This week everybody is talking about Radiohead, and their unconventional method of releasing their new album, In Rainbows.
Listening to the album as I got ready to blog, I thought to myself "Radiohead is one of those non-hip-hop groups that I like so much that it influences the hip-hop I make."
Why? Well, their use of programming and live instruments, combined with Thom's emotion-stirring voice, make me feel as if there is more I can squeeze from four minutes than just the traditional verse-hook-verse arrangement hip-hop tends to deliver. The first song I heard by Radiohead was "There There", and they continue to amaze me. Every time I listen to their music. I want to rush to the studio and create music that builds an emotional connection like that......
Who else falls in this category?
The Shins - with these guys, it's their use of melody and their Ivy-League-clever lyrics. Case in point, "Sea Legs": "girl, if you're a seascape, I'm a listing boat, for the thing carries every hope. I invest in a single lie." What a play on words! You definitely don't catch it on the first listen, and you get the feeling that's specifically what the band intended. I'm not an MC, but lyrics like this trigger lightbulbs when I hear hip-hop MCs achieve the same level of complexity in their similes and metaphors. Hence why I work with Yeyo. I need poets in the booth; not just dudes with "hot sixteens".
4Hero - Close enough to the hip-hop diaspora to be gettable (they even have a track with Phonte). I'd say they inspire me with their use of strings and horns, which so many producers shy away from because they can't get them in the studio and recorded correctly. But, man oh man, when the strings drop in at the beginning of their new album "Play With the Changes", I'm in heaven. I can't wait until the first sessions I have with a full string section.
John Mayer - Smooth guitar, great arrangements, lilting falsetto. Plus, the feeling that he is the kind of guy I would have smoked joints with in high school, even though he was into blues and I was bangin' Wu-Tang Clan. As evidenced by his work with Kanye, ?uest, and others, dude's got some soul. And "Continuum" is a classic in my mind. You can play it at any event and nobody will front on you (well, maybe not Tuesday at Cinespace). John Mayer shows that when you are honest and heartfelt, your appeal is universal.
Nirvana - the fuel for my musical awakening in junior high. The way they raged, yet were such brilliant musicians - it showed me that rebellion and musicianship were not mutually exclusive. If you listen to a Nirvana song, you get a feeling for each piece of the song...they use dynamics like no other. Case in point: their biggest hit, "Smells like Teen Spirit". The verses are supported by Grohl's solid drumming, Krist's chugging bass line, and two simple guitar notes, repeated every two bars. I think of Nirvana whenever I am trying to build a solid transition between a mellow verse and a punchy hook.
Phoenix - groovy Frenchmen. One thing that always jumps out at me about their records is how the bass and drums move so fluidly together. And their hooks make great sing-alongs, especially "Everything is Everything", with its poignant declartion: "the more I talk about it, the less I do control". They haven't received the respect they desrve in the States, but I can't get why. I have yet to hear a Phoenix song I didn't like. And hey, they're French (see: Daft Punk, Justice, et al.)
Silversun Pickups - inspirational because their record Carnavas was produced by a mentor to me when I first got to LA, Dave Cooley. I listen to Silversun intently because this is a well-produced, recorded, and mixed album. Everything feels so natural, it's no surprise to me they are blowing up. This sets the bar for me when I get to produce my first record for a band. Just pure awesomeness on a musical and sonic level.
M.I.A. - see my previous posts. She is the beacon of post-hip-hop world music to me, as I think she is for many others. Plus, I traveled around the world too, so I can really get her global approach. "I put people on the map who never seen a map"....thats whats up right there. Music as a tool for good rather than a vehicle for celebrity. What a concept.
Feist - a new-found love of mine. I first heard "My Moon My Man", and I dug the groove. So solid, yet easy to listen to, as are all Feist records, because her voice sounds like a bird. But, it was the stand-out track "The Water" that inspired me. It sounds haunting, aching, longing.....and sparse. Since I have heard that, I have been trying to do less with more.
That's the most notable of my influences, as it pertains to my actual music-making. Honorable mentions go to: Bloc Party, Dave Matthews Band, The Bravery, Thievery Corporation, Weekend Players, and Bjork.
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