The Current Music Blog: August 24, 2006 Archive

Getting You Up, Getting You Down: How Music Works

Posted at 7:16 AM on August 24, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

We noticed a lot of chatter on the web yesterday about this article. It seems that a neuroscience professor at McGill University has been studying the effects of rock music on the brain. Daniel Levitin, who in a former lifetime was a knob-twiddling producer working with the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Grateful Dead, has found that:

"Music activates the same parts of the brain and causes the same neurochemical cocktail as a lot of other pleasurable activities like orgasms or eating chocolate -- or if you're a gambler winning a bet or using drugs if you're a drug user. Serotonin and dopamine are both involved."

Not only that, but here's where it starts to get, y'know, a little racy:

"(Research has shown that) if women could choose who they'd like to be impregnated by, they'd choose a rock star. There's something about the rock star's genes that is signaling creativity, flexibility of thinking, flexibility of mind and body, an ability to express and process emotions -- not to mention that (musical talent) signals that if you can waste your time on something that has no immediate impact on food-gathering and shelter, you’ve got your food-gathering and shelter taken care of."

Well, that certainly explains the groupie phenomena, but we wonder why most of thetickets are still overwhelmingly bought by boys.

Just so, isn't it gratifying to know that academia is hard at work confirming everything we already know and hold dear about rock 'n' roll? Study says rock music makes you high and horny. Duh!

Jurassic Week, Day 5! We Break Now to Check In With Mojave 3

Posted at 7:47 AM on August 24, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

One of our favorite time-wasters is to look up a favorite band at the All Music Guide. A little-understood or acknowledged element of the online guide is their long list of "moods" that they attribute to every band. Today, with news that Mojave 3 will be touring the US in September, we wanted to apply All Music's mood-ring to the band. Here's how they describe the indie/alt country group:

Lazy

Pastoral

Melancholy

Earthy

Laid-Back/Mellow

Autumnal

Soothing

Reserved

Plaintive

Reflective

Somber

We're not sure the band would agree with that somewhat morose summary of their "mood," but we wanted to investigate deeper. What other bands does All Music consider lazy? Well, topping the list of pop music's greatest layabouts is—surprise—Jimmy "Margaritaville" Buffet! The Grateful Dead, Eddie Lang, Lazy Lester, Bob Marley, and Leon Redbone are also fit for hanging five in the hammock. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Everyone's a DJ (Hang the DJ): Literary Edition

Posted at 8:34 AM on August 24, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

An article in the Wall Street Journal last weekend mentioned that many novelists are playing around with the idea of a "soundtrack" for their books—that is, a recommended "mix tape" to provide a little ambience while you're reading them. Chuck Klosterman suggests Sex Pistols and Nirvana for his book "Killing Yourself to Live." Ben Mezrich suggests you put Pink Floyd's "Money" on endless repeat for his book "Bringing Down the House" (What about Talking Heads, duh!) Sandra Brown suggests a Roberta Flack tune for "Ricochet," and Bret Easton Ellis suggests a whole playlist for "Lunar Park," including Jocko's "Thriller," Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," and Jackson Browne's "Late For the Sky."

All we can say is this: Writers of America! Put your pencils down, turn on the radio, and try to catch up with the rest of us here in the year 2006.