English, baby!

I Wanna Hear You Scream

Date: Nov 05 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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

Singers have been screaming for a long time. Think of Janis Joplin at her wildest, or James Brown’s raspy shouts.

But those performers only screamed parts of songs at their most passionate moments. In the 1980s and ‘90s, heavy metal vocalists began to scream entire songs. Bands like Mayhem and At the Gates released albums on which all the vocals were screamed or growled.

Recently, some bands that play poppier music have begun to incorporate screaming. Avenged Sevenfold had the number one song in the US for a few weeks last year, and they use screaming vocals. Listen to Beren and Marni talk about the trend.

Dialog

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

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

Beren

Marni

Beren: So. Have you heard of this band, the Blood Brothers?

Marni: I have. I don’t know much about them. I’ve just heard the name.

Beren: Their big thing is they have two lead singers. One of them sings in kind of…he has an emo voice, in a way, and the other one screams. Like blood-curdling, piercing screams.

Marni: Okay. There’s that whole genre of just, like, screaming singers, screaming vocals.

Beren: Screamo.

Marni: Screamo?

Beren: Screamo. It’s like emo with screaming vocals. It’s pretty cool though. I’m into it.

Marni: I like it in some respects, and then, you know, I’m like, “I could do that. I could scream.” I’m sure a lot of people feel that way. But I do think there’s an art to a good screaming vocal.

Beren: There totally is an art, and like doing it without damaging your vocal cords, you know? There’s study that goes into screaming. Are you into any of those screamo bands or do you not know?

Marni: Tell me what you know.

Beren: I don’t really know a lot. I think their demographic is usually teenage boys, so…

Marni: Probably angry 14-year-old boys.

Beren: Um-hm. Not necessarily even angry, probably just…lonely 14-year-old boys. I don’t know.

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Discussion

Beren asks Marni if she has heard of the Blood Brothers, a well-known rock band with two vocalists. One sings and the other screams.

Marni notes that screaming vocals are becoming more and more popular. Beren tells her that there’s a whole new genre of music that uses screaming vocals called screamo.

Like many people who hear screaming vocals in a song, Marni sometimes feels like she could scream just as well as famous vocalists. Beren assures her that screaming is a difficult skill to learn. You have to be careful not to damage your throat.

Screaming vocalists are becoming more and more popular, Beren notes, mostly among young boys who may or may not be lonely or angry.

Do you have a favorite screamer? Do you think screaming can sound cool in the right song?

Comments

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miffoo

Slovakia

I prefer Linkin park it's really good music, I like it

miffoo

Slovakia

the blood brothers well-known rock band? LOL

addud

Indonesia

magic1015

China

yeah yeah yeah
screamo fits me ~~

Casiol

Malaysia

alesana!!!! this band is totally cool!!!
yeah…sometime it’s annoying but i think it’s great anyway

sarah233

China

i have never listened those type of songs,but it seems cool,i think i would listen when i am tired ,sad.

Ifody

Madagascar

Hello! I'm interested for this club. I m soso for speaking english. I hope that you will help me for this. Thanks before

memnune_84

Turkey

ıf you dont like,What kind of music do you like ? Im from Turkey and ı send you one of the best examples of Turkish rock music.I want you to listen and write to me.http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=d%C3%BC%C5%9F+soka%C4%9F%C4%B1+sakinleri

aziz25

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

flora_woo

China

juest ok, but i prefer light music

askim

Germany

I hear everything ..;)

bingting

Taiwan

I like light music!

carlosbertholdi

Brazil

I like screaming in songs when I can understand the scream and if there's sense in screaming. I had used to listen black metal like the bands Dimmo Borgir and Cradle of Filth because of the fast pace melody mixed with heavy and symphonic sounds like in Dimmo Borgir, but since I started to understand English, I feel like I need to understand the music without reading the lyrics, so that nowadays I prefer to listen pop and rap music, even though rapers usually say the words very fast, they say it clear and they mixed the sounds to make the vocals louder than the rest of the music, which is the opposite in rock and metal music.

yang1988

China

it's ok to listen when i am boring…

puppys2black

Philippines

screaming is a great self release emotion especially if you have problem.you need to cry and shout to feel great….but about music screaming,i think defend to the singer and the layrics is good.

i heared some rock music.is'nt good to heard all they like to shout but if you really analys and understand what the meaning nonscence.i hate this kind of style….the best music is LOVE SONG..!

puppys2black

Philippines

sometimes sreaming song is nice if the layrics or words is meaninful but if the song is only for nonscence to shout and sing without meaning is not good.the best song to select is LOVE SONGS…...you feel encouragement every momment especially idealestic for romance and if you are in love to someone…!