I have always been imaginative. As a kid I used to write songs about the day ahead as soon as I woke up that morning. Of course, I was no lyrical genius. These songs usually ended up as folky little ditties about “witches and spiders” on Halloween to “you like soccer, and I like karate, and that’s ok” on a day where I had to confront a friend about our differences. Ok, that last one might have been a bit Weezer-y. Maybe I should do something with that. Anyway, as I became a more serious music listener, I realized that these lyrics didn’t fit into any of the songs I heard on the radio or on my iTunes account. To me, there songs weren’t songs, as they didn’t fit what I thought the definition of what a song was.
Obviously, my view shifted quite a bit, but I still felt a bit discombobulated about if there was a genre that defined songs with fun instrumentals and unorthodox lyrics. When I discovered (more like defined) whimsy rock, via a TikTok meme, as all good things are discovered, I was blown away. Wait, this is a thing? I’m not weird after all? Anyway, after googling Tally Hall, the band from the TikTok meme, I found out that they fell under the category of what I like to call whimsy rock: a genre defined by light music paired with strange, nonsensical, or overly sweet lyrics. Oh yeah. This was immediately something I was interested in. Tally Hall wasn’t my introduction to whimsy rock in the slightest. They just helped the genre gain its name through their self-definition of “wonky rock,” also known as “fabloo.” Bands I’d already been listening to for years, like Cake and OK Go, fall under that same category. I mean, you haven’t heard whimsy rock until you’ve heard Cake, which you probably have. Take Stickshifts and Safetybelts for example. Fun, light instrumentals? Check. Strange but sweet lyrics? Check. And regarding OK Go, listen to Back From Kathmandu. Next up are new favorites like the Decemberists and Beirut. If there’s any second example of a perfect whimsy rock act, it’s the Decemberists. Take Calamity Song for example. Fun, light instrumentals? Check. Strange but sweet lyrics? Check. Of course it has strange lyrics, as it’s about an apocalyptic end to society as we know it. Perfect. Beirut is a bit less whimsical, but their music still makes me feel like I’m living in the Balkans during the war of independence from the Ottoman Empire, so… also perfect. Although their lyrics may be a bit too serious at times, their instrumentals fit perfectly into my self-defined vision of whimsy rock. Other artists whose songs I’ve curated as fitting the definition of whimsy rock include: Neutral Milk Hotel, the Shins, Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, and the Flaming Lips. With time and listening efforts, I’m sure the list might expand quite a bit. Yeah, I’m making this a thing. You can check out my official whimsy rock playlist here. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you guys in the next article! PS - I’ll be on Alli’s radio show on Maker Park Radio this Saturday from 2 PM to 4 PM EDT. Tune in if you have a few minutes to spare on Saturday!
1 Comment
Laura Sullivan
1/5/2024 02:44:33 pm
Tally Hall posted a video saying that if they get 30-40 million monthly listeners on Spotify, they will reunite! They were the ones that inspired your “whimsy rock” genre in the first place! However, I don’t see any of their music on your playlist. I think you should include them, especially to increase their monthly listeners! I would like you to help bring hype to this situation, and most importantly, to spread the Tally Hall listenership! So please add their music to your “whimsy rock” playlist and pass on this information!
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About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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