SW on Music Theory Print

Swamp blues

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Swamp blues has a laid-back, slow tempo, and generally is a more rhythmic variation of Louisiana blues, incorporating influences from New Orleans blues, zydeco, soul music and Cajun music. It is characterized by simple but effective guitar work and is influenced by the boogie patterns used on Jimmy Reed records and the work of Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters. The sound of swamp blues was characterized by “eerie echo, shuffle beats, tremolo guitars, searing harmonica and sparse percussion”.

Swamp pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

The swamp pop sound is typified by highly emotional, lovelorn lyrics, tripleting honky-tonk pianos, undulating bass lines, bellowing horn sections, and a strong rhythm and blues backbeat. It is exemplified by slow ballads such as Cookie and his Cupcakes’ “Mathilda” (recorded 1958), considered as the unofficial swamp pop anthem. But the genre has also produced many upbeat compositions, such as Bobby Charles’ “See You Later, Alligator” (1955), popularly covered by Bill Haley & His Comets. During the genre’s heyday (1958–1964), several swamp pop songs appeared on national U.S. record charts. These included Jimmy Clanton’s “Just A Dream” (1958), Warren Storm’s “Prisoner’s Song” (1958), Phil Phillips’ “Sea Of Love” (1959), Rod Bernard’s “This Should Go On Forever” (1959), Joe Barry’s “I’m a Fool to Care” (1960), and Dale & Grace’s “I’m Leaving It Up to You” (1963). In swamp pop’s south Louisiana–southeast Texas birthplace, fans regarded many songs that never became national hits as classics. These include Johnnie Allan’s “Lonely Days, Lonely Nights” (1958), Buck Rogers’ “Crazy Baby” (1959), Randy and the Rockets’ “Let’s Do the Cajun Twist” (1962), T. K. Hulin’s “I’m Not a Fool Anymore” (1963), and Clint West’s “Big Blue Diamond” (1965), among numerous others.

Swamp rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Swamp rock fuses rockabilly and soul music with swamp blues, country music and funk. Swamp blues provided swamp rock with its defining guitar sound, which was low toned and often reverberated. The sound also frequently uses horns, due to its soul influence, although solos are more commonly performed on guitars. Also contributing influence to the sound of swamp rock was the hard, guitar-driven sound of British Invasion bands, as well as country blues, Cajun music and New Orleans rhythm and blues. The genre’s lyrics are often “dark and menacing”, drawing from young Americans’ dissatisfaction with the political establishment, as well as environmentalist concerns.

Swedish death metal

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Precursors#

The Swedish death metal scene’s earliest originators were influenced more by punk rock, especially the D-beat and hardcore punk scene, than they were metal bands. The most influential of these bands upon the burgeoning Swedish extreme metal scene was Gothenburg’s Anti Cimex. Influenced by such Swedish punk bands as Asocial, Mob 47 and Anti Cimex, emerged the country’s first extreme metal band Bathory. Subsequently, becoming a primary influence for the black metal scene, Bathory were a pivotal group in Swedish extreme metal. Mefisto, Obscurity and Merciless were some of the earliest bands to follow in Bathory’s footsteps, combining their sound with influences from German groups like Sodom and Destruction. Although Mefisto and Obscurity only released two demos each, and rarely performed live, Merciless became prominent in the extreme metal underground. Their live performances became notorious for bassist Fredrik Karlén’s reckless behaviour, including climbing up buildings and jumping off of balconies. Furthermore, the band’s 1988 demo Realm of the Dark, led to them becoming the first Swedish extreme metal band after Bathory to be signed to a record label, in this case of Euronymous’s label Deathlike Silence Productions, who released Merciless’s 1990 debut album The Awakening.

