a cappella music
 

So I did a quick search and came up with nothing on this topic...

My favourite song of all time is an a cappella song by the Flying Pickets called Only You. This form of music is just so impressive to me. Whenever I see an ad for our local Barbershop Quartet performing, I always try to make it.

That said, does anyone else share a fondness for this (underappreciated, I'd say) style of music with me? Any bands/links you'd be willing to share?

I have to say without question that I really don't like A Cappella music...

I don't like the way it sounds.

The Nylons give me the willies and Barbershop Quartets just make me writhe with contact embarassment.

There was a trio or quartet I heard some years ago, with male and females singers that sang bebop songs from Coltrane to Oscar Peterson. But the difference was they took the improvised lines and added words for each note mimicking the solos and made stories (dialogue) out of it. It blew me away. If I'm not mistaken they won a grammy. Don't know their name.

for groups that did this kind of thing, that i can remember:
there were lambert hendrix and ross
and the swingle singers.
either of those?

This style is called 'vocalese'. The group was probably Manhattan Transfer (which is not a cappella, but vocal jazz). Jon Hendricks is one of the best at it; he writes a lot of the lyrics for Manhattan Transfer.

But back to a cappella. This is one of my favorite genres. I'll drop in a few groups, one per post.

First, The Bobs. They've been around for over 20 years, and still sound incredibly modern. Their songwriting abilities are incredible, and have songs about the strangest things. Downloads from their website include Hidden Bonus Track (yes, that's the actual title, and it isn't hidden on the album either) and an amazing cover of Helter Skelter.

Most of the time, The Bobs are three men and one woman. The cast has changed over the years, but they always sound like The Bobs. I recommend "My, I'm Large" as a first album to purchase, followed by "Coaster".

I have a couple of obscure a capella favorites for you from albums that are mostly accompanied:

Crosby & Nash - Critical Mass, which is Part I of "To the Last Whale" from the "Wind on the Water" album.

David Crosby - Orleans from the "If Only I Could Remember My Name" solo album.

I like Rockappella (I think that's how they spell it), and I'll add another vote for Manhatten Transfer, they do some great stuff also. :)

Check out Da Vinci's Notebook ( as seen doing "The Sneak" Theme Song over on
Homestar Runner. ) They basically just do A Cappella versions of famous rock
and oldies songs. Funny stuff to listen to also, because alot of the songs you
could never ever see being done that way.

Thats the thing about a cappella...sometimes you'd think a song can't sound good a cappella but depending on who it is singing it, it can be just as powerful if not even more powerful than the original version. Theres a certain vulnerability apparent when someone is up there all by themselves trying to wow you with just their voice when you're used to hearing it fully accompanied..it's quite pure. I sing a capella all the time it's a lot harder..not that I feel my voice is bad it just gets a little unnerving that there is nothing to back you up, nothing to drown you out, nothing but you and your voice...and in the case of Quartets? The voices become the instruments harmonizing to create the rhythm of the song could even be worse than solo because if one is off it's painfully obvious. I appreciate it just like I appreciate the many other forms of music out there.

Asta!!

my roomie is in the a capella band at my college...and they kick a fair amount of ass. once they finish recording their CD, i'll see if they'd agree to sample a few tracks here or something.

they do a version of "stuck in a moment" that really gets to me. the end seems like it was just made for a capella...multi-part harmony on the last chorus was just too perfect.

Even better, they do some truly hilarious "adult"-themed songs!

there's a midwest based group called Tonic Sol Fa that just signed with a for-real label (i wanna say Sony). First a-capella group ever to do it without agreeing to add instruments. They're pretty good.

I used to sing Barbershop....I love a capella music. There is a quartet named Reprise that is just unbelievable, you HAVE to check these guys out.

:thumbsup:

Good taste, my friend. The Bobs rock! I really dig their cover tunes, because to me that's what a "cover song" is all about, doing a song in your style and not just a carbon copy of the original.

Just searched, looks like they are signed to Vivaton Records, which as far as I can tell is an independent.

<a href="http://www.housejacks.com/">The House Jacks</a> were signed with Tommy Boy Records (Warner Brothers) back around 1997 or so, but the dicks never released the album. THJ eventually had to buy back their masters in order to get the album released, and after that half of the group quit. They still exist, and still rock, but it isn't the same.

The House Jacks pioneered the "vocal band" style of contemporary a cappella. To quote off of the Hot Lips website:
There aren't any full downloads on the House Jacks site, but check out the vocal drumming on this MP3 clip from their original Tear Down the Walls. Also, I should probably include a cover version, so here's an excerpt from Kashmir.

I was in an acapella group in college for a semester or so. I enjoyed performing in one, but I don't generally like listening to them. I find most college acapella groups think they're so precious, and I really get tired of the "look! I'm making drum sounds...with my MOUTH!" feel that many have.

That being said, I absolutely love good harmony, as well as traditional barbershop quartets, so go figure.

I do, however, have a good band for you to check out. They are not completely acapella - they do a few acapella songs on most of their albums - but they are funny, inventive, and have breathtaking harmonies. It's a shame that they're not around anymore - they broke up in 2000.

