Laufey

[chris]

This artist came up in a VERY different space, but with the question what “real” jazz listeners thought of it. I figured, what better place to ask?

Laufey: https://songwhip.com/laufey/bewitched-2

[mjzee]

I had never heard of her, so I played the first track that came up on YouTube (above).  My impressions: She has a very nice voice, good control - I always liked female singers who sing in the lower register.  The overall sound of the tune sounded like something I'd hear in a Starbucks while ordering a coffee.  I'm not really sure I'd call it jazz - more like sophisticated pop.  Jazzers generally don't write songs with lyrics, so that aspect of the song is a whole other bag.  Not sure an anti-male song will endear her to that demographic, but maybe she wants the Taylor Swift audience.  Anyway, good luck to her.

[jazzbo]

Her music doesn't really do much for me no matter what it may be classified as. But she is a lovely woman.

[JSngry]

What is it about Iceland? 

[mjzee]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

What is it about Iceland? 

Maybe they still have music education in the schools.

[JSngry]

At the very least. 

[chris]

Re jazz musicians and vocals…how do new jazz songs with vocals come to be, then, only as interpretations of other songs in other genres?

[JSngry]

Anybody can do what they want. 

[sgcim]

She uses all maj7, maj9. min7th and min9 chords and sus chords, she has an actual musical melody going on, something very rare these days. The music business in the US only cares about the kids. and the kids will say "OLD SCHOOL" and turn it off after five seconds. She does put the guy down. so maybe the Swiftian element will appeal to that crowd. Maybe Iceland's different. The music in their movies is listenable.

It's Tik-Tok!

Edited September 11, 2023 by sgcim

[Joe]

It's funny. Some June Christy (then, Chris Connor) came up on the mix I was playing in the car last week, and I thought to myself, "Well, here's a vocal style — an American vernacular, even — that's basically become a fossil." I guess I was wrong [?]. Eager to explore what this artist is all about.

[JSngry]

Whatever happened to KD Lang? 

[jazzbo]

17 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Whatever happened to KD Lang? 

From wikipedia:

 

Semi-retirement 

In 2019, lang said in an interview that she considers herself semi-retired and may not be writing and recording new songs in the future. "I'm not feeling any particular urge to make music right now. The muse is eluding me. I am completely at peace with the fact that I may be done."

Edited September 11, 2023 by jazzbo

[JSngry]

I hear a kinship, a faint one, but still... 

[chris]

12 hours ago, sgcim said:

She uses all maj7, maj9. min7th and min9 chords and sus chords, she has an actual musical melody going on, something very rare these days. The music business in the US only cares about the kids. and the kids will say "OLD SCHOOL" and turn it off after five seconds. She does put the guy down. so maybe the Swiftian element will appeal to that crowd. Maybe Iceland's different. The music in their movies is listenable.

It's Tik-Tok!

Interestingly, the forum where I learned about her is a Discord group devoted---deeply devoted---to pop music of all sorts, so perhaps she is really making some headway. I'm all for it, especially if it brings more listeners to related jazz music and, ultimately, to the dark side 😆

[sgcim]

4 hours ago, chris said:

Interestingly, the forum where I learned about her is a Discord group devoted---deeply devoted---to pop music of all sorts, so perhaps she is really making some headway. I'm all for it, especially if it brings more listeners to related jazz music and, ultimately, to the dark side 😆

We can only pray. I'm already forming a Laufey Tribute Band as we speak. I'm gonna call it  "The Music Laufey Invented".

[JSngry]

Having listened a little further...too retro for me to take seriously.

The Tik-Tok thing is interesting as sociology. Would anybody be listening like this without the memes? If so, why?

And whatever else it is, it's not jazz, unless it is, in which case, I don't need any jazz in my life. 

 

[sgcim]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Having listened a little further...too retro for me to take seriously.

The Tik-Tok thing is interesting as sociology. Would anybody be listening like this without the memes? If so, why?

And whatever else it is, it's not jazz, unless it is, in which case, I don't need any jazz in my life. 

 

To the vapid idjut that did that video, anything without a drum machine is jazz. He thinks that people need to feel connected to the artist so badly, that they don't care what the music sounds like. The first rehearsal for my Laufey Tribute starts tonight at noon. Be there or be squared. I just finished a book "From ICELAND TO New Orleans: The story of Laufey.... She had a past life.

[JSngry]

I have liked Bjork.

This, not nearly as much.

Either way, I am not the target demographic, especially to play along with Tik-Tok memes.How cute. 

I'm a stranger on that planet and happily so. 

[sgcim]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

I have liked Bjork.

This, not nearly as much.

Either way, I am not the target demographic, especially to play along with Tik-Tok memes.How cute. 

I'm a stranger on that planet and happily so. 

I'm preparing a Tik-Tok meme around Schoenberg. If they can bring back 'jazz', they can bring back 12-tone.

[JSngry]

Try Bartok. The folk roots still ring true. 

 

[chris]

I've not seen any Laufey Tik Tok videos...or really any Tik Tok videos at all. Just listened to her on Spotify or Tidal.

On 9/11/2023 at 1:55 PM, JSngry said:

And whatever else it is, it's not jazz, unless it is, in which case, I don't need any jazz in my life.

I don't really see how some of her tracks aren't jazz, but I lost interest in the classifications and gatekeeping battles a long time ago since they don't really matter. My initial post wasn't about classification, just the music, and I'm pretty sure I know how you feel about it

[JSngry]

I mean, it's a lot of things, just not jazz. It doesn't have to be jazz to be good. But something so blatantly referential to past musics can't avoid being classified.

To avoid classification...make music that is not easily classified. 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

The youtube clips I checked out aren't quite my cup of tea but they are impressive.  She knows something about music and has a fine voice! (Unlike TS).  She likes jazz!  She's 24 and very talented and probably will eventually come up with some music I would like to listen to.

[JSngry]

Remember Madeline Peyroux? 

[JSngry]

a few painful historical errors to be sure, but also some thoughtful commentary. Much more of the latter than the former.