Once There Were Songs

Washington Times ^ | John R. Wood, JR | Monday, July 1, 2013

[nickcarraway]

I was at the famous Whiskey a Go Go club in West Hollywood the other night. The occasion: the nomination ceremony and press event for the Los Angeles Music Awards Show, to be held later in the year. At the event I had the pleasure of sitting on a judging panel with actress Kat Kramer, Hollywood publicist Liz Rodriguez and editor of Music Connection magazine Eric Bettelli.

The event was a blast, and I got to hear some good music from acts spanning several different musical genres. But, with the exception of a couple of pieces by up and coming Lake County, California based rock group Cheating Daylight, what I didn’t hear at the show was what I don’t hear much in popular music at all nowadays: melodies that stand out and are memorable.

Seems like there used to be a time when melodies, the heart of any song, were what defined any song and songwriter as being durable and valuable over the long run. Today, the emphasis on melodies has been replaced by a focus on beats, and music as a whole has become much more simplistic as a result.

Who are the great singer/songwriters of today, those artists who, song after song, put out not just songs but melodies that stick with you, that don’t fade as soon as the next song comes up in the shuffle or on the radio?

I put that question privately to Eric Bettelli and we did come up with a few: Bruno Mars, to be certain; also John Legend and Adele. I might add to that short list R&B artist Ne-Yo who’s got a penchant for melody. No doubt, these are great artists. But five years from now you could probably add up all of their memorable songs and there wouldn’t be

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Y’all gotta see this! Swamp Rock...max.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL_T7-il8AU

[Fiji Hill]

All I know is that there is still something very special about a song that doesn’t just help you drown out the white noise of modern living, but instead, actually compels you to stop, listen, and reflect.

Like these songs:

• You, Too, Will Betray Me Someday--Ilya Livshakoff (with Leo Monosson)

• Broken Hearted--Aileen Stanley

• Home--Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees

• Stay As Sweet As You Are--Katherine Smith

• Lullaby of the Leaves--Adrian Schubert

[InterceptPoint]

Brandi Carlile. Still writing great melodies. Some ballads, some rock. Good stuff.

[central_va]

Todays music sucks, it isn’t really music. Kind of a sub high tech Saharan African native sound....

[jagusafr]

Dave Matthews, Dave Barnes, Ben Rector, Jason Mraz, Jon Mayer (wincing slightly) - heck, even Michael Buble occasionally gets one right (Everything, Just Haven’t Met You Yet). Problem is, these folks don’t get played on top XX radio precisely because they DON’T do auto-tune and euro-beats.

[Liberty Valance]

Dinah Washington ~ Manhattan

[Mad Dawgg]

You mean he isn't impressed with Skrillex?

[Fiji Hill]

John Randolph Wood, Jr., the grandson of record industry pioneer Randy Wood (founder of the iconic 1950’s record label “Dot” records...

The Dot diskery turned out some great rockers:

• Uranium--The Commodores (1955)

• Daddy-O--The Fontane Sisters (1955)

• Tutti Frutti--Pat Boone (1956)

• Long Tall Sally--Pat Boone (1956)

• Come and Go With Me--The Del Vikings (1957)

[Fiji Hill]

Now that’s a solid hummer!