Their name is Moxy Fruvous. They were huge on the college circuit from '93 - 2000. Going by album, here are their complete acapella songs. You can listen to sound clips on Amazon. Do yourself a favor and listen to them all, because some feature instruments but the harmonies are really what shine.

Bargainville - Lazy Boy, King Of Spain (their most popular hit), Spiderman, Gulf War Song

The B Album - I Love My Boss and Jenny Washington are the only all acapella, but all the rest have minimal instruments - usually just a guitar.

You Will Go To The Moon - Title track, Kick in the Ass (great song!)

Live Noise - one of my favorite live albums - King of Spain, I've Gotta Get A Message To You (unbelievable)

Give 'em a try. They're fun as all get-out.

AH! Quadro, Moxy Fruvous is one of my favourite bands! I adore the Bargainville album! My Baby Loves a bunch of Authors is great. (Not a cappella though).

I agree with your point about the harmonies though. I think that's what appeals to me most about a cappella music.

(ps. If you're looking for amazing harmonies, check out Superman's Song by Crash Test Dummies, though you probably already know it)

I'm glad you already know them! "My Baby Loves A Bunch Of Authors" is another one of those songs where I tend to think of it as acapella even though there are a few instruments - because the harmonies are what it's all about.

I actually don't know Superman's Song, but I'll check it out. The harmonies in "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" by the same band are some of my favorites though.

The only Moxy song I know is their version of Green Eggs and Ham, which isn't a cappella, but is very clever.

And for Da Vinci's Notebook, I've been thinking about picking up some of their CDs, but just haven't gotten around to it. Here's the beginning excerpt (mp3) of their song Title Of The Song, which is a brilliant deconstruction of every boy band ballad you have ever heard.

I really like a cappella music but I've never bothered to find any other a cappella bands apart from the one I already know: Neri Per Caso (Italian). Their "La Regazze" (=girls) is their best song to date IMO.

Thanks for the band tip Redlemon, I'll check them out sometime :)

if you are interested in hearing folk who can do really virtuosic things with their voice, i would suggest checking into the lovely strange world of sound poetry. a cool place to start is

www.ubu.com

try:

jaap blonk
henri chopin
bob cobbing
jackson maclow
kurt schwitters
hugo ball
john cage (the spoken stuff is very cool)
and cast about from there. there is a TON of material on this site.


while you're there, you can also check out my band
(which is not sound poetry in the same way as the above, but we are on ubu as well)
under recent additions
clairaudient

Da Vinci's Notebook has been mentioned a few times. Anyone who likes a cappella or wants to get a good laugh will get a kick out of those guys. Take a listen to a song called "Enormous Penis" or "Another Irish Drinking Song" and you will be hooked.

Green Eggs and Ham is actually pretty much acapella, with the exception of some percussion...there aren't any other instruments on there...

And I LOVE "Title Of The Song" - very very smart. :)

One of my fave a'capella tunes is 'Caravan of Love' by UK 80's group The Housemartins. Sweet Honey In The Rock are also quite incredible.

I was really in to a capella for some time, and the groups I listened to the most were Rockapella, of Where In the World is Carmen San Diego? fame (whom I also saw mentioned earlier in the thread), and the Brown Derbies. I also was sent a lot of tracks by college groups that aren't nearly as famous by a friend who was also strangely obssessed with the style.


Funny that you bring this up, because I recently watched an episode of Scrubs where they had a joke involving two battling a capella groups, and it made me want to go look up some of the songs I used to listen to.

The Bobs came to my highschool years ago...it was some crazy stuff. The tenor guy taught me vocal percussion in between classes!
Most colleges or the towns around them have a capella groups. The University of Delaware has the Y-Chromes and the B-Sharps (sigh..) and the Deltones...that's just one college. i think a ticket is like 3 dollars too...I'm not saying come to delaware, but if there's a college near you, check it out!

Personally, I like Tigeroar from Clemson a lot. And Juxtaposition is pretty good too, though I don't think they have as much fun with it as a lot of others do.

:( Joe Bob Finetti has left the Bobs "for financial reasons".

I just love a capella music!

Especially Doo Wop and Barbershop!

I have a bit of an appreciation for it. Along with daVinci Notebook and Moxy Fruvous I haven't really been exposed to much though. But I have heard some stuff by a lot of college a cappela groups like The Brown Derbies, The Harvard Veritones, The UVA Hullabahoos, U. Penn Off The Beat, The UNC Cleffhangers, etc., etc.

Oh, and does Bobby McFerrin count?

Of course Bobby counts, especially his Spontaneous Inventions album (the one before he released "Don't Worry Be Happy"); on the other hand, he is in a league of his own.

Here's an opportunity to catch a quick half-hour of a cappella: Coverville, my favorite Podcast, just had an all-a cappella broadcast. MP3 available here. Track listing:

I enjoy a capella music....you have to have quite a bit of talent to do it...you also have to practice it a lot so you can keep the part in your head....it really is harder than some people may think.