Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Pitch-slapped: when a cappella singing becomes cool
Until the last few years, a cappella singing had never been cool. Even the 80s – the spiritual home of leg warmers and jazz ballet – did not attempt to pass off vocal arrangements as hot property. This is hardly surprising, given the origins of Western a … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
TV on the Stereo: The art of setting drama to pop music
Image Credit: RobotSkirts Spoiler alert: this column discusses a number of emotional moments in television drama. But, honestly, if you haven’t watched these shows, you’re doing it wrong. Popular music and television both came of age in the 1950s, and pop songs have been conspiring with TV … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
LCD Soundsystem’s discography of a friendship
LCD Soundsystem (2005) 2007. It’s two years since I slouched back to Brisbane from a stint overseas. Luke is the last of my best friends to remain here, in this oversized country town that shaped our university days. I’m surprised he hasn’t yet taken flight: he emerged … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Conceptualised: making albums indivisible
With the trend continuing in the music industry for album sales to drop while singles sales rise, bands are forced to work harder to entice fans to part with an album’s worth of cash. Three recent releases are notable examples of loose concept albums that come matched … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Breaking the first and second rules: talking about Music Club
Image credit: Big Mind Zen Center I recently started Music Club with a few friends. Yes, it sounds nerdy, but hear me out. It’s a monthly meeting, to which each club member brings the new songs that have been dominating their airwaves in the previous few weeks. … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Breaking art from its gallery prison: the Google Art Project
Image credit: anemoneunterwegs Last month, Google unveiled its second round of the Google Art Project, which now freely displays online high-resolution images of more than 32,000 artworks from 151 museums and galleries worldwide. You can browse the collection by artist; explore every inch of a painting (what … Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Battle of the music producers: whose theme will reign supreme?
Pop music producers are the invisible hands behind every smash hit single: they envision the overall product, compose the track, co-write the lyrics and hone the singer’s performance. The popstar contributes their own talent for co-writing, performing and selling the song; it’s a relationship akin to that of film director and actor. Read more
Column: Art / Music / Theatre
Love don’t live here anymore: falling out of love with your favourite band
When you first fall in love, you float above the earth, limbs cushioned by azure sky. You expect things to stay that way forever. Then one day you realise your feet are back on solid ground, the sky now an ominous black. How do you tell your … Read more
