Themes and Variation

"An energetic and scholastic throwback theme, a captivating piece of experimental sound art, and an alt rock ode to one of humanity's most celebrated minds.." What does one of Martin's favorite '90s cartoons have in common with a creative genius in the world of sound art? What's the shared link between  Frasier , Philip Glass, and the Counting Crows? Is John Mayer a shameless pre-chorus thief...

"The quintessential cover of a song that yearns for transformation, the ultimate anthem of self-reflection, and a number full of nuance that gets me every. single. time..." In the latest episode of  Themes and Variation , I (your stalwart podcast shepherd,  Mahea Lee ) am joined by magnificent musician and occasional co-host  Jeremy Young  as well as singer, producer, multi-ins...

  "A composition created in the dark. A vocal piece destined to become a new kind of anthem. And quite possibly the most authentic song in the history of rock..." In the latest episode of  Themes and Variation , our podcast panelists share their takes on the theme  "Songs With Limitations."   This time around, I (your humble host,  Mahea Lee ) am joined by co-host  Ma...

Follow us on Twitter to keep up with podcast news and join in on the conversation! An aptly named number from a bombastic legend of the upright bass… A rage filled rallying cry echoing the emotions of the masses… And an orchestral tapestry filled with elaborate symbolism, in spite of being loathed by its creator… In the latest episode of  Themes and Variation , our podcast panelists unpack th...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. The long-awaited return of one of the most legendary names in neo soul… The reflective resurrection of a beloved rock god… And the redemption remix of an artist who rose like a phoenix from the ashes of musical virality… Themes and Variation  is back with our first episode of the new season: "Comeback Songs." It's been ages since I wrote an article...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. Hey folks, Mahea Lee here and I'm excited to let you know that Themes and Variation will be returning on Wednesday, August 30th , but this time around I'll be playing host. Just like always, each episode will be centered around a theme, like "Songs You Know By Heart" or "Apocalypse Songs." Each episode will feature a three person panel, the members of w...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There was no shortage of excellent new music in 2022 and given how quickly the year's gone by, many of us have some serious catching up to do. Luckily, the latest episode of our podcast has arrived to help out. For this one, Carter and Mahea were joined by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR members of the Soundfly team to discuss "Songs of the Year 2...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There's something wonderful and maybe even a little mystifying about a good theme song. A few familiar notes can serve as a cue to sit back, break from ordinary life, and enter new worlds and realities through the stories that splash across our screens. An iconic theme may even become a sort of character itself — bearing a personality of its own and pos...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. We had a tough time settling on the exact wording for this theme. Personally, we think that has a lot to do with the fact that, as babies of the late '80s, the members of our podcast team have listened to music via many different means. When compared to tape decks, Walkmans (Walkmen?), CD drives, and record players, there's something about the idea of p...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. Do you remember the first time you were really aware of the music in a movie or TV show? Maybe you heard a swell of strings or an eerie synth line and looked down to see that the hairs on your arm were standing on end. Maybe you noticed that a certain character kept appearing right after a particular melody started. In the newest episode of our podcast,...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. One of the things I love most about music is its seemingly mystical ability to articulate things that cannot be expressed through words alone. There are times when the combination of poetry and melody forms a unique and powerful language audiences can immediately comprehend. In other cases, an instrumental part may communicate an idea or emotion so perf...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. "A good theme — like the 'Pink Panther' or 'Baby Elephant Walk' — can work all the way through the picture, which is what I did with them. So, for me, a good melody is not just a pretty tune ." – Henry Mancini Music's presence in a film or television show can completely transform the audience experience. It can set the scene, heighten emotions, provide...

Follow us on Twitter for show news and more. There's something pretty wonderful about a piece of music that says everything it means to in under two minutes — a piece that somehow satisfies its listeners while managing to leave them wanting more. There's also something great about a highly-recognizable song that addresses a specific category of leisure attire. If that has you scratching your head,...

