Music these days............

[Jembru]

Re: Music these days............

I'm generally not into music any more. If I listen to music it's background music chosen to create particular mental/emotional states. I can't even remember the last time I bought an album. When I was younger I listened only to punk and disliked anything else. These days, I don't just don't care enough to be 'into' any kind of music.

The only thing I definitely don't like about modern music is all this pop idol, X factor crap. It's profitable, and it works to create hype for an artist before they even release their first single, so I appreciate the genius behind it. It's just so contrived and eye-roll inducing. It makes me want to vomit. The artists always look and sound the same. The girls always have that same power-ballad singing style, guys are always just that bit camp (whether or not they're actually gay). I regularly use Just Dance on the PS4 and many of these dances are to songs by these 'artist by numbers'. I enjoy the dances, so don't let the songs put me off, but the lyrics are terrible. I mean, just horrible. Nothing special at all, predicable rhymes. It makes my head hurt.

But hey, it could be worse. It could be like Korea with kids trained in bootcamps over several years before being unleashed on the public as the latest 'perfect band'. Or AKB48, based at a theatre in akihabara and performing several times a day, offering a 'meet the band' experience.. the names of who is performing at any one time posted at the door so you can make sure your favourite pre-pubescent girl is there, like some dodgy strip club... Gah I hate K-pop and J-pop...

... erm.. this IS a rant thread, right?? ^^

[CrystalJackal]

Re: Music these days............

I'm generally not into music any more. If I listen to music it's background music chosen to create particular mental/emotional states. I can't even remember the last time I bought an album. When I was younger I listened only to punk and disliked anything else. These days, I don't just don't care enough to be 'into' any kind of music.

The only thing I definitely don't like about modern music is all this pop idol, X factor crap. It's profitable, and it works to create hype for an artist before they even release their first single, so I appreciate the genius behind it. It's just so contrived and eye-roll inducing. It makes me want to vomit. The artists always look and sound the same. The girls always have that same power-ballad singing style, guys are always just that bit camp (whether or not they're actually gay). I regularly use Just Dance on the PS4 and many of these dances are to songs by these 'artist by numbers'. I enjoy the dances, so don't let the songs put me off, but the lyrics are terrible. I mean, just horrible. Nothing special at all, predicable rhymes. It makes my head hurt.

But hey, it could be worse. It could be like Korea with kids trained in bootcamps over several years before being unleashed on the public as the latest 'perfect band'. Or AKB48, based at a theatre in akihabara and performing several times a day, offering a 'meet the band' experience.. the names of who is performing at any one time posted at the door so you can make sure your favourite pre-pubescent girl is there, like some dodgy strip club... Gah I hate K-pop and J-pop...

... erm.. this IS a rant thread, right?? ^^

Yes it is! XD And, I can understand that......

I could never live without music though. I'd die.

[thalassa]

Re: Music these days............

Ya'll are talking modern music.



All you "I like it old school" ain't got nothin' on my Chuck Barry, Big Momma, Sister Rosetta lovin' self.

TBH, I don't have a favorite genre, group, or song...I love everything from Maroon 5 and Offspring to Hendrix and Janis to James Taylor and Cat STevens to The Temptations, to Louis Armstrong, to Irving Berlin, to bluegrass to swing. I even like some opera and some rap.

[anunitu]

Re: Music these days............

I loves me some Big momma Thorton fo shore

[thalassa]

Re: Music these days............

I've gotta say though...if you think modern lyrics are bad...you've not listened to much old music.

[Munin-Hugin]

Re: Music these days............

I've learned everything I've needed to know about relationships, women, and dating from ZZ Top.

Always dress well (Sharp Dressed Man, Cheap Sunglasses), make sure to admire a woman's assets (Legs, A Fool For Your Stockings), never hesitate to ask for what you want (Gimme All Your Lovin'), always shower your lady with gifts (Pearl Necklace), and how to deal with uncomfortable moments first thing in the morning (Woke Up With Wood).

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Music these days............

All this talk of modern and old-timely music, but nobody even mentions Leon Redbone...

[DanieMarie]

Re: Music these days............

There are a lot of things I dislike about the current batch of mainstream music. Mostly, it's the music by numbers effect that Jem mentioned, which isn't just present in Pop/American Idol winners. There are a lot of articles on how major label music is basically subject to a committee process now. Several people write songs and alter them until they test well with focus groups or test audiences. They are produced and polished until no tomorrow. The end effect is muzak. It's hard to care about that.

