Music these days :)

I think music is a perfect case of getting out what you put in. If you're happy to be a passive consumer then your life will be blighted by Lady Gaga and whatever the cool new thing happens to be this week (unlike you, Tim, I'm more than happy to 'hate' on them). Put a bit of effort in, and there's a whole wealth of great artists who'll never trouble a radio station or MTV. Whatever genre tickles your fancy there are always gems to be found. I suppose my underlying philosophy would be: ignore commercial TV/radio unless you're happy being spoonfed what other people think you should hear.

 

I suddenly had the strange urge to delve into the archives and find an old forgotten topic to post in, quite interesting actually, there's dust on this one.

Anyway to answer the question asked by the person who probably has forgotten about this, my problem with modern music is that it feels it lacks the integrity of old music. Sure there's some decent artists out there, but I feel music just requires less effort, sincerity, and something else. It just seems like stuff to sell to kids to get rich and appear with your face or arse on a glossy magazine. Still, hats off to those who do put some effort into it. I was born in the 90s by the way.

 

I do not suffer those things. I listen to medieval, heathen (nordic spiritual), and opera music.
I was born in '93.

 

I listen to a lot of stuff that I don't hear on any radio station -- Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Heather Dale, Apocalyptica and Nightwish, to name a few. And the soundtracks to various musicals, stage or film. (Classic Disney, yay!) Can't stand Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, or any of that ilk.

 

I've never agreed with that "music these days" philosophy myself. The way I see it, humans have been making music for..ever, so you know it's painfully easy to find something you'll like if you try hard enough. To that end, and quite simply indeed, if one doesn't enjoy modern pop music then one doesn't need to listen to it.

I will agree however that pop music in particular has become more and more lacking effort recently (not worse per se, just with little true creative input... perhaps ... though I hate saying that. people enjoy making what they make right?). Case in point, the 70s and 80s. Then again my overall philosophy with music is "if its a bit different I'll enjoy it". Genre doesn't matter, era doesn't matter, if its even slightly different to my current experience of that type of music then I'll like it. Honestly, these days that translates more or less into "is it creative and thought through? yes? good", and "I like prog".



One thing I'm a fan of is "undiscovered" music. Not because I'm trying to be a hipster, nor because I think its cool to like that stuff, but just because I like supporting the "music scene". local, national, doesn't matter, I relate more to the idea of one or more people creating for the love of creating and sharing that music with others with little regard to profit.

Oh.. and there are some lesser known bands out there that fill me with awe and absolutely need to have more recognition, haha!

 

The music scene these days is just like its always been. I'm 50 this year and when I was a teenager you either followed the lame crowd and listened to mindless pap like the bay city rollers or the Osmonds (Bleurgh). Or you delved a bit deeper and found the real music

Even in the sixties there was a lot of rubbish in the charts, its just that we never hear it now because no-one remembers it. Its only the really good music that is remembered from the sixties now, same with the seventies and eighties ect.

So there's nothing new about the charts being full of rubbish and having to dig deeper to find good music. And believe me it does exist if you are willing to look for it

 

Ah we wait 20 years to see it.

 

You've discovered my little hobby. The flickering lights and late night chanting in the tavern was not the drunks after all!

 

I think the music industry now is all about selling yourself, not about whether you are a musician or singer or not; it just happens to be a popular way of selling yourself. When you consider that many "artists" now can't even sing and use autotune and are only popular because of what they look like, it's pretty pathetic actually. I don't hate the music per se, I just don't buy the CDs or the songs from Itunes if I don't like the artist.

I also think that much of the music is much too repetitive (justin barfers' baby oh is a prime example) and it's a good example of "good" music at all. Katy Perry is the same somewhat, she is kind of pretty (in a strange kind of way), but she can't carry a tune in a bucket and uses autotune for everything and she doesn't write her own music at all as far as I know. It's all about the controversy, like Lady Caca. I know some teens in the wifey's class that went to see her show and were revolted by what they say at the show... not a good way to keep fans around.

