Revised: NARC Analysis (Part 1)

Hello all,

An email from reader Chris has inspired me to create this series of posts, in which I will offer, section-by-section, my analysis of NARC (Paul Banks on NARC; The Lyrics; Verse 1; Pre-Chorus; Chorus; Verse 2; Pre-Chorus 2 and Chorus 2; Bridge; Verse 3; Coda; Interpol’s sound for NARC; Summary of my interpretation of NARC).

For those of you who have the original paper on NARC I wrote back in 2004, I urge you to take a look at these posts; I have revised and refined quite a bit of it!

Take You on a Cruise: Transcription

Hello all,

As I promised back in February, here’s my transcription of TYOAC.  Feel free to comment with thoughts/disputes about my choices.  You’ll notice that the drum line is empty; this is because I still haven’t figured out how to transcribe drums.  Nonetheless, I do feel like they are just as important to include on the transcription, and plan on someday sitting down and figuring it out!

Download PDF: Take You On a Cruise

Until next time,
Meg

Favourite seconds: Distance and tragedy in ‘The Lighthouse’

Another “my favourite seconds” entry, this one from caitlin:

“The Lighthouse 4:25- end of song. This makes me feel as if something tragic has happened and I love the way it makes me feel.”

Oh, I am extremely desirous to really dig into the complexities of this song, but for now, here’s what I came up with over the past couple hours…

There are two chord progressions in this song. The first progression is F major-y, and goes F-Am-Bb-Dm-Am-Bb-Gm and then repeats. The second progression, which appears from 1:51-2:46 (“What do the waves have to say?”) and from 4:25-end, is D minor-y, and goes Gm-Am-Bb-Dm, also repeating.

The first progression moves at a pretty even pace, rhythmically speaking, and its implied resolution is F major – the very first chord of the song; the first progression, then, is more calm and reassuring sounding.

The second progression, however, moves at a relatively uneven pace, and its resolution is D minor, which is indeed the final chord of the piece; thus, the second progression invokes suspense and sadness.

I hear caitlin’s “something tragic” at the beginning of the coda as triggered by two musical moves. The first musically “tragic” move is the denial of the first progression to resolve to its F major chord. Instead, the guitars hang on Gm, and all hope for resolution is entirely frustrated as the second progression picks up the Gm and starts down its own path.

The second musically “tragic” move is the return of the second chord progression, with its suspense and sadness. As if to confirm the tragedy, the drums enter for the first time during this section, and indeed the rest of the instruments are brought to the fore in the mix, so that the music sounds much louder and closer to the ear than it had before. As if to say: This, the coda, is the reality in which we find ourselves, while the music that preceded it is now revealed to have been in a far off land.

That’s all for now! Until next time,

Much Love,

Meg

Favourite seconds: Not Even Lydian

Here’s a “my favourite seconds” post from friendinmypants (Nov 19, 2007):

“not even jail: the triumphant outro as if a conflict has found resolution.”

This was an interesting “favourite seconds,” analytically speaking. friendinmypants hears conflict in “Not Even Jail,” and also hears that conflict resolved triumphantly in the outro. Listening to the song again, I could relate; there’s a lot of tension and urgency throughout the song that seems to be released at the end. So, when I sat down to figure out “Not Even Jail” on my keyboard, I was expecting to discover perhaps conflicting keys, or crunchy harmonies that smooth out and simplify in the outro. But the conflict I found was actually much subtler than either of these options. The conflict is between two different versions of the C scale: C major, and what is commonly known as C “Lydian.”

C major contains the notes C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C, while C Lydian contains C-D-E-F-sharp-G-A-B-C. Thus, the fourth note in C Lydian is a half-step higher than in C major (the theme song from “The Simpsons” is a famous tune that uses a Lydian scale). What’s clear is that “Not Even Jail” is undeniably in “C”—that is, all of the melodies and harmonies seem magnetized to that one note. However, by using F-natural in some sections of the song and F-sharp in others, Interpol create an unsettled feeling.

