Category: Joya

Lawrence | Hip Replacement

“As NPR writes, ‘siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence are not your typical pair.’ Clyde Lawrence and Gracie Lawrence have been writing songs and listening to countless Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman, and Aretha Franklin records in their family’s New York City apartment since they were little kids,” (GroundUp Management). “After years of playing together, they officially created Lawrence, an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has since gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals … In 2024, Lawrence entered a new era with the release of their fourth studio album, Family Business. The album’s opening track, ‘Whatcha Want’, broke into the Top 40 on the US Pop chart.

… In addition to creating music, in December 2022, Clyde Lawrence wrote an article published by the New York Times regarding the unfair dynamics that artists face in the live music industry as a result of the merging of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. In January 2023, Clyde Lawrence and Jordan Cohen were invited to testify at a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing in Washington, D.C., on the topic of live event ticketing … Lawrence and Cohen continue to spread the word about the challenges in the live event promotion and ticketing space in conversations with outlets like NBC News, Vice News, Politico, and more.”

“Hip Replacement,” from the band’s 2024 release Family Business, has all of the hallmark funk of a powerhouse Tower of Power track — until Lawrence’s trademark tag team and octave unison vocals hit. Starting in F# major, the track jumps up to G# at 0:37 and then A for the chorus at 0:46. At 1:04, we’re back to F# for the next verse. The pattern repeats until 2:01, when the track shifts into an extended instrumental bridge in F. The chorus later returns, but the tune remains in F as it tumbles all the way to the end.

Many thanks to Joya M. for this perfect Friday night mod — her third contribution to MotD!

Home Free | Elvira (feat. The Oak Ridge Boys)

“While working on their new album of classic country covers — Country Evolution (2015),” the a cappella ensemble Home Free decided to cover The Oak Ridge Boys’ “defining 1981 hit ‘Elvira,'” (Rolling Stone). The kicker: Home Free collaborated with the song’s originators on the track. “’Once we got together as a group, there was a magic happening among the nine of us that just exploded…’

The result is an ‘Elvira’ that … maintains the cadence of the Oaks’ recording, but adds modern-day flourishes, thanks to Home Free’s beat-box singer Adam Rupp.” Home Free has been awarded “the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.”

After the initial surprise of “a capella + country” starts to wear off, there’s a half-step key change at 1:03; at 2:02, another modulation hits (this time a whole step). At 2:29, there’s a shift to the parallel minor for a brief bridge before a jubilant return to major at 2:40. Many thanks to first-time contributor Joya M. for submitting this track!

Can You Feel The Love Tonight? (from “The Lion King”)

Featured in the classic 1994 Disney film The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Top 100. According to a survey conducted in 2020, nearly 80% of couples who chose the tune as the first dance song at their wedding ended up staying together.

The track begins in F and modulates up a step to G at 1:51.

Thanks to first-time contributor Joya Migliaccio for this submission!