Swedish folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The history of Swedish folk music collection began with the formation of an organization called the Gothic Society (Götiska Förbundet) in 1811, shortly after the establishment of Sweden as a modern constitutional monarchy in 1809. The first published transcription of a Swedish folk tune came out in their journal Iduna in 1813. The men of the Gothic Society were primarily interested in collecting the oldest materials they could find among the peasants of the Swedish countryside. Collection in the 19th century largely followed this model; the music was generally arranged for performance by people whose primary background was in art music. In the early 1890s, the first “public” performances of Swedish folk music by actual spelmän (folk musicians) were held at Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air museum of Swedish folklife. The first Swedish spelman contest was held in 1906, and the first national gathering of Swedish spelmän in 1910. Over time, the contests began to fade, and the less formal gatherings became the primary venue for Swedish folk musicians to interact with one another. Instrumental folk music was still primarily a solo tradition during the first half of the 20th century, and the best-known players were virtuosic fiddlers from the province of Hälsingland. In the 1940s, the first spelmanslag, or amateur folk music groups, were established, associated primarily with the music of Dalarna. The first major recording project for Swedish folk music was also launched in the late 1940s. Some of the most popular recordings were of spelmanslag in Dalarna, and during the 1950s the spelmanslag phenomenon spread throughout the country. The beginnings of the folk music revival could already be seen in the mid-1960s, influenced by albums such as Jan Johansson’s Jazz på svenska (“Jazz in Swedish”) released in 1962 (EP) and 1964 (LP). The movement gained momentum in 1970 in the aftermath of Gärdesfesten, Sweden’s answer to Woodstock. Elsewhere during the 1960s and 1970s, rock and pop musicians began adapting Swedish folk music into their own compositions. The 1967 album Studio by Tages along with subsequent singles “There’s a Blind Man Playin’ Fiddle in the Street” and “Fantasy Island” from 1968 were amongst the first rock recordings blending the genres. In the years since, Swedish folk music has once again receded into a subcultural niche, but the revival has effected a number of changes. These include the addition of a number of new instruments (saxophone, flute, tambourine, guitar, and mandola, to name a few) as well as some revived instruments (e.g. Swedish bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, and härjedalspipa). The inclusion of these instruments has meant the invention of new forms of ensemble music (given that Swedish folk music had previously been primarily a solo melody tradition). A polska dance revival, beginning in the early 1980s, has meant new contexts for the music to be played in. Swedish folk music has entered the educational system at all levels; musicians are becoming more and more skilled at ever-younger ages.

Swedish hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

Percussionist Per Cussion (of reggae-punk band Dag Vag) and Grandmaster Funk are generally credited with bringing hip hop to Sweden. on Mercury Records with the first contemporary R&B, rap and EDM songs in Swedish, 5 years before Just D’s debut. The album came about after Fex had lived in New York in 1982 and 1983. Fex moved to Copenhagen, Denmark in 1985 and started a Fairlight CMI rental service, thereby becoming one of the first Swedes to work with digital samplers and sequencers. The vinyl release never made it to CD and a re-master had digital release in 2025. In the summer of 1984, following a major dance competition, Double M Crew, Abdula & The Rockers, Rock Ski, Almighty T and MC II Fresh joined together to form the hip hop collective Ice Cold Rockers, a crew consisting of rappers, scratchers, dancers and graffiti artists. Broadcaster D and One Eye Que (later recording under the name Ayo) started their collaboration. Sweden, outside of Stockholm, soon became familiar with hip hop when the popular movie Stockholmsnatt, which featured the IC Rockers, came out. Pop-C and Snoopy were on the soundtrack and had a hit in 1986 with their single “Next Time”. New artists followed in their tracks. Rob’n’Raz produced the album Competition Is None and introduced Papa Dee’s dub and dancehall influenced rap to the Swedes. See-Que, from Stockholm, collaborated with the American label Priority Records on their compilation album Basement Flavor. The first real rap song in Swedish “Jag Är Def” came from MC Tim in 1989. The year after, Just D was formed and their decision to rap in Swedish would earn them a huge fan base, and introduce rap to the general populace.

Sweet jazz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Name#

The “sweet” moniker was originally coined to contrast the melodic sound of the sweet bands with the highly energetic and cacophonous improvisation of New Orleans’ “hot” jazz. For many contemporary white critics, the name was an indication of its melodic accessibility and refined structure, but the term was also used by some musicians and critics as a mocking, somewhat derogatory term for a style they saw as more generic and less spirited. The most popular sweet bandleader, the so-called “King of Jazz” Paul Whiteman, preferred to describe his ensemble’s music as “symphonic jazz”.