By alternating between what, to Western ears, is the very “natural” sounding major scale and the much less common and less “natural” sounding Lydian scale, Interpol manage to get a lot of musical tension out of very little material. The outro, as friendinmypants says, resolves this tension by settling the song firmly into C major. (See the bottom of this post for precisely where F-natural and F-sharp are used throughout the song.)

Obviously, the type of scale being used is only part of the conflict/resolution story in “Not Even Jail,” as the texture and sound effects, for example, also help to create these feelings.

That’s all for now. See you in April!
Love,
Meg

“Not Even Jail” (originally posted in Peregrinating ‘Perverts’, Cycling through ‘Jail’)
0:00-0:34 intro (no F’s)
00:34-1:08 Verse 1 (F-naturalàC major)
1:09-1:16 interlude (F-sharpàC Lydian)
1:17-1:47 pre-Chorus (F-natural)
1:48-2:25 Chorus (F-sharp)
2:25-2:27 intro (no F’s)
2:48-3:22 Verse 2 (no F’s)
3:22-3:29 interlude (F-sharp)
3:30-4:00 pre-Chorus (F-natural)
4:01-4:34 Chorus (F-sharp)
4:35-4:48 outro 1st part (no F’s)
4:48-5:47 outro 2nd part (F-natural)

Love, Worship, and Strangers: Take You on a Cruise

Oh my. Where did February go? Well, I know I promised a reply to friendinmypants this time, but due to extenuating circumstances, I’m going to have to delay that for a bit unfortunately. Instead, let’s look at a favourite seconds moment from idancetothevu: “Take You on a Cruise,” 2:40-3:05.

“Take You on a Cruise” is so enchanting to me—it’s almost embarrassing how much time I’ve spent trying to wrap my theoretical mind around it. For me, the effect of 2:40-3:05 has a lot to do with the fact that it comes in the wake of a very emotional outburst, in which Paul sings up in his high register that he is “a scavenger between the sheets of union.” Underneath this cry, lower-voiced Banks repeats from earlier in the song his words about “the anatomy of kisses” and the question “would you like to be my missus and in future with child?”

Right after this confessional outburst, the music dies down, and Banks repeats himself again, but instead of singing “Baby don’t you try to find me” he sings “Lady don’t you try to find me.” It’s as if Banks and the music pull back from all this emotion, and Banks even goes a step farther by de-personalizing the next lyric from the affectionate “Baby” to the much less personal, almost-as-if-she’s-a-stranger “Lady.”

By the way, I love that another fan referred to this moment as “liquid audio magic.” Beyond the sailing theme present in the lyrics, I feel like TYOAC is one of those Interpol songs that so vividly call to mind a “watery” feeling just in the music alone. This watery effect is especially strong for me at the end of the song, when Banks is singing of black, white and red goddesses, as the two guitar lines swoop over and under each other, creating for me the feeling of waves undulating underneath a boat.

Well, that’s all for now. Perhaps after the “friendinmypants” blog I’ll post my transcription of TYOAC, with a few more thoughts about the music.

Until then,
Con mucho amor,
Meg

Minor Fall, Major Lift in ‘Pioneer’

Hello all,

Back again, to do an analysis of some of my own “favorite seconds”: 3:23-3:50 of “Pioneer to the Falls,” off of OLTA.

Looking at this song made me appreciate just how intricate the texture of an Interpol song can be, and also how crucial that texture is to the song’s identity. [By texture I mean the different layers of sound: guitar, keys, drums, bass, vox] Doing a brief harmonic analysis, I found that the harmonic progression for the first two and a half minutes of the song is simply this (repeated several times): G-minor for one bar, D-minor for one bar, F-diminished for two bars, and A-major for two bars. Yet the impression is that so much more is happening during those two and a half minutes; and indeed, texturally speaking, there is more happening than just that harmonic progression, specifically in the realms of melody and rhythm.