Some tracks are so memorable and monumental that it's hard to imagine other versions of the material. It can be because of the presence of a truly iconic artist, a particularly unique set of recording circumstances, or the sheer fact that the performance happened in a moment that will never come again. In this episode of Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by artist, songwriter, and...

Time signatures are an interesting and arguably necessary part of our musical language. They provide the grid against which we place rhythmic values and ideas, letting us know each time "1" comes back around as we count along. They are, at least in part, responsible for the feel of a piece of music. They each come with expectations — 3/4 is often indicative of something waltz-like, 12/8 usually im...

We launched the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation back in the summer of 2020. Since then we've chatted with all sorts of musicians and music lovers about songs related to themes like "Songs From the First Album You Ever Bought" ( episode 1 ), "Songs That Are Incredibly Clever ( episode 15 ), and "Songs That Aren't for the Faint of Heart" ( episode 40 ). Our panelists have included old friends...

Have you ever heard a song so good you didn't just admire the writer, but also envied the fact that they came up with it? In the most recent episode of the Soundfly podcast, Themes and Variation, Carter and Mahea are joined by pop artist and multi-instrumentalist, Sulene van der Walt to discuss the theme "Songs I Wish I'd Written." This time around, the discussion is anchored by selections from th...

To paraphrase the words of our special guest for this week's episode of the podcast, the most powerful songs are often the ones that both meet and challenge our expectations of music. Because of years of conditioning and generations of artistic traditions, we tend to make a lot of assumptions as listeners. We can't help but expect songs to more or less adhere to certain forms, chord progressions,...

Whether you're longing for seventeen uninterrupted minutes of audible bliss, a chance to cling to an interpretation of an instrumental's narrative, or a way to savor the intimacy hidden in a crowd favorite, there are some songs that are best listened to on your own. In the latest episode of Soundfly's podcast, Themes and Variation , Carter and Mahea are joined by voice actor, podcast host, and sel...

Few instrumentalists can make a listener involuntarily mimic their performance like a guitarist. With soaring solos and raucous riffs, the guitar has often been the imaginary instrument of wannabe rockstars. In the latest episode of Themes , our panel digs deep into three songs that epitomize the term "air guitar". And we have the perfect guest in Dre DiMura , an extremely talented guitarist (real...

There are songs we keep close to our hearts because of the undeniable wisdom they offer. We hum them to ourselves during stressful moments and think of their lyrics as the "words to live by" that carry us through tough times. Then again, there are songs that contain advice that's a little more questionable, and while we wouldn't recommend turning in that direction to find your new mantra, the trac...

When it comes to music, it's sometimes easy to get too much of a good (or not-so-good) thing. Whether you're a wedding band musician who's sick of the same requests or roommate to someone who seems to own just one album, there are likely a few songs you feel you don't ever want to hear again. For the latest episode of Soundfly's podcast, Themes and Variation, the home panel (Carter Lee, Mahea Lee,...

At Soundfly, we're constantly exploring ways to understand and explain the practical aspects of music, but we can't deny that aspects of it can be wonderfully inexplicable. Music can say things that can't be articulated through any other medium. It can conjure empathy between strangers. In a sense, it can even transport us from one reality to another. For the most recent episode of our podcast, Th...

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! Rhythm, groove, beat, tempo... So many musical ideas are intrinsically linked to the way we perceive time. A part locked tightly to an eighth-note grid has an entirely different feel than one that lays just a bit behind the beat. Music's relationship to time can impact the way we physically move to it as well as the way it moves us emotionally...

Follow us on Twitter for news about the show and more! At first glance, "Songs That Define an Experience" seems simple and almost straightforward when compared to some of the more intentionally ambiguous themes we've used on the Soundfly podcast (like "Epic Songs" or "Mysterious Songs"). However, it ended up being trickier than expected, with every interpretation eliciting a different kind of vuln...