Music Theory and Interpol

New blog location

2009-08-05T06:50:00.002-04:00

Due to some issues with trying to revamp this blog, a new home has been created for Music Theory & Interpol:

http://megwilhoite.wordpress.com/

It's a bit more flexible and is agreed to be rather easier on the eyes - so please update your bookmarks.

Also, FYI Meg has had an extra workload come in from other writing commitments - hence the less frequent posts. We hope to be back with more posts and news soon, though!

Many thanks blogger readers,
Meg's web geek

Interview with Sam from einslive.de

2008-12-14T11:00:00.007-05:00

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

2008-11-14T15:01:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-24T09:53:00.006-04:00

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'

2008-10-15T14:41:00.000-04:00

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

OLTA showreel by visual artist Daniel Ryan

2008-09-09T14:47:00.001-04:00

Interpol have posted on their website (interpolnyc.com) a brief composite reel of an audio/visual installation that was included in the last leg of the OLTA tour. The visuals were created by Daniel Ryan, with ambient music written by Carlos Dengler.

My quick interpretation:

In the “Introductory Video,” I hear repetitive but subtly changing music, and I see this music mirrored in the gradually morphing grids of tiny squares of white light.

The “Composite Reel of Stage Video,” begins with an interlude that was placed between “The Lighthouse” and “Not Even Jail” during live performances. Floating particles are accompanied by ambient music, and just as “Not Even Jail” bursts over the ambience a splash of light overtakes the particles. These unify into a solid white bar as the initial burst of sound gives way to the song proper. Here we fade into the last part of NARC (the part that I read as shifting abruptly into the fantasy key) as amorphous blobs of light, as if reflected in water, move fluidly over the screen. This fades into “Rest My Chemistry,” and in slow motion spots of light move horizontally across the screen, almost like cars passing in the night. This fades into water ripples at an orangey-bronze sunset as “Hands Away” fades in. The composite reel ends with “Roland” and his knives, the latter being represented by a brutal and dizzying close-up of escalator stairs.

In the same way that I feel London when I listen to Radiohead, I can feel NYC in Interpol’s music. Something I also sometimes feel in Interpol’s music is water. This feeling, of course, is often fostered by the song titles and lyrics: “The Lighthouse,” “oh my love, we’re sailing to Norway,” “Take You On a Cruise.” For example, their penchant for minimalist-esque repetitive guitar riffs resemble to me at times the flow of water in a river or ocean, at others the flow of the city as people stream through a street, as subway doors open and close, and so on. I can see elements of both NYC and water in Ryan’s video installation.

Though I’m glad they posted the composite, it does make me wish I could see the entire installation. Ah well, what’s life without a little longing?

Carlos: In Defense of Artistic Integrity

2008-08-13T04:47:00.001-04:00

Something I love about Interpol is each member’s commitment to artistic integrity and the different ways they express it. In a recent interview (see July 6 entry), Sam stated that his is a commitment to the integrity of Interpol’s ability to reach the audience on a raw emotional level. Daniel often talks about the organic way in which Interpol write their songs and how the integrity of that process is never compromised, while Paul has consistently insisted that his lyrics are not necessarily autobiographical nor are their meanings necessarily fixed; that what’s important is the listener’s unique way of responding to the words. He has always defended the integrity of his intentional indirectness when writing the lyrics for Interpol’s songs.

Carlos also has his own take on artistic integrity, as expressed in this interview from Straight.com. Here we see Carlos dismiss the negative critical attention to Our Love to Admire. The qualifications contained in such attention, he asserts, are not pertinent to Interpol’s purpose, which is to work “from a place that is based on love and artistic integrity.” When this purpose is the focus of the song-writing process, questions of worth “become so shallow and so hollow.” For Carlos, it’s all about an honest portrayal of his artistic self.

Part of that artistic self is his professed admiration of classical and film music (the latter of which is often heavily inspired by the former). Carlos’ love of classical music found its way into his contributions to OLTA, a fact attested to by interviewer John Lucas’ use of phrases like “clean but layered,” and “carefully orchestrated” when describing OLTA’s sound.

Towards the end of the interview, when describing his attitude toward his much commented upon “look,” Carlos invokes the artist’s right to do whatever he likes with it without having “to account for it ever.” Exploiting the visual bias built into the music industry is part of his “artistic process,” and in no way allies him with the commodification of humans and music alike that he believes drives that industry.

Artistic integrity in itself is a slippery concept, and most likely if I were to ask two like-minded people to define it, a debate of some sort would spring up. Nonetheless, it’s always nice to hear one of your favorite bands claiming a commitment to genuineness and integrity when it comes to their music.

Just wanted to share my thoughts on this interesting interview!

Until soon,
Much love from,
Meg

While Daniel's guitar gently weeps...

2008-07-20T19:47:00.003-04:00

Greetings to one and all! A Reader recently asked me about the idea of "chromaticism" in music, and was wondering if this relates to synesthesia, for example in statements such as: “the bass in 'Evil' is very red” or “the rhythm of 'C'mere' is kind of orange and bright.” Dear Reader also mentioned a quote from URB magazine's OLTA review:

“Daniel Kessler's precision guitar weeps become borderline synesthetic.”

- Chromaticism is a music theoretical term with a centuries-long history, but the way it’s used today is fairly straight-forward: chromatic notes are those that lie outside of the diatonic scale being used in the piece. There is also something called the chromatic scale, which contains all of the notes (12 of them) that we here in the Western world traditionally use. So, chromatic notes add “color” to the 7 note diatonic scale.

- Though a direct connection between chromatic notes and synesthesia has not been made (to my knowledge), it would make sense to me that music that ventures here-and-there outside of its standard scale (a.k.a. diatonic) would sound more affective and therefore be more prone to produce vivid visualization (thus, synesthesia, or, sensation modality transfer).

- I relate this to another quote, made by Daniel Kessler, also sent to me by Dear Reader:

I've been learning to play [the piano] for some time already. It's going pretty good, although I’ve neglected practice recently because of all the travelling. Still, it's one of the most pleasant things that are waiting for me after I get back to NY. When playing a guitar, it's all about conveying what and how I feel, my sensibility. The theoretical knowledge seems to have less significant meaning. To play a piano, you've got to have a good technique. Maybe someday I'll learn to compose with it. I'm taking my time.

- Kessler makes it clear that for him, guitar = sensibility (expression), and piano = theory (technique). It is easier for him, when playing the guitar, to go outside the boundaries of standard chords and scales and create “guitar weepings” that are “borderline synesthetic,” while the piano requires him to be conscious of standard chords and scales.

- This makes sense to me, because on a keyboard you have the chromatic scale lined up key after key, and it’s very obvious where the pattern recycles---the piano, being a later invention than the guitar, is pretty much ready-made for diatonicism (i.e., the standard chords/scales) in its clear presentation of all the available notes. However, on a guitar, the pattern repetitions aren’t as clear, as you have strings that are laid out at not entirely consistent intervals (E up a 4th to A up a 4th to D up a 4th to G up a 3rd to B up a 4th to E) as well as all the notes that are contained on each string.

- Well, I know this was a bit theory-heavy, but I hope it made sense! Thanks for the question, Dear Reader. Next up, another selection from the “favorite seconds” thread. And remember, I’m always eager to get your questions/comments!

Much love,
Meg

P.S. Anyone out there experiencing synesthesia while listening to Interpol’s music? If so, let us know!

