrilled about this as I think he gets uncomfortable when reading the orgasm section of each blog. Actually, I know he does considering he asked me last week, “Sar, why do you always have to use the word orgasm in your blog.”

Anyways, back to the song…

It is the slow and clear strumming on Romy Madley Croft’s guitar along with the spooky whistle wandering in the background that creates this sort of ‘intimate’ setting. And then, at 0:20, Oliver Slim’s bass joins in, and it is here that we feel our bodies begin to heat up as we get used to this seductive beat that’s filling our ears.

Oliver’s voice slides perfectly into the beat; he drones out the first verse of the song in a smokey, laid back style, giving off the impression that he doesn’t care to impress us vocally. Romy then introduces herself as she cuts Oliver off at 0:50 making it seem like she’s unaware of his presence. Softly, she mutters the verse:
                           “Do I have to keep up the pace
                             to keep you satisfied..”
At this point, it’s clear they are addressing a real issue within relationships, where one sexual partner is less experienced than the other.

Oliver then cuts back in and continues to express his feelings on the matter until their stories unite as they both proclaim:
                          “You’re the one that I’ve kept closest”

And then BOOM, at 1:23 we hear the addition of the drumbeat. The sound is now beginning to pick up and we start to feel the sexual tension that is conveyed through Oliver and Romy’s “ahh ahh ahh’s.”

This belief that Oliver and Romy both sing this song as if unaware that the other is there is only emphasized as they croon their individual verses in unison at 2:41:

    Oliver: “Things have gotten closer to the sun
                 And I've done things in small doses
                 So don't think that I'm pushing you away
                 When you're the one that I've kept closest”

    Romy: “Glaciers have melted to the sea
                I wish the tide would take me over
                I've been down on my knees
               And you just keep on getting closer.”

And then together they close the song with a repetition of the most sexually charged lyric:
                        “go slow, go slow, go slow."

So, how has this song changed my life? 
Well I should start by saying that some music lovers (you know who you are) have a love/hate relationship with The xx because not enough goes on in their songs. There are no electronically produced beats, and their vocal ranges (both together and separately) do not change.
This for me is the exact reason why I love them and this song in particular. There’s no wow factor, no orgasm that makes your heart melt. No. It’s the simplicity of it all that makes this song beautifully amazing.

These days, we are so high on the fast paced, computer-enhanced music that we forgot how to enjoy a basic sound. The xx should be applauded for ignoring this recent custom of putting computerized sounds and voices into songs, and instead rely on the concept that they record only what they can do live. (see video below)
So, not only has this song made me appreciate the fact that they push the boundaries and write about true human emotions and feelings. But, it also has reminded us that slow, minimal beats are refreshing to the ear every now and then.

Bottom Line:
1.    My friend Emily would fit perfectly in this band as she not only has the shaved head hairstyle but has the “black only” wardrobe too.
2.    Boys--- put this song on your ‘playlist’…you all know which one I’m talking about.
Oh and 3, listen to the song. It’ll change your life.

What Disney World Would Sound Like

I bet if I asked a hundred music listeners if they listen or would listen to music in other languages, the majority would say “no.” I bet if I followed that question up with a why, the majority would say, “What’s the point! If we can’t understand the message of the song or even a lyric for that matter, then what’s the freaking point?”

I am fairly certain that this would be a typical response seeing as how I, a music lover had this exact opinion about non-English music. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the single “Go Do’ by Iceland artist, Jonsi, that my whole “non-English music isn’t for me” attitude was thrown out the window.  Best known for mixing Icelandic and English languages together, I was barely able to interpret a lyric in this song. What I did understand though was the music.

This song forces you to open your eyes to the sounds of the instruments and how they can influence you and speak to you just as much as words can.

It’s no more than 0:01 second in to the song that our ears are taken captive by the rippling echoes of Jonsi’s voice along with the foreign whistles of the flute. It is these initial fairytale like sounds that make our minds escape into what seems like an alternate fantastical world.

Then, at the 0:17 mark, we are unexpectedly jolted with the kick drum beat, meshing in perfectly with the flute to create a sparkling background melody. And together, they prepare us for the official introduction of Jonsi’s electronic yet oh so graceful vocals.

Even though I can only make out an English word here and there (due to his falsetto), it is actually the music that allows me to gain an understanding of the song. We hear it in the first chorus at 0:44, when the drumbeat comes to a halt and Jonsi belts out one solid lyric that (for the first time) isn’t hidden behind the various instruments strumming in unison.  The drum then kicks back putting reinforcement on the words he’s repeating. And, it’s with the incessant birdcall sounds along with the hum of the strings, horns, flutes and piano that produces and projects this feeling of optimism. This feeling is then reiterated when we hear the only recognizable (and what seems to be the most important) English lyric of the song:

            “We should always know that we can do anything.”

It is when we reach the 1:27 mark that every instrument is playing wildly behind his falsetto and we are fully distracted by the fact that we haven’t been able to interpret a word since the first chorus. Rather, we have disappeared in the experience that the music is giving us, making it seem bigger and more significant than any of the lyrics. 

This is only enhanced at 1:53; whenever I hear this part of the song, I find my eyes shutting on their own, which triggers my mind to lose itself in this psychedelic, wonderlandish melody. It’s specifically at 1:53, 2:10, and 2:20, when we hear the quick patter on the drums’ cymbals that our bodies feel as though an electric charge is rushing through them.

You stay lost in this majestical state, and from 2:55-3:27 it feels as if these animated music notes combined with his voice have sedated you completely…almost to the point that you think the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland reference) is going to appear right in front of you. But it’s during this musical interlude that we truly internalize the music and allow these uplifting sounds to affect our mood. We react positively to this song by the way our bodies are fully relaxed, swaying back and forth to this Disneyland type beat.

We are then brought back to the final chorus where Jonsi croons for the last time:

            “We should always know that we can do anything.”

As the final note gets softer and lighter…we slowly fade out of our enchanted, blissful state.

So, how has this song changed my life?

Ok, well it turns out that when I searched for the lyrics of this particular song… most were actually in English. You must now be wondering why I even continued to write this blog post. I wondered the same thing until I realized that even though lyrics were in English, I couldn’t make sense of the words…don’t think that you can because you won’t be able to. So, Icelandic or English…it wouldn’t have mattered what language it was in because it was the actual music and the sound of his voice that presented the message. This song teaches you to appreciate the fact that not every song is about the words but about the experience and the feeling you take away from the song as a whole.

Bottom Line:

1. For all those haters of foreign music (or of music that sounds foreign but isn’t)… well then you’re missing out.
2. Take a listen to Carla Bruni’s “Quelqu’un Ma Dit.” Very worth it.
3. You may be wondering where it is in this song that you will find the 'orgasm'...to me, the whole song is a big freaking orgasm. So enjoy that.

Oh and 4, listen to this song…it’ll change your life.