One of the things that stood out most to me in O Brother Where Art Thou?, especially in comparison to No Country For Old Men, was the music, and the important role it played in the story. Several times music was important to the plot- for example, when Everett & co "sing into the can" at the radio station, the appealing sound of the Christian baptismal songs, and when the sirens' song seduces the men out of their car. Singing and music pop up everywhere, and in the end, the Soggy Bottom Boys are what saves the central characters- the town is united by music. It's also interesting that the "bad" character, who challenges the incumbent in a local election, is described as "not a fan of music." Background soundtrack music also seems to be relevant to the story. Is there something more the music is trying to show? Does it represent themes to the movie? What does everyone think?

I know we discussed this in class today, but thought it would be interesting to carry the discussion further- what does everyone think about the lack of music in the No Country for Old Men movie? I thought looking at the clips (especially listening to the one without the visual part) was really interesting- it made the lack of music even clearer. Should other movies use this technique? I'm not sure I've seen any others without music...has anyone else?

I am attempting to revise my podcast, and have been very glad for our in-class group podcasts. I know when I recorded the first draft of my podcast it was very difficult for me to speak naturally into the microphone- either that, or my mind would go completely blank right after I pressed the record button! Having the chance to practice conversing in front of mics helped me a lot- it was a good lesson in forgetting about the recording element of the project. It's made it easier for me thus far to have a more open conversation about the band Stars- even if that conversation is just with myself!

I chose to talk about the Canadian band Stars for my podcast. They're not an extremely well-known band but I like them a lot (especially after I saw them live last November) and I think their music has a lot of similarities to literature- particularly poetry. I definitely had a hard time talking into the mic- I feel like I could write an essay about my topic easily but when it came to talking about it out loud my mind blanked- even though no one else was in the room! I guess it's just stage fright- hopefully it will get easier with practice. I know I need to work on my transitions and there are I'm sure a few sections of my speaking that need to be re-recorded; I want to try and sound more natural. I do think that the music worked well, and I was glad to find a good interview clip with the lead singer in the band.

I know we are probably past this discussion but in thinking of poetic musicians I just had to bring up a couple of rappers I think are pretty poetic. First, Lil Wayne- I don't know if someone else has already brought him up or not. Though at first many people might discount him because he's a rapper, he's one of the few that actually puts thought into the words he sings- he doesn't just talk about clubs and girls and drugs. His lyrics are always clever, if a little crazy sometimes ("I'm high up in the sky, flying with the fishes, or maybe in the ocean swimming with the pigeons. See, my world is different") I think that's part of what makes him an artist. Another rapper whose lyrics I admire is Kanye West. Both of these rappers take the genre of rap to a new level, using it to talk about subjects that are important to them, from religion to politics to, yes, occasionally chillin' in the club. The beats and rhythms they use help them to make their messages even stronger.