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Chamber pop

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Chamber pop
Other names
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins1960s–1990s, United States
Typical instruments
Other topics

Chamber pop(also calledbaroque pop[7][8]and sometimes conflated withorchestral popor symphonic pop[1]) is a music genre that combinesrock music[1]with the intricate use ofstrings,horns,piano,andvocal harmonies,and other components drawn from the orchestral andloungepop of the 1960s, with an emphasis onmelodyandtexture.

During chamber pop's initial emergence in the 1960s, producers such asJerry Leiber and Mike Stoller,Burt Bacharach,Lee Hazlewood,andthe Beach Boys'Brian Wilsonserved as formative artists of the genre. Wilson's productions ofthe Beach Boys' albumsPet SoundsandSmileare cited as particularly influential to the genre. From the early 1970s to early 1990s, most chamber pop acts saw little to no mainstream success. The genre's decline was attributed to costly touring and recording logistics and a reluctance amongrecord labelsto finance instruments like strings, horns, and keyboards on artists' albums.

In the mid-1990s, chamber pop developed as a subgenre ofindie rock[4]orindie pop[5]in which musicians opposed thedistortedguitars,lo-fiaesthetic, and simple arrangements common to thealternativeor "modern rock"groups of that era. In Japan, the movement was paralleled byShibuya-kei,another indie genre that was formed on some of the same bedrock of influences. By the 2000s, the term "chamber pop" would be inconsistently applied to a variety of bands whose work attracted comparisons toPet Sounds.

Definition and beginnings[edit]

Further information:Orchestral pop,Pet Sounds,andél Records
See also:Progressive popandprogressive rock
The High Llamasperforming in 2011 (leaderSean O'Haganpictured)

The combination ofstring sectionsandrock musichas been called "symphonic pop","chamber pop ", andorchestral pop(or "ork-pop" for short).[1]The first use of strings in R&B or rock music was in the 1959 song"There Goes My Baby"byThe Drifters,produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller with string arrangement byStan Applebaum.The following year,The Shirellessong"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow",written byCarole Kingand featuring a string section, was released to critical acclaim and rose to #1 on theBillboard MagazineHot 100 chart, whereThe Beatlestook note, later incorporating string sections into songs on theirRubber Soulalbum such as"In My Life"(1965).[9]The Beach Boyswould develop their response to The Beatles'Rubber Soulalbum with their own 1966 studio albumPet Sounds,which would further explore the use of strings in rock music and define thebaroque popgenre.

Ork-pop refers to a branch of underground rock musicians who shared an affinity with the Pet Sounds album, such asThe High Llamasand bands from theElephant 6collective.[10]According toCMJ's David Jerman, the name was the creation of rock critics, "encompassing everyone from fans of the Beach Boys to fans ofBacharachandMancini".[11]Chamber pop is stylistically diverse.[6]AllMusicstates that the genre carries on the "spirit" of the baroque pop of the 1960s,[12]while cultural writers Joseph Fisher and Brian Flota call it the "heir" to baroque pop.[13][nb 1]Strongly influenced by the rich orchestrations of Burt Bacharach,Brian Wilson,andLee Hazlewood,chamber pop artists once again focused on melody and texture.[3]Another major source of influence was the singerScott Walker.[6]New York Daily News'Jim Farber summarizes the genre; "thinkDonovanmeets Burt Bacharach ".[15][nb 2]

The Beach Boys – "Wonderful" (1967Smilerecording)
Described as "proto-psychedelicchamber pop "by biographer Mark Dillon,"Wonderful"showcases Wilson's lead vocals and harpsichord-playing supported by trumpet and the Beach Boys'" parlor-room harmonies ".[18]
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Newsmakersbelieves that the Beach Boys'Pet Soundshelped define chamber pop as "intimate, precisely arranged songs with rock's sweep but without its bluesy clamor."[19][nb 3]Following the album was the group's unfinished 1966–67 workSmile,a collaboration between Brian Wilson and lyricistVan Dyke Parksthat also heavily influenced the genre.[6]According to the High Llamas'Sean O'Hagan,Pet Soundshad been "the beginning of the great pop experiment. But it wasn't allowed to continue, because rock and roll got hold of the whole thing and stopped it. Pop didn't take off again until this decade [the 1990s]."[21]AuthorCarl Wilson(no relation) says that Brian's "pained vulnerability", "uses of offbeat instruments", "intricate harmonies", and "theSmilesaga itself "became a common reference point for chamber pop bands.[22][nb 4]Just as ork-pop acts shared a love for Wilson, they also held an admiration for one another's work.[24]In the late 1980s, the majority ofLouis Phillipe's productions forél Recordsalso made sophisticated use of orchestras and voices that embodied and defined the chamber pop style.[25][nb 5]