Sam on the sweetness of simplicity in Ireland's Hotpress magazine

2008-07-06T19:46:00.004-04:00

Taken from a recent interview with Ireland’s Hotpress magazine (June 08 issue):

Speaking of payback, Our Love to Admire reached number one in two countries, Ireland and Mexico, both pagan cultures with a thin film of Catholicism grafted on top. What’s the Interpol connection?

“Well, I think…it’s kinda funny, that’s a little ironic considering that from certain perspectives, other countries overly intellectualise Interpol, and here you have ‘the simple people’ saying, ‘Well fuck that, this is reaching the heart, and we just accept it, without over-analysis, we’ll just physically show you how much we love this fuckin’ record.’ That’s what I find amazing and beautiful, so when you have the rest of the EU and parts of America really trying to figure out what this thing is, Mexico and Ireland are showing us what it is. I identify with that: ‘Let’s put the words away man, let’s just show each other what this is about.’
“You don’t have to go look for the definitive in music, you can feel it and relate it to your situation. Even if you don’t know what somebody is saying, the way they’re saying it will make you feel something that has nothing to do with the content. That’s a powerful song. And nine times out of ten what the singer is conveying is something deeply personal anyway, and you can just toss meaning aside and get to the raw emotion of it. That’s something beautiful. And Ireland and Mexico will forever be Interpol’s favourite places to go because of that simple experience; that simple exchange is more powerful than anything you can put into words. We go and play our songs and the audience responds. And massively so. What more could you want?” (Peter Murphy)

- I completely relate to what Sam is saying in this interview. What we feel, how we respond when we experience music (especially music like Interpol’s) is so amazingly beyond articulation, “what more could you want?” There is something of purity in the physical that can be lost when our analytical faculties are put into use. We run the risk of forgetting what it’s all about and of missing the subtle yet strong “raw emotion” by searching for meaning.

- Like an astronomer looking at the night sky, though, I feel a strong urge to call forth what little perspicacity I have and to examine the music that inspires so much pure physical response in me. My attempt at reconciliation to myself of this seeming paradox---that is, inarticulate feelings and responses being translated through theoretical terms---is that I try at all costs to use moments in the music that have affected me deeply as my analytical ‘springboard’. In all honesty, my desire to consistently tie my analyses to my physical and emotional responses has led to my loss of some street cred with more “serious” music theorists.

- My deepest hope is that, like with astronomy, if my readers learn about the intense magnetic activity of a sunspot, that this information will not detract from or be untrue to the staggering beauty of the sun. Similarly, I hope that by interpreting a key change as a song’s abrupt shift into a different musical realm does not detract from the amazing physical and pre-intellectual response we get by simply listening to it.

- The kind of response to music that Sam is describing above is so incredibly important to me, and has literally shaped the course of my life. My desire to articulate, at least partially, this response is simply an outpouring of my passion for the power of music in my life.

Well, thought this quote from Sam was interesting, so I wanted to respond---but next up will be synesthesia and chromaticism!

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

'The New': Drama and Modulation

2008-07-03T05:37:00.000-04:00

As per my last post, a further look into “The New”:

- Something I find very dramatic about “The New” is the shift (also called a modulation) from C major to B minor about halfway through the song. At 2:22, we hear the synth repeating the notes B to C, but with F-natural being played in the bass we know we’re still in C major. At 2:56 the synth just stays on the note B, and the prevailing overall harmony is a B diminished chord (comprised of the notes B-D-F), which is the chord built on the leading tone of C major. Minute 3:14 brings us finally to B minor, as the guitar moves back and forth between the notes B and A-sharp—the latter note being the leading tone of B minor—while we also hear F-sharp in the bass, confirming B minor as the key.

- Typically, major keys are associated with happiness, minor keys are associated with sadness, and diminished chords are considered ominous. If we accept these scale-structure = emotional response associations (which is a nature vs. nurture hot-topic among some), then we could hear the lyrics of the first half of the song, i.e., the verse, pre-chorus and chorus, as corresponding to C major, in that the words progress from hopeful (“life will be better”), to somewhat fettered (“I need to defend”) as we approach the ominous B-diminished chord at 2:56.

- Once the instruments (in an almost agonizing way—Daniel’s bend a half-step down from B to A-sharp conveys pain to me) have established B minor, the voice reenters the song at 3:45. Paul’s voice is higher, almost strained-sounding, and also sounds farther away than in the first half of the song. He’s shifted from his “mind” to the more physical, and the minor key suggests that the seed of doubt and sadness planted in the lyrics sung before the shift from C major to B minor is flowering here.

- Well, not as in-depth as I would like to go—that’s what my future Interpol book is for, right??—but enough for now. Next up, a look at chromaticism and synesthesia in relation to Interpol’s music.

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

“The New” (lyrics from interpolnyc.com):

I wish I could live free
I hope it’s not beyond me
Settling down it takes time
One day we’ll live together
And life will be better
I have it here yeah in my mind
Baby, you know someday you’ll slow

Baby, my heart’s been breaking

I gave a lot to you
I take a lot from you too
You slave a lot from me
Guess you could say
I gave you my edge

I can’t pretend
I need to defend
Some part of me from you
I know I’ve spent some time a-lying
I can’t pretend
I need to defend
Some part of me from you
I know I’ve spent some time a-lying

You’re looking alright tonight
I think we should go
You’re looking alright tonight
I think we should go

“The New”:
0:00 guitar scrapes, 0:06 bass intro
0:40 verse (“I wish…”)
1:14 pre-chorus (“I gave a lot…”)
1:48 chorus (“I can’t pretend…”)
2:22 interlude
2:56 transition
3:14 guitar solo
3:45 secondary chorus (“You’re looking…”)
4:03 bass/guitar solo
4:20 coda
4:53 bass/guitar solo
5:11 more coda
5:43 outro

'The New' as work-in-progress

2008-06-09T18:47:00.003-04:00

“Could you analyze The New? Their Peel Session is terrific.”
- ant from Spain (see comment on May 8 blog entry)

“I'm with you 100%. Interpol does some excellent extended guitar outros. Can we add New to the list?”
-Mark (comment on April 21 entry)

- Thanks for the suggestion, ant. I had actually never heard Interpol’s 2001 Peel session before, and listening to this recording of “The New” really opened my ears to the song, particularly because of the differences between this version and the TOTBL version. My comparison of the two versions is at the bottom of this post. As can be seen, the majority of the big differences between the versions involve the vocals.

- In the Peel version of “The New,” Banks does a fair amount of “vocalizing,” while in the studio version these vocalizations are completely absent, replaced by new, additional lyrics. Also, there are some lyrics during what I call the “interlude” in the Peel version that I can’t make out (if any of you can, post them here please!), and that are absent in the studio version.

- In general, I hear the Peel version of “The New” as less precise than the studio version. I don’t use “less precise” pejoratively---I am not against “imprecise” music. But it is interesting to hear how Banks, for example, replaces a more free vocalizing (often singing along with the guitar line) with either lyrics or silence in the studio version. In addition, some of the guitar work (e.g. at the moment that I label “transition”) is more precise in the studio version than in the Peel version, though this could simply be attributed to the live vs. studio recording factor.

- By comparing these two versions of “The New,” I get the sense that Interpol in their early days may have toyed with looser musical forms and more improvisatory melodic/harmonic moments in their songs, but eventually turned to the more precise and exact route of songwriting by the time of the recording of TOTBL. By taking this route they make the statement that their songs are finished and complete once they are recorded, unlike in an improvisatory situation where the song can be different every time depending on what the performers come up with during the improvisation.

- I’m itching to do a more thorough analysis of this song, including more on the harmonies, melodies, etc. and how they work together with the lyrics. This kind of analysis takes a considerable amount of work, but I hope I can find the time to do it soon!

