The state of music

[kasavien]

I'll start with my question first so that it's clear and not mixed up with my opinion (which will come later)

So... What do people think of the music industry at the moment, or more specifically the quality of the music that is around at the moment?

Now the reason for this question is that i listen to a lot of music, i would say at least two thirds to three quarters of the time that i'm awake i'm listening to something, i like to listen to new often weird and wonderful music, but i also listen to radio 1 quite a lot, but more for the talk than the music, the reason why will become evident in a moment.

The problem is i've come to realise that a lot of music on the radio, especially during the day is just bland, boring, unimaginative, empty, pointless, lacklustre, recycled... i'm sure you get the point. I'm going to lay the blame for this firmly at the feet of established "artists" (i use the term loosely) like madonna, she used to make music that was innovative and challenging, now she's taken the above adjectives to heart in her new "music" (again used loosely) and should probably retire whilst she's got some dignity or maybe she should just be put down.

What really winds me up though is that people will almost make Gods out these musicians, as if the person is more important than their music. At the end of the day they're just people and there are people with far more talent that go unrecognised. In fact the lyrics in this song sum up my feelings on the subject quite succinctly YouTube - dan le sac VS scroobius pip "Thou Shalt always Kill"

Anyway enough of my rantings, what does everyone else think of the state of music?

[SiM]

yeh will never be as good as spice girls years ever again

[mark22]

There is good music still around but listening to radio 1 you need to wade through the 'popular' chart music and other rubbish that big bosses somewhere think the majority of the British public actually like. Don't get me wrong I spend all day listening to radio 1 while I'm working but a lot of it I let go over my head. I think ever since that live 8 gig Madonna isn't what she was anymore, a good live act. That was appalling. I don't know what you like but The Wombats are a good example of good new music.

[tigerboyce]

not into at all either, i totally know what you mean, that's most probably why i haven't really listened to the radio in years. As for some of the people that are popular at the present time, mainly all the indie bands like the killers, hard fi, the kook's all seem to sound prety much the same, one or two decent songs between them. Dont get me wrong there are some really great indie bands out, most of them slight older like coldplay, manics, bloc party.

That's why i stick to my personal love of a mix of different abstract & instrumental hip hop (definitely avoiding mainstream [c]rap), trip hop & electronica artists. No other music really makes me stop and drift away. Hugely into people like Boards of Canada, RJD2, DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, Cut chemist, Prefuse 73 etc

In the end it all comes down to personal preference.

[kasavien]

I don't mind the wombats, but i wouldn't buy an album, it's just not what i'm into at the moment and there are quite a few bands around at the moment going for the same style, seems to me like indie bands are becoming or have become the new boy/girl bands in terms of popularity.

edit: just read tigerboyce's post and i'd agree personal preference plays a big part in what people like. But there does seem to be a lot of "well generic DJ on the radio say this band is good so they must be good regardless of what they actually sound like" hence why i think some artists are popular when they really shouldn't be.

[sammyc]

also agree with tigerboyce, hardly listen to radio now for finding it samey, & tend to stick to trawling music mags & net reviews etc if looking for new stuff. disappointing sometimes when you really want something fresh & hear good things about a band, or follow amazon type 'if you like x you might like y' links, & just don't find it makes you sit up & go wow. occasionally get something good that way but (getting lazy i guess) could mostly just do with someone passing me a dozen cds at intervals & saying here you'll definitely like these. otherwise it's back to old favourites.

[Norky]

Vampire Weekend weekend and MGMT are the only 'new' bands I'd go out of my way to follow at the moment, bit of a shame really

[mediaboy]

I don't listen to any type of music apart from classical - mostly because it puts me to sleep at night, and they always play loud stuff in the mornings that will wake me up - but it's gets samey.

What I find more horrifying is what the previous generation of churchgoers/clergy think that young people like. I work at my local church as a chorister and as a Junior Organ Scholar, and also get hired out (by my dad) as an organist for sunday morning services.

It's horrifying.