Chamber pop was part of a larger trend which involved musicians who rejected traditional rock conventions, such asTortoiseandStereolab,although those specific bands are not considered ork-pop.[24][nb 6]The genre's orchestration is typically more complex than rock music,[6]making extensive use of brass and strings.[3][6]It drew from the 1990slounge musicrevival but avoided any influence from other contemporary styles likegrunge,electronica,oralternative music,particularly thelo-fihiss and distortion of the last.[3]Althoughmodern rockgroups likeSmashing Pumpkins,The Verve,Oasis,andR.E.M.occasionally used strings, their approach was considerably less intricate.[24]The High Llamas were one of the first to anticipate the easy-listening fad with their 1993 albumGideon Gaye.[28]O'Hagan felt that "There is this whole misconception that Americancollege rockwith twisted baseball hats and checked shirts is adventurous, but it's the most conformist, corporate thing out there. "withEric Matthewsadding "All these bands sound likeNirvanaandPearl Jam.It's a shame that it couldn't be discovered from the get-go for what it is. A lot of it is just very simple dumb-guy rock. "[24]

Emergence and popularity[edit]

Bored by the three-chord simplicity of grunge and neo-punk, a new breed of popsmiths is going back to such inspirations as Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach, and Phil Spector in the quest for building the perfect orchestrated pop masterpiece. [...] their music offers an alternative for those who have grown tired of distorted guitars and angst-ridden vocals.

—Craig Rosen writing inBillboard,1996[24]

Fisher and Flota trace chamber pop to "at least" the mid 1990s.[13]According to Natalie Waliek of music retailerNewbury Comics,the then- "renewed interest inpsychedelia"and the" overlap with thecocktail/lounge music thing, because that music [also] has orchestrations ", likely contributed to the sales of ork-pop albums, but acts were restricted to only a moderate degree of commercial success. The majority of musicians were aged beyond their early 20s, and many struggled to achieve significant retail or radio success compared to modern rock.[24]In the past, record companies had helped facilitate large multi-instrumental bands by financing instruments like strings, horns, and keyboards on artists' albums, but this became rarer as time went on.[29]Touring with full string and brass ensembles also proved difficult for some, which became another factor that prevented the genre's mainstream success.[24]

In Japan, a remote parallel was the development ofShibuya-kei,which also revisited the trend of foregrounding instruments like strings and horns in its arrangements.[4]The genre was informed by classic Western pop music,[30]especially the orchestral domains occupied by Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, andSerge Gainsbourg.[31]Unlike other Japanese music scenes, its audiences did not necessarily cross over intoanime fandoms,but ratherindie popenthusiasts. This was partly because many of its bands were distributed in the United States through majorindie labelslikeMatadorandGrand Royal.[32][nb 7]Shibuya-kei ultimately peaked in the late 1990s and declined after its principal players began moving into other music styles.[34]

Plush – "Found a Little Baby" (1994)
Billboard's Chris Morris wrote that this debut single by Hayes made "quite a splash with the international press... heralded as the harbinger of a new school of orchestral pop – 'ork pop' for short."[35]
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In a 1996 profile of ork-pop, Craig Rosen lists examples that include Yum-Yum, the High Llamas,Richard Davies,Eric Matthews,Spookey Ruben,Witch Hazel, andLiam Hayes(Plush).[24]Matthews, who partnered with Davies for duoCardinal,was considered a leading figure in ork-pop.[36]Popmatters'Maria Schurr wrote in a retrospective review of Cardinal'seponymous 1994 debut album;"in some circles, [it has] been called the grunge era's answer toPet Sounds,and, although it has not been as widely cited as the Beach Boys' classic, it has undoubtedly influenced more off balance indie popsters than one may expect. "[37]Music journalistJim DeRogatisassociates the ork-pop and chamber pop movement to bands like Yum-Yum, Cardinal andLambchop.[2][nb 8]

