What's happening to our music?

[Mr.Mattress]

I'll admit, the current Music really stinks, especially since it's dominated by all these Pre-Teen, Auto-tuned, Synthesizers only music that plays endlessly. And I really don't like Rap, so that leaves me with a few options.

But, There are still good bands out there, you just have to look real hard. For Example, MGMT rocks! I admit, I'm not a fan of their more "Popish" first record, although the singles are pretty good for Pop; their second album has gotta be the most creative thing created in recent years:





For starters, it's less synth, more real instruments, which is always a big plus. Secondly, it's a lot more creative then their first album, having an almost Zany, Cartoony feel to it (Or at least to me) then just their poppy first album. Now, MGMT is a Psychedelic/Progressive Rock Band, so I am not sure if you'd like them. But I like their work, and I plan on Pre-ordering their next album when I can.

 

[Pr1de]

Snip

My problem with that argument is that i grew up listening to Mariachi and I just cant stand it but when i heard first Iron maiden at 17 (I'm now 22) it sounded waaaay better then most of the modern rock out there. I can't say much for the rap and r&b since its not my cup of tea

 

[Robert Ewing]

Nothing has happened besides the mass multiplication of genres. Take your pick. You'll find something you like somewhere.

 

[GamerKT]

My music is fine. Sittin' on my iPod and on some CDs.
But lemme stop being a smartass. I know what you're sayin', but you really just gotta know where to look. I hate that Autotune was invented, though.

 

[meepop]

I have no idea. All I know is that I have very relaxed tastes in music. I can stand (But I won't say I like, nor dislike) Owl City, Green Day, Linkin Park, Beyonce, etc. I can listen to, and happily say that I like, most rock from the 60's and 70's, Muse, quite a few songs by T.M. Revolution and Aqua, and Voltaire.

The thing is, that is my opinion. Everyone is familiar with opinions. I understand your concern, but let's face it. Everything evolves for the worse at some point. Do I think that it's an injustice that there's not much real rock music these days? Yes. But there's plenty of songs on Youtube and iTunes that I can listen to that I haven't heard before.

Continue searching for the music you're looking for. Some people (Like Justin Bieber, who I will also say I do not like/dislike) have uploaded stuff to Youtube and end up becoming famous, but their stuff isn't played on radio or in commercials right away. Good luck with your quest for certain music. May your efforts be fruitful.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Rose tinted glasses basically. You remember the good stuff from the old days but forget that they made a hundred bad songs for every good song.

In 20 years nobody will remember justin bieber, but they will go on about how music was so good back then listening to the cream of the crop from our era compared to the full spectrum of music from their era.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Its all about knowing where to look. With the access we have to the amounts of music available, we are always going to be thrown some absolute crap, but in there is also some excellent music.

As i said first, if you know where to look, or even just take the time to find some good new music, you will find it.

This is dead on. It's very true that much popular music (note, not just "pop music" but anything of any genre that gets regular exposure) isn't the greatest. But with the internet and tons of sources for finding new music of any genre, plus all of the ways technology allows lesser known bands to create and get heard, it's pretty much wrong to say there's no good (or even less good) music out there.

Check out something like The Needle Drop on Youtube. He just posted his top 50 albums of the year list. While I don't always agree with his tastes, I'm a rather musically diverse guy and almost everything on his list was something I had never even heard of outside of maybe a previous review on his own channel. That's not just 50 complete albums, but 50 that were almost completely new to me.

If you can't find "good" music these days, you're just not trying.

 

[Magnus]

snip

Oh gods... I tried playing Nurse With Wound at the same time as Sunn O))). It's terrifying...

Set them both to the 7 minute mark and let rip... sounds like some of Einstürzende Neubauten's more coherent tracks.

Well, being into Nurse With Wound for 20 years I think I can definitely say that they are better than Neubauten. (of whom I was into 25 years ago)
But grails though? My second favourite band, it was Neurosis for 18 years, I guess that says something. (Neurosis are still damn good though)

 

[Berenzen]

Snip

My problem with that argument is that i grew up listening to Mariachi and I just cant stand it but when i heard first Iron maiden at 17 (I'm now 22) it sounded waaaay better then most of the modern rock out there. I can't say much for the rap and r&b since its not my cup of tea

Most of the famous bands typically do. I have no argument that some of the older bands have more talent than some other bands. Stevie Ray Vaughn is still my favorite musician out there. That being said, it does come down to personal taste in the end, all I'm saying is that in the end older generations prefer the music that they listened to when they were teenagers/young adults rather than contemporary music. That being said, I believe that there are some modern rock musicians that are on par with many of the older famous bands. Hell, I personally find that Metric and The Joy Formidable were better than Social Distortion when I saw them all live in September, though I do happen to enjoy the alternative style rather than the harder rock style.

 

[Echopunk]

I'm looking forward to Lee Ranaldo's upcoming solo release, so for me, the immediate future of music looks pretty damn good.

 

[Woodsey]

"However, I'll listen to some of today's punk and pop music and I personally can't say that it appeals to me at all."

And we all looked back and whispered... "so?"

You don't like some music. Problem solved.

 

[Farotsu]

So umm.. You don't like the music that's the current fad for the people around you? Look further. I've never been much for the commercialized or mainstream music nor the stuff that plays with the 'internet cred' to be succesfull. And yet there's plenty of stuff available from various sources. Just dig a bit more until you find a community on the net that listens to a music that you happen to find enjoyable and then it's easy to branch out from there.