But back to this specific part of the song; suffice it to say, both the key (D minor) and the texture of “Pioneer” before 3:23 and after 3:50 differ greatly from the thirty or so seconds heard in between. These seconds find the song in a new key—D major—and have a fuller texture than heard before, as the drums come on full force. I am always transported to a heaven-like place when I listen to these thirty-seven seconds.

The temporary diversion from the “norm” for the song heard in these seconds reminds me of the “fantasy” section I wrote about in my NARC paper, in which a section of the song (like “Pioneer,” found about three-quarter’s of the way through) diverts into new territory, both musically and lyrically speaking. In “Pioneer,” Paul repeatedly sings about a “dirt pile” (which has been cited as indicating a grave) and a “soul,” but in my favorite seconds, he sings a rising line on “alive,” intimating that in this “fantasy,” the person underneath the dirt pile is actually still living. And as with NARC, an aspect of the fantasy section in “Pioneer” persists through to the end of the song, even after the fantasy is over: after a brief respite during which Paul sings alone, the full-force drums return at 4:31 and finish out the song.

One last note: I find it significant that the majority of the song is in D minor (all white notes except for B-flat and the occasional C-sharp), which is a notoriously depressing key in the Classical repertoire, while my favorite seconds are in D major (white notes except for F-sharp, C-sharp), the parallel major of D minor. It’s as if, for the brief life of the fantasy, we are released from the bonds of D minor into a much brighter key-area.

Well, that’s all for now. Up next, another “favorite seconds” entry, this time from friendinmypants about “Not Even Jail” and “A Time to Be So Small.”

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

Interview with Sam from einslive.de

http://www.einslive.de/musik/kassettendeck/2008/02/sam_fogarino.jsp

This link was passed on to me awhile ago by a fan: here Sam talks about some of his favorite songs on the German website einslive. The interview is titled, ‘Der Mann im Hintergrund’, or, “the man in the background,” and most of the songs have audio links where you can hear Sam speak about them—in English! I’ve included a partial transcription of what Sam says in these audio clips at the bottom of this post.

[side note: Sam’s words are translated into German in the body of the interview, though from what I can tell the translation is somewhat loose, and not all of what Sam says is found in the German text.]

For the most part, Sam comments on the aesthetic of the song he’s discussing (electronic, guitar driven, dense, etc.) and probable influences (another band or era). However, he goes a little farther in his discussion of the last song, “Bed for the Scraping” by Fugazi. Phrases that hit me as significant in this audio clip are “guitar interaction” and “the band wouldn’t be anything without any [one] of the members.” In these quotes I see Sam valuing conscious and precise interactions between musicians, a result of a situation in which “everybody in the band meant something.” No one person in the band is dispensable, and indeed, take one person away, and the band disappears.

These statements bolster my belief that Interpol’s music is the result of a true collective effort, in which each instrument, or musical “voice,” is equally important—Interpol’s music is very “polyphonic” in that sense. I also find it significant that Sam centers his discussion of this song around Daniel, the one band member credited with providing the initial sparks that eventually grow into the completed song via the other band members’ input. Though Sam has intimated that Interpol’s music is for him somewhat restrictive (in an interview about his side project, Magnetic Morning) and humorless (in his Shellac audio clip in this interview), he seems to nonetheless value the unique way in which Interpol operates as a creative force.

Thanks to my anonymous fan for the link!
Until next time,
Love from,
Meg

Transcription:
Von Südenfed “The Rhinohead”
“…a really brilliant mix…of severe electronic aesthetic, with this wall of sound, 60’s vibe going on. It’s one of the rare moments where Mark E. Smith is actually singing a melody. It’s catchy without being insulting to one’s intelligence. And he’s totally taking the piss out of something; I can’t figure it out.”

Deerhunter “Spring Hall Convert”
“The track compels me because it carries the torch for an aesthetic I appreciate, that’s very guitar driven, smart rock a la The Pixies—they do it in their way. …[re: listening to new records] it’s not necessarily what you want to do, with your life being based around music 24 hours a day. I hadn’t been peaked by a band in such a way in quite awhile”

Blonde Redhead “23”
“23 makes me complete…It has this atmosphere, these compelling melodies and these driving rhythms. And that basically sums up Blonde Redhead.”

