Nick Hornby's Songbook: A Selected Playlist

Here are selected songs from the chapters of Nick Hornby's Songbook:

• Teenage Fanclub, "Your Love is the Place Where I Come From"
• Bruce Springsteen, "Thunder Road"
• Led Zeppelin, "Heartbreaker" 
• Rod Stewart, "Mama, You Been on My Mind"
• Ani DiFranco, "You Had Time"
• Ben Folds Five, "Smoke"  
• A Minor Incident, "Badly Drawn Boy"
• Van Morrison, "Caravan" 
• Ian Dury & The Blockheads, "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" 
• Mark Mulcahy, "Hey, Self Defeater"  
• The Velvelettes, "Needle In A Haystack"
• Röyksopp, "Röyksopp's Night Out"
• The Patti Smith Group, "Pissing in a River"

Music News 10.28.13

• Rock pioneer and visionary Lou Reed dead at 71 (New York Daily News)
• Out rapper Cazwell has "No Selfie Control" (Advocate)
• Watch a baby gently moved to tears by his mother's singing (Huffington Post)
• A new tool in the fight against Somali pirates: Britney Spears' music (Daily Beast)
• Justin Bieber says his new song is "too powerful to not be recognized." (Huffington Post)
• Chris Brown charged with felony assault, then has charges reduced to a misdemeanor (CNN)

Reflection 07-B: Guilty as Charged—Confessing Our Musical Guilty Pleasures

Note: This week you have the option to choose from two different prompts. Do only one, either 07-A or 07-B. Each is only one full page.

Though we may not admit it, we all have them. And while they are near and dear to our hearts, often they are kept secret. Yet, our musical guilty pleasures serve an important role: they make us happy—even if we don't always own up to them. But why are guilty pleasures, so guilty? What sets this music apart from that which we enjoy openly? Can a song really be so bad it's good? This reflection is your opportunity to come out of the musical closet and reveal three of your musical guilty pleasures. 

Include one of the following in your discussion:

• "Why Do We Feel Guilty about ‘Guilty Pleasures’?" (Den of Geek)
• "The 10 Best Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2012" (Complex)
• "My Guilty Pleasure: 90s Boy bands" (Lovelyish)
• "28 Songs You Know The Words To (But Are Too Ashamed to Admit It)" (Live Music Guide)
• "10 Awesomely Bad Songs" (AOL Radio Blog)
• "Guilty Pleasures: What Music are You Embarrassed to Love?" (NPR Music)

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length
• Must include a works cited page

Due: SEC. 03 & 23—WE 11.06; Sec. 86—TU 10.07

Reflection 07-A: Under the Covers—The Science of Cover Songs

Note: This week you have the option to choose from two different prompts. Do only one, either 07-A or 07-B. Each is only one full page.

A cover is a song performed by someone other than the original artist. From the beginning of recorded music, artists have freely helped themselves to the repertoire of others. Though often used as tributes to admired artists, covers also open songs to wildly different interpretations. This is especially true in the era of YouTube, where any song (and any take on it) is fair game. As a result, both pros and amateurs have taken covers from the unexpected to the unconventional to the sublime. (Of course, these can go terribly wrong, too.) For this reflection, discuss the science of a great cover song, including why they so often go wrong. finally, do you have a favorite cover or two?

Include one of the following in your discussion:

• "30 Cover Songs That Are Better Than the Original" (Pigeons & Planes) 
• "Rolling Stone Readers Choose the Worst Cover Songs of All Time" (Rolling Stone)
• "21 Cover Songs that Make You Realize How Amazing the Originals Were (Buzzfeed)
• "20 Famous Songs You Had No Idea Were Covers" (VH1)
• "3 Rules for Great Cover Songs" (Musicalis Electica)
• "How Karmin and Other Viral Stars Turn YouTube Covers into Major Label Deals" (Billboard)

Required:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one page in length
• Include a works cited page

Due: SEC. 03 & 23—WE 11.06; Sec. 86—TU 10.07

Week 11: Kanye West

Kanye West (Ft. Jamie Foxx), "Gold Digger" (2005)

