MUSC215 final

Punk

Definitions:

Punk-a musical genre that embraces a DIY, back-to-basics approach to rock music; a cultural style or attitude defined by rebellion against authority and deliberate rejection of middle-class values (Let’s piss off the establishment)

harDCore-a louder, harder, faster version of punk; “a combustive mixture of white teenage male angst and frustrated energy

DIY Culture:

-underground clubs

-Home recording technology

-Indie labels

-College Radio

-Fanzines

-Posters

-Mixtapes

U.S Punk:

-Minimalist music:

• Few cords

• No virtuosity

• Short, fast songs

• Distorted guitar

• Screamed lyrics

• Lo-fi

-Lyrical themes:

• Anti-commercial

• Social alienation

• Anti-conformity

• Satire

• Rage

• Redefining white masculinity

British Punk:

-post-war, white, working class, youth subculture

-more political than the U.S

-Common targets: class system, aristocracy, government, mainstream media, conformity (esp. white masculinity)

Riot Grrl:

“A grassroots feminist movement of young women that came in the 1990s that focused on creative production”

-politics of feminism + punk aesthetic

-Translocal: Washington D.C and Washington state

-Punk music, zines, visual arts, political organizing and conventions

-put female musicians in positions of power and gave punk a feminist identity

-challenge the marginalization and treatment of women and girls in popular culture

-bring attention to critically important issues of women and teens

-challenge popular notions of femininity

Straight edge:

-abstaining from alcohol and drugs (used to help control the fights that happened during the shows which Ian Mackaye believed was ruining punk)

The Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the UK”:

-was a song against the anarchy because of the social system in the UK

-Because anarchy exists in the UK people can never truly get to the top

-The working class is left at the bottom

X-Ray Spex, “Oh, Bondage (Up Yours!)”:

-this was a punk band that featured a female singer

-talked about anti-consumerism and against wasteful behavior 

Ian MacKaye:

• Inspired by Bad Brains

• Teen Idles, 1979

• Minor Threat, 1980

• Straight Edge, 1983

• Dischord Records, 1980

• harDCore played out, in 1983

• Fugazi, 1987

• DIY, community, tolerance, independence, positivity

• Founder of the straight-edge movement

Kathleen Hanna:

• Established girls to the front in punk since in punk concerts girls were always being pushed to the back she welcomed girls to the front

• Activist, feminist, musician, artist

• Inspired by Gloria Steinem

• Spoken word artist, then singer

• Targeted sexism and violence against women

Minor Threat, “Straight Edge”:

-was a song complaining about people who took drugs and alcohol at punk concerts because they were bringing a bad name to punk and the main reason they were even going to these concerts was to start fights

Bikini Kill, “Rebel Girl”:

-Was a spin on the typical popular girl narrative where the other girls feel jealous of her and call her names

-this song is a praise for the popular girl

-truly brought the punk genre to females

Hip Hop

Definitions:

Race-a form of social identification and stratification

Griots:

-West African historians, musicians, and storytellers; “eyes, ears, and mouths” of their communities

Preaching:

-churches provide autonomy for black voices

-provided them with freedom

Black Arts Movement:

-late 1960’s

-associated with the Black Panther movement

-asserting African cultural identity, resisting white power structures 

-poetry and jazz

Gangsta Rap:

-urban street life

-prison toast tradition

-protest songs

-highly stylized narratives feature:

• Hypermasculinity

• Misogyny

• Hypersexuality

• Egocentrism 

• Profanity

• Poverty, drug addiction, violence

• Struggle, frustration

• Homophobia

• Predominantly white male mass audience

• The most commercially successful subgenre of hip-hop

Women in Hip Hop:

-late 80s-early 90s, 40 female artists signed to majors; by 2010, only 3

-Industry:” Appearance upkeep”

-Misogynoir

-Social media has enabled more female artists to forge careers but also subjected them to increased scrutiny

Trap music:

• Originated in Atlanta, GA

• T.I Trap Muzik (2003)

