2006 saw the release of “Vilarejo” by Brazilian vocalist and composer Marisa Monte. A Rio de Janeiro native, Monte has sold 10 million albums worldwide and has won four Latin Grammys (among many other awards). The tune modulates several times, starting at 0:49.
Tag: 2000s
Garbage | Androgyny
UK/US hybrid band Garbage, led by Scottish vocalist/frontwoman Shirley Manson, had scored several hits by the time it arrived at its third studio album in 2001. In keeping with the band’s history of meticulous arrangements and production, the sound of “Androgyny” alternates between synth timbres on the verses and strong guitar-driven choruses, jumping back and forth between A minor and E minor, respectively. But the bridge (1:57 – 2:17) opens up into a completely different texture, bringing strings to the fore as it jumps to an entirely unexpected tonality (Eb major) before returning to the original key.
The Flaming Lips | Do You Realize
Ranked #31 on Rolling Stone‘s 100 Best Songs of the 2000s, The Flaming Lips‘ “Do You Realize?” (2002) features a rather unorthodox modulation from 2:25 – 2:42 before reverting to the original key.
The Guardian reports on The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne’s process in bringing the song into being: “It wasn’t too far into making the album that ‘Do You Realize??’ emerged. Steven Drozd, our guitarist, liked the line: ‘Everyone you know someday will die.’ You don’t really know where the song is going until that point. There’s storytelling and it has wisdom, romance, and heartache. It’s gentle but not mellow and has elements of propulsion and triumph even though it’s lazy and sad at the same time. It also benefits from not knowing it’s going to be an important song. That’s the best thing about it. The ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ at the beginning is like the laughter at the end of ‘Within You Without You’ on the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Anything we could do to lift the song and deliver a great but not heavy message.”
A Summer in Ohio (from “The Last Five Years”)
“A Summer in Ohio” is featured in Jason Robert Brown‘s The Last Five Years (2002), with Sherie Rene Scott on vocals. There’s a textbook half-step modulation at 3:07.
Lisa Loeb | Bring Me Up
The first musical artist to have a #1 hit (Stay / “I Missed You”) without the benefit of a contract with a record label, Lisa Loeb has gone on to release many other distinctive tunes. There’s a modulation in “Bring Me Up” (2002) during the bridge (2:10 to 2:39); then the tune reverts to its original key on its verse-based outro.
James Taylor | On the 4th of July
Happy Fourth! Apologies for the second James Taylor post in as many weeks!
JT somehow seamlessly combines Americana instrumentation with a light Brazilian groove and unmistakably jazz-infused chord voicings for “On the 4th of July” (2002). In the short instrumental section (2:11), the guitar restates the hook and the scene is set for the modulation (2:19).
Yolanda Adams | Never Give Up
Here’s an uplifting Yolanda Adams track, “Never Give Up” (2001), with key changes at 2:31 as well as into the bridge at 3:24.
Vanessa de Mata | Longe Demais
Brazilian chanteuse Vanessa da Mata, the winner of several Latin GRAMMYs, produced the track “Longe Demais” (too far away) in 2002. This laid-back tune features direct modulations at 1:01, 1:43, and 2:43.
Keith Jarrett | Danny Boy
Today, we feature Keith Jarrett playing “Danny Boy” (2002). There is a brief modulation from F major to A-flat major at 1:37, before returning to F for the remainder of the song at 2:25. An absolutely stunning performance.
US3 | The Love of My Life
Us3, a hiphop group with members from both the US and UK, is probably best known for the sample-heavy 90s hit “Cantaloop/Flip Fantasia.”
Like most of Us3’s output, “The Love of My Life” (2009) draws heavily on dense jazz-infused textures and chord progressions. But the sound is also driven by Hiphop grooves and lyrical traditions. The tune modulates up two whole steps at 0:38, pivoting between these two keys throughout: 0:56, 2:30, and 2:49.
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