Strong Songs

Microtones, Minimalism & the Bebop Scale


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Mailbag episode! Kirk answers your burning musical questions about songs from Parks & Rec, Black Sails, Lovecraft Country, and What We Do in the Shadows, as well as microtones, minimalist songwriting, the bebop scale, practicing habits, and more.

REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

  • “Parks & Recreation” by Gaby Moreno and Vincent Jones, 2009
  • “Black Sails” by Bear McCreary, 2014
  • “You’re Dead” by Norma Tanega from Walking My Cat Named Dog, 1966
  • “Lonely World” by Moses Sumney from Aromanticism, 2017
  • A 2018 Refinery29 article by Courtney E. Smith on the gender gap in TV composing
  • “Melting” and "Rattlesnake" by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard from Flying Microtonal Banana, 2017
  • “Can I Believe You” by Fleet Foxes from Shore, 2020
  • “Moon River” by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, performed by Jacob Collier on Djesse vol. 2, 2019
  • “Money” by Pink Floyd from The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
  • “Buzzcut Season” by Lorde from Pure Heroine, 2013
  • “I’m Down” by Paul McCartney recorded by The Beatles, 1965
  • “Kiss” by Prince from Parade, 1986
  • “End Credits” by Danny Elfman from The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
  • Twenty Thousand Hertz episodes on The Loudness Wars, Perfect Pitch, and Dies Irae (featuring Kirk!)
  • “American Pie” by Don McLean from American Pie, 1971
  • "S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats from their 2015 self-titled album, and live on the BBC, 2015

OUTRO SOLOIST: Dan Nervo

This episode's outro soloist is the fantastic Dan Nervo. Dan plays guitar in the San Francisco Bay Area in bands like Neon Velvet, and also teaches private guitar lessons. Hit him up if you want to get good at guitar: https://www.facebook.com/DanNervoGuitarLessons/

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October 2020 Whole-Note Patrons

Jeffrey Jue - Bonusround - Rick Klaras - Niko - Laurie Acreman - Ken Hirsh - Jez Jenness Gardner - Simon Cammell - Guinevere Boostrom - Jill Smith-Moore - Narelle Horn - Mickey Clark - Nathaniel Bauernfeind - Simon Cramp - Bill Rosinger - Anne Britt - David Zahm - Erin - Aidan Coughlan - Jeanneret - Manning Family Four - Matt Butler - Doug Paton - Robert Paul - R Watson - Viki Dun - Christer Lindqvist - Sami Samhuri - Craig J. Covell - AccessViolation - Ryan Torvik - Merlin Mann - Fraser - Glenn - Caleb Rotach - Andre Bremer - Chad Barnard - Mark Schechter - Dave Florey - Dan Apczynski

October 2020 Half-Note Patrons

Rich Roskopf - Melissa Gallo - Joel Stevenson - Will Dwyer - Alethea Lee - Lauren Reay - Eric Prestemon - Erika L Austin - Cookies250 - Spencer Shirley - Joshua Jarvis - Damian Brady - Angela Livingstone - Jeffrey C. Yarnell - David Friedman - Phillip Dalton - Christopher Cudnoski - Mark Edwards - Randall Browning - Sarah Sulan - Diane Hughes - Kenneth Tiong - Jo Sutherland - David Catlett - Joe Laska - Michael Casner - Michael York - Barb Courtney - Derek Bender - Melanie Andrich - Franco Famularo - Don Hutchison - Lowell Meyer - Etele Illes - Jeff Almond - Stephen Tsoneff - Lorenz Schwarz - Becca Sample - Chamomiatea - Wen - Jack Sjogren - Aparajit Raghavan - Benedict Pennington - Geoff Golden - Robyn Fraser - Alexander Geddes - Pascal Rueger - Randy Souza - Joe C - Latifah Makuyi - Clare Holberton - Jake Tinsley - Georgia Livesay - David Zucker - Diane Turner - Tom Coleman - Suellen Moore - Judy Chapple - Stuart Terry - Mark Perry - Malory - Dhu Wik - Eric Helm - Jake Roberts - Briony Leo - Bill Fuller - Jonathan Daniels - Sheilah - Steven Maron - MH - Michael Flaherty - Jarrod Schindler - Zoe Little - Albukitty - Caro Field - Wayne Marsh - Judith Stansfield - Jenifer Carr - Michael Bochner - Duncan - Dave Sharpe - Brant Brantphillip - Leigh Sales - Markus Koester - David Cushman - Alexander - Toni Isaacson - Jeremy Dawson - Robbie Ferrero - Gavin Doig - Sam Fenn - Tanner Morton - AJ Schuster - Jennifer Bush - David Stroud - Amanda Furlotti - Andrew Baker - Brooke Wilford - Cyrus N. White - Chris Brown - Mark Haberlen - Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua - Kate Albury - Matt Gaskell - Jules Bailey - Eero Wahlstedt - Bill Thornton - Brian Amoebas - Brett Douville - Jeffrey Olson - Matt Betzel - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Melanie Stivers - Richard Toller - Alexander Polson - John and Sharon Stenglein - Tom Lauer - Forrest Chang - Earl Lozada - Jon O’Keefe - Justin McElroy - Arjun Sharma - Shane DeLeon - James Johnson - Andrew Lee - Kevin Morrell - Tom Clewer - Kevin Pennyfeather - Nicholas Schechter - Justin Liew - Emily Williams

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Strong SongsBy Kirk Hamilton

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