exam three

Question 1

Synthesizer

Answer 1

Electronic device that allows musicians to blend, manipulate, and ultimately create new musical sounds

Question 2

Scratching

Answer 2

Technique developed by Grandmaster Flash’s protégé, Grand Wizard Theodore, which involved spinning a record back and forth on a turntable to create scratchy sound effects

Question 3

Emcee

Answer 3

*member of a DJ’s posse that serves as the verbal performer of rhymes

Question 4

Autotune

Answer 4

*audio processer that can pitch-correct singers and add effects like the synth, influential and controversial, used by T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye

Question 5

DJs and VJs

Answer 5

*DJs: wrote their own rhymes, recruited members, heavy groove with strong backbeats, music production
VJs: MTV

Question 6

Toasting tradition

Answer 6

Poetic storytelling tradition with roots in the trickster tales of West Africa and a major influence in the formation of hip-hop culture and rap music (e.g., importance of storytelling and rhyming by an MC)

Question 7

Live Nation

Answer 7

*live entertainment company, manages concert promotion, ticketing sales, and sponsorship, controlling several venues, Ticketmaster (subsidiary) mainly handles ticket sales

Question 8

MTV

Answer 8

TV channel launched in 1981 dedicated to music, musicians, and music videos initially

Question 9

MP3

Answer 9

*audio coding format, zip files, more storage for more songs

Question 10

CD

Answer 10

*compact discs for music

Question 11

Willie Nelson

Answer 11

Progressive country artist who began as a songwriter, DJ, and cover artist of Roy Acuff tunes who rose to fame in the 1970s, collaborating with fellow “outlaw” country artist Waylon Jennings

Question 12

Bruce Springsteen

Answer 12

*more successful in pop while casting his music and personal image in the light of the rebellious rock ‘n’ roll stars of the 50s and the socially conscious folk rock stars of the 60s, E Street Band, Born in the USA concept album, political commentary, energetic, popular reception, “My Hometown”

Question 13

Deep Purple

Answer 13

English heavy metal band known for their hit “Smoke on the Water” (1972)

Question 14

Pearl Jam

Answer 14

*grunge, Seattle formed, anti-mainstream, rebellious, refused to tour and make music videos, “Corduroy”

Question 15

Snoop Dogg

Answer 15

*90s hip hop, “What’s My Name” features looped bass progression, drug and homicide references, and rhythm is valued more over melody and harmony

Question 16

Queen Latifah

Answer 16

Commercially successful female rap artist that often touched on themes of female and African American empowerment

Question 17

Beyonce

Answer 17

*Destiny’s Child (vocal harmony group), compared to Diana Ross, R&B and soul, 2003: Dangerously in Love album, “Single Ladies” music video and dance, album Lemonade presented as a film in eleven segments directed by a group of filmmakers, including Beyonce

Question 18

Ravi Shankar

Answer 18

*sitar, Indian classical music, the Beatles and George Harrison

Question 19

Waylon Jennings

Answer 19

*started as a DJ, rebel and cowboy look, in the Crickets, “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” features his similar-to-Elvis voice

Question 20

Madonna

Answer 20

Pop music star known for her synth-pop style and sexually provocative performance persona

Question 21

Van Halen

Answer 21

*metal, heavy synth, “Jump” has a high energy verse, VCU

Question 22

Gloria Estefan

Answer 22

Female Latin pop artist from Cuba and member of the Miami Sound Machine who sold over 90 million albums worldwide

Question 23

Run DMC

Answer 23

Influential early hip-hop trio that often blended rock and rap characteristics; first rap group to headline a national tour and appear on MTV

Question 24

Adele

Answer 24

*208 weeks on the Billboard top 100 albums: 21, 2011: “Rolling in the Deep,” soul and inspired by Lauryn Hill

Question 25

Bob Marley

Answer 25

*national hero in Jamaica for songs of determination, rebellion, and faith rooted in the Rastafarian belief system, signed to Island Records 1972, Boston Concert in 1974, assassination attempt in 1976, "I Shot the Sheriff"

Question 26

Prince

Answer 26

*middleclass, Italian, African, Native American, from Minneapolis, 80 million albums sold, an album a year - immense productivity, Paisley Park Studio - tight control over his own music production, funk/guitar-based rock 'n' roll/urban folk/new wave/jazz/psychedelic rock inspired, mid-1980s: "Darling Nikki" from Purple Rain was first recording to ever receive a Parental Advisory warning, 1993: name changed to "The Artist," 1995: commercial success accompanied by increasing frustration and break with Warner Brothers ("slave"), 2000: "Prince" again, Purple Rain: plot and characters draw heavily on his life, both professional and personal, sexual boundaries and persona

Question 27

Green Day

Answer 27

*inspired by "Ramones" and English rockers, album Dookie is their breakthrough -- "Basket Case," punk influence, heavy beats, rebellious persona, American Idiot -- "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Question 28

Selena

Answer 28

*tejano (texas-mexico): mexican and european dance, polka waltz, accordian, performed with father's band, 1983: first album for Freddie Records (indie label), 1989: signed with Latin division of EMI, 1994: was in Don Juan DeMarco and won first Grammy, 1995: shot and killed by fan club president who was embezzling money, Mexican Madonna, posthumous album debuted at number one, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"

Question 29

NWA

Answer 29

*gangsta rap, group formed in 1986 with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Easy E, recordings that expressed the gangsta lifestyle and included images of sex and violence, aligned with the toasting tradition, Straight Outta Compton album, "Gangsta, Gangsta"