2000s–present[edit]

By 2009, the term "chamber pop" had fallen to general misuse, as songwriter/authorScott Millersuggests, it "made more sense applied to theFleet Foxesthan to other bands I've since seen it applied to ".[38]He also noted thatPet Soundshad become a ubiquitous object of comparison; "[If people] are happy about that, I have to pinch myself and reflect that I'd never thought I'd see the day."[38]Treblezine's Brian Roster wrote thatGrizzly Bear'salbumVeckatimestwas a "landmark exploration of the changing landscapes of pop in 2009" that represented an attempt to create "a sort of abridged conclusion to chamber pop's earliest days".[6]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Although baroque pop was prefigured by producers likePhil Spector,whose arrangements were orchestral and heavily layered, the genre was distinguished for itsRomanticaesthetic, small string ensembles, and more classically-derived melodies.[14]
  2. ^Spinmagazine refers to Bacharach and Wilson as "gods" of orchestral pop.[16]In journalistChris Nickson's opinion, the "apex" of orchestral pop lied in Walker, explaining that "in his most fertile period, 1967–70, he created a body of work that was, in its own way, as revolutionary as the Beatles'. He took the ideas of Mancini and Bacharach to their logical conclusion, essentially redefining the concept of orchestral pop."[17]
  3. ^Writing about thealbum's title trackin his 2017 memoir, Wilson said: "I lovedThunderball,which had come out the year before, and I loved listening to composers like Henry Mancini, who did these cool themes for shows likePeter Gunn,andLes Baxter,who did all these big productions that sounded sort of like Phil Spector productions. "[20]
  4. ^Smile,whose recordings remained unreleased for decades, was embraced by thealternative rockgeneration once bootlegs from the album became more widespread in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[23]
  5. ^Philippe described his own music as: "covering the range from pure bubblegum to symphonic sweep, with detours viajazzandsoulalong the way. A typical album might mix influences from vintage pop, Frenchchanson,Ravel,Boss a nova,Duke Ellington,the Shirelles,or the Beach Boys, while classical instruments and intricate backing vocals often feature in the arrangements. "[26]
  6. ^Writing about the new "post-rock"in 1994,Simon Reynoldsnoted the influence of Spector, Wilson, andBrian Eno;specifically their preoccupation for "soundscaping" that involves "using musicians as a sort of palette of textures, as opposed to the rock band's collective toil."[27]
  7. ^Philippe was surprised to be heralded as the "godfather" of the Shibuya sound around the time he released the Japan-only albumsJean Renoir(1992) andRainfall(1993).[26]The movement's musicians romanticized Wilson as amad geniusexperimenting in the recording studio, and Spector'sWall of Soundwas emulated not for its denseness, but for its elaborate quality.[33]
  8. ^In 2004, when askingthe Decemberists' bandleaderColin Meloywhether he felt a connection with the movement and the band's work, Meloy answered; "I don't know if we've ever been labeled that before. So much attention gets put on the lyrical content—the songs themselves—that people don't pay as close attention to the arrangements, which is something we're trying to change.... I think the orchestral side—the cinematic side of the music—is going to come through more and more."[2]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^abcdefSalmon, Ben (May 25, 2007)."Classic combo".The Bulletin.Archived fromthe originalon June 10, 2016.
  2. ^abcDeRogatis, Jim(June 4, 2004)."Rock soars to new heights with Decemberists".Chicago Sun-Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2016.RetrievedMay 3,2016.
  3. ^abcdef"Chamber pop".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2015.RetrievedMarch 5,2016.
  4. ^abcdTonelli 2004,p. 3.
  5. ^ab"Indie Pop".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2016.RetrievedJune 24,2016.
  6. ^abcdefghijkTreble staff (September 22, 2016)."10 Essential Chamber Pop Albums".Treblezine.Archivedfrom the original on December 2, 2020.RetrievedNovember 20,2016.
  7. ^Jackson, Andrew Grant (2015).1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music.St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 22.
