Tag: comedy

Let’s Give Up (from “Portlandia”)

As its final season reached its end, the music-packed TV comedy Portlandia featured the tune “Let’s Give Up” (2017). The lightweight pop feel of the track is completely out of character for the personal musical style of vocalist Carrie Brownstein, who’s spent much of the past 25 years as a vocalist and guitarist for the punk-tinged indie rock band Sleater-Kinney. But it’s 100% on-brand for the series, which saw both Brownstein and her vocalist/multi-instrumentalist co-star Fred Armisen lightheartedly hop from genre to genre throughout.

From Stereogum‘s review: “The song flips through a series of major topics, like global warming and trying to tune out the news, before taking on the numbing convenience of social media and binge-watching TV.” Portlandia’s final seasons weren’t among its best overall, but you’d never know it from this glittery, cutting satire.

Starting in F# minor (the track starts at the 0:28 mark), the kicky funk/pop tune modulates up to G# minor for the chorus at 1:02, reverting to F# minor for verse 2 at 1:19.

Steve Goodman | You Never Even Call Me By My Name

From our follower @EJGleske, a former DJ and chronic videographer, comes a tongue-in-cheek country tune called “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” by Steve Goodman (1971). The tune attempts to cover every known country music lyric cliche — no easy task.

@EJGleske explains: “Goodman was known perhaps best for ‘City of New Orleans,’ which was known most by Arlo Guthrie‘s cover version, but that’s not his best song. ‘A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request’ and ‘Chicken Cordon Bleus’ hit my spot, and when I want to wow folks who know not who Goodman is, I introduce them to ‘Talk Backwards.’

Steve wasn’t only about songs written from the funny bone; his ballads, from ‘City of New Orleans’ to ‘I Can’t Sleep’ to ‘If She Were You,’ tell a story in vivid detail, his voice and picking painting the most marvelous pictures.

Steve was a singer-songwriter’s singer-songwriter. His songs were covered by, well, everyone…from Baez to Denver to Guthrie to Kristofferson to Nelson and on down the line. Bumping into John Prine on the same circuit as often as he did, it was our good luck they collaborated on a number of songs. Many of them come at us with the full force of both men’s wit, which brings me to my submission. Goodman and Prine set out to write the ultimate country song, and put every hook and cliche of the genre into one thick mess. The obligatory modulation is at 1:54, and it works on all levels, musically and as satire.”

Merle Hazard | (Gimme Some of That) Ol’ Atonal Music

Weekend bonus mod: Merle Hazard is billed as “America’s foremost country singer/economist.” According to his website, his songs have appeared in The Economist and the Financial Times; on the PBS NewsHour and on radio; and in college classrooms.

Hazard explains: “I love Tom Lehrer and Cole Porter. In some ways, they are my natural musical home, more than country. I listened to a lot of Tom Lehrer and Top 40 pop, growing up. The name ‘Merle Hazard’ is first and foremost a pun on the economic concept of ‘moral hazard.’ It is also a tip of the cowboy hat to the Merles who preceded, particularly Merle Travis and the late, great Merle Haggard.”

“(Gimme Some of That) Ol’ Atonal Music” (2019) modulates at 1:36 and 2:22.

Jonathan Coulton | NDA

Weekend bonus: No pure modulations here, but plenty of fun shifting through key(s) of the moment. Software guy Jonathan Coulton became a full-time singer/songwriter in the mid-2000s, releasing several albums since. Recently, he was commissioned to write a series of Schoolhouse Rock!-style short songs for the TV series The Good Fight — detail-packed miniature musical explainers of legal and political terminology.

“NDA,” which describes the ins and outs of Non-Disclosure Agreements, features verses which are solidly in G Major. But the choruses (first at 0:10!) and bridge (0:27 – 0:41) cycle briefly through other keys.

Kevon Carter | The Greatest Love of All

Another unintentionally pitchy performance — redeemed to hilarious effect by the top-drawer musicianship and humor of Kevon Carter. Somehow, he keeps up with many, many modulations per minute, supporting each one with an awesome re-harmonization in the accompaniment.

This time, it’s “The Greatest Love of All,” originally made popular by Whitney Houston and George Benson.

Metallica (arranged + dubbed by Andy Rehfeldt) | Enter Sandman

This labor of love is a hilarious re-make of Metallica‘s iconic 1991 track, “Enter Sandman.” Andy Rehfeldt retained only the lead vocal from the original release while re-recording all of the other tracks. The tune has been pushed from its original key of E minor upwards into its relative major key of G major; the original dark metal sound shifts to lightweight, sunny “smooth” jazz. In addition to the full re-harmonization underneath the lead vocal (which stays in its original range), a section of the instrumental bridge (2:42 – 3:00) modulates up a full step before returning to G major.