Tag: 2000s

Deb Talan | To the Bone

“The Weepies’ Deb Talan … has been writing songs since she was 14 years old,” (MountBakerTheatre.com). “Granted, her style has changed a bit since writing the forever-unknown song, ‘Through the Window’ about feeling numb, like life was going on somewhere out there but not accessible to her. Talan learned to play the clarinet, wrote songs on piano, and later taught herself to play guitar in college.

I Thought I Saw You, Talan’s newest album released in February 2025,  maps her journey into a new life, love, longing, and letting go. The collection of lush, folk-pop gems is enriched by Iowa musicians Dan Padley on the keys and guitar and Jay Foote on the bass. Talan’s voice and writing urge the listener to lean into the whole range of feelings involved in making and accepting big life changes. Talan’s voice has been described as ‘intoxicating’ by NPR, ‘sugary and sultry’ by Paste Magazine, and ‘inimitable’ by the Boston Globe. Her songwriting, whether as half of the folk-pop duo The Weepies or as a solo artist, has earned her recognition on multiple ‘Best Of’ lists over the years and numerous placements in movies, TV shows, and commercials.”

Starting in F minor, Talan’s “To the Bone” features a lyric-dense chorus (2001) which shifts to Eb minor for the more spacious chorus (0:38) before reverting to the original key for the next verse (0:54). The pattern continues from there.

Shelby Lynne | Bend

“Following her somewhat belated Best New Artist Grammy award (six albums and 13 years into her musical career), Shelby Lynne’s follow-up to the truly heartbreaking and spectacular I Am Shelby Lynne finds her reaching out to a more rock-oriented audience with mixed results,” (AllMusic). “After some last minute retooling from the record label, Love, Shelby proves Lynne can still write a hook, but much of what makes or breaks the finished results ultimately falls in the hands of her producer.

… In all honesty, this would actually be a more successful album if her previous work hadn’t been so strong. It seems as though the singer had such artistic success with her ‘rock-tinged’ record that she thought it would be a good idea to push the envelope further into an almost strictly rock environment … The few songs that embrace her rough, soulful edge are pretty terrific, and (hopefully) smarter choices in the future will bring about another strong album along the same lines as I Am…“

“Bend,” a non-single album track from Love, Shelby (2001), is built around a polished shuffle feel. This mid-tempo track provides an attractive showcase for Lynne, who covers both lead and backup vocal duties. Starting in C major, the chorus (first heard from 0:42 – 1:04) shift into Eb major.

Many thanks to Ari S. for yet another wonderful contribution!

Mike Stern | I Know You

“One of the great jazz guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has the unique ability to play with the finesse and lyricism of Jim Hall, the driving swing of Wes Montgomery, and the turbulent, overdriven attack of Jimi Hendrix,” (MikeStern.org) “Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Stern revered all three of those guitar immortals, along with such potent blues guitarists as Albert and B.B. King. Aspects of those seminal influences can be heard in his playing on the 18 recordings he has released as a leader or in his acclaimed sideman work for Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steps Ahead, David Sanborn, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Joe Henderson and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band.”

“These Times (2004) is Mike Stern’s debut on ESC after a long career on Atlantic that began with Upside Downside in 1986,” (JazzTimes). “It sees him consolidating a subtle change of direction. Where once he seemed to be attracted to the polar opposites of either the backbeat or straight ahead swing, with not much interesting him in between, here the accent is on world-music rhythms. To achieve this, Stern is ably assisted by bassist Richard Bona, whose voice is featured as much as his bass … (Bona) appeared on Stern’s Grammy-nominated Voices from 2001, from which These Times seems to have grown organically … banjo superstar Bela Fleck joins in on Bona’s falsetto ballad feature ‘I Know You.’”

After a start in G# minor, the tune features a restless and shifting section at 1:06 which pivots from phrase to phrase among several keys of the moment before a return to the original key at 1:31. At 2:48, a less complicated E major section holds sway until 3:20, when G# minor returns again. Previous sections are revisited for the balance of the tune.

Yo-Yo Ma & Alison Krauss | Simple Gifts

The 1848 Shaker song “Simple Gifts” rose to prominence after American composer Aaron Copland borrowed its melody for his composition Appalachian Spring, which he wrote to accompany a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma covered the tune on his 2001 album Classic Yo-Yo with vocalist Alison Krauss.

The track begins with a cello introduction in Bb and shifts down a fifth to Eb when Krauss enters at 0:46.

Calvin Harris | Stars Come Out

The Guardian seems to be no fan of producer and vocalist Calvin Harris, who hails from Dumfries, Scotland: “Some musical genres have an everlasting impact: all subsequent rock and pop bears something of their influence. Others just vanish: once their time has passed, it’s as if they never happened. So it was with handbag house, which bestrode the charts in the mid-90s, the glittery, shallow sound of Britain’s mainstream dancefloors … Handbag house seemed almost wilfully depthless, which, you could argue, made it the perfect music to soundtrack the brainless antics of DJs and club promoters … Handbag was music that sounded like it thought that was quite a good idea.”

Harris released the track “Stars Come Out” on his 2009 album Ready for the Weekend. The track features ” … the sound of a producer frantically chucking ideas at a melody so slight it’s impossible to hit. When Ready for the Weekend is over, it vanishes, leaving no discernible trace: like the music that inspired it, it’s as if it never happened.”

Nonetheless, the uptempo tune has garnered nearly 400K Youtube views, while Harris’ channel has nearly 20 million subscribers! The track starts in D minor and cycles through multiple repeating sections before shifting up to A minor at 2:57.

Holly Near | I Am Willing

“Holly Near has had an amazing, exemplary life of artistry, performance, songwriting, and activism,” (The Progressive). “The arc of her professional life has spanned more than five decades in a most unique fashion, singing for a more peaceful, equitable, just, and feminist world. Through her music, she has been an insightful storyteller, consistently committed to keeping her work rooted in contemporary activism. Respected around the world for her music and activism, Near has released more than thirty albums and performed in many countries.

Near was born in 1949 in Ukiah, California, into a family that encouraged creativity. At age twenty-three, a half-century ago, she wrote her first feminist song, ‘It’s More Important To Me.’ About the same time, she started Redwood Records to support the release of her first album, Hang In There. Near was one of the first women to create an independent record company, paving the way for others in what had been a completely male-dominated industry … Near been recognized many times for her lifelong work promoting social change, including with honors from the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Ms. magazine, and the Legends of Women’s Music Award.”

“I Am Willing,” released on Near’s 2006 album Show Up, draws on an elegantly simple melody and chord progression. Its gradually burgeoning power and anthemic, gospel-influenced contemporary folk sound carry the day, particularly after its whole-step key change (1:44). Many thanks to Amy C. for this submission (her second)!

What Dreams Are Made Of (from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”)

Written by Dean Pitchford and Matthew Wilder, “What Dreams Are Made Of” is featured at the end of the 2003 Disney film The Lizzie McGuire Movie and performed by Hilary Duff. The disco-infused track begins in Eb and modulates up to E at 2:54.