Question 30

Whitney Houston

Answer 30

*grew up singing gospel, VH1 helped boost her career, 1992 cover of "I Will Always Love You" and appearance on "The Bodyguard" boosted career, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" in 1987, synth, vocally complex (like motown and soul)

Question 31

Taylor Swift

Answer 31

*country music to country pop to pop to indie folk to pop, "We Are Never Getting Back Together" in 2012, Red was the last country-esque album, 1989 album in 2015 was the first fully pop album, abandoned native style during massive success, crafted image with Instagram, earned $73.5 million in 12 months, with $61.7 from touring

Question 32

Michael Jackson

Answer 32

“King of Pop” known for his signature “moonwalk” and collaborations with a wide variety of artists

Question 33

Queen

Answer 33

*met in London in college in the 60s, bounced between labels, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, album Night at the Opera, "Another One Bites the Dust" released as single because of Michael Jackson, "Under Pressure" collab with David Bowie: converging styles, glam rock, bright piano and reverb, metallic guitar, electric, punk rock, heavy bass and backbeat on 2 and 4 (especially when Bowie joins), intro bassline hook recycled throughout

Question 34

Nirvana

Answer 34

*grunge band, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, inspired by the Beatles, "Smells Like Teen Spirit": heavy guitar, gritty and growly timbre of voice, shouting, loud, repetitive guitar chord progression (like a garage band), not organized/clean/polished

Question 35

Public Enemy

Answer 35

*hip hop, founded in 1982, core set of members met as college students, drawn together by interest in hip hop culture and political activism, 2 MCs: Chuck D and Flavor Flav, DJ: Terminator X, "Minister of Information": Professor Griff, album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back": combined social/political analyses of Chuck D with interjections of Flavor Flav

Question 36

MC Hammer

Answer 36

*rapper, "U Can't Touch This": hammertime dance, repeated melodic hook in bass, rhyming and repetitive backbeat

Question 37

Mariah Carey

Answer 37

*mother was an opera singer, known for her large vocal range, 80s demo tape sent to Columbia Records, then she married their producer, R&B, gospel, pop, MTV, rap elements, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" in 1994

Question 38

New Kids on the Block

Answer 38

*formed in 1984, got traction in the late 80s, bubble gum pop, for young teens, template for later boy bands, "pretty boys," merch and touring brought in lots of profit, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" in 1988, synth

Question 39

Progressive country

Answer 39

*grew out of 1960s counterculture, inspired by honky-tonk and rockabilly, intellectual, Bakersfield, California country music, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings

Question 40

Grunge

Answer 40

Rock style blending punk and heavy metal, with heavy distortion and a “dirty” sound/timbre

Question 41

Alternative rock

Answer 41

*music that challenges the status quo in some sense, used by music industry to cater to new "fringe" or less mainstream trends and styles to new audiences, heavy metal/grunge

Question 42

Pre chorus & post chorus

Answer 42

pre: Song section marked by energy gain that precedes a chorus post:

Question 43

Progressive rock

Answer 43

*rock music featuring complex compositions, experimental approaches, blends with jazz, classical, and psychedelic rock, Pink Floyd, ELO

Question 44

Synth-pop

Answer 44

*heavy reliance on electronics (synthesizers, drum machines, samplers), ostinato, and use of electronic effects, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics, Duran Duran

Question 45

Hip hop and rap

Answer 45

*uses synthesizers, 1970s NYC (Bronx) from African American and Caribbean communities, marginalized, breakdancing, energetic couple dancing, distinctive styles of visual art, dance, music, dress, and speech, response to socio-economic challenges and decline (defunding of community spaces, centers, and government funded housing), "toasting" tradition: African storytelling, tricksters, flourished in prisons, rhyming -- DJs began to compose their own rhymes and recruit members of their posse to serve as verbal performers (MCs), album "Hustlers Convention" and "The Chair," funk, soul, and jazz influence, "The Rapper" by the Jaggers -- background vocal harmonies, cowbell and clapping, electric guitar, emphasis on beats 2 and 4, VCU with big chorus, static/simple harmony, rhythm is more important than harmony, African influence: emphasis on rhythmic complexity and improv, turntable use, danceable groove, funk, importance of DJs: strong backbeats, heavy groove, dance break, "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang -- rhyming's importance, singing about dancing, money, clothes, bragging about material items and MCing, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, cultural response to oppression, racism, urban experience, authentic voice of underclass, exploits long standing stereotypes of black people, ancestors of rap

Question 46

Verse-chorus form

Answer 46

verse = same music, different text, chorus = same music, same text (usually), VCU1, VCU2, bridge

Question 47

Reggae

Answer 47

Jamaican music blending Afro-Caribbean folk music and American R&B, characterized by heavy backbeats and gritty, politically charged lyrics

Question 48

Synth-rock

Answer 48

*rock that utilizes synthesizers, drum machines, and other electronic instruments, Van Halen's "Jump"

Question 49

K-pop

Answer 49

*highly processed music, heavily manufactured sound, autotune, long-lasting appeal of 90s girl/boy bands, was made to appeal to tourists to boost economy and help share culture

Question 50

Heavy metal

Answer 50

*lots of distortion, heavy presence of the bass, synthesizer, loud, power chords, repeated and staccato rhythmic cells, hair bands, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, KISS, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard

Question 51

90s boy and girl bands

Answer 51

*Spice Girls, TLC, Destiny's Child, Boyz II Men, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, touring, merch, music videos, branding, image, personas, pretty, girl power, pop

Question 52

Gangsta rap (west coast)

Answer 52

Late 1980s variant of rap associated with southern California featuring highly stylized narratives of dilemmas faced by urban communities (poverty, drugs, and violence) often with darker lyric content