Is most of today's music just plain bad? (1 Viewer)

[Robert_eb]

I think there's still some innovative bands out there. Sigur Rós is one of my favs at the moment.

The only radio I listen to is NPR.

 

[Angelo.M]

Mike:

I do think there's a larger pool of noise compared with the real signal, based purely on the explosion of the Internet and the sheer volume of released music material, both on CD and in digital-only format, that is out there. I don't have the data, but I'm willing to bet that the titles available on CD in 2002 is a half-an-order-of-magnitude or more than were available in 1992. There's so much product, and so little of it is worth one's time. But I agree in priciple with the rest of your post; perspective colors everything.

--AM

 

[George See]

Mainstream music sucks I agree. But there's still plenty of great tunes out there but like many people have said before it's just harder to find. What I like to do is find a message board filled with fans of some band that I really like And just ask them hey what's some good albums....then I spend the next 6 months pouring thru the lists finding more new good stuff to listen to And then i move on And do it again.

 

[mike_decock]

I rely on word of mouth and Amazon recommendations. I try to be really selective. I've got a hard enough time keeping up with current artists I like and completing my collection of old favorites.

-Mike...

 

[Chris]

To add to this, all I have to say is:
http://www.theketchupsong.com/

 

[Angelo.M]

Some great and relatively recent albums (2001 or 2002) that you may not have heard, but should have...

Kim Richey, "Rise"

Andy Stochansky, "Five Star Motel"

Ron Sexsmith, "Cobblestone Runway"

Josh Joplin Group, "The Future that Was"

Rufus Wainwright, "Poses"

Patti Griffin, "1000 Kisses"

Freedy Johnston, "Right Between the Promises"

...and there's so much more where that came from...

And, to add another footnote to the brief 'discussion' of Ryan Adams in this thread, I agree that "Strangers Almanac" should have been a classic (actually, it is); and "Pneumonia" isn't far behind. I've had the fortune of living in the Raleigh, NC area for several years, and got to see Whiskeytown several times during their heyday--they should have been as big as Uncle Tupelo and its offspring.

And, if you like Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, check out Caitlin Cary, the 'other' voice in Whiskeytown--she has a terrific EP called "Waltzie" and a full-length album which came out a few months ago.

--AM

 

[StevenW]

I would like to add:
TOOL
A Perfect Circle
Dream Theater
Deftones
Abandoned Pools
Filter
Incubus
Those bands are basically all I listen to right now...especially TOOL. I cannot stress enough how awesome these guys are, especially live. Looking forward to the new Deftones & APC albums soon to be released.

 

[John Geelan]

Yes TOOL is great. They are one of my favorite current bands. They blow away many of these pretender bands I see on MTV2.

I also cannot stress enough to please pick up the new Porcupine Tree cd "In Abstentia".

I think its great and I have it on massive rotation in my cars cd changer.

Particulary love the songs "Blackest Eyes""Gravity""Trains""Strip The Soul".

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

Steve
I know this is a bit of an aside..but a new APC album is coming out? I just wonder how Maynard found the time, as Tool has been touring almost continuously for over a year now (and are STILL on the road as we speak) Has the new APC album been "sitting in a can" so to speak all this time?
And yes, TOOL and APC do rock, going to a Tool concert is truly a unique experience and I do hope a DVD of the Lateralus tour will be released (though I highly doubt it as it doesn't seem to fit in with the character of the band--I can accept it).
By the way, have you checked out Maynard's site yet? hehe.

 

[StevenW]

Hey Mike! The music for the new APC album is basically done. All that is left is for Maynard to contribute his voice. As for him having time, yes he is a very busy man I would assume. The Lateralus tour ends this month on the 24th(I will be there...HELL YEAH!!) . So i would guess he will take a short holiday break and go straight to APC. The album, according to Billy, comes out early next year.
And yes I have seen Maynards site, it has show that message for a VERY long time!
Peace~~

 

[Grant B]

I think 75% of the music from any age sucks...but in 20 or 30 years 'the music that sucked' disappears and people only know the 25% that was good enough to reissue. Hence the 60s looks wonderful for music.

