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+--- Thread: Do you like today's Music? (/showthread.php?tid=11798)
Do you like today's Music? - Happymeal - 05-11-2014
I find today's music to be optimal in volume of quality, but not apical in actual quality level. I've loved more albums released in the 10's than any other year due to the sheer amount being released, but my favorite decades tend to be the 00's and 90's (because that's when the best stuff was released). However, to claim that today's music is not as creative as past is ludicrous. There's so much music being released that most of the smallest nuances you crave can be accounted for. There's so much that the amount of varying types is so grand that it's difficult to keep your tenaciously grasp one scene. Anyone who believes that "creativity" has lessened over the years just hasn't allocated enough time to listening to enough releases.
Also, most any grammy nomination is going to be lackluster due to the nature of the grammies. I can guarantee that any grammy nominated album has been pandering to certain popular scenes whether or not those scenes were pleasant to me or not. Smashing Pumpkins comes to mind as a band I adore, but know that certainly molds well into the extremely popular 90's alt scene and won a grammy due to its success.
However, some might claim that the scenes I refer to only relate to certain times due to their peak of mainstream success being that time. I disagree completely. Scenes don't lie in one decade solely due to popularity; if new music is being created, then it's quite obvious what transcends time periods.
Also, to prove what creative minds are out there today, I offer the following:
Rx Bandits
Prawn
Darkspace
Innercity Ensemble
The Grey Marshmallow
Maria Rodes
Dead Congregation
Posture and the grizzly
Todd Terje
Fennesz
Gridlink
La Dispute
The Hotelier
Sharon Jones
The mainstream success of one scene does not determine the quality of every other one.
Do you like today's Music? - Big Ears - 05-11-2014
No, I do not like modern music, although I have some caveats. The first is that I now find myself liking music that I would not have entertained in the seventies (like soul and funk), which may have something to do with feelings of nostalgia. The second is that when I complain about modern music, I find myself sounding just like the old people when I was young, although I resolve myself to it by remembering that they at least had crooners, jazz, swing, country and rock 'n' roll.
There has always been music I did not like at all, such as punk rock (which threw out the baby with the bath water, the bath and all fittings), synth pop (which over-exploited the availability of affordable synths) and acid house (really disco with sampling), but I have never been so alienated by current music. I put most of it down to the enduring appeal of rap, which I assumed would die a death soon after the Sugar Hill Gang. By the time it was announced that rap was outselling rock music, we were deluged with material that had removed singing and continued to rely on sampling.
There was a programme on the TV recently, which showed Steve Lipscombe producing a charity record for an ensemble, and it was not long before I found myself asking, 'Where are the musicians?' These days it seems music is created on a computer screen and sounds as if it was made by machine. Other TV programmes like the aforementioned X Factor reinforce this by encouraging wanabees to believe they are entitled to instant 'success' (publicity, big money and record sales), without dragging themselves around the clubs and playing their songs over and over. This contrasts with The Beatles, Black Sabbath and others, who played three shows a day for years in clubs and bars until their songs and performances were perfected.
Up until recently, I worked fairly hard to listen to new music, such as modern progressive, neo-progressive, progressive metal (whatever it is) and current hard rock bands, but I am close to abandoning this approach. Disappointment usually follows, often because of weak singing and lack of originality. New releases by old bands are not much better; I do not want to hear the new Judus Priest album or the current Joe Lynn Turner project and I am dreading the Pink Floyd album patched together with old tapes.
All is not entirely lost, as Rumer's new single flies in the face of modern female singers and shows some promise. I am also interested in hearing the new Billy Idol album and there are stories that Fleetwood Mac are releasing a new album with Christine Perfect returning on lead vocals. In the meantime, I will continue to become a curmudgeon like the old people of my youth.
Do you like today's Music? - jazzboCR - 05-11-2014
This Thread will stand the test of time: deeply thought-out opinions backed up by concrete examples. And no name-calling or fluff stuff (well, OK, mine was a bit silly...). A big HUZZAH! to all contributors.
Do you like today's Music? - Jerome - 05-11-2014
World War 3 has begun. Jokes aside, I don't know if Happymeal was getting at me because of my post or not, but I will take the time to listen to your suggestions. Maybe I am just too old and set in my ways to appreciate newer material, but I have to say I have not heard anything recently that grabs me except for SteveO's recommendations. (Anathema & Beth Hart). There is one test of any music that will determine whether it is any good or not - the test of time. Let's see how many of the new bands/artists are still around in a few years time. And to a large extent I agree with Big Ears's post. Being a lifelong PF fan, I am wary of their new album (already bought) and I hope I am not disappointed.
I would like to stumble across a band or album that makes my senses come alive, like the first time I heard Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, Oxygene or Tubular Bells. I found one album recently which came close and that was Matt Berry's 'Music for Insomniacs' - granted it utilised the same synths/approach etc as my old fart musical heroes but it shows someone who is willing to do something different - to explore and take a chance. Another one was William Orbit's 'Pieces in a Modern Style' - Hey even MH commented that he liked one particular track! And it does not all have to be synths and 70's space rock - where's the next 'Caravans' (Mike Batt) coming from?
