Week 8: "99 Luftballons", "Slow Lights"

I found myself trapped in my room one snow day during my high school years during an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to avoid shoveling snow. However, before I got down to chores I had to get a song unstuck from my head. That song was 99 Luftballons by Nena and the method for getting it dislodged was by listening to it as much as possible. In fact, I thought I’d do myself one better and teach it to myself on the bass.

The big difference between my effort to learn 99 luftballons and other songs that I have covered is that the other songs were picked up from tabs. I haven’t exactly clarified what tabs are exactly; they are basically a shorthand layout of how a song is played on the bass (there are also tabs for guitar and drums) based on the location on the instrument each note is played. It is an easy way to learn a song without having to go through the actual music notation.

So, instead of running to the cheat sheet, I decided to listen to the song and replicate the bassline by ear. Since the bassline was quite repetitive (and infectious in an over-the-top eighties way) it was no chore whatsoever to learn.

Free Song of the Week

I was pleased to see a shiny new free music page on iTunes this week with a much more convenient format this time around. Also, I found that iTunes added a St. Patrick’s Day song as the Discovery Download. However, my joy dissipated when I actually listened to the songs. There was no standout favorite for me this time around; but that doesn’t mean these songs aren’t worth a listen.

“Slow Lights” by Alternative act Sin Fang is the Indie Spotlight this week. I may not have been floored by the song by first listen, but I think it will grow on me. I enjoy the pulsating drum beats and the less emphasized instrumentals. However, the vocals drone on for the entire 4 minutes and 54 seconds without much variation. Again, this is only a first opinion and the song may have potential in future listens; besides, it’s free, so why not give it a shot?