Tuesday Tunes

“A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep…” I’m pretty big into Podcasts these days. Having gotten into them only a few years ago, I had many years to catch up on. So much good music that is in my ears on the regular is because of this podcast, or that one, or that other one. But everybody remembers their first.
“… Welcome, to Nightvale.”

The Song(s)
Song: The Ballad of Fiedler and Mundt
Artist: Disparition
Album: Neukrk - 2011 - Disparition
Method of discovery: Podcast - Welcome to Nightvale

Theory: This song is spooky. The drone doesn’t help it … be less spooky. But I think that’s the point. My best guess at the chords in the background is a slow pattern of vi-(V-)IV-ii. The V chord being more of a transition through to the IV. The haunting piano melody twinkling above the atmosphere would be supported by these chords, but I could easily be wrong.

Research: This was the original opening to the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, it was later replaced by a different ballad (The Ballad of Haydon and Prideaux) for two years before returning as the main opening theme. Disparition created all of the music for Welcome to Nightvale, but Disparition is really Jon Bernstein who released the album this track comes from in early 2011. The podcast itself started as the brainchild of Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor in 2012, and in 2013 it was already on ‘best podcast’ lists, this idea of a town “… where all the conspiracy theories were real”.

Personal thoughts: It will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first podcast I was really into. Soon I moved on to others, and like most podcasts I listen to, I’m not up to date, at all. But there is something to be said for Cecil’s dulcet tones, reading out news that the mayor objected to questions from the townsfolk, then skittered across the ceiling and into the ventilation shaft. It’s just my type of weird. In fact, the person who introduced me to Nightvale (as something to fall asleep to) was in a D&D session I ran where I based a town off of Nightvale. I used this ballad as the intro music to the town. You should have seen her face.

Give it a go: If you like spooky things

Give it a miss: If you no like spooky things

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, The Ballad of Feidler and Mundt by Disparition
Disparition: Website, Bandcamp
Welcome to Nightvale: Podcast on Spotify, Website, Wikipedia