February 2025
1. The Menu - “All Aboard”, by Colin Stetson
This film is a horror comedy that takes the viewer on a journey through the mind of a world-renowned chef. Like all Michelin-starred chefs, he explores art through food, with exacting standards. However, this chef takes that exactment to another level.
The music in the show brings tension in unusual ways, from beginning to end. It does have moments of traditional tension later on, but this first cue introduces tension through musical mathematics.
This cue starts with 8th note triplets in 4/4 time signature. The next significant entrance, the flutes, bring in straight 16ths, giving us a feeling of four over three. The 16th note pattern the flutes are playing is repeating groups of three. In the first tempo, this pattern re-align to a beat every three quarter notes. This is called a hemiola in musical terms, giving an effect of switching to a time signature of 3/4. Violins start highlighting that pattern’s groups of three, and we are now officially in 3/4. This time shift effect appears very often through the film.
This constant shift in musical timing has several functions: It warps the music’s reality; gives the listener a feeling of unease while keeping textures that are objectively beautiful; and symbolically represents what we will see inside the Chef’s mathematically-driven mind that ultimately overshadows the enjoyment of the food he serves his guests.
2. Snarky Puppy, Metropole Orkest - “The Curtain”
Snarky Puppy takes the Jazz genre to new and exciting heights. They utilize wild bass synths, woodwinds and horns that often play through equipment like guitar pedals, multiple keyboardists, large percussion sections with varying styles, and drummers that make use of unusual cymbals and drums in their kits. The final product is always fresh and interesting.
This album features the Metropole Orkest, “the world's leading pop & jazz orchestra.” Together, they push each other to groud-breaking levels of music.
This performance is both a visual and sonic spectacle.
3. Stranger Things Season 2 - “Eulogy”, by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
The soundtrack to Stranger Things, composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, is entirely driven by vintage and modern synthesizers. Michael Stein has quickly proven to be a talented and innovative synth programmer, gaining fame akin to the the likes of Anthony Marinelli and Howard Scarr.
The scene where this cue is used shows the character Nancy Wheeler alone in a bathroom crying about the death of her friend Barb, who the public assumes to be only missing. The struggles she feels are heightened due to her inability to share what really happened to Barb.
Can an electronic instrument bring about deep emotions like heartache and sorrow? Take a listen.
4. Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin’
You may already know this song very well. Michael’s writing and singing shines just as much as his ability to trust his recording musicians to help him take his music to the maximum. You may also recognize it from the sample used on Warren G.’s “Regulate.”
What you might not know is the drum beat, while it seems simple, is extremely difficult to play correctly. Jeff Porcaro’s playing in this song is considered legendary. Porcaro is the co-founder and drummer for Toto. His pocket and groove in I Keep Forgettin’ show off his talent as one of the most recorded session drummers in history.
5. Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge - “Tell Me Why U Do That”
Grace Bowers is making waves. At just 18 years old, this Nashville guitarist has been invited to play with Dolly Parton, Jackson Dean, the Allman Family, and more. She is now a regular at the Ryman Theater, and just last night she made her Grammy debut. In this video, she and her band received the coveted Jeff Goldblum introduction.
Grace started out playing multiple times a day on Reddit for donations at the age of 14, recording her practice and jam sessions live. She is a testament to how you build on your talents - practice daily; play with people better than you; and listen, listen, listen! She put in the work, and now she’s going places.