There Is Something Very Very Wrong With Todays New Music Releases…..

[Paulssurround]

This article was just published and I thought it was very interesting.

It is certainly a scathing review of today‘s newest music releases, claiming that the much of the best music was written decades ago. The author also makes the case that many young people prefer music from decades ago, compared to what is released these days.

https://apple.news/AFqw8QHBWR4-8lcSWDO9uAg
I don’t necessarily agree with everything the author is saying but certainly worth reading

 

[StingRay]

I agree with some of it. Not keen on most modern music, there are a few artist/bands I like (mostly non mainstream) but I hate rap and a lot of other stuff.

Some old music still sounds fresh but other music sounds stale but some seemed dated when it came out.

But synthesizers were around in the 60/70s way before the 90s.

 

[Warszawa]

Not going to nibble at that particular clickbait myself, but I'm guessing the writer is old.

 

[pmcuk]

I read the article and it makes a large number of very good points, all of which point to less creativity, more formulaic releases, more software input and less acoustic, bands that don't go on the road and get life experience, less narrative songwriting and so on. I'd like to think human creativity is a constant, and just appears in different formats. I'd also say that I personally like a lot of the creativity in electronic music though many don't. I'm not a fan of rap in most of the forms it has taken. It was already on the wane when Common wrote:
.. she's just not the same, lettin' all these groupies do her
I see niggas slammin' her, and takin' her to the sewer
But I'mma take her back, hopin' that the shit stop
‘Cause who I'm talkin' about, y'all, is hip-hop"

Another factor is that pop music has become very visual. Good for clever creative videos but that's just moving the creativity away from the actual music. Here's a good example though I confess to having a soft spot for KPOP:



I think the low points are the dance acts, unless you're a fan of women dancing around in bikinis. But dance acts are hardly new - they've always been there.

Even leading indie artists complain that a lot of the contemporary output is over 90% rubbish.

 

[Headcoat]

Overall, nail on head.

The neighbours lad had all of his friends round the other night, lots of laughter and fun going on, all backed by the most turgid music ever.

Neighbour texted us to apologise for the impromptu party. I texted back and said no worries at all, good to hear them enjoying themselves but the choice of music from today's yoof is awful.

I said to Mrs Headcoat: no-one will be listening to that rubbish in a year, let alone thirty years time.

It's the record companies, talent TV shows etc fault. Product over art, no-risk taken on artists. The article covers it all.

 

[Le Baron]

Not going to nibble at that particular clickbait myself, but I'm guessing the writer is old.

This is often levelled at such objections and there may well be a good argument for it. Some people grew up in a time when many of the best artists populated the mainstream music scene, and that is what they use to measure the quality of current music. It perhaps adds a bias, since there are many young(er) artists not in the mainstream scene who aren't being seen. However...

Look at what many of the these young(er) artists are pursuing. The likes of e.g. Cee Lo Green (mainstream and social media) has a following online for singing old-style soul. There are also many acts reviving gypsy jazz, swing; revivals of post-punk, ambient music and even Britpop. It's not that there aren't good younger artists, but I'd argue that the mainstream of popular music is shrivelled and pared-down to a formula and people look back to other things as 'quality'.

As a musician myself I can't ignore the lack of musical content in much of it. Where a modern audience is wowed by something running around 2-3 trite chord changes (at the most) and a formulaic melody which lacks any melodic shape. I don't think 'music is dead', but it's certainly waiting to break out of another chrysalis.

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

@pmcuk that video contains totally dull muzak with an equally dull model making silly body shapes in time with the muzak. If that's a good example of modern pop then God help them that imbibe it.

 

[garn63]

Swingle Singers revival ?

 

[Le Baron]

I liked this recent hit. Good bass guitar in the middle (plus she's also a guitarist):

 

[garn63]

I liked this recent hit. Good bass guitar in the middle (plus she's also a guitarist):

I am a sucker for French female vocals. Willing to overlook the musical content even...

 

[Le Baron]

I am a sucker for French female vocals. Willing to overlook the musical content even...

Vocals? All two of them?

 

[garn63]

Vocals? All two of them?

They were good though ?

 

[Le Baron]

They were good though ?

Especially in the thumbnail.

 

[garn63]

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

I liked this recent hit. Good bass guitar in the middle (plus she's also a guitarist):

nice writhing female images, music was "too electronic" - they should have had a proper drummer and some other "proper" instruments in there. Liked the stops - they could be good for playing "Pick Up Song".

 

[Le Baron]

nice writhing female images, music was "too electronic" - they should have had a proper drummer and some other "proper" instruments in there. Liked the stops - they could be good for playing "Pick Up Song".

I didn't post it, but she has much other work. Many live videos on YT where's she's playing guitar in a rock setup. She's the daughter of a famous French singer Jacques Higelin..

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

watched 4 mins of this. Hope her guitar technique has improved since
EDIT couldn't understand a word she was saying

 

[pmcuk]

Like garn63 I'm a fan of Christine and the Queens!

 

[pmcuk]

Plenty of good music about

 

[StingRay]

Plenty of good music about

Thats a matter of taste and opinion, none of that does anything for me, whats so good about it?