Until next time,
Much Love from,
Meg

“The New” Peel session version (2001):
0:00 bass intro, 0:16 guitar scrapes
0:34 verse
1:08 pre-chorus, vocalizing in the background
1:42 chorus
2:15 interlude, unintelligible lyrics in the background
2:50 transition
3:08 guitar solo, vocalizing in the background
3:40 secondary chorus, vocalizing in the background
3:56 bass/guitar solo
4:13 coda
4:46 bass/guitar solo
5:03 more coda
5:35 outro

“The New” TOTBL version (2002):
0:00 guitar scrapes, 0:06 bass intro
0:40 verse
1:14 pre-chorus, lyrics
1:48 chorus
2:22 interlude (no vocals)
2:56 transition
3:14 guitar solo (no vocals)
3:45 secondary chorus, lyrics
4:03 bass/guitar solo
4:20 coda
4:53 bass/guitar solo
5:11 more coda
5:43 outro

Spotlight: Daniel's technique

2008-05-22T07:01:00.002-04:00

“Something I'd noted after finding out that Daniel composes his motifs on a classical acoustic was that he lets single notes 'breathe' on their own in a way that I've never noticed in other modern/pop songs. It's obvious to me that he hears potential in the audio dynamic of plucking the acoustic and seeks to replicate that with such a clean electric sound - but what can you tell me about his penchant for this technique? Single sustained notes seem to be used for such specific effect and form in classical compositions - are there any similarities in Daniel's approach? Might he also be picking up on methods he hears in scores and compositions?”

- I’ve often wondered why Kessler writes such tricky guitar lines, ones that he often has to repeat perfectly and exactly over and over! The delicacy of such a performance situation is certainly reminiscent of classical guitar performance. Unlike at most rock concerts where the guitars are either soloing (in which situation there aren’t necessarily any “wrong” notes) or playing rhythm (which presents its own challenges but is nonetheless a little more forgiving), at a classical guitar concert you hear absolutely every slight stroke and motion the guitarist makes, and there are most certainly wrong notes. It is a very delicate performance situation, and any mistake or accidental knocking against the instrument is extremely evident. This type of performance situation is the one that comes to mind when I see Kessler perform his repeating motifs; he is under the aural spotlight during moments like the beginning of “NARC,” “Pioneer to the Falls,” plus a myriad of other examples.

- Another aspect of Kessler’s compositional technique that I find reminiscent of classical (using the term generally) technique is the polyphonic, or linear, quality that is the result of this type of guitar performance. Instead of the guitars presenting chords + occasional soloing (a very common configuration in rock music), Kessler is moving the focus from homophony to polyphony in many of Interpol’s songs by starting and/or ending with, and/or interpolating (no pun intended) these single line solos (the motifs comprised of single notes mentioned above by the reader), and then often layering them with other lines; the beginning of “Obstacle 1” is a good example of this type of layering. Fairly common in electronic music, the focus on polyphony has recently been experiencing a vogue in indie-rock for a while now; indeed it is often what separates indie-rock from mainstream rock, aurally speaking. Most likely, Kessler’s influence originates from his love of dub reggae, an influence he has mentioned in multiple interviews.

- The reader’s link between classical compositions and Kessler’s approach is an astute one. It is quite possible that his exposure to both classical and film music (the latter of which often draws heavily on classical traditions) has inspired Kessler in some ways to access his own capacity for the construction and deployment of motifs. Supporting this theory is Carlos D’s own self-professed classical influence, as strongly evidenced in Interpol’s music through his keyboard contributions. (Carlos may actually be referring to the classical usage when he frequently refers to Kessler’s song concepts as motifs.)

- Thanks for the insightful query, kind reader! Next up: ant from Spain asks for an analysis of “The New,” specifically the Peel Session version.

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

"Rest My Chemistry" video

2008-05-08T07:00:00.008-04:00

Aaron Koblin and Blip Boutique’s unofficial (but endorsed) video for “Rest My Chemistry”:

The company’s idea behind the video (as taken from Stereogum's article):

The story we wanted to tell came from the idea of body chemistry, as the song addresses sort of what one does to ones body and stepping away from that for a spell. So since we knew we wanted to do something with mapping data, we started thinking about body systems, and how we could expound on the idea of systems from the smallest to the largest scales. Therefore we decided to have the imagery reflect systems of particles within cells to cellular growth and multiplication to overall body systems, to city grids, to global mapping to solar systems, and back down again.

- This song has been a favorite of mine since first listening to Our Love to Admire; I find the rhythms, in particular the heavy tom hits, extremely compelling. Another facet of the song that has always struck me is the upwards moving string-synth line that repeats throughout the Coda, which starts around 3:54. I hear something of ecstasy in this repeating line, and as it follows lyrics about a young “daisy,” I imagine it as the ecstasy that the protagonist experiences when s/he sees that person.

- I was pleasantly surprised to find that watching this video and reading the concept behind it jived with my hearing. The generative theme that motivates the first half of the video (cells dividing, creating larger and larger structures) lines up in my mind with the creative “urge” I link to the upwards string line and the protagonist and “daisy” relationship.

- Another intuitive move I find in the video is the fact that it goes from small to big back to small again, which I link to the fade-in and fade-out of the song, a technique that Interpol do not often use. Also, I’ve often found Kessler’s repeating guitar melodies (such as the one heard in this song) as “cellular”: tight, compact and repeating identically. On a larger scale, my analysis of the song goes like so:

0:00-0:25 fade-in sans drums
0:25-0:54 rhythmic groove enters strongly, abruptly
0:54-1:19 groove continues, solo repeating guitar line enters
1:19-1:38/1:51 verse 1 + chorus
1:52-2:04 groove + repeating guitar line returns
2:04-2:23/2:36 verse 2 + chorus
2:37-2:49 “so young,” groove interrupted
2:49-3:02 upwards guitar line (foreshadowing of Coda)
3:02-3:20/3:34 verse 3 + chorus
3:34-3:54 “so young” extended, taken over by Coda
3:54-5:01 Coda, groove + repeating guitar line + upwards strings + chorus, fade out

- It doesn’t surprise me that Interpol endorsed this video. I certainly see and hear intuitive links between the visual and the audio.

Next up: a question from a fan regarding a link between Kessler’s guitar technique and classical music!

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

Peregrinating 'Perverts', Cycling through 'Jail'

2008-04-21T10:19:00.004-04:00

This is a continuation of the thread from the Interpol message board entitled "My favourite seconds of a song"

“Anyone who interrupts the end of Public Pervert (-2.35+) or Not Even Jail (-4.35+) is getting f***ed up.” TSD

- I think it’s worth pointing out that both of the sections mentioned are those in which the vocals (except for a brief return in “Public Pervert”) have left the song around ¾ of the way through. In both cases the guitars take over as the main focus, so that we get extended guitar outros over the last quarter of the song. As I’ve discussed in a previous entry, the form of Interpol’s songs often deviate from the standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus (for example) song form.

…the preference of “peregrinated” song forms over cyclical song forms is one of the ways that I hear Interpol’s earlier work as differentiated from Antics, and also one of the ways that I hear OLTA as harkening back to that earlier work. Even in Antics, however, Interpol’s songs stretch the norms of song form.

(from Jan 29, 2008 entry)

I hear these two songs as a combination of the two types of form I mentioned above: cyclical and peregrinated. As you can see in my rough formal divisions below, the songs re-cycle their sections once (cyclical) before proceeding on to the extended outros. The outros also contain formal divisions, but the individual sections do not recycle (peregrinated).