Currently for me it's all about God is an Astronaut and OverClocked Remix.

 

[Magnus]

I'm looking forward to Lee Ranaldo's upcoming solo release, so for me, the immediate future of music looks pretty damn good.

I was sent one of his albums (I can't remember which one though) by accident when I was expecting Ghosts by Techno Animal, I never did get that album in the end!

 

[FernandoV]

I'm a musician and aspiring music producer and I'm generally not the kind of person who would nitpick at any type of music genre. I'll listen to Faith No More one second, then Tech N9ne the next. However, I'll listen to some of today's punk and pop music and I personally can't say that it appeals to me at all.

I know music is supposed to evolve and it'll never be the same as it was in the past, but are we heading for darker days in our music? The easiest difference to see is probably in country. I know people like Taylor Swift are taking the 'Carter Family' style and running that into the ground, but I don't hear any country stars that sound anything like Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, or Roy Clark anymore either.

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

You'll get some changes in other genres as well. The metal genres has screamo and some grindcore bands, rap has Lil Wayne, and then there's some dubstep that I really just can't handle too well. There are plenty of other crappy artists that ruin those and more genres, but I don't want a brain hemorrhage trying to remember people I don't care about.

So tell me what you think, Escapists. What's happening to our music?

Nothing new here, shitty music has always existed. You know for a fact there is a lot of good music from your preferred genres out there so nothing really new has happened. Simple as that.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

snip

Oh gods... I tried playing Nurse With Wound at the same time as Sunn O))). It's terrifying...

Set them both to the 7 minute mark and let rip... sounds like some of Einstürzende Neubauten's more coherent tracks.

Well, being into Nurse With Wound for 20 years I think I can definitely say that they are better than Neubauten. (of whom I was into 25 years ago)

If your tastes lean that way they're certainly better. Both fall into my 'Ennnhhh... gotta be in the mood for it' category so I'm not that huge on either. Usually the only time I hear much Nurse With Wound is when I'm at my bestfriend's place and her girlfriend has commandeered the stereo because she's gotten sick of all the two-tone, punk and oi we've been playing (only a bloody goth could get sick of two-tone... "No, this music is making me feel too upbeat and positive!").

But grails though? My second favourite band, it was Neurosis for 18 years, I guess that says something. (Neurosis are still damn good though)

They kind of remind me of Red Sparrowes (one of my fave bands)... just without the slide-guitar.

Grails wasn't in my 'together they sorta sound like' mix. That was NWW and Sunn O))).

 

[spartan231490]

As a country fan, I can say that you're not correct about country. Many of the more popular artists are just as you say, but several of them are still playing music very reminiscent of Cash, Jennings, and crew. Brantley Gilbert actually comes to mind as one that's playing stuff more similar to the older country. Travis Tritt also plays a lot of music that has a similar "feel" to the old stuff.

However, I don't really see Cash and crew as the peak of country. They may be the thing that comes to mind first for a lot of people, but almost any country fan will tell you that the peak of country music was the early '90s. "The Thunder Rolls," "Yes!," "Kiss This," "Red Dirt Road," "What a Beautiful Day," "Every Light In The House" era.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I was sent one of his albums (I can't remember which one though) by accident when I was expecting Ghosts by Techno Animal, I never did get that album in the end!

That's terrible. If I was awaiting something by one of Justin Broadrick's many bands and projects and I got something else, no matter how good it was, someone would pay in blood.

 

[Eve Charm]

Music is just one of those things like video games and cartoons that were cool cause you grew up with them and it was your childhood/teens before we all went emo and hell even that music was still cool, then we grew up and just accepted life sucks and music is just another one of those things that were better when we were kids.

 

[Loonyyy]

It's changing. It always has. And I doubt your musical credentials if you don't understand that it always has and probably always will, and that's never good or bad, because music has never been unified in one exclusive direction, now more than ever. As for why you don't like some of it? You're not meant to. You aren't meant to like all of it. You're simply looking at the wrong stuff.

Country? Apart from Johnny Cash, I never really liked it much, but I did like the soundtrack for games like Bastion, which are like some sort of a country/cyberpunk/steampunk hybrid or something. It's odd, but I like it, puts me in mind of the Firefly theme.

The Offspring? Still putting out albums, I think the next one is slated for next year.

Punk? If you like oldschool hardcore in the vein of Minor Threat, Sick of It All has you covered, if you prefer more pop-punk, I'm pretty sure NOFX are still kicking around. If you prefer more melodic stuff, I always enjoy Rise Against. For an interesting twist, look up Gogol Bordello, Ukrainian Gypsy Punk group, pretty good.

Rap? Jay-z, Kanye West Eminem (If you really must) are still doing their thing. I personally prefer groups like the Flobots, but there's plenty of good stuff if you're willing to look.

Now, of course there are going to be bad artists, people like Lil Wayne, or the type who blatently rip off someone else, and those who are clearly just trying to make a quick buck by aiming for the most tasteless audiences. That doesn't mean you give up on music, or wonder what is happening. I hear AutoTune and Dubstep, and stupid electronica+hip hop+"Only lyric is party" and I despise it. So I don't listen to it.

Now, while I may not like some of the new music I hear, I don't see that as a problem with all the music. I'm just listening to the wrong stuff.