As I’ve said before, I try to stay away from politics on this page as much as possible, but Randy Rainbow came out with a new video today, and it’s too good to resist posting. The whole thing is just brilliant, but for our purposes here at MoTD the important moment is at 4:21. Enjoy!
Tag: 2010s
Soul of a Man (from “Kinky Boots”)
Featuring some contemporary Broadway today with “Soul of a Man” from Kinky Boots (2013). Key change around 2:18.
Gabriel Kahane | Charming Disease
Pianist/vocalist/composer Gabriel Kahane writes chamber music for the classical stage, but also gigs regularly in bars and pubs with his genre-busting contemporary acoustic music. “Charming Disease” (2011) has a bridge which hits at about the 2:00 mark, modulates at 3:01, and then settles back into the original key at 3:13.
Arabian Nights (from “Aladdin”)
“Arabian Nights” is the opening number from the Broadway musical Aladdin (2014). There are a few internal modulations, but the big one is at 5:28.
Knower | Hanging On
Via guest poster and longtime MotD booster Carlo Migliaccio comes a this track from Knower, a funk/electronica band. It centers around synthesist Louis Cole and vocalist Genevieve Artadi, both of whom studied jazz as undergraduates. The band released the hyper-kinetic track “Hanging On” in 2016. There are multiple key changes starting around 3:10.
AJ Rafael (feat. Deedee Lynn Magno Hall) | Only Us (from “Dear Evan Hansen”)
Singer/songwriter AJ Rafael covers “Only Us” (2017) from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, featuring Deedee Lynn Magno Hall. The first modulation (1:43) somehow sneaks up on the listener gradually, while the second (2:55) clearly announces itself.
Dirty Loops | Wake Me Up
Swedish pop virtuosi Dirty Loops covered Avicii‘s smash hit “Wake Me Up” in 2014, completely re-making the song in the process. They modulate while translating verse two into a bridge (starting at 1:39) and throw in another key change at the start of the outtro (2:56).
Skunk Bear | A Neuroscience Love Song
From Alex Mosher, MoTD member, submits this track from Skunk Bear, a duo which provides (sometimes musical) science-centric explainer segments on NPR. According to its YouTube channel, the duo “(explores) the secrets of the universe, the wonders of nature, and answer(s) your science questions.”
Alex: “Happy Valentine’s Day! Modulation way toward the end, around 2:54.”
Jonathan Reid Gealt (feat. Zak Resnick) | September of ’92
Here’s a beautiful contemporary musical theater song by Jonathan Reid Gealt entitled “September of ‘92” (2013) with a stunning vocal by Zak Resnick. Key change at 3:30, but do yourself a favor and listen to the whole song.
Niya Norwood + Nikko Ielasi | Black Girl Magic
Happy February! In honor of Black History Month, here’s a lushly orchestrated, gospel-infused R&B tune, “Black Girl Magic” (2016), co-written by the lead vocalist, Niya Norwood, and performed by Berklee College of Music musicians, led by Nikko Ielasi.
The bridge starts with a sublime modulation at 3:16 and ends with a reversion to the original key at 3:42.
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