Swing music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1920s: Roots#

Developments in dance orchestra and jazz music during the 1920s both contributed to the development of the 1930s swing style. Starting in 1923, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra featured innovative arrangements by Don Redman that featured call-response interplay between brass and reed sections, and interludes arranged to back up soloists. The arrangements also had a smoother rhythmic sense than the ragtime-influenced arrangements that were the more typical “hot” dance music of the day. In 1924 Louis Armstrong joined the Henderson band, lending impetus to an even greater emphasis on soloists. The Henderson band also featured Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Buster Bailey as soloists, who all were influential in the development of swing era instrumental styles. During the Henderson band’s extended residency at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, it became influential on other big bands. Duke Ellington credited the Henderson band with being an early influence when he was developing the sound for his own band. In 1927 Armstrong worked with pianist Earl Hines, who had a similar impact on his instrument as Armstrong had on trumpet. Hines’ melodic, horn-like conception of playing deviated from the contemporary conventions in jazz piano centered on building rhythmic patterns around “pivot notes”. His approaches to rhythm and phrasing were also free and daring, exploring ideas that would define swing playing. His approach to rhythm often used accents on the lead-in instead of the main beat, and mixed meters, to build a sense of anticipation to the rhythm and make his playing swing. He also used “stops” or musical silences to build tension in his phrasing. Hines’ style was a seminal influence on the styles of swing-era pianists Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Jess Stacy, Nat “King” Cole, Erroll Garner, Mary Lou Williams, and Jay McShann. Black territory dance bands in the southwest were developing dynamic styles that often went in the direction of blues-based simplicity, using riffs in a call-response pattern to build a strong, danceable rhythm and provide a musical platform for extended solos. The rhythm-heavy tunes for dancing were called “stomps”. The requirement for volume led to continued use of the sousaphone over the string bass with the larger ensembles, which dictated a more conservative approach to rhythm based on time signatures. Meanwhile, string bass players such as Walter Page were developing their technique to the point where they could hold down the bottom end of a full-sized dance orchestra. The growth of radio broadcasting and the recording industry in the 1920s allowed some of the more popular dance bands to gain national exposure. The most popular style of dance orchestra was the “sweet” style, often with strings. Paul Whiteman developed a style he called “symphonic jazz”, grafting a classical approach over his interpretation of jazz rhythms in an approach he hoped would be the future of jazz. Whiteman’s Orchestra enjoyed great commercial success and was a major influence on the sweet bands. Jean Goldkette’s Victor Recording Orchestra featured many of the top white jazz musicians of the day including Bix Beiderbecke, Jimmy Dorsey, Frank Trumbauer, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Lang, and Joe Venuti. The Victor Recording Orchestra won the respect of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in a Battle of the Bands; Henderson’s cornetist Rex Stewart credited the Goldkette band with being the most influential white band in the development of swing music before Benny Goodman’s. As a dance music promoter and agent, Goldkette also helped organize and promote McKinney’s Cotton Pickers and Glen Gray’s Orange Blossoms (later the Casa Loma Orchestra), two other Detroit-area bands that were influential in the early swing era.