  8. ^Staff."Chamber Pop Music Guide: 7 Notable Chamber Pop Artists".Masterclass.RetrievedDecember 5,2022.
  9. ^"Guitar World Interviews George Harrison".1992.
  10. ^DeRogatis 2003,pp. 39, 95.
  11. ^Jarman, David (July 1998)."Reviews".CMJ New Music Monthly.CMJ Network, Inc. p. 60.ISSN1074-6978.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2020.RetrievedAugust 27,2016.
  12. ^"Baroque pop".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2015.RetrievedMarch 5,2016.
  13. ^abFlota & Fisher 2013,p. 122.
  14. ^Janovitz 2013,p. 81.
  15. ^Farber, Jim (October 12, 2010)."Belle and Sebastian's 'Write About Love' review: Stuart Murdoch and his sound mature".New York Daily News.Archivedfrom the original on October 5, 2016.RetrievedAugust 20,2016.
  16. ^"Reviews".Spin.October 2006.ISSN0886-3032.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2022.RetrievedNovember 21,2016.
  17. ^Nickson, Chris(November 1997)."The Sons of Scott Walker".CMJ New Music Monthly:20, 22.ISSN1074-6978.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2022.RetrievedNovember 21,2016.
  18. ^Dillon 2012,p. 151.
  19. ^Collins, Louise Mooney (1996).Newsmakers.Gale Research Inc. p. 122.ISBN9780810393219.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2017.RetrievedAugust 27,2016.
  20. ^Wilson & Greenman 2016,p. 179.
  21. ^Smith, Ethan (November 10, 1997)."Do It Again".New York Magazine.Vol. 30, no. 43. New York Media, LLC.ISSN0028-7369.Archivedfrom the original on April 7, 2017.RetrievedApril 6,2017.
  22. ^Wilson, Carl (June 9, 2015)."The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson: America's Mozart?".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2018.RetrievedMarch 15,2016.
  23. ^Priore 2005,pp. 153–155.
  24. ^abcdefghRosen, Craig (May 25, 1996)."Building A Perfect Ork-Pop Masterpiece".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc.pp. 1, 92, 95.ISSN0006-2510.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2022.RetrievedAugust 27,2016.
  25. ^Marmoro, Gianfranco (January 12, 2010)."The Ocean Tango".Ondarock(in Italian).Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2018.RetrievedAugust 13,2016.
  26. ^abEvans, Christopher."Louis Philippe".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2018.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  27. ^Reynolds, Simon(May 1994)."Post-Rock".The Wire(123). Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2001.
  28. ^Kamp & Daly 2005,p. 52.
  29. ^Wedel, Mark (September 16, 2010)."Canasta cares about your ears: Chicago 'ork-pop' band writes songs with listeners in mind".Kalamazoo Gazette.Archivedfrom the original on August 6, 2016.RetrievedJune 11,2016.
  30. ^Anon. (n.d.)."Shibuya-Kei".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on October 8, 2021.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  31. ^Lindsay, Cam (August 4, 2016)."Return to the Planet of Cornelius".Vice.Archivedfrom the original on February 4, 2017.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  32. ^Ohanesian, Liz (April 13, 2011)."Japanese Indie Pop: The Beginner's Guide to Shibuya-Kei".LA Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2018.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  33. ^Walters, Barry (November 6, 2014)."The Roots of Shibuya-Kei".Red Bull Music Academy.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2017.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  34. ^Michael, Patrick St. (June 11, 2016)."Cornelius: Fantasma Album Review".Pitchfork.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2021.RetrievedMarch 14,2017.
  35. ^Morris, Chris (September 19, 1998)."Catalog Specialist Del-Fi Launches New-Music Imprint".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc.p. 83.ISSN0006-2510.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2020.RetrievedAugust 27,2016.
  36. ^Morris, Chris (August 23, 1997)."Sub Pop Feels the Time Is Right for Eric Matthews".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 10.ISSN0006-2510.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2020.RetrievedAugust 27,2016.
  37. ^Schurr, Maria (July 23, 2014)."Cardinal (reissue)".Popmatters.Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2016.RetrievedMay 4,2016.
  38. ^abMiller 2010,p. 22.

Sources[edit]

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