That being said, popular music has been overprocessed for quite some time, and before the technology existed for that, there were other things wrong with a lot of mainstream music. Do we hear the 5th Dimension or Debbie Boone on classic music stations? Not really. That stuff's gone (well, maybe not the 5th Dimension's terrible cover of "Age of Aquarius"). But it was hugely popular in its day.

Another thing to think about is that sometimes, it's not necessarily that the song or singer are bad, it's just terribly executed. I love a channel on YouTube called Postmodern Jukebox. It's put together by a pianist and arranger who arranges current hits in different styles, and they're usually fantastic. His whole point is that there aren't that many truly terrible songs, just bad recordings and bad arrangements.

[Juniper]

The title of this thread confuses me. It hints at modern music, yet most of the chatter is about oldies. Yep, that's what they are. OLDIES.

Sent from my mobile device using Forum Runner

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Music these days............

There are a lot of things I dislike about the current batch of mainstream music. Mostly, it's the music by numbers effect that Jem mentioned, which isn't just present in Pop/American Idol winners. There are a lot of articles on how major label music is basically subject to a committee process now. Several people write songs and alter them until they test well with focus groups or test audiences. They are produced and polished until no tomorrow. The end effect is muzak. It's hard to care about that.

.....

Another thing to think about is that sometimes, it's not necessarily that the song or singer are bad, it's just terribly executed. I love a channel on YouTube called Postmodern Jukebox. It's put together by a pianist and arranger who arranges current hits in different styles, and they're usually fantastic. His whole point is that there aren't that many truly terrible songs, just bad recordings and bad arrangements.

Sometime in the early 80s somebody somewhere had the great idea of creating "superbands" by taking the least interesting musicians from already famous groups, creating songs for them, and then heavily promoting their tripe.

The music was, ultimately, about as boring as you'd expect.

There are a lot of reasons why Punk took off at about that time, but, to my mind, it will always be due to the commercialization of plastic pop from that most pathetic time in rock.


And, on another note...

In the wayback, when M. Jackson & Beat It was all the rage, Robin and Linda Williams did a bluegrass cover of Beat It on Prarie Home Companion that was outstanding.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Music these days............

Sometime in the early 80s somebody somewhere had the great idea of creating "superbands" by taking the least interesting musicians from already famous groups, creating songs for them, and then heavily promoting their tripe.

The music was, ultimately, about as boring as you'd expect.

There are a lot of reasons why Punk took off at about that time, but, to my mind, it will always be due to the commercialization of plastic pop from that most pathetic time in rock.


And, on another note...

In the wayback, when M. Jackson & Beat It was all the rage, Robin and Linda Williams did a bluegrass cover of Beat It on Prarie Home Companion that was outstanding.

Even the ones filled with more famous people like the Traveling Wilburys weren't all that good. I mean, they had DYLAN and they were still boring.

I liked Prairie Home Companion!

- - - Updated - - -

The title of this thread confuses me. It hints at modern music, yet most of the chatter is about oldies. Yep, that's what they are. OLDIES.

Because the OP compared modern music to older music in the original post. And because you can't really have a discussion about good music or relevant music without blending decades. Each decade of music isn't mutually exclusive.

[anunitu]

Re: Music these days............

Oldie is a relative term...My son was shocked when he was younger when they(radio) called his music Oldies...IT happens to us all,and though we know it will happen,it catches us all off guard even so.

[Munin-Hugin]

Re: Music these days............

When it comes to "classic" music, just like "classic" books, I will never really understand why so many people find certain things amazing. Bob Dylan was boring (along with the Eagles and the Doors, and Neil Young), the Beatles were poor musicians, Jimi Hendrix just made a lot of ear hurting noise ... my list goes on and on. I'd love to say that "Oh, I just want to be different and challenge everything a lot of people like" but I don't really think that's it. Oh yeah, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Sound Garden were super overrated too.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Music these days............

Munin-Hugin is trying to pick a fight.

I'd take him up on it, but I'm busy trying to pick a nose, and don't have a hand free.

:slap:

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Music these days............

Music is an art form, and everyone's a critic & has an opinion and a preference. My all-time favorite is Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade". The newest vocal group I like is "First Aid Kit". And there's a whole lot in between!