I'm rereading Garth Cartwright's wonderful book about American music,
More miles than money, and tend to agree with him that the 21st century music business has more or less killed anything but processed money music off.
I struggle to think of any music after the millenium that has been more than the sum of it's parts or any musicians that will stand the test of time. I find myself going farther and farther back for music new to me.
Now is that just my age talking or am I right?
If you disagree give me stuff to change my mind.
Thanks.
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I remember in my early teens thinking the best music was the 60s with the beatles, kinks, who etc and it was all crap nowdays but now look back to the 90s with the dance music and Oasis etc and think it was amazing.
Everytime I think music has had it a great song or band comes along. Arctic Monkeys...some of their stuff is pure poetry for example. Even Hard Fi who aren't everyone's cup of tea really resonated with me on their first album. Killer's Hot Fuss is pretty flawless as an album and there are so many brilliant bands and artists.
The Blossoms "My Charlemagne" (last year I think) sounds like if Liam Gallagher had been the front man of Suede and is on loop in my car. Also people coming through with bangers like rag n bone man etc and the odd new dance tune keeps it optimistic.
Oh and not to forget this corker of course....
Now I find myself listening to old stuff but with my new music coming from genres like Americana, country and folk
To be honest I don't think I indulge music as much as some people. For example I can go to work without the need to listen to music
I also find myself listening to the same stuff over and over so that impacts on how much I listen to music
I wouldn't go near anything that is chart or pop music though. As an example, Adele is obviously top draw and has a great voice, but you'd have to pay me to listen to her
Even if you don't find it go back and listen to old stuff, you'll find gems you've never heard or like artists you previously have written off. I've lost count of bands I've said are shit to only have them on my downloaded play lists 10 years later.
Just as our parents were asking if they were boys or girls and complained about not being able to hear the lyrics on TOTP so now there is music we don't get because it's not aimed at us.
My 18 YO listens to a lot of Oasis but also goes to festivals to see bands I've never heard of, as it should be.
As long as it's not jazz good for them.
However, for real music fans, the internet has opened up a whole new world of possibilities in fairness.
But there's a lot of stuff that's nothing. I agree that it might be age or generation but I'm not absolutely sure.
*for example i only just found out about a band called Lifetime. (for the punk rock thread)
Because of the internet the barrier to entry is so low these days that you get some brilliant bands. There are certainly many problems in the music industry, including the fact that it seems very, very hard to make a living even with moderate success, but that's not to say the music is dead.
I think you're just getting old mate, I'm sorry.
I'm enjoying the new releases of Nick Cave, Sufjan Stephens, Radiohead, Nis Frahm, The National, Father John Misty, Explosions in the sky, Iron and Wine to name a few. My 17 year old like many of his age have access to music from the 1950s up to now and are listening to it all with so much wider tastes then we had at 17. I think its a really exciting time for music and great new things will come out of it.
I just got locked into the stuff I like by 30 and I'm really lazy at adding new bands to my core playlists.
Said every middle-aged person in history.
And I actually started going on about Explosions, who formed in 99/2000, and who I finally saw live on Thursday night, but I took it out of my post as my post basically just became one about fawning over them.
Also, if you don't already shrews, I recommend Olafur Arnalds. He's good mates with Nils Frahm and they've collaborated and toured together down the years.
The National, another great shout, are guys in their maybe mid-to-late 40s who have made some really good albums. I've just started listening to it, but really enjoying their new album.
One thing I'll posit is: because of the internet and growth of indie labels and lower barrier to entry, there is now so much music being made that it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Perhaps we should have a "great albums since the turn of the century" thread.
Music will never die.
Get with the beat Baggie...
Loads of youngsters (and oldies) all making good music - and some of the best, is stripped down and acoustic.
And we're not really talking folk music here, although there is good creative and contemporary folk around too.
It's all around you. You just have to make the effort to find it.
I like 'em!