- I can relate to TSD’s sentiment, especially concerning “Public Pervert.” As I’ve mentioned before, my first exposure to Interpol’s music occurred when I was working at Urban Outfitters on 72nd and Broadway here in NYC. The job was exhausting and paid not nearly enough for me to survive on (I’m guessing many of you can relate to this), and added to this was the simple fact that I was not very happy about my life at the time. Urban had Antics in their store-music lineup, and every time they played a song from the album (or sometimes they played whole albums through) life for me got a little better, and I felt oddly empowered in my folding of sweaters (of which I must’ve folded at least two billion in my two months at UO). Something in particular about the sound of the guitars in “Public Pervert” struck me to the core, and though not conscious of the song’s particular formal details at the time, I wonder now if part of the appeal of the song for me was not only the timbre of the guitars, but also the cyclical/peregrinated form combination. Sometimes life is a series of repeated phases, and sometimes we move steadily on down a road without turning back.

My rough formal divisions of:

“Public Pervert”
0:00-00:41 Verse 1
00:42-00:53 interlude 1st part
00:54-1:00 interlude 2nd part
1:01-1:22 Chorus
1:23-1:44 Verse 2
1:45-1:56 interlude 1st part
1:57-2:05 interlude 2nd part
2:06-2:34 Chorus
2:35-2:53 outro 1st part
2:54-3:02 outro 2nd part
3:03-3:11 echo Chorus
3:12-3:50 outro 3rd part
3:51-4:40 outro 4th part

“Not Even Jail”
0:00-0:34 intro
00:34-1:08 Verse 1
1:09-1:16 interlude
1:17-1:47 pre-Chorus
1:48-2:25 Chorus
2:25-2:27 intro
2:48-3:22 Verse 2
3:22-3:29 interlude
3:30-4:00 pre-Chorus
4:01-4:34 Chorus
4:35-4:48 outro 1st part
4:48-5:47 outro 2nd part

My (belated) review of the Madison Square Garden show

2008-03-27T11:33:00.001-04:00

I saw Interpol perform live for the first time last September, at Madison Square Garden. I am not a “big venue” concert-goer; I much prefer the smaller venues, or even the medium-sized ones like the Bowery Ballroom here in NYC. It is in fact a testament to how much I like Interpol’s music that I didn’t think twice about forgoing my no-big-venues rule to be able to hear them live. Nonetheless, as my friend Elizabeth and I made our way to our seats, the outlook seemed bleak---it felt more like we were going to a hockey game than a concert.

- My distaste for MSG (pun intended) aside, as soon as Interpol began to play I was instantly transported, as I often am when experiencing live the music with which I connect. The band played their songs with passion and their stage presence felt completely genuine to me, so much so that my distance from them physically didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I was able to lose myself in the sound and step into that idealized space where music seems to permeate solid objects.

- One agonizing moment stands out to me about that performance: the band began their set behind a large sheet through which you could see their outlines, but which covered the entire stage. The effect was great for their opening song, “Pioneer to the Falls,” but as that song ended and they began their next song, the sheet remained where it was. I began to have panicked thoughts like “they’re not going to play the whole show behind that sheet are they??” This idea was torture to me, to be in the same room with them, but blocked from them at the same time! Finally, Paul acknowledged technical difficulties, and my fears were somewhat allayed. When they finally got the sheet down, the crowd (myself included) cheered ecstatically.

- Hearing Interpol live made me conscious of how many of their songs encourage movement; sometimes dancing, sometimes just simply movement. All throughout “Rest My Chemistry,” I found myself wanting to sway and twist with the rising and falling of the bass line, and likewise moving with the syncopated drum hits during the chorus of “Not Even Jail.” I think this aspect of Interpol’s music contributes to the “addictive” quality I addressed in my October 30th, 2007 entry. Their songs often inspire both thought and motion.

- Most of the concert is a blur of ecstatic sound for me, but I do remember that they played quite a few songs, and came back for an encore. I could have stayed there all night, but I certainly didn’t feel cheated when they finally left the stage. I do hope I get to see them again.

Watch next time for more from the “favourite seconds” thread!

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

NARC presentation mentioned in Brazilian HowStuffWorks

2008-03-19T15:52:00.008-04:00

The editor of the Brazilian HowStuffWorks, Silvio Anaz, contacted me a little while ago to ask if he could reference my work on NARC in his article on Interpol. For you Portuguese-speakers out there, the entire article can be found via the link below. I've included an English translation of the portion that mentions me, with thanks to Cristina in Brazil ("hazey jane" on the Interpol message board) for her hard work - and thanks to Silvio for the mention!

http://lazer.hsw.uol.com.br/banda-interpol.htm

Interpol and songs that revive the post-punk of the 80's

Songs that cause a fusion of reason and sensuality in the listeners, something that many people make an effort to have in their lives. This could be the secret of the success of Interpol's songs with the public, according to the academic work of the theorist Meghann Wilhoite, of the University of Columbia, in New York (U.S.A.).

Many of the lyrics by Paul Banks express a concern with the body, with its needs and physical sensations. Besides this, his verses are open to multiple interpretations that cause intellectual endeavours of listeners because of the multiple meanings and narratives permitted by the poetic construction of words. Something that also contributes to this, according to Wilhoite, is the highly orchestral sound used by the band, as well as the cyclical movement of harmony and melody in songs that can be repeated infinitely.

The process of composition of many of Interpol's songs seems fairly democratic. According to the band's members, a song starts from a progression of chords presented by guitarist Daniel Kessler and undergoes several alterations of direction with the contributions of bass player Carlos D and drummer Sam Fogarino. Alongside this, vocalist Paul Banks works on the lyrics while the rest of the song is in development, and he only finalizes them after the music (harmony, melody and rhythm) of the song has been finished.

In their work, Interpol approaches compositions with persistently repetitive rhythms and a sombre, cold resonance. In the lyrics written by Banks, which are occasionally criticised as banal, the writer [Banks] actually uses several poetic devices as mentioned in Wilhoite's studies, such as metaphors, simile and synecdoche, the latter being a sophisticated mechanism of language that uses a part to describe the whole.

In the song "Narc" from the album "Antics", the metaphor is to do with a type of federal agent from North America whose job is to battle drug trafficking, called a "narc", who is skilled in infiltration using many forms of disguise and specializes in the techniques of manipulating others. In a similar way, the song is about a loving relationship, in which the protagonist in "Narc" appears like a hunter lying in wait, with requests that manipulate his object in an elaborate way, as in this example in the third stanza:

Feast your eyes, I'm the only one
Control me, console me
'Cause that' s just how it should be done
Oh, all your history's like fire from a busted gun
I show some love and respect
Don't wanna get a life of regret

In "No I in Threesome" from the album "Our Love to Admire", Interpol speaks about the love of a three-way that is best shown the first verses:

Through the storms and the light
Baby, you stood by my side
And life is wine
But there are days in this life
When you see the teeth marks of time
Two lovers divide
Sound meets sound, babe
The echoes they surround
And all that we need is one thing
Now what is there it to you allow?
Babe, it's time we give something new a try
Oh, alone we may fight
So, just let us be three

With a tone hardly monosyllabic both in the instruments and voice, there is a resonance of sombreness in the tone of the song, but it is also danceable, as the song brings lyrics that can be interpreted like a suggestion of sex for three (or that the protagonists have a kid?), but wrapped up in a melancholic atmosphere and also a certain despair.

The success of Interpol's songs is actually a proof that the melancholic pop style, expressed in rather depressive, pessimistic lyrics, but with a danceable sound, kept its place in this Renaissance of rock music in the new millennium.