Week 11: Kanye West
Mo 10.28

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 50
• Class:Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks)

Tu 10.29

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 100
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia Presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks)

We 10.30

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 51 – 100
• Class:AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Upcoming:

Week 12: ABBA
Mo 11.04

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 - 150
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch: Excerpts from BBC Four Sessions: Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (BBC Four)

Tu 11.05

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 101 - 200
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch: Excerpts from BBC Four Sessions: Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band (BBC Four)
• Due: REFLECTION 07

We 11.06

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 151 - 200
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
• Due: REFLECTION 07

Music News 10.21.13

• Lorde's "Royals" get the Bluegrass treatment (Laughing Squid)
• Is this Britney Spears leaked isolated vocal track real? (Huffington Post)
• The debut of MC Dolly Parton (Yahoo! News)
• $1.7 million: Price paid at auction for violin played on Titanic (CNN)
• The unlikely pairing of Lady Gaga and R. Kelly (Daily Beast)
• Twelve-year-old Alison Gold on charges that "Chinese Food" is racist: "The haters are going to hate. I really don't care."

Week 10: Queen

Queen, "You're My Best Friend" (1976)

Week 10: Queen
Mo 10.21

• Read: SONG—“Glorybound” – “Needle in a Haystack;” eR—“You Are What You Hear: What Your Favorite Music Says About You” (NPR Music), “Six Songs of Me” (GuardianMusic), “Does Music Define You?” (NPR Music)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
• Due: REFLECTION 06 

Tu 10.22

• Read: SONG—“Glorybound” – “Pissing in a River;” eR—“You Are What You Hear: What Your Favorite Music Says About You” (NPR Music), “Six Songs of Me” (GuardianMusic), “Does Music Define You?” (NPR Music), “Music Defines Me” (Aggie Central), “The Sound of a Generation” (NPR Music)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—“Gospel for Teens” from 60 Minutes (2011)
• Due: REFLECTION 06; EDITORIAL ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

We 10.23

• Read: SONG—“Let’s Straighten it Out” – “Pissing in a River;” eR—“Music Defines Me” (Aggie Central), “The Sound of a Generation” (NPR Music)
• Class: Multimedia presentations; Watch—“Gospel for Teens” from 60 Minutes (2011)
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

Upcoming:

Week 11: Kanye West
Mo 10.28

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 50
• Class:Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks)

Tu 10.29

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 1 – 100
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia Presentations; Watch—“David Holt: The Joyful Tradition of Mountain Music” (TED Talks)

We 10.30

• Read: OWEN—Pg. 51 – 100
• Class:AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Music News 10.15.13

• "Friday" producer returns with offensive "Chinese Food" (Daily Beast)
• Eminem drops new single, "Rap God" (New York Daily News)
• Sleepy sloth + Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" = adorable (Buzzfeed)
• Five British universities ban "Blurred Lines" because "it promotes an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent" (Daily Beast) 
• Post-Michael, the Jackson family is in disarray (New York Post)
• The link between music and success explored (New York Times)
 

Reflection 06: A Little Mood Music—Creating an Annotated Playlist

Regardless of the situation, there are always songs that fit it just right. Whether you require a romantic mood, a little inspiration, or if you just want to forget your troubles, music exists to enhance those and any other experience. For this reflection, you will create a playlist of at least six songs to fit one of the following situations. Additionally, you must annotate each song in 2-3 sentences. Your annotations should explain your rationale for their inclusion. When compiling your playlist consider the role music plays in the situation? Is it central to the experience or better in the background? What kind of mood are you hoping to evoke? What kinds of music do people typically play in this situation and does your playlist offer any surprises?