Not to say there hasn't been crap in the last fifty years; there has been plenty. Much of the Beatle's music is just as repetitive as anything by Justin Barfer, but at least it was only two and half minutes long, so you didn't have to hear it for that long. :wink: and they attained much of their popularity by what they looked like; the ladies thought they were good looking. At the least though, they wrote their own music and didn't need autotune; even if they'd had it back then. Vanilla Ice is another example for crap in my opinion, but at least he wrote much of his own music even if he was a confused guy who let the record company dictate what he should do with his career. I think if he'd been given control, he likely would have done better and gone further than he did.

Much of the music from the 80s have likewise been relagated to the past and should stay there. In the wake of big bands like the big four (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica) there were a hundred other bands that went nowhere, or ones you remember with one or two good songs they still play on the classic rock stations or can be found on youtube. White Snake, White Lion, Real Life and Dead or Alive are prime examples. I think good music though is subjective on the person as I listen to some of those I just mentioned (seeing the wifey shaking her head as I play it on youtube) and I often like strange stuff (surf punks for example) so I guess my opinion means little in the scheme of things.

 

I guess I'll have to throw in my opinion because I know all of you are dying to hear it . My problem with pop music is that it has gotten so ridiculously formulaic, and that it is very shallow. And I don't mean shallow as in base lyrics or a bad message. I can listen to a good drinking/partying/smoking song and enjoy it. What I mean is that a lot of pop music (at least in the last 15 years or so) has been engineered to be appreciated fully the first time it is heard. This may sound like a good thing, but that means that there is no depth to the music, no subtlety. It is almost all synthetic, surface-value material, which I have very little patience for. Sure, I can enjoy someone blasting some poppy song with a nice beat at a party, but that's about it.

Still, the topic should be "pop music these days," not "music these days." There is plenty of good, deep, worthwhile music, and it exists in all kinds of different circles. Although many people would not like to admit it, it does exist in rock, in rap, and in almost every type of music. Dubstep, however... that's another story.

 

Jeez, if I have to suffer through one more glowing review of "lady" Gagme I might throw myself off a bridge. >.>

I do however like AWOLNATION

 

You seem to be under the apprehension that things were significantly different in the past. The popular music industry has always been like this. There have always been real talents mixed in among the prefab pop stars, ever since the modern pop music industry arose in the 1950s.

 

See, when I was in high school I was in the choir and band and loved it. I also had fab friends who got me into the popular "boy bands" thing was....they weren't so hot at my high school and we were often times made fun of for liking such groups as Backstreet Boys, 5ive (UK band), *N sync, O'town, and can't forget Aaron Carter, who wasn't a "boy band" member but a solo artist. Now, after nearly 14 years of loving these groups, I am still such a huge fan. A lot of people still think BSB aren't around but that's not true. They've always been around just not quite as popular until this year. One thing that's always kind of drove me crazy is for Aaron. He has very few people who know his talent. His big hit was "I Want Candy" and most people know this song. However, his fame came from being the younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick and his talent went unnoticed. He's been working on a new record this year, and starring in a play in New York through the end of this month, but his talent is incredible and he hasn't gotten near the recognition he should. Knowing him, I will take every chance I can to give him a plug (that's what friends do for friends, famous or not) but truth is, he deserves to be recognized for his fab voice and not just Nick's younger brother. I'm so anxious to see what kind of recognition his new tracks get when he finally lets them out. I listen to his new records all the time. Just goes to show that the true talent doesn't get near the recognition it should.

 

See, not always an age thing. I still listen to BSB and the others, and the new music that Aaron and his brother (as a solo artist and in the group) are putting out now is some of the best music I've ever heard. It's a huge place in my life. It's just what's popular now in these times is not near as good, and those who have the real talent get the shaft.

 

I kind of get what you're saying, but music is such a social thing. I don't think Lady Gaga is intending to be listened to by yourself in a house, going over what she does and doesn't do musically. That's music for when you go out and are doing things, and it shows. That's why we have pop music.

I mean, ideally, all of the Rat Pack would still be alive and we'd be getting pop music on that level, but pop is pop is pop is pop.