• Sound: rapid hi-hat, booming bass (Roland 808), elements of EDM and gangsta rap

• Now global, combined with other elements

Sugarhill Gang, “Rapper’s Delight”:

-hip-hop’s first commercial hit

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Message”:

-rap’s first political and social commentary

Run-DMC and Aerosmith, “Walk This Way”:

-was a mix between rock and hip-hop

-really helped popularize hip-hop

-in the music video it is shown that there should be unity in music, not division

Megan Thee Stallion:

• Megan Javon Ruth Pete: Rapper, singer, and philanthropist from Houston, TX

• Viral freestyle videos on social media

• First female rapper signed to 300 Entertainment

• Image as sexually dominant, “bad bitch”

• Advocate from Black women and BLM, mental health

Fela Kuti and Afrobeat:

Definitions:

Pan-Africanism- “a movement to encourage mutual assistance and understanding among peoples of Africa and African descent”

Pan Africanism:

-often traced back to Pan-African Conference in London, 1900

-Response to European colonialism (90% of Africa by early 20th century)

-Quest to “rescue and reclaim” Africans’ humanity 

-Africa as homeland of Africans and persons of African origin 

-Solidarity among people of African descent

-Belief in a distinct African personality

-Rehabilitation of African’s past pride in African culture

-Africa for Africans in church and state

-Hope for a united and glorious future in Africa

Afrobeat:

• “A reconstruction of elements codified into new forms that fit [Fela Kuti’s] unique worldview”

• Pride in African lineage 

• Community spaces by and for Africans

• Rejection of colonialism 

• Empowerment of African identities 

• Celebration of African-based cultural expression, especially music

• Solidarity among people of African descent

Fela’s visit to L.A. in 1969:

-Black Power Movement: Empowerment rooted in African identity

-Bebop: Art music, experimental, emphasis on solos, resists imitation

-Funk: For dancing, emphasis on bass, drums

- “Everything changed after America. The music changed, the ideology changed, everything changed”

The Shrine:

• Fela as “Chief Priest,” 6-hour sets

• Nigeria 70 becomes Afrika 70

• Shrine to Malcolm X and Nkrumah

• Sang in pidgin English

• Concerts become political rallies

Kalakuta Republic:

- “A cross-section between a Black Panther safe house and the Playboy mansion”

-Meetings were held in this place

-Often got raided because people at this location protests were planned and this place was very anti-government 

Fela Kuti, “Zombie”:

-A protest song against the police because they only follow orders like zombies 

Reggaeton:

Definitions:

Transnationalism-extending or going beyond national boundaries

Caserios-state-funded housing projects

Hurban-Hispanic + urban

Underground/musica negra: homemade mixtapes, makeshift studios, hip-hop samples, reggae beats, DJ-centered image

Underground/musica negra:

-develop thriving local hip-hop scene

-lyrics often focus on racial discrimination and police harassment

Jamaica:

-1950s-60s: Dance halls hosted dance parties in urban, mostly Black, working-class areas

-DJs played instrumental records of R and B, ska, rocksteady, and reggae through large speakers

-Toasting: DJ creates new lyrics for instrumental songs called “riddims”

-Dancehall genre mainstream by the 1980s

-Jamaican Patois lyrics=working class Jamaican identity 

-Lyrics often critical of Jamaican politics and government

-Shabba Ranks, “Dem Bow” became the foundation for reggaeton

Panama:

-Jamaican immigrants in Panama since the mid-1800s

-West Indian + Central American culture

-Reggae en espanol= Dancehall reggae with Spanish lyrics sung by Latin American artists

-El General made Spanish dancehall internationally famous

-Considered the original form of reggaeton

-Combination of sounds became extremely popular, esp. in Puerto Rico

New York City:

-Intersection of Jamaican immigrants, Puerto Ricans and African-Americans

-DJs, rappers/singers, producers

-Combined hip hop, reggae en Espanol, dancehall, and other styles

-shared experiences of class and racial marginalization and discrimination

Puerto Rico:

