by Amanda Rodgers

Way back in the dark ages of the Internet, I used to follow the MySpace page of indie-rock band Hem. Dan Messe, their chief songwriter, kept a blog there where he talked about various music-related topics, and the one post I still remember was about the importance of a memorable first line. According to him, a good first line can make or break a song. He favored lines that set a scene or a mood with a few well-chosen words, and was particularly down on tired clichés like “woke up this morning” and all its variants. 

by Amanda Rodgers

If you’ve been listening to Discord & Rhyme for a while, you’ve probably heard me and Rich talk about synesthesia. That is the difficult-to-explain situation where your five senses get their wires crossed; in other words, sounds have shapes, or days of the week have colors, or any number of other strange combinations.

by Amanda Rodgers

There’s a strange popular perception that music is for men. Even now, the majority of bands are made up of men (women tend to be solo artists), music critics are men, and most of the music podcasts these days feature an all-male panel. A lot of people seem to think that women enjoy listening to music but are not into discussing and analyzing it – and nowhere is this more true than in the world of prog rock.

by Amanda Rodgers

It’s no secret that Paul Simon was interested in world music. He was experimenting with it as far back as “El Condor Pasa” on Bridge Over Troubled Water in 1970, continuing with “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Late in the Evening,” and eventually leading to his classic Graceland, a surprising mix of South African music, accompanied by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and zydeco music out of New Orleans.