Based upon your month of birth, create an annotated playlist of at least six songs for one of the following:

1. Jan—A cold and rainy day: What's the best music for staying indoors on a winter's day? 
2. Feb— A romantic dinner: Love is in the air; how do you enhance the mood?
3. Mar—Cleaning the house: It's time for some spring cleaning; what music will motivate you to get the job done?
4. Apr—Working out: Swimsuit weather is around the corner; which songs will push you toward your goals?
5. May—A beach party: The sun is out and the beach awaits; which songs will usher in the fun?
6. Jun—Studying: Time to get serious about hitting the books; which songs can keep you the most focused?
7. Jul—Relaxing: Your only goal is to do absolutely nothing; which songs will help you do (or not do) just that?
8. Aug—A road trip: You're taking to the road; what songs will inspire a spirit of adventure?
9. Sep—A house party: Which songs will get the dance floor going?
10. Oct—A funeral: You've lost a loved one; how do you memorialize a person's life in songs?
11. Nov—Falling asleep: With the time change, you're having a little trouble sleeping; which songs will help sooth you to sleep?
12. Dec—A holiday dinner party: Friends are coming over for festive dinner; which songs will be most inviting for your guests?

Required:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length

Due: SEC. 03 & 23—MO 10.21; Sec. 86—TU 10.22

Week 09: Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, "It Had to Be You" (1994)

Week 09: Tony Bennett
Mo 10.14

• Read: SONG—“Your Love is the Place Where I Come From” – “You Had Time”
• Class: Writers workshop; Multimedia presentations
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 3 COPIES)

Tu 10.15

• Read: SONG—“Your Love is the Place Where I Come From” – “A Minor Incident;” eR—“Millennials Need to Find a Soundtrack For Their Generation (PolicyMic), “Turn Up That Damned Music!” (Urban Tulsa Weekly)
• Class: Reading discussion; Writers workshop; Multimedia presentations
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 3 COPIES)

We 10.16

• Read: SONG—“I’ve Had It” – “A Minor Incident;” eR—“Millennials Need to Find a Soundtrack For Their Generation (PolicyMic), “Turn Up That Damned Music!” (Urban Tulsa Weekly)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:


Week 10: Queen
Mo 10.21

• Read: SONG—“Glorybound” – “Needle in a Haystack;” eR—“You Are What You Hear: What Your Favorite Music Says About You” (NPR Music), “Six Songs of Me” (GuardianMusic), “Does Music Define You?” (NPR Music)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
• Due: REFLECTION 06 

Tu 10.22

• Read: SONG—“Glorybound” – “Pissing in a River;” eR—“You Are What You Hear: What Your Favorite Music Says About You” (NPR Music), “Six Songs of Me” (GuardianMusic), “Does Music Define You?” (NPR Music), “Music Defines Me” (Aggie Central), “The Sound of a Generation” (NPR Music), “The Songs That Define Us” (ConversantLife)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—“Gospel for Teens” from 60 Minutes (2011)
• Due: REFLECTION 06; EDITORIAL ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

We 10.23

• Read: SONG—“Let’s Straighten it Out” – “Pissing in a River;” eR—“Music Defines Me” (Aggie Central), “The Sound of a Generation” (NPR Music), “The Songs That Define Us” (ConversantLife)
• Class: Multimedia presentations; Watch—“Gospel for Teens” from 60 Minutes (2011)
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

Music News 10.09.13

• Miley and Sinead find a way to finally come together ... in a mashup (Los Angeles Times)
• So what do other female pop stars think about women's sexualization in the music industry? (Telegraph)
• Also... Sinead also takes on Simon Cowell (Entertainment Weekly)
• Glee prepares to say goodbye to Corey Monteith (Hollywood Reporter)
• Lady Gaga's screen debut in Machete Kills (ContactMusic)
• Another view of music piracy (Washington Post)
• 
  

Editorial Essay: The Hip Hop Wars

In The Hip Hop Wars, Tricia Rose argues:

Hip Hop is in a terrible crisis. Although its overall fortunes have risen sharply, the most commercially promoted and financially successful hip hop—what has dominated mass-media outlets such as television, film, radio, and recording industries for a dozen years or so—has increasingly become a playground for caricatures of black gangstas, pimps, and hoes. Hyper-sexism has increased dramatically, and homophobia along with distorted, antisocial, self-destructive, and violent portraits of black masculinity have become rap's calling cards. Relying on an ever-narrowing range of images and themes, this commercial juggernaut has played a central role in the near-deception of what was once a vibrant, diverse, and complex popular genre, wringing it dry by pandering to America's racist and sexist lowest common denominator.