Unweaving 'Untitled'

2008-03-16T08:26:00.002-04:00

“What are your thoughts on Untitled, in general? the progression never alters yet Interpol's signature layering of harmonies is present- I'm just curious as to how an experienced theorist views the song.”
- Kyle

This experienced theorist found herself momentarily stumped when thinking about Kyle’s question! Much like 'Hands Away,' 'Untitled' is a song that I had always listened to passively, not really actively thinking at any moment "what’s happening here?" So, when I did sit down with the song with that question in mind, I was surprised to find that the ideas I came up with weren’t as self-evident as I had anticipated.

- The first 40 seconds of 'Untitled' are played by Daniel alone---two melodic lines in counterpoint, which form the backdrop for the entire song. This was perhaps the most surprising revelation for me, as the texture of the song is so diverse. I never would have expected that the first few notes of the song are played continuously until the very end.

- The texture thickens and thins alternately around this guitar backdrop. As Kyle mentions, this is a technique that Interpol often use: beginning with a simple guitar lick, and then layering around that lick. Thus, in 'Untitled,' the guitar backdrop begins the song, at 0:40 the drums and bass enter, at 1:22 the voice enters, at 2:05 the voice leaves while new guitar lines are added in, at 2:47 the drums and all but one of the new guitar lines leave, and at 3:40 the bass leaves, so that the original guitar lick and the solo 'moaning' guitar line end the song.

- As for the progression of harmonies, in typical Interpol fashion, Daniel provides a lick whose melodic content influences the other musical lines that will eventually coexist with it during the song (this is something I noticed with the opening lick of NARC as well). He begins with C and E-flat, moving the C down to B-flat just before 0:03 so that E-flat and B-flat are played together until 0:05 when E-flat is moved down to D-flat, and then back to E-flat around 0:09. In other words, Daniel introduces the pitches C, B-flat, E-flat and D-flat in his guitar lick, which means that any other notes introduced in the song will most likely fit within a scale that contains these four notes. In terms of new notes (i.e., notes other than the four listed above) the bass introduces A-flat in 0:40, while the voice introduces G in 1:27 (the bass also introduces D-natural, but I hear this as what’s called a non-harmonic tone, or, a tone that lies outside of the predominant scale and that functions as an embellishment).

- So, my guess for the 'key' of this song is A-flat major---feel free to post any alternate hearings you might have here! My final conclusion of A-flat major as the key for this song, like the revelation of the continuous presence of the guitar backdrop mentioned above, also surprises me, as I’d always heard this song as having a more minor sound (in Western parlance sad, dark, etc.).

- Well, those are my general thoughts on 'Untitled.' I hope to be able to write something a little more nuanced and interpretive on this song in the future, using this as the basic groundwork.

Thanks for the question Kyle!

Much love from,
Meg

"Favourite seconds" - fan moments

2008-02-23T17:01:00.002-05:00

This is a thread from the Interpol message board entitled "My favourite seconds of a song", where fans showcase the parts of Interpol songs which they find most inspiring. I've decided to take some of these sections as springboards for my analysis.

Hands Away 1:42 - 2:02

"Homespun desperation's knowing/Inside your cover's always blown"
This section just sums up all of TOTBL to me. When I hear this bit, it takes me right back to the first time I listened to the whole album in one go. I think it's a combination of the production, Paul's little axiom, and how incredibly classy and subtle Sam has always been - even in the earliest days.

Thinking about and examining this moment actually made me appreciate this song in a way that I hadn’t before. Always just classifying “Hands Away” as atmospheric, I’d never taken the time to really listen to it, and ask myself what I felt and thought while doing so.

- Like with most favorite moments in music, much of our predilection for that moment is contingent upon what comes before and after it. The songs begins with a very sparse texture (guitar only), and Paul enters with typically cryptic lyrics and sounds fairly close-by to the listener (please note that I always refer to Paul’s lyrics as if they are portraying characters, thereby acknowledging his repeated statements that his lyrics aren’t necessarily and indeed are rarely meant to be listened to as autobiographical). The drums enter at 0:31, with Sam hitting the kick-drum on every beat (fairly unusual), and therefore providing the song with a sense of urgency and somewhat resembling a heartbeat, which makes me a little uneasy (like that moment in 2001 when Kubrick forces you to listen to the astronaut’s breathing for what feels like an age). To me, this drum pattern sounds as if it triggers Paul’s next entrance in 0:35, in which he moans and asks “what happened?” thereby giving us a window into the desperation of the character. Shortly thereafter the second guitar and the keys enter, and from 0:47-1:41 the voice is absent while the instruments repeat and build in texture (and therefore, to my ears, in suspense).

- At 1:42 (the beginning of this particular favorite moment), the voice reenters, but is now much farther away, and seems to be now more of a narrator as opposed to a first-person character. It’s as if Paul’s character needed to pull away from the listener (and perhaps the band itself) for this confession. Seven seconds after the voice leaves the song for good, Carlos enters, filling out the bottom-end of the texture for the first time. His entrance gives me a sense of fortification---the vocals have just confessed desperation, but the bass comes in shortly thereafter to provide a foundation; I could also, however, hear the bass entrance as confirmation: the bass telling the vocals, your confession is truth, and my entrance attests to its integrity. From about 2:09-2:37 the bass remains with the song, and the string synths repeat a dramatic, almost ecstatic rising figure. After this, the bass falls away again and the texture thins out; at 2:49 the kick-drum “heartbeat” stops, and the song ends much as it began 15 seconds later.

- I can see what this fan means about this moment summing up TOTBL for them. I’d always had the vague impression that, of Interpol’s three albums, this one felt the coldest, rawest, and most depressing (all of which I assure you attracts me all the more to the album). Beyond being in a minor key, this song, with its desperation-focused lyrics, general lack of bass, and heartbeat-imitating drum pattern, pulls at my heartstrings towards a fairly dark and raw place (a place I found myself when I first moved to NYC, no less), which is perhaps why I had avoided really listening to it for all these years.

I look forward to digging into more of these entries very soon!

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

Video: a chat in England

2008-02-17T17:43:00.005-05:00

A short interview done by my sister, recorded by her husband Jamie (they like making movies). It was absolutely freezing outside!

From early days to OLTA

2008-01-29T14:32:00.000-05:00

“I'd love to hear your thoughts on early stuff such as Precipitate and maybe their growth to now. –Josh”

- Before getting to Josh’s question, I’d like to briefly address the idea of musical form. Most songs are of course made up of verse and chorus (repeated cyclically: vs1-ch-vs2-ch, etc.), but with a band like Interpol, we hear a lot more sections in any particular song’s form than just verse and chorus. This in fact was one of the challenges for me in my NARC paper, what to call the individual sections of the song.

- Little did I realize at the time that NARC actually has a relatively (very relatively) simple song form when compared to many of Interpol’s songs. In particular NARC is fairly cyclical, in that the sections of the form re-cycle in the order in which they first appeared: verse 1, pre-chorus, chorus, verse 2, pre-chorus, chorus, after which point we get into less easy-to-designate territory (which I ended up for ease’s sake calling verse 3 and coda).

- Listening to early songs like “Precipitate” or “Specialist,” I’m struck by how “creative” I have to get in order to designate the sections of each song’s form, and also by how non-cyclical their forms are. “Precipitate” starts off with a version of the standard cyclical verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, but this only takes up half of the song, the rest of which traverses on without repeating sections. This type of song form is one that we hear more often in Turn on the Bright Lights (“Stella,” and “The New,” for example) and in Our Love to Admire (“Pioneer to the Falls”) and less often in Antics, one of the reasons I’m guessing that some fans hear OLTA as a (often termed welcome) return to TOTBL.

