musicallymodernmaven

By: Nadia D.

Feb 18 2014

Tags: Arts, band, grimes, hip hop, HTML element, jeremih, listen, music, My old Kentucky Blog, radio, radiohead, review, satellite radio, shlohmo, SiriusXMU, slava, SoundCloud, tastemaker, trend, trending

Category: Alternative, Alternative, EDM, Electronic, Fresh, Independent, Indie, Indie, Music, New, Review, Tastemaker, Uncategorized, Underground

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This blog has been neglected. Sorry.

Now, while listening to one of my favorite blog radio spots today on SiriusXMU, My Old Kentucky Blog (funny because they’re so cutting edge)… It occurred to me why I made the conscious decision to listen to underground music.

Yes, it was a decision. I made it at about 18.
It took years for me to hone my true interests and pursue that kind of music. That being said, it was a very organic evolution for me. I appreciate music to its core.

Music is meant for expression! Conceptual music isn’t there to gain hoards of fans, it’s there to appreciate!
Breaking music is just the same, but has the added element of mass appeal.

Do you honestly think Radiohead gives a flying rip about whether or not their music tops charts? Truthfully, I don’t think that has EVER been their goal. Thom Yorke is faaaaaar too odd for that. IJS.

Case is point: this Shlohmo + Jeremih track. I do not doubt that Jeremih (Chicago-based R&B singer) is hustlin’ on his main project to make a name for himself in some fashion. (I mean, why the hell else is he gonna spell Jeremy that way? THROWING IT OUT THERE!)

But this collabo? Not for the general population, let’s be honest! And not for non-basshards. This track goes deep.

It’s not to say that this piece couldn’t ever go mainstream!

What makes this conceptual in nature is the fact that it simply doesn’t have enough mass-appeal. No catchy hooks, MURDEROUS amounts of bass (enough to make your granny faint), bleeps and bloops for days. I think the only thing that gives it mainstream appeal is Jeremih’s “Mario/Chris Brown/Bieber” high-register-type voice. (Which normally makes me want to vomit.)

Other songs to add to the concept category include: Slava’s “Girl Like Me” and pretty much aaaaaaaanything by Grimes.

The same could be said for pretty much any artistic medium out there. Movies? Conceptual include “Sunshine” by Danny Boyle, and “Slumdog Millionaire” is another of his that ended up being a breaking (sleeper) hit. Paintings/sculpture? Jeez, look at anything contemporary, save for maybe Warhol… who aimed for, and famously clambered to be in, the spotlight (LOL).

What are some of your favorite conceptual tracks/pieces? What got you into music, specifically, in the first place? What brings you to this sporadic, off-the-wall blog?

Comment! Share! Then go discover some more new tracks by checking out past posts.

– The Maven