What's Wrong With Music Today

NYC Talking ^ | November 3, 2012 | Gerard Perry

[OddLane]

It’s often said that art appreciation is wholly subjective. Aesthetic tastes naturally differ, de gustibus non est disputandem, etc… And if art is a matter of taste, and not subject to critical scrutiny, then so it is with music, which is simply a subset of art. In one sense, the people who posit this argument are correct. There’s no objective, non-arbitrary measure by which you can judge the quality of a musical composition, artist, or genre. In another sense, these people are completely wrong.

I hew to the Adam Carolla theory of musical appreciation. That is, there is a distinct, unmistakable cleavage between music that is good and music which, for lack of a better word, sucks. The problem is that today, for a variety of reasons, many cannot distinguish between the two. It explains why, whenever you enter a club, a bar, or a misguided friend’s party, your ears are bombarded with an unremitting stream of reggaeton, dub step, and execrable Top 40 hip hop and pop.

It’s why you will never hear a single by Iris DeMent, John Wesley Harding, the Carolina Chocolate Drops or any other musician/band who doesn’t make you long for the sweet release of death.

[SkyPilot]

For starters, rap "music" is vile and feral. Hip hop is garbage. Most pop music is synthetic, auto-tuned vocal formula garbage. Classic rock is mostly great stuff.....but it does not count as today's music. Very few good bands out there.

You can stumble into great artists by listening to Pandora. I have found radical cello players, great folk artists, and incredible pianists. Mostly, I look for beauty in music these days. In beauty there is truth, and in truth you see the fingerprints of God.

[OddLane]

Boo!

She's got true grit.

[equaviator]

XM Radio, the Deep Tracks channel (27) is where I go to hear music that I used to hear on Detroit FM radio back in the late 60’s and 70’s. There are also the Classic Vinyl and Classic Rewind channels (25 & 26) that I use as backups to Deep Tracks.

[OddLane]

It could always be worse.

[OddLane]

Florence and the Machine is pretty good.

Some friends of mine went to one of her concerts a few months ago and had a blast.

[Wiser now]

I will be dating myself but I stopped listening to pop music around 1970.
Oh well, at least there was still the choir music at church.
Then last week, the church’s pastor announced the choir was being eliminated in favor of a “Keep it loud” rock.
We will be looking for another church.
I’m so thankful for remote controls with mute buttons.

[beaversmom]

Oh I would love to see her live. I came across this video of her live the other day, Dog Days are Over. Beautiful, beautiful voice, unique sound, interesting lyrics, and energy. Love her.

Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMuCME6Oewk&;

[unique1]

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120710.html

[OddLane]

Ugh.

Sounds worse than the Unitarians.

[Teflonic]

I gave up on new music many years ago when the rap took over but there are signs of a recovery. This amazing song finally trickled down to me and impressed me quite a bit, could use more vocals from the woman though: Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

[smalltownslick]

Iris DeMint’s voice makes me long for the sweet release of death. YIKES!!

[smalltownslick]

Someone gave me a rather rational explanation why I don’t like any new “music” - there’s no melody. More precisely, the music most of us know and like, no matter what the style, consisted of SONGS. Songs have a beginning, middle and end. Most of what’s popular today doesn’t have that - it’s more like never-ending chants with no variation.

[HomeAtLast]

I rarely cuss but that is DAMB right!

[real saxophonist]

I was a Performance major in college. Then along came this new major, Music Industry.
No comment on that.
I did miss out on a few gigs because I refused to join the union.

[Wiser now]

Whatever.

[dirtboy]

I’m sorry, but IMO she has about the most grating voice going. And I listen to a wide range of music.

[EricT.]

Those dadburned beatniks what with their jitterbugging and gitfiddle music... why, in my day we would walk 14 miles to listen to the circus calliope when it came to town... and we wore an onion on our belt because that was the style back then...

[John S Mosby]

“Far out Johnny well I heard him say, stretched out back on the waterbed...Bluegrass music is a thing of the past and the same for rockn’roll. So I loaned him two or three dollars and he gave me the latest news... and left me here with a Rolling Stone and the Steam Boat Whistle Blues”

—”SteamBoat Whistle Blues- John Hartford (Aereoplain)

So, FreeperFolks here’s two examples of contemporary solid
music:
Lonesome River Band (Sammy Shelor Banjo Winner w/ Steve Martin): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6yPxxnmCac
Song written by the great Larry Cordle (Murder on Music Row)

AND, “Privateering” new from Mark Knopfler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM2IELQilSQ
“Lay with pretty women and drink the demon wine,
to hear the roar of thunder off a shore that isn’t
mine... Privateering.

It’s out there— gotta look. Deo Vindice. (and Go Mitt)

[Revolting cat!]

Then there is what is considered “good” music, and what I consider two keys to guaranteed success: (1) Pretentiousness, (2) Avangardism. See examples linked below. (I am afraid this “diva” will soon be fashioned as a new Streisand and we’ll never get rid of her. And why Chris Thile, as good as he is, got the half a million $ genius grant as if he were a starving artist, I dunno.)

http://acltv.com/episode/the-civil-warspunch-brothers/

[CatherineofAragon]

LOL.....thanks a lot, my speakers just blew up in righteous indignation.