- So, to answer Josh more directly: the preference of (please forgive me) “peregrinated” song forms over cyclical song forms is one of the ways that I hear Interpol’s earlier work as differentiated from Antics, and also one of the ways that I hear OLTA as harkening back to that earlier work. Even in Antics, however, Interpol’s songs stretch the norms of song form.

Thanks for the question, Josh. There’s a lot more to say on this, so I’ll be dedicating a few blogs in February to my findings on form and other musical parameters in songs from all of Interpol’s “eras.”

Until then,
Much love from,
Meg

P.S. Just to quickly answer this question from Ian:

“Did you discover the notes/chords on your own or did you use a "TAB"? –Ian”

- I transcribed the music into standard musical notation using the program Sibelius; I tried to be as true to what I heard as possible and managed to get the voice, guitars, bass, and keyboard down, but not the drums (haven’t quite learned how to do that yet, though I definitely want to include them in my transcriptions eventually). Once I get it turned into a PDF I’ll be making it available to any who’d like to see it. Thanks for the question!

Carlos's compositions

2008-01-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

As promised last time, a few thoughts on Carlos:

“What do you think of Carlos' orchestrations in Interpol as well as his solo compositions (ie, 'the Mortician' for HBO iPromo)?”

- I really love the way Carlos captures a particular style of composition with “Mortician,” one that is now nearly ubiquitous in the world of soundtracks (both in film and television), but that actually has roots in concert music from about 20+ years ago: I’m speaking here of composers such as John Adams (I highly recommend his work from 1980 called Harmonium), Steve Reich (and his 1976 work Music for 18 Musicians), and of course Philip Glass (his 1988 piano piece Metamorphosis was used to great effect in the new version of “Battlestar Gallactica”), the last of whom has composed several recent film scores (The Hours, The Illusionist, etc). I find it quite remarkable that Carlos, a self-trained musician, has managed in “Mortician” to both reproduce, and make his own, a style of music that is associated mostly with highly educated composers (Adams studied at Harvard, while Reich and Glass both attended Julliard).

- What really surprised me when I first listened to “Mortician” is how happy and up-beat sounding it is, as I’d always thought of Carlos as a “dark” musician, and just assumed that “darkness” was what he brought to Interpol. And in fact listening to this track one doesn’t necessarily hear a lot of “Interpol.” What does sound closest to me in terms of the Interpol sound occurs in the peak-moment around minute 5:00, before which a dramatic build-up has taken place. Such climaxes (i.e., those that occur about three-quarters of the way through the song) are quite common in Interpol’s songs. We then get this very clever return to the beginning material, which highlights the cyclical “time” theme that’s been apparent from the very beginning with the presence of the clock ticking. The clock fades away about 10 seconds from the end, and just as the music begins to swell dramatically again, the piece is abruptly over with a short pluck of the strings. I think we get a touch of Carlos’ sense of humor here: dramatic climaxes don’t last forever, after all. In general I think we get a taste of Carlos’ true personality in this piece, and thereby get a peak into which elements he brings to Interpol, namely an ear for drama and a flair for orchestration.

- The opening of Carlos’ orchestration of “Pioneer to the Falls” represents an entirely different musical style to me, more along the lines of Wagner or Mahler (both of whose music served as the basis for the majority of the film music composed in the first half of the 20^th century). The opening horn moment is quite emblematic of the so-called late-Romantic era of Western European music. What sort of confuses my ear with this orchestration, however, is the style-change that takes place when Paul’s voice enters, where Carlos adds plucked strings, piano, and xylophone; as a result we end up with something like a Danny Elfman/Gustav Mahler blend that doesn’t quite sit right with me. I think this blend would have been more convincing for me had Carlos put a little more sustained bass in the mix, as it feels a bit treble-heavy. However, I will say that I absolutely adore the timpani hit at 3:28 and his treatment of the “So much for make believe…” section, and the fact that I can be critical at all with this track speaks to its worth.

- I’ll just add (in case I’ve made you question my love of Carlos’ music!) that I’m looking forward to hearing more compositions by Carlos in the future, as I think these pieces are just a taste of what’s to come from his solo oeuvre.

Up next, a fan asks about Interpol’s development from early songs (such as “Precipitate”) to now.

As always,

Love from,

Meg

P.S. Just a reminder that my email is megwilhoite@gmail.com if you’d like a copy of my NARC paper.

Karen’s questions #3: The Agony and Ecstasy of Analysis

2008-01-17T06:18:00.000-05:00

“3) I’m glad to see someone has the interest and the analytical skills to dissect the music we all love. I’d like to do the same albeit from a psychological standpoint but frankly, I’m fearful of breaking the inherent mystery that’s so attractive to this medium.

Cheers, Karen”

- These comments from Karen certainly set some thoughts in motion for me: the vivisection of music, the psychoanalysis inherent in music-analysis, and the mystery of music. To be sure, I have often agonized over what it means to analyze (pull-apart) or even worse, perform vivisection on music. Though I enjoy zooming in on certain aspects of a song, and even find it helpful in my understanding not only of the music but also of myself, I am painfully aware that whatever I (or any music-analyst) come up with will never, ever be able to encapsulate in its entirety my total experience with music such as Interpol’s. I think this feeling of incompleteness ties into my inability to ever have complete knowledge of all that is going on in my consciousness when I listen to a song.

- And yet, as Karen and as other Interpol fans have said, we are glad to see Interpol’s music being treated this way, and I think we are glad because it means something we love is being taken seriously. Their songs do not feel like simple pop songs, but rather feel like complex and “organic” (as Daniel loves to say) entities, complete much in the way we feel a human being is complete. And just as a psychoanalyst strives to cognize and describe in words the complex human mind, aware that s/he will never fully understand what is going on in that mind, so music-analysts (many of whom draw on some sort of music theory for their descriptions) strive to cognize and describe in words the complex human creation that we call music. For me, much of this strife involves asking myself the question, “how does that [music] make you feel?”

- At the end of the day, Interpol are creating music, and that creation process is a long and arduous one; or so I gather from their interviews. The interviewer will ask “how was your break in between finishing touring for Antics and the release of OLTA?” and invariably one of them will say “well, we had 3 months off, and then went straight back to work.” I think this is where the mystery that Karen mentioned starts. How is it that this kind of sweat-of-the-brow, hours-long work suddenly produces an independent entity that seems to take on a life of its own? And how is it that this entity, this song, can make us feel and react in certain ways?

- Many thanks again, Karen, for your questions/observations, as they provided most satisfyingly food for thought!

Up next: a fan asks “what is your opinion of Carlos’ orchestrations?”

Until then,

Much love from,

Meg

Karen's questions #2: Multiple layers and multiple listens

2008-01-10T08:24:00.000-05:00

And now #2 from Karen:

“I can follow one instrument quite easily through a song and this might change according to input (mood, attention, etc), and other times perceive being surrounded or enveloped by all facets of the song schema.”

- I can certainly relate to these perceptual phenomena; that is, to the many different ways that my “mind” can receive and interpret music depending on my mood or level of attention. I’ve more than once had the experience of consistently latching onto certain hooks or instruments when listening to a particular song, only to one day inexplicably hear in the very same song something completely new that I had never noticed before. The process of transcription (taking the sound source and attempting to at least partially translate it into Western musical notation), in particular, makes one acutely aware of facets of the song that might otherwise go unnoticed.

