It seems harder to talk about music these days.

[Shellhead]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems like it's harder to talk about music these days because the industry is so fragmented into niches, and because the pop music is so weak these days. The new music that I like sometimes seems obscure compared to the topics here, and there are so many topics about music from 20 or 30 years ago. Is it just me?

[Buried Alien]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems like it's harder to talk about music these days because the industry is so fragmented into niches, and because the pop music is so weak these days. The new music that I like sometimes seems obscure compared to the topics here, and there are so many topics about music from 20 or 30 years ago. Is it just me?

No, it's not just you. The demographics of this forum skew a little older (towards those who were teens in the 1980s or earlier), and few are followers of current pop. Wrong age group, wrong demographic.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[DDM]

The music industry is killing itself with the talentless hacks combined with MTV. The music industry has stopped developing bands for long term gain; all they are interested in now is the hit single from a band or singer then the next one comes along to replace the monthly favorite.

[Buried Alien]

The music industry is killing itself with the talentless hacks combined with MTV. The music industry has stopped developing bands for long term gain; all they are interested in now is the hit single from a band or singer then the next one comes along to replace the monthly favorite.

I think this has always been the case (even before MTV was a gleam in anybody's eye). Earlier generations might have been more fortunate, however, that their picks often turned out to be pretty good anyway.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Ilash]

I hardly need to post my thoughts on this, now do I?

Regardless, who cares if there's not much in the way of new stuff to talk about when there IS so much great music that has already been released over the last fifty odd years (and that's only if we're referring to stuff from the "rock and roll era")? Of course, this actually requires listening to music that is older than five years old - something that a great many people seem to refuse to do. And yes, this is exactly the same problem as the one that plagues discussions about indie bands though it may even be worse in that case. I guess you've just got to try seek out other people who listen to music that is actually worth discussing.

[Pepsigirl]

EDIT: Nevermind, misread Ilash's post.

[leonaozaki]

Of course, this actually requires listening to music that is older than five years old - something that a great many people seem to refuse to do.

Of course, one could level the reverse criticism at, ah, 'certain' members of this board-- that talking about new music would require actually listening to music that's come out in the last five years, something that a great many people on this board seem unwilling to do.

[Deathstroke]

Of course, one could level the reverse criticism at, ah, 'certain' members of this board-- that talking about new music would require actually listening to music that's come out in the last five years, something that a great many people on this board seem unwilling to do.

Do you mean by new artists in the last five years?

You might be right there at least a bit, however, I listen to a lot of stuff in the last five years by bands that have been releasing material for many years.

And thanks to my gig reviewing albums I've been introduced to a lot more new stuff lately as well.

[Ilash]

Of course, one could level the reverse criticism at, ah, 'certain' members of this board-- that talking about new music would require actually listening to music that's come out in the last five years, something that a great many people on this board seem unwilling to do.

What? Who?

;)

I do actually listen to some newer music but my concentration still lies in the era that produces the best results for me, namely the sixties and seventies. The good stuff is harder to find these days and frankly when I do find it, it turns out to be very, very expensive and/or music that's just a rehash of stuff from the past (say, the White Stripes) or music that simply doesn't interest me personally (anything to do with hip hop and most electronica).

[The Mirrorball Man]

I do actually listen to some newer music but my concentration still lies in the era that produces the best results for me, namely the sixties and seventies. The good stuff is harder to find these days and frankly when I do find it, it turns out to be very, very expensive and/or music that's just a rehash of stuff from the past (say, the White Stripes) or music that simply doesn't interest me personally (anything to do with hip hop and most electronica).
So basically the reason you don't listen to contemporary artists is because their music is either too similar or too dissimilar to stuff from the past? :D

[Adam Crocker]

So basically the reason you don't listen to contemporary artists is because their music is either too similar or too dissimilar to stuff from the past? :D

Pretty much. ;)

Though despite their obvious debts to the past I'm having a hard time seeing the White Stripes as rehashing. I find that Jack White's take on older musical styles is pretty idiosyncratic with an unmistakenable individual stamp on it. Now Interpol and Franz Ferdinand on the other hand...

[Night]

The only problem of late is all the radio stations and media merging. Same thing has happend to TV. Good music is out there, you just have to listen. Me I have an extra complication that I've gone harder core Christian.... so my taste in music has changed in recent years. Luckily some of the Christian artists have been working hard, and have put some decent tunes. Not that I don't still listen to other genres of course, I'm just less depth than I used to be.

[Ilash]

Pretty much. ;)

Though despite their obvious debts to the past I'm having a hard time seeing the White Stripes as rehashing. I find that Jack White's take on older musical styles is pretty idiosyncratic with an unmistakenable individual stamp on it. Now Interpol and Franz Ferdinand on the other hand...

