Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A place for everything and everything in its place

This is officially my first blog post. I haven’t exactly figured out if this is the title I want or not, but I like my url choice. This blog won’t be about something very specific, like some people have blogs exclusively devoted to politics, or movies, or music, etc. It will be about whatever may be on my mind at the moment, which could include any of those things and more. So I hope you can tolerate my various musings and rants.

In this spirit, I’ll relay a rant I had in my car the other day.

I. Hate. Auto-Tune.

For those of you who don’t know, here is a Wikipedia entry on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune is an audio-processor used in recording studios (and even more sadly, now often in live performances) that corrects pitches that are off. In other words, it makes bad singers sound passable. Never mind the fact that this is totally lame and if you use it, you probably have no business recording music in the first place, but in a live performance it is dishonest, unethical, and completely lacking in all integrity. On top of that, the widespread use of it is dumbing down music and making everything sound the same.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I’ll tell you what got me thinking about this in the first place. Auto-Tune is also used in very obvious ways to distort vocals. Check this out for further explanation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYzv-AVi78E. (David, you’ll like this one, it has Weird Al in it). Think Cher’s “Believe.” This is most often used in pop/r&b/hip-hop. As much as I hate Auto-Tune in principal, it has its place when it is used in this overdone, obvious way. The Black Eyed Peas have utilized it well, particularly because on their most recent album, they made it clear that the album was intended to be futuristic. The problem is, it is used by so many people in this way it is a giant musical cliché and it’s irritating to turn on a Top 40 station (not that this hasn’t been irritating for quite some time for other reasons ;).

/end of rant

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2 comments:

  1. Crazy BrunetteMarch 9, 2010 at 10:49 AM

    This is so perfectly you. Passionate about things a Crazy Brunette would never ever even consider worrying or thinking about!!!

    BUT, now that you have brought this to my attention, I feel the need to Google this and find out why the fuck this is acceptable!

    You know I had incorporate 'fuck' in there somewhere! I do have a reputation to uphold you know!

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  2. DavidMarch 10, 2010 at 12:09 AM

    I'm not sure. I'm actually quite intrigued by the whole concept of using it as a parody.
    I'd be like "Ha! Suck suckiness, Suckers! Though, I'll be honest. Some of that would be just to say "suck" in different ways.
    Also, I rather did enjoy "Life After Love" (the Cher song) when used in LAND OF THE LOST. Just saying.

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