New music isnt doing it for me

I can't help but think about how when the Knack hit the scene back in the summer of 1979, after about 2 weeks of 'My Sharona' being played to death, the critics, were all over them as trying to imitate the Beatles in appearance and sound.

The critics were quick to say how the Knack was everything that was wrong with rock at the time.

Now we all talk about how much we love the Knack. And in my case, I didn't like the Knack when 'My Sharona' was a hit, but I like them now.

 

Yeah, I think part of the reason many artists take such long breaks between albums is the technology available. It's a double-edged sword, really. In this era of ProTools, one can futz with every little nuance of a recording ad nauseum. I think advances in recording technology have actually made things MORE DIFFICULT in the long run...which is one of the reasons I have a hard time using recording programs.

 

I tend to agree with your philosophy here.

 

No, we've been thru this before....

Record album....

tour, tour, tour, tour, tour, tour...

vacation

tour, tour, tour, tour, tour

solo albums

tour, tour, tour, tour, tour

Greatest hits

tour, tour, tour, tour

The money is in touring. That's why it takes a long time between albums

 

If you're content to listen to music from the past exclusively, then that's great. Just don't openly dismiss all of the great bands out there that are producing high quality music that rivals anything that came out of the 60s or 70s.[/QUOTE]

Now THAT'S a list of bands I'd love to see. Unfortunately it's no longer possible.

 

Of course you're right. That's just the way it appears to me. I don't really get some of the critical acclaim foisted upon a lot of these new artists. I guess what I'm trying to say is that as good as some of these bands are, it seems like you'd be hard-pressed to find many people say that they're BETTER than the best bands of the "classic" era.

Then again, I think Lily Allen's record is terrific, so go figure...

 

That can't be the sole reason, though. Besides, artists in previous decades toured quite a bit as well and managed to put out 1-2 albums per year.

 

Iwas in high school from '70-'74. If there is new music out there that can compareto the wealth of original, exciting, rocking, groundbreaking mindblowing, soul soothing music by scores of fantastic bands, please tell me what it is! I mean this in all sincereity, I don't want to live in the past and I always have my ears and mind open for good new music, just aint hearin' it.

 

It's what happens when you have an industry filled with people who don't know about or care about music.

 

Hate to say it, but I think most of the best rock music has already been made. What's coming out now is mostly derivative.

 

Something I notice is that I have more money for music than at any time in my youth, but I have less time to actively listen. The result, nothing is absorbed the same way as the music I listened to when I was in college or high school.

Add to that the fact that new rock radio is moribund, and I don't have the reinforcement that so completely inundated me with boomer music.

Combined, and you get the reason that, while I have hundreds of albums from this century, I probably couldn't name twenty actual songs off those albums, nor have many more put their hook indelibly in my subconscious.

The solution would probably be, buy less and experience more, but I'm a vinyl hound, and if you don't buy now, they're gone forever.

 

Everything is derivative. There are plenty of factors that seperate 60s rock from today's rock...but I dont think thats one of them. Now if you meant "rip-off", thats another story. Its all about creatively, sensibly channeling influences rather than trying to be your influences.

 

At 24 I sort of feel that some of the music that I listen to from this era (2000-2007) is a little more varied that the older stuff I listen to. I'm sort of at a point where, The Beatles, The Who, Zeppelin and so forth have gotten a bit tired, I've listened to them all so much. (Don't get me wrong I still love my Beatles...)
There is tons of new music out there, yes a lot of it is throw backs to the 60's stuff, some of that stuff is very well done and still sounds fresh, at least to me.
Here's a list of a bunch of the bands and etc I've been getting into that are new within the last 7 years:

Death Cab for Cutie
The Postal Service
Iron and Wine
Joshua Radin
Cary Brothers
Ryan Adams
The Pernice Brothers
Drive-by Truckers
Brad Paisley (country but amazing guitar work)
Sufjan Stevens
The Arcade Fire
The Decemberists
Aqualung (not the album, the band)
Blackfield
Porcupine Tree (I must thank this board for introducing me to these last two bands)
Bloc Party (first album at any rate)
Coheed and Cambria
Frou Frou
Regina Spektor
Imogen Heap
The Shins
Snow Patrol
Angels and Airwaves
Colin Hay (not new, but solo stuff has become popular in the last 5 years, thanks to Zach Braff)
The Fray
Jack Johnson
Kate Walsh
Mute Math

That's a long list, but a lot of the "indie" stuff is becoming more mainstream.

Seriously emusic.com is a great resource.

 

The funny thing is, most of the new music that makes me perk up my ears is usually derivative, and that's probably why I like it. Maybe I am close-minded!

When I first heard Amy Winehouse, I thought, "Wow, that's really cool... it's like hardcore sixties soul," but unfortunately it didn't sound as good as half the hardcore sixties soul I already have.

 

I wish I had enough time to listen to and discover the great music of the past, much less the future.

 

Thing is there aren't many charismatic performers out there. Where are the Mick Jaggers, Jim Morrisons, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplins of today? Kind of hard to beat that list.

 

I think it has more to do with the fact that ideas for interesting rock/pop music are tougher to come by. Let's face it; if something comes along that is great these days, it's probably repetitive of something done in a past generation. In the pop genre, there just aren't that many rocks left to overturn. And in truth, hasn't jazz suffered the same fate? Or blues? Or country?
Modern day music is a tough, tough game to play.

 

OK - this is the opinion of my kids (boy and girl twins) who turn 15 next month:

99.9 per cent of new stuff that's being pushed on TV and radio etc is rubbish.

The boy's favourite albums are all seventies Bowie. He also ventured an opinion earlier this week that Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all time. Most of his friends at school are into 70s rock of one sort of another. The modern pop stuff is considered extremely uncool by his peer group.

My girl mainly loves 60s British rock acts - especially The Kinks, The Who & the Beatles. The other day she asked me about the Small Faces. As far as 70s stuff goes, she rather likes Queen. She used to like the Red Hot Chili Peppers but she thinks their latest album is disappointing.

I have not been brainwashing my children.

My favourite era for music, personally speaking, is not my teen years, but rather 1965 to 1975, which is before I hit my teen years. So that's another theory all shot to hell.

 

I'll second this one.

 

I think the problem is the price of real estate - consider Ray Manzarek's Venice apt. was $75/mo when the Doors were forming; a 600 sq ft 'house' in Laurel Canyon is now $600k. What young Joni Mitchell with no money can wander into town now, and make the acquaintance of David Crosby and Graham Nash, who in turn, already knew Mama Cass and everybody else in town?

The 60's music happened because a community of the talented formed in LA, which continued to attract more of the same through the 70's - whereas now it takes an income of $50k a year just to support a 1 bdrm apt in LA, which is twice the per capita income. It's just nuts, and no small side effect is that it's destroyed this country's one real community of artists.

Just my opinion.....

 

"Lift" by Work Of Art from Soundkeeper recordings. It is from forum member Barry Diament.

 

Henry, you and I apparently lived through the same eras of music at the same age. I find it interesting that you are so down on what's out there nowadays, while I'm so down on what was available to us during my high school years.

And, no, I won't tell you what it is.

That's what a life of questing new sounds is for. Get your own stash!

 

Believe me, they are all out there, singing and playing their hearts out...to an aging crowd of frustrated, tone-deaf geezers who don't recognize the talent anymore, because they are too attuned to their own past.

 

Very true, same as NYC, SF, and London. You can't just roll into NY and hook up with some like minded folks in the Village, and get signed the next day. And based on the collective songwriting talents record an album with three groovy hits singles and some FM album tracks.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.