Fair enough. Actually, the way I'd describe the White Stripes is as a late sixties garage band that accidentally wondered into the 21st century. So I probably shouldn't have used the White Stripes as an example because they may well be my favourite modern rock and roll band and Interpol or Franz Ferdinand or the Darkness would have been better choices.

And yes, I'm saying that most of the music that is very similar to stuff from the past (and there is much of it out there) is generally significantly worse than the originals. As for the stuff that is relatively original (the much rarer of the two, as far as I have seen), little of it is quite what I look for in music. Electronica, for example, is too inhuman and cold. Hip hop, well, hip hop I just hate with a fiery passion - it's a bias, you see and I'm really not going to explain myself here. So, yes, this is why I prefer to stick mainly to the sixties and seventies and I honestly don't quite understand what's so wrong about that.

Besides, there is a fair amount of post-classic rock stuff that I do like to varying degrees: The Clash, The Ramones, R.E.M, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, The White Stripes, the Talking Heads, Elliot Smith, the Drive By Truckers and the Shins to name a few. I can't really say I like them as much as I like the Beatles, the Stones and the Who but then I can't really say I like anyone as much as those guys - though fellas like the Kinks, Cream, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison and Creedence certainly do come a lot closer to them than these more modern acts do.

[DanH]

whats wrong with todays music scene is you have people like fifty cent and GUNIT being made out to be like gods when their music sucks and won't stand the test of time.

[Shellhead]

Maybe it's as simple as this: there is an overwhelming quantity of music available for us to listen to, and each of us can only really listen to one song at a time. The current music always gets the best marketing push, no matter what year is on the calendar, but the new stuff usually doesn't measure up well against the timeless classics of previous decades. And, most people tend to favor the music they listened to when they were teenage or college-age.

[leonaozaki]

Maybe it's as simple as this: there is an overwhelming quantity of music available for us to listen to, and each of us can only really listen to one song at a time. The current music always gets the best marketing push, no matter what year is on the calendar,

True. I will agree that the amount of music available to the average consumer has increased dramatically since the Golden Age.


but the new stuff usually doesn't measure up well against the timeless classics of previous decades. And, most people tend to favor the music they listened to when they were teenage or college-age.

But I won't agree with either one of these statements. When I was in college, sure, I thought the music I listened to then was the best music around. I don't think any of that stuff was bad, almost ten years later, but I sure don't listen to it much anymore, with the possible exception of Lisa Germano, my favorite musical discovery in college.

I can appreciate the Beatles and the Stones for their contributions to pop and rock, and when I want to rock out, sure, there's not many people I'd rather listen to than the Stones. But those guys don't speak to my world, or my lived experience, the way, say, Joy Division, Neutral Milk Hotel, or the Decemberists do (or did, in the case of Joy Division).

But what do I know? I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen, who, according to the conventional wisdom around here, walks on water...and every year he becomes less and less interesting to me. But then I also grew up with Zevon, who is, always has been, and always will be a God.

rob

[Sanagi]

Since becoming a music student I have all kinds of new ways to talk about music, but nobody understands what I'm talking about.

[Shellhead]

True. I will agree that the amount of music available to the average consumer has increased dramatically since the Golden Age.



But I won't agree with either one of these statements. When I was in college, sure, I thought the music I listened to then was the best music around. I don't think any of that stuff was bad, almost ten years later, but I sure don't listen to it much anymore, with the possible exception of Lisa Germano, my favorite musical discovery in college.

I can appreciate the Beatles and the Stones for their contributions to pop and rock, and when I want to rock out, sure, there's not many people I'd rather listen to than the Stones. But those guys don't speak to my world, or my lived experience, the way, say, Joy Division, Neutral Milk Hotel, or the Decemberists do (or did, in the case of Joy Division).

But what do I know? I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen, who, according to the conventional wisdom around here, walks on water...and every year he becomes less and less interesting to me. But then I also grew up with Zevon, who is, always has been, and always will be a God.

rob

I'm not saying that old music is better than new music. I'm saying that the best song that came out last week is usually going to have trouble competing with the 20 most popular songs of *any* given year.

[Reptisaurus!]

But I won't agree with either one of these statements. When I was in college, sure, I thought the music I listened to then was the best music around. I don't think any of that stuff was bad, almost ten years later, but I sure don't listen to it much anymore, with the possible exception of Lisa Germano, my favorite musical discovery in college.


My gut says that Shellhead's right and you're wrong.

It also says PIE! I WANT PIE! NOW!

While not true of all people, especially serious music nerds (And I count myself among them) I think one of the MAIN reasons that people listen to music is pure nostalgia... It brings back memories of college or high school or whatever.

