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Owl City

Owl City

Date: Dec 14 2009

Themes: Alternative, Music

Grammar: Definite & Indefinite Articles

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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In music, there is a fine line between being influenced by another band, and ripping that band off. And a lot of people think that Adam Young of the hot new band Owl City has crossed that line.

Critics point out the similarities between the soft, soothing electronic songs on Owl City’s debut album, Ocean Eyes, and the music of another electronic band, Postal Service. Postal Service’s 2003 album Give Up didn’t have a ton of commercial success, but it did earn a ton of fans. Now some of those fans are upset by how much success Owl City has had with the hit single “Fireflies,” which Young himself admits sounds “pretty similar” to Postal Service.

Find out if Ella and Beren think Owl City is a true original or just an imitation.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Ella

Ella

Beren:  So, have you heard this band Owl City?

Ella:  Yes, I own the latest album, Ocean Eyes.

Beren:  I don’t know that much about the band, but I thought it was the Postal Service when I first heard it.

Ella:  They do sound quite similar, but I know there’s one dude and he writes a lot of the songs and does the keyboard and all the production, and I think it’s great. It’s really catchy.

Beren:  It’s like the number 1 album in America. It’s the big sleeper hit, which is unusual in this day and age.

Ella:  Yeah, ‘cause he’s so small. But I guess he used to be a part of another band.

Beren:  Well a lot of people are saying he’s just like a copycat. I mean, I’ve only heard that “Fireflies” song…

Ella:  Their other songs are pretty legit. He has one about going to the dentist, you know, it’s kind of traumatic, but he makes it fun to go to the dentist.

Beren:  People are saying it sounds a lot like Postal Service, which I have to agree with. I’ve only heard “Fireflies,” but people are saying that because Postal Service only had one album come out, that this guy took that sound and he’s able to repackage it in a different way and sell it to the public now, because the Postal Service never did that well.

Ella:  Yeah, I think he really targets the younger crowd, and the stuff he talks about is kinda…I don’t know that much about the Postal Service but I just remember their songs were a little deep, and his are a lot more fluffy, so maybe that’s why it took off.

Beren:  Ah, it’s for kids. People that are too young to know who Postal Service is.

 

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Discussion

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Ella is a big fan of the new band Owl City. Beren has only heard their hit song “Fireflies,” but she is surprised by how similar they sound to the band Postal Service. She agrees with the people who are saying that Owl City copied Postal Service’s sound.

But according to Ella, some of Owl City’s other songs sound more original. She especially likes their lighthearted lyrics. Ella thinks Owl City may be trying to reach a younger audience, whereas Postal Service has a more serious sound that appeals to more mature listeners.

Do you think Owl City ripped off Postal Service? Have you ever known anyone who was a copycat?

 

Comments

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Santi977

Santi977

Ecuador

....Wow..Final Owl City.. I've ever listen them

The best song of them for me is "The bird and the worm"

so cool!!!

yeaaa

08:26 PM Dec 14 2009 |

guhansr

guhansr

India

i love albums of akon

04:35 PM Dec 14 2009 |

appletree8

appletree8

China

I just heard the ‘Fireflies’.It’s wonderful.

03:40 PM Dec 14 2009 |

appletree8

appletree8

China

 All the musics are similar, because they are composed by several tones.

03:13 PM Dec 14 2009 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Is there truly an original idea anywhere to be found?  I think not.

By knowing just 3 chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands of songs! And those chords are simply the primary chords in any given key.  Meaning? Meaning that all music is going to be pretty much the same in some way or another.

Actually, If you don't know these three, there's hardly a song in the whole world that you could play. 

As others have said – "Simply let the music play and do whatever moves you."

"Play it again Sam."

02:44 PM Dec 14 2009 |

Ermolaeva

Ermolaeva

Russian Federation

Their song"Fireflies" is awesome!!)

01:31 PM Dec 14 2009 |

Eleniya

Eleniya

Russian Federation

There are lots of copycats in the world, some of them are made well enough.

But if such bands imitate someone's music and the same time don't admit that this melody or lyrics belong to another author, such bands act not good.

F.e. one Ukrainian band  "Quest Pistols" impudently imitates the song "Long and Lonesome road" of an old American group "Shoking Blue" in their (Quest Pistols) song "I'm tired". Doing this, they never tell anybody that it's not their own melody… 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu4hcTHU4M4                (Plagiarism)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88iwmIpVUg                  (Original)

09:21 AM Dec 14 2009 |

fly95

fly95

Romania

well i love Fireflyes :) no matter what they say

08:42 AM Dec 14 2009 |

r ! f k i

r ! f k i

Indonesia

 

...well, owls and fireflies…they both are night creatures, right? so…what's the essence of debating on their music? ..juz let the music play and …..rock and rolla! Cool 

08:26 AM Dec 14 2009 |

PumpkinSoup

Thailand

I've listened to Fireflies and I'm hooked on it. It's a pretty song. Owl City's other songs are nice too. I don't know Postal Service so Owl City is quite original for me. By the way all music are borrowed, and influenced. To tell if it's ripping off or not it depends on individual listeners. I don't know much about English music scenes but I'm tired of those sexy pop stars.

Do I know a lot of coppy cat? I'm OVERWHELMED with coppy cats in Thai music scene. They coppy Korean groups which happen to coppy other korean groups as well. They bore me to death. >.< 

06:29 AM Dec 14 2009 |

fedorame

fedorame

China

maybe I am really detached from what is going on outside my door, I've never heard this band before,but I feel like I'll listen to them sometime.as to a rip off, I think it is too hard to tell.you know, some singers just cover other's songs,we can't say it is a rip off.there is just a little tempo changed.but if it is a brand new song, it is a another thing.IMO,if there is 30 percent of the whole melody and tempo alike, it totally is a rip off.I hate the copycat who just steals other people's idea and creativity.

05:55 AM Dec 14 2009 |

Cool-danish

South Korea

hum.. Copycat became a big problem in my country Korea. When a nice korean singer bacome a big problem, I thought it is just alike. Especially nowdays So many song's coming out, isn't it? So I just thought that song is just similarly in a accident. But lots of people shouted that is obviously copy. Yeah, in a bottom line, there are different sides exactly. Some feel it's copy, but others can feel it's just alike in a coincidance. WE CAN'T KNOW A SONG WRITTER'S INTENTION! We need not to shout each other in discussion of copy, which is just nuisance. Copy or not copy, JUST FEEL THE NUSIC.

05:11 AM Dec 14 2009 |

Cathygirl1993

China

i love Owl City!

03:47 AM Dec 14 2009 |

Idarela

Idarela

El Salvador

i think nowadays most of singers and groups are copycat but actually it isn´t a big problem cos if they have to copy to be accepted and in order to people listen them i don´t see the trouble in this way :D is better they copy than they bore us ..;)

03:09 AM Dec 14 2009 |

Ahn Soo-hyun

South Korea

Msybe, there are many controversies about capyct. It is same in Korea. But I think all of us have some idea, and some people are surprisingly same their attitude ar ways of thinking. In other words, it is possible for me to have similar song. In my opinions, it is not copycat, just coincidence.

02:00 AM Dec 14 2009 |

julywidiawati

Indonesia

I'm not sure about the ripped off, artists have their own concept or reason for their work. Try to take a look about the concept, different concept can produce a similar product, but if the product is exactly the same you could say it copycat. I never known anyone who was a copycat, usually they make a little bit improvisation.

01:28 AM Dec 14 2009 |

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