Swing revival

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In Canada, the swing revival is associated with the popularity of new dance band recordings by Peter Appleyard’s All Star Swing Band and Dal Richards in the early 1980s. The Spitfire Band, a neo-swing outfit that included composer and musician Jackie Rae, trumpeter Micky Erbe, and trombonist Laurie Bower, was founded in 1981 and issued a series of LPs for Columbia Records. The roots of the swing revival in the United States are generally traced back to 1989, which saw the formation of several of the scene’s most prominent figures: Los Angeles’ Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who often stuck close to playing traditionally-styled jump blues and rockabilly; San Francisco’s swing scene included Lee Presson and the Nails who started performing at local clubs in 1994 and Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, who showcased vocal jazz and blues influences, emerging in 1996; and Eugene, Oregon’s Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, who incorporated elements of punk rock and ska into swing and jazz music. California soon emerged as the center of the burgeoning neo-swing movement, with such clubs as Los Angeles’ The Derby and San Francisco’s Club DeLuxe regularly hosting swing and jazz bands as well as offering free swing dancing lessons. By the early 1990s, swing music had started appearing in popular culture, serving as the focal point of the 1993 drama Swing Kids while featuring heavily in the 1994 comedy The Mask, in which Royal Crown Revue made an on-screen cameo. By this time, retro swing had started expanding outside of its West Coast roots, leading to the formation of swing bands in such places as Texas (8½ Souvenirs, The Lucky Strikes), Michigan (The Atomic Fireballs, The Deluxtone Rockets), North Carolina (Squirrel Nut Zippers) and Canada (including Big Rude Jake in Toronto, Ontario and Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra in Halifax, Nova Scotia). In 1996, the American comedy Swingers, which featured scenes filmed at The Derby and a musical performance by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, became a critical and commercial success and is frequently credited with bringing the swing revival further into the cultural mainstream. In April 1997, the Squirrel Nut Zippers’ 1996 single “Hell” appeared on the Billboard charts, effectively becoming the first hit song of the swing revival; their album Hot would achieve platinum sales of one million units by the RIAA by December 1997. In March 1997, the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies released their swing compilation Zoot Suit Riot, attaining platinum status in August 1998 and double-platinum status in January 2000 while its titular single peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Brian Setzer Orchestra, which was founded by former Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer in 1992, also achieved double-platinum sales with their 1998 album The Dirty Boogie, whose cover of Louis Prima’s 1956 song “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” became the highest-charting single of swing revival, peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. At the same time in 1998, The Gap used Prima’s version of “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” in a “Khakis Swing” commercial; according to Stereogum, Gap’s commercialization of the revival in particular was considered by some as signifying the end of the 90s swing revival or movement, though not before Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed “Go Daddy-O” for a national audience during the Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show in January, 1999. Examples of neo-swing in general continue to be produced beyond the 90s.

Swiss hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Crews#

The most known, active dancers and crews were: * Fantastic Rockers from Zürich: Power, Fast5, Prince Crime, Chase, Sky * Battle Rockers (formerly known as “Back Street Crew”) from Zürich: Charly, Duster, Csizee, Spinkie, Steve * City Rockers (’83–’84) from Bern: Zed & Ice (later joined Jazzy Rockers), Silvano, Mike, J.K., Scholl, Tweety * Jam Power (ca. ’82–’83) from Geneva: Pascal, Punchy, Fred, Jose, Emilio (a.k.a. Joe B & DJ Mil of rap crew “Duty Free”) * Supreme Rockers from Lausanne: Speedy & Carlos (rap group “Sens Unik”), Oswaldo, Nino, JP * Jazzy Rockers from Biel/Bienne: Seyo, Eduzy, Kid Rock, Rubber Band, Dee, Chico Rock, Zed, Soul, (around ’86 Carlos a.k.a. Risk Leader of the African Posse, Shy One, Lee joined) * Basel City Breakers from Basel: Melo, N-Top, Steve, Ricki, Oli, Willi & others (Of course there were also others who played a significant role along with those above.) These crews were the Swiss hip hop founders and brought the hip hop culture fundamentals (Peace, love & unity state of mind, graffiti, breakdance, DJing, MCs) and clothing styles straight from the roots and basic founders in New York City (Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa & The Zulu Nation, Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster Flash, The Rock Steady Crew, The New York City Breakers and many other U.S. hip hop masters…). They led the hip hop culture in Switzerland until the end of the 1980s and even after. Although some of them returned to anonymity since then or died young, the most of these “old schoolers” are still around, watching what’s going on. Some of them are still taking part of actual hip hop events and others are even still active (like Seyo in Painting Art, others are dealing with music industry in different music styles) and living this culture yet mostly in their heart with a nostalgic state of mind.