• U.S Territory since 1917

• Puerto Ricans are American citizens, disenfranchised at the national level

-Racialized minorities marginalized, lack of access to job opportunities, health care, education

-discrimination

Shabba Ranks, “Dem Bow”:

-Shabba Ranks, “Dem Bow” became the foundation for reggaeton

-Established the reggaeton beat

-crossed Jamaican, hip-hop, and Latin music

Daddy Yankee, “Gasolina”:

• Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez, songwriter, rapper, actor, and producer from Puerto Rico

• Underground DJ in the 1990s, first solo album in 1995 

• Credited with coining the term “reggaeton” and bringing it to the English-speaking market and audience

• “Gasolina” (2004): reggaeton's first hit and helped bring reggaeton to the mainstream

• Considered representative of reggaeton as a genre

• hypermasculine

Ivy Queen, “Somos raperos pero no somos delincuentes” (“We are rapper but not delinquents”):

-shows masculine attributes in her performances

-wears baggy clothes and performs with swagger

-helped bring women to reggaeton

-was one of the first women in reggaeton

-was both masculine and feminine

-a protest song agonist police for treating reggaeton artists disrespectfully

Becky G, “Bella Ciao”:

-normalizes women in powerful positions 

-negotaites alternatives to hypersexualization in reggaeton

-emphasizes women where women are in the front of the music video

-displays swagger with dance moves

-the emphasis is not on one man (men are in the back of the music video)

-Becky stands on top of the gold

-gender is not an emphasis because people are wearing masks and jumpsuits in the music video so everyone appears equal

Bad Bunny:

-Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, rapper, and singer from Puerto Rico, fans call him “Benito”

-speaks and sings in Puerto Rican Spanish

• “Modern day folk artist”: songs about working-class identity

• Puerto Rican Cultural and regional identities and political activism

-Maintains cultural heritage, brings change, negotiates alternatives, reinforces shared values

- “El Apagon”: Made a whole song about the way that new investors were taking people’s houses away and they were being forced to re-locate despite having lived there for a while

Global Metal:

Brazil: 

How did heavy metal spread here?

Dictatorship; heavy metal came with democracy

What did it represent?

Freedom of speech; togetherness

How did Sepltura give metal a Brazilian identity?

Added traditional Brazilian instruments to their music

What was Sam Dunn’s first film?

A Headbanger’s Journey

What degree does Sam Dunn have?

Masters in Anthropology

Japan:

How do Japanese mental fans’ attitudes contrast to Western fans?

Do not feel oppression or dissatisfaction (no rebellion); they are normal people outside the concert

How did metal come to Japan?

Deep purple; KISS (wearing makeup is allowed in Japan)

How do the Japanese give metal their own identity?

Marty Friedman; Girls can sing heavy metal; Played on variety shows

How is Visual K different from metal?

Guys dressed in glam and extravagant metal costumes; versatile music; and heavy metal next to sappy ballads

India:

What do they imply is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in India?

Bollywood

What does metal represent in India? 

Gives India its own identity;anti-conformity; religion against parents; establishes a community

China:

How did metal spread in China?

Lack of freedom of speech; communist traditions and thoughts 

What was the first Chinese metal band?

Tang Dynasty

What particular metal aesthetic resonates in China?

Metal look (mimics ancient warriors)(long hair=power); CD catalog cutouts

What does metal represent in China?

A tool to express emotions (especially dark emotions); reflects injustice and corruption in the government/ poverty

Indonesia:

What are some of Indonesia’s major social problems?

• Big population

• Unemployment

• Poverty

• corruption

What happened when Metallica played in Jakarta?

Fires were started; people could not get in; tore the neighborhood; police started hitting people; banned metal concerts

What do Indonesian heavy metal artists sing about, and what do they have in common with Brazil?

Sung about social and political issues; disagree with capitalist countries; refute the “terrorist” stereotype; oppose Zionism which is a Jewish culture that tries to oppress Islamics; third-world issues

Israel:

What are some of Israel’s major political issues?