After 50 years of rock its hard to be original. There is a song I like by Red Nexs...which is basically a Swedish band playing HillBilly Techno Fusion. My God, if HillBilly TechnoFusion has been done, what else is there that hasn't been done????

I also think that as a person gets older, they are less likely to look under rocks for good unheard of bands. I use to go see bands all the time I never knew anything about.

Couple of things to consider before you tell some kid their music sucks and they dress funny too.

 

[Steve Mehs]

I don't think todays music is bad, just the pop and urban crap is. For the longest time, I only listed to Oldies. But after a while I needed something new. I got into country and realized there is very little true country anymore. Thanks to Faith and Shainia country is gong more mainstream. Finally I moved up in to rock. I love metal, alternative, punk, rap rock and classic rock. I hate being around the youth of the nation (unfortunately my peers) listing to teen pop bop crap that contains no actual instrument playing, just computer generated prerecorded beats, lyrics that are written by someone else, lip syncing, and the physical attraction factor. If teen girls did not think these boy bands were 'like so hot' they would have never gotten anywhere. Metallica is my favorite band, yeah they killed Napster, but they play their own instruments, write their own music, focus on the dark side of things, where as pop music makes everything seem so sunny and bright and there is no physical attraction by the young ladies (at least I hope not anyway )

 

[mike_decock]

they play their own instruments, write their own music, focus on the dark side of things, where as pop music makes everything seem so sunny and bright

This attitude baffles me. A singer or band playing music they didn't write is NOT a new concept. Actually, I would bet that the majority of all music recorded is performed by artists who are NOT the composers. Some people are great composers but they may not be great singers or instrumentalists. The opposite holds true as well. Personally, it doesn't matters to me in the slightest.

By that criteria, you throw just about all of Classical and most Jazz out the door.

Take it even further, when it comes to "bands performing their own music", where do you draw the line? Should you stop listening to RUSH because Geddy Lee doesn't write his own lyrics? Should Neil Peart be singing?

By those rules, is it now OK to listen to Christina Aguilera's new album because she co-wrote all of the music?

To me, good music is good music, regardless of who wrote it or who is performing it. If I like it, I buy it.

-Mike...

 

[Steve Mehs]

I didn't mean it that drastically for writing own lyrics, but the no instrument thing in the pop scene really gets to me. I don't like classical, I do listen to light jazz now and then

 

[mike_decock]

Metallica is my favorite band

Hmmm... They've performed a lot of music they didn't write, too .
-Mike...

 

[Seth_S]

Not to sound like a total pretentious smug jerk, but it's interesting that people who complain about a lack of good music neglect over 300 years worth of compositions.

 

[Rob P S]

Music that doesn't suck...
http://www.wyep.org/music_programs/index.asp

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

...Or here...
www.wfmu.org

 

[Van Patton]

I have arguments with friends of mine all the time about good music. They listen to the new MTV crap pop music mostly. There is good music out there, it's just not being played on TV or the radio. Jambands style of music is the only good kind of music out there now other than radiohead and some others. Some notable names that arise in this category are Phish (been in the game 18 years), String Cheese Incident, moe., Widespread Panic (although I personally do not like them.) Other acts include Yonder Mountain String Band, Medeski Martin and Wood, Govt Mule (with Allman Bros. guitarist Warren Haynes), Disco Biscuits, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. All these groups can blow the roof of a house. If you want an amazing live show go see the lead singer of Phish, Trey Anastasio and his 9 piece band, live. It is simply amazing.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Not to sound like a total pretentious smug jerk, but it's interesting that people who complain about a lack of good music neglect over 300 years worth of compositions.

I don't know Seth....why are you neglecting the music written between 600 AD and 1700 AD? :p) Guillaume Dufay rocks!