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Music Education

Defining Genre: Jangle Pop

What Is Jangle Pop?

Jangle pop describes a sound characterized by bright “jangly” guitars. Bands created this sound by using single-coil pickups. Pickups on electric guitars convert string vibrations into electricity. Inside of the pickup are magnetic bars, wrapped in coils. Metal coils can convert vibrations into electricity even without a power source. The metal strings on guitars work as a second magnetic body, which moves over the magnetic bars and coils. When a magnet goes over the coil an electrical current flows through it. 

There are two main ways to make pickups, single or double coils. Double coils reduce the amount of outside noise interference because each coil can cancel out any background humming done by the other. Single coils on the other hand do not have noise reduction. Single coil pickups offer a crisp and clean tone, which when paired with the use of minimal distortion on amps creates the jangly sound for which the genre is named. Some jangle pop acts also employed the use of 12-string guitars. 12-string guitars produce a cascading, shimmery sound. This sound is due to the fact that it is impossible to vibrate all of the strings simultaneously.  

While influenced by pop and utilizing pop writing conventions, bands still usually had a DIY mentality, an amateur sound and cryptic lyrics. 

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Classic Album Review

Classic Album Review: Mitsumeru

Album cover for Gaze by Mitsumeru

Gaze was a Canadian indie pop band with shoegaze and twee leanings. Their drummer, Rose Melberg, was part of a number of other musical groups within the genre such as The Softies and Tiger Trap. The band only released two albums before disbanding but I think that both are worth a listen. While often criticized for lack of musical variety between songs, each song feels emotionally sincere. They may not be the most musically complex band, but their frank lyrics describing everyday frustrations and arguments endear them to me. A friend of a friend you can’t stand, a break up that leaves you bitter and an argument where insults are thrown back and forth are all stories explored within the album “Mitsumeru”. 

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New Album Review

Album Review: Grand Voyage

“Grand Voyage” is the second album by French electropop group Tapeworms. In this follow up to their 2020 debut “Funtastic”, the already-unique band has gotten even more experimental. While the previous album also contains electronic elements, the influence of shoegaze is abundant on “Funtastic”. “Grand Voyage” is harder to pin down. 

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Concert Preview

Locals Only! for May

Another year, another Local’s Only! A collaboration between WKNC and Neptunes to show off and show up for local bands returns later on Thursday, May 8. Featuring two indie bands from right here in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’re not going to want to miss it. Let’s take a look at the bands.