Is there any turning back for hip hop? Can a multi-million dollar industry abandon the motifs that made it popular and return to a simpler time? How does hip hop return to its roots? In a concise editorial, explain how you believe hip hop can be reclaimed. To support your thesis, cite evidence from The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop—and Why It Matters

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• 3-page minimum
• Include a works cited page

The best papers:

• Have a title that articulates its point of view
• Stay within the parameters of the subject matter
• Have a concise thesis which clearly outlines a position
• Are written in a voice that is casual, yet informed
• Clearly support their thesis with solid evidence and a logical structure, citing from The Hip Hop Wars.
• Conclude with a summation of the argument
• Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method
• Are in compliance with MLA Style

Sample editorials from around the country:

• "Shutdown: The Tea Party’s Last Stand" (Washington Post) 
• "Limits for Online Data Collection" (Denver Post)
• "The Haze Around E-Cigarettes" (Los Angles Times) 
• "'Socialism' Charge Doesn't Stick as Obamacare Exchanges Open" (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• "Sex, Doubt, and the Pope" (New York Times)

Due: DRAFT 1—SEC. 03 & 23—MO 10.14 (BRING 3 COPIES), Sec. 86—TU 10.15 (BRING 3 COPIES); FINAL DRAFT—SEC. 03 & 23—WE 10.23 (ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK), Sec. 86—TU 10.22 (ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

Week 08: Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley, "Can't Help Falling in Love" (1961)

Week 08: Elvis Presley
Mo 10.07

• Read: WARS—“We’re Not Role Models” – “Nobody Talks about the Positive in Hip Hop”

• Class: Reading discussion; Watch—Excerpts from And You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop from VH1 (2004)
• Due: INFOGRAPHIC (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK)

Tu 10.08

• Read: WARS—“We’re Not Role Models” – “Nobody Talks about the Positive in Hip Hop” 
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Watch—Excerpts from And You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop from VH1 (2004) 
• Due: INFOGRAPHIC (FINAL DRAFT; ATTACH DRAFT 1 TO BACK); REFLECTION 05

We 10.09

• Read: WARS—“Mutual Denials in the Hip Hop Wars” – “Six Guiding Principles for Creativity, Consumption, and Community in Hip Hop and Beyond”
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
• Due: REFLECTION 05 

Upcoming:

Week 09: Tony Bennett
Mo 10.14

• Read: SONG—“Your Love is the Place Where I Come From” – “You Had Time”
• Class: Writers workshop; Multimedia presentations
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 3 COPIES)

Tu 10.15

• Read: SONG—“Your Love is the Place Where I Come From” – “A Minor Incident;” eR—“Millennials Need to Find a Soundtrack For Their Generation (PolicyMic), “Turn Up That Damned Music!” (Urban Tulsa Weekly)
• Class: Reading discussion; Writers workshop; Multimedia presentations
• Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 3 COPIES)

We 10.16

• Read: SONG—“I’ve Had It” – “A Minor Incident;” eR—“Millennials Need to Find a Soundtrack For Their Generation (PolicyMic), “Turn Up That Damned Music!” (Urban Tulsa Weekly)
• Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Music News 10.01.13

• Madonna debuts gritty "secretprojectrevolution," promoting worldwide freedom of expression (Huntington Post)
• Glee goes Beatles-esque (Entertainment Weekly)
• Walking is for losers: Bodyguards carry Justin Bieber up The Great Wall of China (CNN)
• Not laughing: Kanye unhappy with Jimmy Kimmel spoof (New York Daily News)
• Court: Wade Robinson's sex assault case against Michael Jackson's estate may proceed (Mirror)
• Diddy developing his own 24-hour music video channel (Time)