Music Write-Ups
How do you know Chris Earley?
How many MP3s do you have on your hard drive?
Song o’ the day regular Darius Roberts will soon be leaving, or has already left for China, where he will study the economic, social, and cultural contributors to increased car use there. The results of the studies will be used to inform policy changes and help craft new policies aimed at reversing or managing the trend, which is partially the result of a strong economy and growing middle class in China. This will be especially challenging because people in China see the three-car garages, suburban sprawl, and long commutes in the United States as a model of progress and success.
“On the earth”, by Persephone’s Bees is a whimsical song about population and car use that makes me think of Darius’ challenging journey, one which I hope brings great success and a lot of fun along the way.
Happy trails,
Paul Meuser
In my years of work as a designer, I’ve learned that it’s hard to consistently produce great work. Ideally, design and the creative process will be motivated by inspiration, an exploration that you must begin and finish. But in business they’re motivated by pressure and deadlines - things that tend to inhibit inspiration.
Even so, the process is sometimes surprisingly easy. New ideas flow from previously untapped sources, and every dip of the bucket into the creativity well yeilds brilliance. But the other 98% of the time is a struggle. Ideas trickle in from nearly depleted sources, and as you pull only rocks and mud from the bottom of the creativity well it’s clear that a longer and tougher exploration is necessary. You’re gonna earn it this time.
A similar process of ease or struggle is probably true in creating music, and the pressure, deadlines and marketing demands probably inhibit creativity. I think that’s what made Film School’s latest album sound like an unfinished struggle, but this song represents their 2% of simple brilliance.
-Paul Meuser
I “discovered” reggae the same way many people probably did, hearing a Bob Marley song for the first time. As I further explored the genre, I found that the world of reggae includes a great variety of artists and styles, including roots, rocksteady, dancehall and dub. I enjoy them all, but I spend most of my time in the dub corner of the reggae world, and mostly with reggae innovator and legend King Tubby.
In Wikipedia, dub is defined as “a form of Jamaican music, which evolved out of reggae in 1960s Jamaica. The dub sound is usually accomplished by removing the vocals from an existing music piece, then adding extensive echo and reverb effects, and throwing in snatches of the lyrics from the original version.”
King Tubby was one of the originators of dub. His unparalleled style, creativity and technical genius has transformed the music of many great reggae artists, such as The Skatalites on this track. Dub music has been a steady companion of mine because it’s positive and welcoming - which is sometimes a refreshing break from reality.
The reality of my last six months featured my work supervisor spreading false rumors about me to ruin my reputation, and taking my projects and clients from me. The abuse of her authority over me was fueled by a bruised ego and flawed logic, which left me feeling a little out of control. But instead of engaging in her battle, I worked to find a new path toward independence and success.
Like the graceful and beautiful harmony of this music, my strategy worked. I am no longer subject to her, the threat of termination or to the life-draining drama. I celebrated by listening to this song, the freedom and happiness I felt was perfectly expressed in the music.
-Paul Meuser