Do you like today's Music? - Big Ears - 05-11-2014
^ I did not mean to undermine anyone else's purchase of the Floyd album, Jerome - most reviews have been positive. As well as a Floyd fan, I am also a Richard Wright fan and cannot imagine them without him.
If you like Mike Oldfield and Jean-Michel Jarre, you might like Robert Reed's Sanctuary (2014).
Do you like today's Music? - Jerome - 05-11-2014
Big Ears Wrote:^ I did not mean to undermine anyone else's purchase of the Floyd album, Jerome - most reviews have been positive. As well as a Floyd fan, I am also a Richard Wright fan and cannot imagine them without him.
If you like Mike Oldfield and Jean-Michel Jarre, you might like Robert Reed's Sanctuary (2014).
No problem BE - no offense taken. I am too old for that. I have not heard of Sanctuary - so that's something to pursue. Thx for the tip. BTW, we all see/hear different things in music. I am just calling it as I see it. Some will agree, some will not - that's life. I am sure some of the members will be highly pissed off at my statements but it's not about 'getting' at them as such. I am just telling it how it is - for me. For them, it's different. One of the great things about this forum is that we can do that. And it leads to other things - just like your recommendation/suggestion. Basic bottom line - live and let live. You are a very welcome addition to a small but growing band of seriously disturbed people - welcome to the club!
Do you like today's Music? - Big Ears - 06-11-2014
Thanks for the welcome Jerome. Here is Robert Reed in full Mike Oldfield mode:
[video=youtube;e8wWGAy5W4c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=e8wWGAy5W4c[/video]
I wrote a review for some other forums, but I am not sure where to post it here.
Do you like today's Music? - Jerome - 06-11-2014
Bloody marvellous - rappers/mixers/shredders/liquidisers - take note - no buttons to push! Obvious references to Ommadawn!!! And he has the classic MO sound down to a T.-
Great Post!
Do you like today's Music? - jazzboCR - 06-11-2014
Jerome Wrote:Bloody marvellous - And he has the classic MO sound down to a T.-
Great Post!
Fully agreed. Nice editing in bringing the full ork to life. MO + MO = a wonderful experience--Mike Oldfield + his Modus Operandi = MO squared
Do you like today's Music? - Happymeal - 06-11-2014
Jerome Wrote:World War 3 has begun. Jokes aside, I don't know if Happymeal was getting at me because of my post or not, but I will take the time to listen to your suggestions. Maybe I am just too old and set in my ways to appreciate newer material, but I have to say I have not heard anything recently that grabs me except for SteveO's recommendations. (Anathema & Beth Hart). There is one test of any music that will determine whether it is any good or not - the test of time. Let's see how many of the new bands/artists are still around in a few years time. And to a large extent I agree with Big Ears's post. Being a lifelong PF fan, I am wary of their new album (already bought) and I hope I am not disappointed.
I would like to stumble across a band or album that makes my senses come alive, like the first time I heard Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, Oxygene or Tubular Bells. I found one album recently which came close and that was Matt Berry's 'Music for Insomniacs' - granted it utilised the same synths/approach etc as my old fart musical heroes but it shows someone who is willing to do something different - to explore and take a chance. Another one was William Orbit's 'Pieces in a Modern Style' - Hey even MH commented that he liked one particular track! And it does not all have to be synths and 70's space rock - where's the next 'Caravans' (Mike Batt) coming from?
My response was in regards to your comments. I'm aware that many possess a proclivity for other genres, times, scenes, etc. which is fine, but the problem with judging a time where your time is not being used upon is insane. I'm fine with people not listening to new music because they don't have the proper time and already have preferences (I do too. I tend to listen to my favorites more often than not rather than discovering new stuff), but to make any statements about something you don't know is literally the definition of ignorance.
This does not apply solely to you, but it's a general statement for all the opponents to new music. If one were to keep one's eyes open, then one would be able to find a wide variety of things that one enjoys. This isn't a time where new bands have abandoned old sounds, but that there's an abundance of different ones. Sure, you might not find something that appeals to you as much as older music might; I have only found one album in the past 4 years which I can consider a favorite which is UMA by Progenie terrestre Pura. However, to make any prominent claims without spending enough time exploring the music is odd at best. Of course, for all I know, you could be listening to today's music outside of the mainstream at large extents, but the overall argument still stands.
Also, solely because a group disbands does not mean that band doesn't stand the test of time. Young Marble Giants, My Bloody Valentine, The La's, The Zombies, Boston, Brainbox, etc. all have extremely small, but influential discographies and I'm sure many consider them the premier of their respective scenes (although, I'd argue otherwise) regardless of the amount that the band releases.
EDIT: As a small edit. There are plenty of very brilliant obscure yet not influential groups who many enjoy. In fact, there's an opposite effect to where groups that are brilliant are and will never be recognized (Caustic Resin, Murder City Devils, Lawrences arms,Popecitelji, The Thing, etc.) solely due to not appealing to a scene or just not receiving enough promotion or whatever it is. The point is that any generalization is not founded on reality in this case.