Experimental Pop

1. Experimental Popular
Music

2. • is all music experimental?
• pushing boundaries / experimentation
• influence

3. Laurie Anderson

4. “O Superman” (1981)
• Minimalist-inspired
• half-sung, half-spoken electronically altered
vocals
• #2 on UK singles chart

6. Björk

7. Medúlla (2004)
• seventh studio album
• entirely vocal sounds

8. “Oceania” at 2004 Athens Olympics

9. Laurie Anderson and
Björk both
• 1) Worked for their respective
governments
• 2) Experimented with the use of the human
voice
• 3) Performed only acoustic music

10. Sonic Youth

11. • “noise” rock
• layers of guitar sound, feedback

12. “Teenage Riot” (1993)

13. Sonic Youth was
influential in the
development of
• 1) Grunge Rock (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.)
• 2) Hip-Hop (Sugar Hill Gang, NWA, etc.)
• 3) Progressive Rock (Jethro Tull, ELP, etc.)

14. The Velvet Underground

16. Song: “Venus in Furs” (1967)
Video clip from Andy Warhol, Symphony of Sound (1966)

17. The Velvet
Underground were
associated with
• 1) Claude Monet
• 2) Andy Warhol
• 3) Frank Stella

18. When is your second
paper due?
• 1) Nov 21 (Next Monday)
• 2) Dec 5 (Last day or school)
• 3) ??????

19. Brian Eno

20. Brian Eno
• Ambient music composer
• Experimental pop artist / collaborator
• Producer / “Sonic landscaper”

21. “Deep Blue Day” (1983)

22. • Genesis • Depeche Mode
• David Bowie • Ultravox
• Talking Heads • James
• Devo • Grace Jones
• Laurie Anderson • Coldplay
• U2 • etc., etc., etc.

23. Brian Eno & David Byrne, “Poor Boy”
from Everything that Happens Will Happen Today (2008)