• Religious wars

• When kids turn 18 they must go to the army

Which topic is particularly controversial in Israel?

Holocaust; Angel of Death: How we die by slayer

Why is metal important in Israel?

Speaks about the light (against wars)(unites people)

Iran (via Dubai):

How is metal restricted in Iran?

No CDs sold; no metal t-shirts; no jeans; no long hair; no Western music

What does this mean for the metal community?

• Anti-conformity

• Underground

• Spray paint on the walls

• Faced police harassment

How did metal spread in the Middle East?

• Internet

• Globalization

What does metal offer its participants in the Middle East?

• Relief

• Outlet to speak out and release anger in a positive way

• Escape

• Togetherness/community

Sam’s Conclusions:

What does he say metal means globally at the end of the film?

-Metal connects with people regardless of their culture; political and religious background

-Metal is freedom

Ska:

Definitions:

Hybridity-combination of elements from a variety of musical styles or genres

Musical precursors to ska:

Jazz:

• Tourism

• U.S Military bases

• Radio

R and B:

• Radio and tenement yards

• Variety shows

-Recording industry 

Alpha Boys School:

-founded by nuns, 1880

-orphanage and industrial school

-Sister Mary Ignatius Davies (taught 1939-2003)

-Record collector, music lover, teacher

-Graduates became professional musicians

Sound Systems:

-Enlarged for outdoor crowds

-Liquor stores, dancehalls

-Lucrative, competitive

-Toasting

Jamaican independence:

-August 6, 1962

-Ska as Jamaican national music

-NY World’s Fair, 1964:

• Skatalites vs.Bryon Lee

-Authenticity vs. image

2Tone:

-anti-racist 

-established everyone as an equal 

-shown that black and white people could work together

-had colored people in the band

-is a record label that housed the specials

-logo and mascot “Walt Jabsco”

-working-class background

-blended ska, punk, pop, and new wave

Ska in the U.K:

-1948-1970: Nearly half a million West Indian immigrants

-helped bring ska to white British youths

-spirit of rebellion, message-oriented

-UK in 1970s: high unemployment

-Rise of Nationalism, anti-immigrant

-Rise of Socialism, anti-government

British ska:

-less jazz and calypso

-more punk and pop: keyboards and electric guitar 

Ska in Argentina:

-Los Calzones Rotos was formed in Argentina, 1988

-brought 2Tone sound to Latin audiences

-More emphasis on electric guitar (rock)

-Anthemic singing

 Ska in the U.S:

-Robert “Bucket” Hingley, British immigrant

-popularized ska in the U.S
-Formed The Toasters in 1981

-Started Moon Ska Records, 1983

-Compilation albums

-Ska spreads to the Midwest, South, and West Coast

-Ska boom, mid-1990s

-film and tv

-ska bust, late 1990s

American elements of ska:

–comic book style art on albums

-zines

-spies instead of rube boys/girls

-lyrical themes: racism, greed, and war

Sonia Pottinger (producer):

-helped move the recording industry

-had the magic touch and knew what song was going to be a hit

Theophilus Beckford, “Easy Snappin”:

-first recorded ska song 

Skatalites, “You’re Wondering Now”:

-studio hornsmen and vocalists

-many were alpha boys 

-regular live gigs

-recorded covers and originals

- “You Wondering Now” was their first hit and their first original song

-they became Jamaica’s most popular band but they did not play in an international festival because of their “rough” image 

-they looked like lower-class individuals and spoke in a lower-class accent so the government did not want them representing Jamaica on a large scale

Millie Small, “My Boy Lollipop:

-poppy and feminine image

-helped bring ska to the mainstream

-similar to a pop song

The Specials, “Gangster”:

-a song against the police because of how they treated them

-they were punished for supposedly “trashing” a hotel even though they did not do it and were being accused simply because of their image

-they portrayed a lower-class image so it was easy to place the blame on them