Shellac “Dog and Pony Show”
“Being able to pull off such a dense style of rock n roll without being crotch-grabbing, or cheesy, it’s a hard line to follow, and still having a great sense of humor on top of it.”

My Bloody Valentine “Honeypower”
“Speaking of atmosphere and melody, I don’t think there’s a band since The Beatles that have impacted modern music, I think that’s very safe to say.”

Public Enemy “Miuzi Weighs a Ton”
“Chuck D’s…voice is a golden baritone…[Public Enemy] is a nice expansion of my musical palette.” [my translation]

Spoon “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb”
“Their new record is probably their best one yet, in my opinion…again that wall of sound, 60’s pop song vibe, is something I’m always a sucker for, especially if it’s someone like Britt Daniel and company pulling it off. I mean, it’s just so rich, that song, it’s so hard not to like. If you have any kind of open ear, you’re gonna be sucked in by it.”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Downboy”
“The song Downboy is utterly compelling…the first time I heard the song, I watched the video, which made it all the better…Brian’s…drumming in the chorus…to watch him play, it’s so graceful it’s almost kind of dancing. That song is just amazing, such a foot-stomper.”

TV On the Radio “Wolf Like Me”
“…definitely showcases what the band is all about and how they definitely incorporate just so many different kind of pop genres into what they do, and creating a new one.”

Fugazi “Bed for the Scraping”
“This is for Daniel…it’s not Daniel’s favorite Fugazi song by any stretch, but it’s mine, so I’m gonna play it for him…it’s probably some of the best guitar interaction between two guitar players…Daniel came out of that DC punk rock…it has infected the way we operate as a band, keeping things kind of real, and civil, for the people that we hire to work with and for us. And I think it inspires the way we work together as a band. You know, Fugazi was definitely a definitive band: where everybody in the band meant something, and the band wouldn’t be anything without any of the members.”

Bach, Gould, Interpol: Magnetic Tonality

Greetings to all! I recently received an email regarding Interpol’s music and the concept of tonality:

…Interpol’s music, to my ears, often seems not major or minor in key and borderline atonal. I think the song “Precipitate” is a good example of this.
I recently began studying Bach’s music and found a youtube video where Glenn Gould discusses Bach’s later works. He says (I’m paraphrasing from memory):
“Bach goes back 100 yrs, his compositions reach a degree of chromaticism not seen since the renaissance and he is now able to compose tonally but without the technicolor trappings of tonality.”
The technicolor trappings of tonality . . . hmm . . . somehow, I think Interpol also eludes these trappings, no??
I started thinking more generally about how music moves from a happy “major” sound to something “mournful” and minor. For example, in Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Vars. how measures 17-24 turn very sad somehow. Or, in Interpol’s music, how they achieve a “grey” sound. I’m wondering if there’s something about how the bass lines move, if they move chromatically, maybe. Or the interaction between the guitar melodies and vocal melody. It just does not seem like typical scalewise motion you hear on popular songs on the radio.
Thanks,
Fabrizio

- I completely agree that Interpol’s music very often hovers in the borderlands between tonality and atonality. But first, a few words on what the concept of tonality entails:
To say that a piece of music is “tonal,” is to say that all of its notes (melodies, chords, bass lines) ultimately draw our ears to one specific chord, called the tonic chord. Thus, if I say a piece is in the “key of C major,” the implication is that all of the musical material is either based on the C major triad (C-E-G), or somehow pointing the listener back to that “home” triad, like a magnet. The strongest chord that pulls us most forcefully back to the tonic chord is called the dominant, built on the fifth scale degree (G-B-D), and the second strongest chord is called the subdominant, built on the fourth scale degree (F-A-C).

