2. “I’d realized that a lot of what folk music is about is taking a tradition and reflecting your own
time. I knew my folk music would take off if I put hip-hop beats behind it.”
Written in 1993
Samples ‘I Walk On Gilded Splinters’
Samples dialogue from the film by Kill The Moonlight by Steve Hanft
Mixes the genres blues, hip hop and folk music

3. Alternative Hip Hop / Alternative Rock
Written in 1995
Samples album Sex For Teens: (Where It’s At)
Samples ‘Needle to the Groove’ by Mantronix
References Gary Wilson
Dresses like Captain Beefheart

4. Alternative Rock / Funk Rock / Dance-Pop
Written in 1999
Video directed by Beck
Tribute to the film Mr. Freedom by William Klein
Cameo of Jack Black
Use of hyperreality throughout the video

5. Alternative Rock / Country Rock
Written in 2003
About a recent break up, but misinterpreted as death of a loved one
Most prominent example of a style change between albums
“Sea change” means “broad transformation”

6. Alternative Rock
Written in 2005
Combines ‘chiptune’ with traditional instruments
Another example of the style change between albums
Video directed by Motion Theory, incorporates postmodern elements (e.g. hyperreality)

7. Alternative Rock / Alternative Hip-Hop
Written in 2006
Combines rock and hip-hop by rapping over a bass guitar riff
Similar to ‘Chameleon’ by Herbie Hancock
Video directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind, etc.)

8. 3. Doesn’t respect boundaries set by procedures of the past and present
7. Avoids totalizing forms
Changing styles drastically between albums
Said he wanted each album to have it’s own unique identity
8. Considers music to be relevant to cultural, social and political contexts
Quoted as seeing folk music as reflecting the current social climate
“I’d realized that a lot of what folk music is about is taking a tradition and reflecting
your own time. I knew my folk music would take off if I put hip-hop beats behind it.”
9. Include quotations/references to music of many traditions and cultures
Heavy use of sampling of different media texts throughout his songs
Constant combination and reference to different music genres

9. 10. Considers technology as great for production, not just for distribution, etc.
Often edits his songs to use samples from different media texts, not just music
Occasionally uses technology in his songs (e.g. ‘Where It’s At’ – see below)
13. Includes fragmentations and discontinuities
Use of completely varying styles within a single song
e.g. ‘Where It’s At’ – sudden switch between hip-hop/rock and electronic
16. Locates meaning in listeners, not just in its performance and composition
e.g. ‘Loser’ – an extension of the songs he sang in clubs where he’d make up ridiculous
songs on the spot to see if the audience were actually listening