- I remember when I would listen to NARC (before writing my paper), the falling bass line that first happens around 0:40-0:54 would break my heart, and I would attribute all the heart-breaking beauty of that moment to the bass line solely. To my astonishment, when I was transcribing the song I realized that my beloved bass line actually begins in 0:36, something I had never notice before. Why? I asked myself. I finally concluded that it was most likely the entrance of the strings in 0:40 which were signaling my ears in a significant way, and which somehow drew my attention to the bass line (which, if you’ve read my paper, had also a very convenient theoretical explanation for its expressiveness---it’s always gratifying when theory can actually provide plausible explanations for the way music affects one!). Thus, I decided that it was the strings and the bass line of that moment in NARC that was being translated by my “mind” as “heart-breakingly beautiful.”

- As a side note: there is actually an entire discipline, usually called “perception/cognition,” (see musicperception.org for example) that includes music theory as a related discipline, which purports to examine and explore scientifically how listeners respond to music. Unfortunately, though, it’s still a young discipline, and the work that has been done has mostly been done on “classical” music (Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, etc), and not on music like Interpol’s in which the added layers of non-acoustic instruments, recording and production (to name a few) would provide crucial aspects of any such study.

Until soon,

Love from,

Meg

Working at the Paul Sacher Stiftung in Basle

2008-01-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm in Switzerland for a couple of months doing research in Basle. Here's a little video walking up the Rheinsprung (not best quality):

[Radiohead dubbed over]

Karen's questions: #1 Vocals and cinema

2007-12-28T07:45:00.000-05:00

"1) What role do vocals play in creating Interpol’s aesthetic / cinematic sound in terms of pitch, etc? Am I right in noticing also the vocal tracks are mostly no more prominent that any other instrument?

2) I can follow one instrument quite easily through a song and this might change according to input (mood, attention, etc), and other times perceive being surrounded or enveloped by all facets of the song schema.

3) I’m glad to see someone has the interest and the analytical skills to dissect the music we all love. I’d like to do the same albeit from a psychological standpoint but frankly, I’m fearful of breaking the inherent mystery that’s so attractive to this medium.

Cheers, Karen (coma~rose)"

Thanks, Karen, for very provocative questions/observations—so thought provoking, in fact, that I’d like to divide my comments into three shorter blogs according to the numbers I’ve added into your text. So, to the questions about vocals:

~ To address the second part of the question first, I agree that the vocal tracks sound fairly equally weighted with the other instruments in the mix (though I admit I am not an expert in music production; any readers knowledgeable in this area?), and I think this has a lot to do with an idea I’ve toyed with before in this blog and in my NARC paper: that most often in Interpol’s music all of the instruments work together independently, “contrapuntally,” if you will, to create the song. Whereas a lot of music out there involves a situation where the singer, and therefore the melody, is at the forefront and the instruments back the melody up, I believe Daniel’s repetitive hooks, Carlos’ often melodic bass lines, and Sam’s dynamic drum parts work together equally with Paul’s vocal line to create their own particular music; take one of the instruments away, and the song will probably sound as naked as if you took the vocals away. Thus it would stand to reason that during production the vocal track would be blended evenly in with the other instruments.

~ As for the first part of the question, the observation that Interpol’s aesthetic is perhaps cinematic is one to which I think many of us can relate, as I’m sure I’m not the only listener for whom Interpol’s music has evoked cinematic scenes, and indeed Daniel has often remarked in interviews of the inspiration he derives from film when composing. I think the role that the vocals play in creating this cinematic sound can be considered in terms of not only the storytelling nature of the lyrics (stories about Roland, Stella, spies, and a fired-up soul, etc.), but, as Karen writes, in terms of pitch. When singing to us the bulk of the story in a song, Paul utilizes a vocal range that sits right around his speaking voice, never lingering too long in the extreme highs or lows of his voice. This means that the words are fairly easy to discern as he sings (even if the lyrics are somewhat cryptic!). Beyond this is again the production of the vocal track—in any particular song, does Paul sound close-by, or perhaps far-away in an expansive landscape? The answers to these questions probably contribute to the nature of your inner Interpol cinema.

Looking forward to getting to numbers 2 and 3 very soon!

Much love from,

Meg

P.S. Happy New Year!

Thoughts on the NARC remix by Paul Banks

2007-11-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all,

I’d like to begin today with an observation:

“I think Paul's remix adds another aspect to ‘NARC.’…I've never thought of the remix though as a precursor to ‘The Lighthouse,’ but I would see how it would- the element of isolation, pensiveness, maybe even a little bit defeat, and acceptance of a certain fate/path” - Pallid Urchin

- Firstly, I agree with the opening comment regarding Paul’s remix of NARC—I hear the remix as revealing more of the true inner landscape of the protagonist portrayed in this song. I think it is significant that the remix ends before the protagonist has a chance to enter into what I call, in my extended analysis, his “fantasy” key: in the original version of NARC, the music moves to a new key just as Banks’ protagonist sings of entering his space with his lover (“we steps into my bedroom”…). The fact that Paul’s remix ends before this occurs underscores for me the “fantasy” of this moment. Eventually undermined in the original version with the onset of the final part of the song, this fantasy is altogether removed in Banks’ more intimate and sparse remix of the song.

- Secondly, I like the connection made between Paul’s NARC remix and “The Lighthouse,” as I also hear the two as resembling each other, especially in their textural character. When speaking of texture in music, I am trying to qualify feelings of “richness” or “sparseness” (or any other textural attribute) by drawing a metaphoric connection between these extra-musical attributes and a musical work’s instrumentation and production. I hear the “isolation” and “pensiveness” mentioned by Pallid Urchin as being a result, in both songs, of the instrumentation (mostly guitar, with other instruments added as quiet accompaniment), and also as a result of the production (the vocals sound as if they are echoing from a distance).

- Lastly, in “The Lighthouse,” I hear the “acceptance of a certain fate” particularly in the final section of the song, as the texture is filled out with bass and drums, and the tremolo guitar line becomes a short melody that is repeated four times; the rest of the band has shown up to draw the song to a definite close. Further, the final guitar melody itself sounds resolved to fate, as it begins with the interval of a perfect 4^th (interval referring to the “distance” between two notes—the spatialization of sound is crucial to Western music theory, though it does not intuitively work for everyone), which has symbolized throughout Western tonal music a sense of arrival, or finality.

- It is my hope that by (all too briefly) expounding upon comments like Pallid Urchin’s, we can discover together ways of thinking about Interpol’s music that elucidate our reactions to their songs. As always, your comments, thoughts, and/or questions are welcomed and encouraged – and for those of you who have already contributed to these, thank you, and look to the near future for your thoughts to be addressed here!

Love from,

Meg

P.S. I also want to answer quickly another question from Pallid Urchin:

“Are you planning on analyzing any other songs at some point? If so, which ones?” - Pallid Urchin

- As of yet, I’ve only studied NARC in depth—I prefer to make transcriptions of the songs before I interpret them, and these scores take me a few days of fairly intense concentration to produce—but I have ideas and observations regarding several of Interpol’s songs that I plan on putting to paper at some point in the near future. In particular, “Take You on a Cruise” and “Rest My Chemistry,” are high on my list. Thanks for asking!

