by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I’m not a music producer — ha! But I do have an ear for music. It’s easy for me to see connections between sounds and genres. So, if I was in charge of making the “new sound” of Rona Rock, here’s what I would do. I’ve talked about this before, but I’m coming at it from a different angle.
First, start with this song.
Then you spend a few hours studying this song and figuring out what made it a hit. Was it the lyrics? The wall of sound? The moment? What?
Your “in” to modern audiences is the following song. This is a very modern song that if you used as a frame of reference the average person might bob their head to it. Or, put another way, this song gives you the chassis for a monster hit. Remember, the point is that Rona Rock would be pop-rock. It would be popular music that had a beat and you can dance to it. (With a rock guitar and drums.)
Remember, St. Vincent really throws down with her guitar abilities. So, if I was constructing some sort of “Rona Rock” super girl group, she would need to be in it just for the guitar solos, if nothing else. The next step is to find an Adult Contemporary song that people might reference in their minds a they hear the “new sound” of Rona Rock.
I think the song “Don’t Call Me Angel” is just the song you need to pull this off. Notice, while this song is still “Adult Contemporary” it does have a really strong hook and it’s soooo close to being a rock song: all it needs is a guitar and drums. I guess the point is — it’s faster and definitely easy to dance to. I just want something with a bit more edge than we’re used to with the shit that is in Top 40 these days.
Having said all that, here’s the song I want some genius music producer to update and turn into a Top 40 hit.