Or, t'put it another way, there's only a small percentage of huge music nerds in the population; the rest simply don't care 'nuff to seek out new stuff.

THAT said... If you're over the age of 20 and still listening to the same stuff you were in high school, you're a tremendous weenie.

[Grant]

Maybe because most of my friends are in bands or maybe I'm just getting older but lately I found the more I talk about music or listen to other talk about music it just sucks the fun out of it. I'm just trying to get back into mindset where I can appreciate stuff on an more emotional level and not overanalyze everything.

[K'Nort]

I agree with the part about it's so easy to fragment and listen to realy specialized stations that it's hard to have music in common with people these days. Ditto television shows.

I did hear a neat random quote about music on the radio today. It may be well-known. I don't usually read about music. The interviewer commented on how many of the band's songs were depressing and the writer replied that this is true even in pop music and that the thing is "writing music is a very cathartic experience and who wants to purge themselves of happiness?" I thought that was neat.

[clayholio]

I used to talk about music with my friends all the time. But a lot of my friends aren't nearly as interested in music as I am these days, so I just don't have people to talk about music with. Also, once you've been through a cycle or two of popular music, it's a lot harder to get excited about something you might view as a retread. When you're younger everything's new, and it's a lot easier to be enthusiastic about a current band when you don't know where they're cribbing their stuff from.

[Buried Alien]

The interviewer commented on how many of the band's songs were depressing and the writer replied that this is true even in pop music and that the thing is "writing music is a very cathartic experience and who wants to purge themselves of happiness?" I thought that was neat.

Neat, but it doesn't account for all those great, happy-go-lucky rock 'n roll songs of the 1950s and early 1960s.


Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[leonaozaki]

Fair enough. Actually, the way I'd describe the White Stripes is as a late sixties garage band that accidentally wondered into the 21st century. So I probably shouldn't have used the White Stripes as an example because they may well be my favourite modern rock and roll band and Interpol or Franz Ferdinand or the Darkness would have been better choices.

Far be it from me to knock anyone's White Stripes love-- since I love them as well-- but take a look at UNDER BLACKPOOL LIGHTS. I'd have a hard time imagining our beloved 60's bands getting to up some of the craaazy stuff Jack White does in that show.

It's good, but wow: Mr White is one way-eeerd guy.

rob

[Night]

Maybe because most of my friends are in bands or maybe I'm just getting older but lately I found the more I talk about music or listen to other talk about music it just sucks the fun out of it. I'm just trying to get back into mindset where I can appreciate stuff on an more emotional level and not overanalyze everything. Well as I've picked up the Bass, my view of music has changed a bit; but I don't think for the worse. That being said you do start to realize there is just so much you can do with three chords.

[Arrjay]

Besides, there is a fair amount of post-classic rock stuff that I do like to varying degrees: The Clash, The Ramones, R.E.M, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, The White Stripes, the Talking Heads, Elliot Smith, the Drive By Truckers and the Shins to name a few.

All of the bands you have mentioned here are phenomenal. I don't know who The Drive By Truckers are but the other nine are excellent. I'm 23 years old. That's pretty young by CBR standards. Yet I seem to have the same problem as Shellhead when talking about music. I can listen to a lot of different music styles. Even the stuff that Ilash finds deplorable (Hip Hop and Electronica) but I cannot fathom how someone can listen to those teenage girls that seem to sell the most records now. The only other music I really can't listen to is Country & Western and Gospel/R&B. That's just a personal thing though. I just haven't found anything in either of those movements that I can enjoy.

Primarily I listen to punk music from the eighties and modern indy rock. If I keep listening to artists that resemble the styles I find to be similar to those movementns I feel less angered by the state of music. It's still safe.

Good music is out there. You've just gotta stick your neck out and look for it.

[Alex]

I'm waiting for a new Appetite.

[Totoro Man]

Since becoming a music student I have all kinds of new ways to talk about music, but nobody understands what I'm talking about.

would that include things like

"WTF!!! you want me to write a 3 voice fugue in the Locrian mode that has interchangeable counterpoint and 7 episodes!?! get thee behind me Satan! Satan!"

I listen to the same stuff I listened to in high school... but I'm also listening to a LOT of other new stuff. people listen to music for different reasons... for some people ALL they want to do is listen to stuff that reminds them of "the best days of my life" kinda thing. I despise nostalgia... I understand it, but I also believe that the highest form of musicianship is able to look across genres, styles, and time to bring the past, present, and future of music together. I mean-- I think a good case could be made that men like Thelonious Monk, Igor Stravinsky, or Duke Ellington did this.... maybe...