Forget that most teenagers don't like church music anyway, but even those that like it just don't like the "modern" hymns that I'm forced to play/sing. "Shine, Jesus Shine" was something we had this morning. The choir (there's about 30-40 of us, and about 20 of which are trebles or young female singers) hated every second of it. Some of the other stuff "For I'm building a people of power" just made us laugh our head off because our Organist has a sense of humour, and for songs he doesn't like he will do everything from transposing it up a tone, then down 2 tones or changing the tune or occasionally changing the accompaniment - we had "Lord of the Dance" played like a irish folkdance once - and he was at his finest this morning changing just about everything.

About the only decent music I get to sing/play is the stuff at churches that people class as "stuffy, old, in the past" churches. Or... at evensong, where the choir (all of us) collectively choose the music/hymns that we like, and do them instead of what the clergy want us to do.

Normally the music is so awful, that even a teenager like me - who prefers classical music to something you can barely hear or something you can hear too much off - would be driven away by the startling lack of taste and good music.


Just my opinion, and I dare say it'll change in a few years when I start moving away from classical music...

[alsenior]

There are only a few new bands around that i feel are worth listening to at the moment. the rest seem to all sound the same and other are good but overexposed(nickleback - rockstar) some are just overexposed (Madonna and Justin timberlake - 4 minutes).

At the moment i'm on the look out for genuinely do thinks differently at the moment i'm listening toi a band called Tiger army

[tiggerai]

You always know when something is wrong, when Kanye West is Headlining, yes, i said headlining, Global Gathering...

Kanye West over the god and demi gods of dance? (tiesto and Van Buuren respectively)

*mutters about the youth of today*

[SiM]

yeh Global Gathering sux... not sure why someone cool, like Kanye would do that!

[TAKTAK]

i get annoyed with music thats samey, hence i don't listen to the radio.
it is also a big part of why i listen to death metal and such like, due to the vast variences throughout a singular song (take opeth for example, in 1 song [granted most are 10 ish mins long] you get classical, prog rock, folk, metal, thrash metal and everything) example of opeth HERE maybe not the best example seeing as though the song is 30mins long

but you can never have too much opeth \m/

but yeh, radio 1 and the current music is very monotonous and boring IMHO

[sammyc]

Just my opinion, and I dare say it'll change in a few years when I start moving away from classical music...

what kinda classical you like? (aside of church music)..
most people do it the other way round & move from pop/rock to classical when they're older, good to see someone working backwards. & nice spelling btw. can only find one mistake

[Erkal]

Although im becoming a real oldie <--- (remembers the beatles breaking up).
there are a few good artist around at the moment such as Goldfrapp, the trouble bands have is coming up with a sound thats original. i heard something on Radio 2 the other day that sounded just like love cats by the cure, but with different lyrics it was still quite good though.
And something to bear in mind, i hear variations of this phrase "Music was so good in the 60's/70's etc."
what people forget is all the dross of those times too. fortunately the radio stations have the good sense not to play them too often.

[SilentDeath]

The industry is a bit messed up, radio 1 etc.. just play whatever will make the most money or ratings which unfortunally is a large combination of talentless ****e. I cant belive people buy it.. especially rap that is all about bling and whores.


The reson people say that about the 60/70 is I guess it wasnt nearly so manufactured... not nearly on the same scale

Further you go from the money the closer you get to stuff that is really made only becuase they enjoy doing it.

Youtube is great for finding new stuff though, I often spend all day just listening to bands Ive never heard of. Im going to bloodstock again this year and looks like they have put a lot more effort into the unsigned competition thing so should be good. Doesnt look like I will goto nummirock though

[Dooms]

I'm getting very very sick of hearing the same 5 tracks every time I go out or stick the radio on... I don't care how popular it is, mix it up a bit dammit!

There are still some gems poping up but its getting harder and harder to find them methinks.

Over the past couple of months I've seen alot of small unknown bands playing in some dives and a few of them have actually been good, but most end up just being boring cover bands tho