- The Bach piece mentioned by Fabrizio, while most definitely in the key of G major, does indeed “demagnetize” the G major triad a bit by using certain compositional techniques. The piece can be heard, as played by Glenn Gould, here. The moment when the music “turns very sad somehow” is ca. minute 1:27 to 2:07, and coincidentally is the halfway mark of the piece, where we move from the “A” section to the “B” section (speaking in musical form terms).

- Here, the music is shifting into E minor (and hence, turns “sad”)—but Bach does not make this clear at first, and it takes awhile for the ear to figure out what the new tonic is. At this moment, we are hovering between tonics, and, in the sense that our ears have been demagnetized, we have briefly entered an “atonal” state. In fact, we hover for about three full measures (1:27-1:42). How is this possible? By not giving us the strong dominant (which would definitively point us to E minor as the new tonic) until 1:42, Bach is avoiding the “technicolor trappings of tonality,” those techniques which shout “this is tonic!” (think of the ending of a Beethoven symphony, the blues and standard rock, etc.). Bach is manipulating the culturally accepted and inculcated musical norms by delaying the magnetizing of the new tonic, thereby complicating the listener’s reaction and making it more complex.

- Interpol does this as well. Without completely abandoning tonality, Interpol’s music complicates the normative harmonic progressions (often via complex interactions between Daniel’s guitar melodies and Carlos’ bass lines) and it is thus often very difficult to pinpoint exactly what key an Interpol song, or even section of a song, is in. I like Fabrizio’s mention of “Precipitate,” as this early song is proof positive to me that the desire to manipulate musical norms has always been a concern for the band.

Thanks for the question/observations, Fabrizio!

Up next, a look at an article in which Sam talks about some of his favorite songs.
Until then,

Much love from,
Meg

Review of Magnetic Morning Show at Southpaw

For the fans of Sam Fogarino’s side project Magnetic Morning, have a look at my review of their show at Southpaw on my kleineKultur site:

http://www.megwilhoite.com/1/post/2008/10/magnetic-morning-at-southpaw.html

I spoke briefly to Adam Franklin afterward, thanking him for the show and how MM have turned me onto Swervedriver’s music. Great night!

Also, I didn’t manage to get any decent pictures but long-time Interpol fan Terri took some great shots at the Boston show. Here are a couple of samples – check out her Flickr for more: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tercat/

Strange Bedfellows: Hip Hop and ‘Evil’

Greetings! I recently received an interesting question from ant regarding Paul Banks’ self-confessed love of hip hop, and the possibility of hip hop’s influence on Interpol’s style. Ant writes that he can hear the influence of hip hop in the vocal style Banks uses for “Evil,” but not generally in the rest of Interpol’s music.

- I can hear what ant means about “Evil,” where, in the verses, the rhythmic aspect of the word presentation is quite significant, and Banks even sings them on repetitive, close-together notes, in a kind of speaking style.

- As to the consideration of outside influences on Interpol’s music: I remember watching an interview with Paul and Daniel awhile ago, where they talked about how disparate each of the band member’s own musical tastes are, and the differences in each person’s musical past before starting Interpol. I’ve heard mention of a taste for (to name a few) punk, dub, and hip hop claimed by Interpol band members in interviews in the past; and we all know by now, from Carlos himself, the effect that classical music has had on his own contributions to Interpol’s music, especially for OLTA.

- I agree with ant that one doesn’t really detect the influence of hip hop on Interpol’s music in general. In fact, I would expand upon that assertion and say that I don’t really detect any distinct stylistic influence on Interpol’s music. I feel that Interpol’s music is of a rare breed that takes what’s familiar—in this case: electric guitars, drums, verses, choruses, fairly standard chord progressions—and truly transforms it into something unique. That is, in the way that each human being is unique, so that person has the capability for unique expression, and likewise has the capability to express collectively with other persons in a unique way, such as in a rock band.

Thanks for the question/observation, ant! Next up, a discussion of one reader’s take on Interpol’s use of tonality.

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg