Category: Music Discourse (Page 9 of 14)

Using Music to Learn Vocabulary: Part 2

“Using Music to Learn Vocabulary” (read part 1 here) is back with a second installment.

1. Jackalope: “We’re All Stuck Out In the Desert” by Johnathan Rice

A jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant’s tail (and often hind legs).

2. Polystyrene: “Something Borrowed, Something Blue” by Ben Lee

Polystyrene is a rigid clear thermoplastic polymer that can be molded into objects or made into a foam that is used to insulate refrigerators.

3. Carpetbagger: “Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis

A carpetbagger refers to a northerner who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the Reconstruction & refers to a political candidate who seeks election in an area where they have no local connections.

4. Aztlán: “New Yorker Cartoon” by Jenny and Johnny

Aztlán refers to the mythical ancestral home of the Nahuas, one of the main populations in Mesoamerica.

5. Tucker Telephone: “I Don’t Mind” by Phantom Planet

Tucker Telephone refers to a torture device used at Arkansas’ Tucker State Prison Farm in the 1960s. The device, designed using parts from an old-fashioned crank telephone and batteries, administered electric shocks.

“Limbs” Songs

Here is a list of good songs about “limbs” — hands, feet, arms, legs, etc:

“Sleight of Hand” by Army Navy

“Out of My Hands” by The Donnas

“Hand in Hand” by Hanson

“Hand of God” by Jason Boesel

“Soft Hands” by Michael Runion

“Thieves and Their Hands” by Rachael Cantu

“Sun Feet” by Eisley

“Got My Feet on the Ground” by The Kinks

“The Finger and the Moon” by Ben Lee

“You’ll Need Those Fingers For Crossing” by Los Campesinos!

“Weary Arms” by Crooked Fingers

“With Arms Outstretched” by Rilo Kiley

“Your Legs Grow” by Nada Surf

Alliterative Songs

Here is a collection of good songs with alliterative titles:

“Silvery Sleds” by Army Navy:

“Coughing Colors” by Tilly and the Wall:

“Bratty B” by Best Coast:

“Little Lungs” by An Horse:

“Demon Daughters” by Phantom Planet:

Honorable Mentions:

“Sunny Sunday” by Leona Naess

“Daisy Duke” by Rooney

“Why Worry” by All American Rejects

“Get Gotten” by Ben Lee

“Runaway Run” by Hanson

“Big Brat” by Phantom Planet

Using Music to Learn Vocabulary

Listening to music, such as the songs below, can help you improve your vocabulary. Did you know the definitions of all the words below?

1. “Archipelago” by Mirah

Vocab. Word: Archipelago

Definition: A group of islands; an expanse of water surrounded by islands

2. “Narcissus in a Red Dress” by The Like

Vocab. Word: Tutelage

Definition: Protection of or authority over someone or something; guardianship

Vocab. Word: Charlatan

Definition: A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud

3. “Anhedonia” by Skinny Jean:

Vocab. Word: Anhedonia

Definition: The inability to feel pleasure

4. “My Pet Snakes” by Jenny and Johnny

Vocab. Word: Ouroboros

Definition: An ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail

5. “Quarry Hymns” by Land of Talk

Vocab. Word: Quarry

Definition: A place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted

6. “No Action” by Elvis Costello

Vocab. Word: Bakelight

Definition: An early form of brittle plastic made from formaldehyde and phenol, used chiefly for electrical equipment

7. “Ductile” by Ben Lee

Vocab. Word: Ductile

Definition: Able to be drawn out into a thin wire; Able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable, not brittle

Honorable Mention: “Fair Game” by The Like

Vocab. Words: Akimbo, Pessimistic, Incestuous, Tempestuous, Extraneous

Food Songs

Music + Food = Food Songs

“Nuts” by Noah23 featuring Liz Powell:

“Cigarettes Will Kill You” by Ben Lee (extended food/cooking metaphor):

“Sugarcane” by Missy Higgins:

“You & Onions” by Meiko:

Honorable Mentions:

“Food of Love” by Leslie and the Badgers

“Apple Candy” by Ben Lee

Vimeo vs. YouTube

YouTube is definitely the most popular video website, but Vimeo is steadily gaining fans.

Compared to YouTube’s cluttered comments section and increasing number of advertisements before videos, Vimeo has a much cleaner look and more personal feel.

It’s a good idea to periodically check Vimeo for new video uploads of your favorite bands. Only relying on YouTube could mean that you miss out on great concert videos.

For example, I recently found an entire Rilo Kiley concert (from May 2005 at Austin City Limits) on Vimeo — Vimeo is the only place on the Internet to watch this concert.

Set list: “Pull Me in Tighter,” “More Adventurous,” “Ripchord,” “The Absence of God,” “Does He Love You?,” and “I Love LA.”

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