Question 2: Scales, notes, and composition

2007-11-02T11:43:00.000-04:00

Question 2: “I've found with Interpol, that there is a tendency to stick to the same notes and chords. F major starts no less than 5 songs - four on Antics (i think). Is there in fact theoretical genius with the scales and notes used, or does Interpol's genius lie mainly in the composition of the basic parts of the song?” - Josh

Before getting to the meat of this question, I’d like to quickly address a few of the concepts brought up by Josh, which are the concepts of “scale,” “key,” and “chord,” in music. These concepts are related, in that they provide for us a way of theorizing about the palette of pitches that musicians use to write any given song. Both the scale and the key of a song tell us the specific collection of pitches that predominate throughout the song, as well as which will be the most commonly found chords (a “chord” is generally 3 or 4 notes played simultaneously, all of which are found “in” the key of the song). “F major,” refers to a type of chord, called a triad, which contains the pitches F, A, and C—this chord is found in the keys of F major, C major, B-flat major, etc.

~ The fact that Daniel, Paul, and Carlos all compose their music on guitars (though, as you know, Our Love to Admire saw Carlos integrating the keyboard parts earlier on in the compositional process than he had done in the past) is an important factor in their choice of keys, and therefore chords, for their songs. I find it fairly common to hear bands favoring one key over the others, and from my limited experience with playing the guitar, I can say that my hand usually favors certain shapes over others (this is also true when I play at the piano). Having heard in several interviews that, when the band convenes to write, Daniel often brings in a short lick that provides the springboard for a new song, a possible explanation for Josh’s observation is that (at the very least) Daniel’s hands might favor the F major shape.

~ The latter half of Josh’s question speaks more strongly to my reaction to Interpol’s music: for me, Interpol’s cleverness lies mainly in the composition and collaboration of each band member’s musical line. Aside from being in love with their music, part of what makes Interpol a fascinating band for me to study is the way in which they write their music—each band member has a say in the composition of the song, and somehow they manage to reconcile their individual tastes and needs in a piece of music that communicates collectively and coherently. I am able to hear “Sam” while at the same time hearing him interacting with “Paul,” while at the same time receiving a coherent communication from all 4 of them (including the keyboard) at once.

Thanks for the question—I hope this provided at least some illumination.

Love from,

Meg

Question 1: What makes Interpol’s music so addictive?

2007-10-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

Greetings to all. As I wrote in my last entry, my purpose for this blog is primarily for the discussion of questions you all may have about Interpol’s music. As a music theorist, I hope to offer you cogent ways of understanding and describing your experiences with their highly compelling pieces. To that end, let’s look at Question #1:

"What do you think makes Interpol’s music so addictive?”

~ This is an important question that deserves far deeper consideration than I can give it here; for now, I’d like to focus on how Interpol’s music influences a fusion of intellect and sensuality in us as listeners, something which I think many of us strive for in our lives, and therefore something that would cause us to desire to experience Interpol’s music over and over again.

~ As you may have noticed, Paul Bank’s lyrics tend to lean heavily on the side of physicality, that is, a preoccupation with the body, physical needs, and appetites. For example, “touch your thighs, I’m the lonely one” from “NARC”; “I haven’t slept for two days/I’ve bathed in nothing but sweat” from “Rest My Chemistry”; and “we have 200 couches where you can sleep tonight” from “PDA.” Even when singing about the non-corporeal soul in “All Fired Up,” Banks invokes physical sensation: “I’ve got this soul/it’s all fired up.”

~ So how does Interpol’s music influence a fusion of intellect and sensuality in listeners? The music itself is highly orchestrated and “contrapuntal” (referring to independent lines that sound harmonious together), and if you’ve ever seen them perform you’ve probably noticed the intense amount of concentration that is required of them by the music. Each musician has his own unique part that must be performed perfectly for the song to sound complete.

~ This precision is uniquely combined with cyclical harmonic and melodic motion—much of Interpol’s music could feasibly continue to repeat ad infinitum. That is, it doesn’t demand an ending, and it doesn’t command expectations from the listener, rather leaving us free to exist within the song as we please. And all of this is executed within a rich texture that is highly satisfying, as both the low end (e.g., the bass) and the high end (e.g., many of the guitar riffs) generally receive equal weighting in both the construction of the song and in its production.

~ This precise, cyclical, and rich music is paired with lyrics that are wide open to interpretation; lyrics that in a way tease us with possible narratives or meanings, but which require us to engage our intellect to come up with a meaning that speaks to us individually.

~ That’s all for now. Maybe I’ll pick this topic back up in a later entry, as I feel we’ve only scratched the surface of why Interpol’s music is so compelling.

Love from,

Meg

P.S. Many thanks to those of you who have submitted questions. I’d like to encourage any and all of you to send in questions and also to comment on the answers that I give – let me (and the other fans) know what you think about these entries.

Extra bits:

~ You also may have noticed that during interviews the band often discuss their collective compositional process, and it is my general impression that Paul creates his vocal line and lyrics toward the end of this process, so that his lyrics are woven into—and reflect the content of—an almost-completely formed musical communication (rather than the music communicating the content of the lyrics). Therefore, we could say that Paul is receiving (as well as creating with his guitar line) some sort of musical communication about physicality that inspires the writing of his lyrics.

~ The concept that music can communicate to us without words is an old one (Plato even talked about this), and theorists love to argue about how this is actually achieved. I personally believe that much of the communication we receive from music is contingent upon our culture; this is what makes Interpol a particularly extraordinary band, as their fan base extends far beyond their native USA.

Welcome to my blog - an introduction to my work

2007-10-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

My name is Meghann (pronounced Meg-Ann), but feel free to call me Meg. I am a music theorist, which means that I spend a lot of time thinking about how music is put together, and how it is that music can affect me the way it does. I’m sure you’ve all had an experience with music where you’ve gotten tingles down your spine, or you’ve had some intense libidinal response, or maybe your experience was more spiritually transcendent. Whatever the specific type, if you’re reading this blog, chances are that music has been a mind-altering experience for you on more than one occasion. But how is it that music can make us feel this way? And how can we talk about our physical, emotional and intellectual responses to it?

~ Some of you have recently been exposed to my analysis of Interpol’s song NARC, and I’d like to use this blog as a forum for addressing some of the questions that you have had as a result of this exposure. For my first entry, however, I’d like to describe the path I took in arriving at my analytical interpretation of NARC.

~ Perhaps the most important thing to understand about music theory is that it is indeed a theory of how music is constructed by musicians (perhaps you are one of these) and communicated to you, the listener (I’m hoping all of you are one of these). Music theory is a way of thinking about music – there is no inherent truth to the claim I make about Carlos’ bass line being “in B Phrygian.” Also important to understand is that there are multiple theories of music. Certain Indian musics, for example, have their own, highly sophisticated theories, and even within what is commonly called “Western tonal” music theory (which deals with a style of music whose origins are traditionally located in Western Europe starting around the 16^th century) theorists argue all the time about which is the best way to characterize such-and-such aspect of this style of music.

~ This “Western tonal music theory” is the one from which I draw most of my analytical tools in my examination of Interpol’s music. I have many reasons for doing this, the most basic of which is that I believe that their musical processes have as their basis those processes of the Western tonal style. But this is a whole other topic unto itself.

~ So when I write about the modal qualities and the harmonic content of NARC, I am drawing on a theoretical knowledge of music (one that I have acquired as a result of my particular musical education), and I am using that knowledge to make interpretive decisions about what Interpol are communicating to us via NARC (or at least what they’re communicating to me). And this particular type of theoretical knowledge is one that has a long history, extending essentially all the way back to the ancient Greeks.

~ I hope that this brief description of the path I took to NARC will provide us with a decent foundation upon which we can build a fruitful discussion about this amazing band’s music, and the amazing effect it has on us.

Love from,

Meg

P.S. While I’m guessing that some of you may have quite a bit of Western theory already, if anyone cares to hear me extemporize on the nature of scales, harmonies, etc., let me know and I’d be happy to post something up here along those lines.