Everyone loves a good story. And everyone loves a groovy song. And some of us love the musicians who can fuse the two in a sublime synthesis of sound and narrative. I've always loved songs of epic grandeur like Springsteen's "Jungleland" and the Grateful Dead's "Terrapin Station." And, of course, my fascination with Bob Dylan began the moment I first heard "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Tangled Up in Blue."
There are, of course, dozens of classic rock songs that weave intricate tales.
Every songwriter approaches his or her craft differently, and there are, ostensibly, as many ways to write a song as there are songs in existence. But one word you'll often hear songwriters use is "story," which implies a plot, characters, a conflict and perhaps a resolution. Just as one can write a novel with these literary tools, one can also condense it down into a song. Sometimes, it's based on real-life events, with real people and real outcomes. Other times it's entirely imaginary, culled from the minds of some exceptionally creative people. But in either case, it can be fun to follow the narrator as they recount a tale, like in the below 50 Short Story Songs.In the world of punk and indie rock, however, the intricate nature of a great tale would seem to belie the hard, fast nature of the music. Which brings me to Craig Finn. I've recently discovered Finn, leader singer of indie rock band The Hold Steady, who has an entire catalog of solo work steeped in tales of Midwest angst. And, I recently had the pleasure of seeing Craig Finn's solo work live when he opened for former Husker Du and Sugar frontman Bob Mould. Finn's solo work in which he deftly talks his lyrics over beautiful melodies is a treat, as is seeing him perform live. And I've enjoyed his work so much, I recently bought his latest album, Always Been.
No comments:
Post a Comment