Also, genres aren't what they used to be. "Rock" today sounds like "pop" from yesterday, and most "metal" today sound like trash (except for Mesuggah). Most instrumental, guitar driven rock today (no lyrics = no stupidity) is more dense and technical than yesterday, but is more powerful and brutal...and beautiful.
I go to Bandcamp to find new music. What the labels want me to think is good, sucks bigly. Bandcamp has a searchable front end where you can find quality, unsigned new music in whatever genre you want. In some way, it's a nod to what Zappa said in 1988:
Q: Do you think that's a reason why guitar is becoming less of a prominent instrument in pop today? Do you think other people are experiencing what you're experiencing?
FZ: Well, pop music is not the end of the world. There's a whole substructure of what they call pop music which is heavy metal, in which the guitar rules. And that's never going to change. That's a style that's probably going to be with us until hell freezes over, to use a rock and roll term. But if you're talking about Whitney Houston, that other kind of pop music, they try to keep those blasphemous elements out of it. There's nothing AOR or MOR about a fuzz-tone guitar. They try to make the orchestration on those songs as neutral and comfortable as possible. And I think the listening public is, to a certain extent, deceived by what is broadcast. Because what is broadcast is not necessarily an accurate indication of what people are writing or recording. Now, what usually goes on the radio is the most banal product that every record company can manage to put together. In the United States, radio truly is a cultural embarrassment. The only creative radio you can listen to is what they call shock radio, where people are talking and making things up. There's a little spark of creativity there. But most of the music that's broadcast is harmful to your mental health.
Be a rebel...reject ugly radio and Sony, and embrace individualism and capitalism. Buy music direct from unsigned artists. Go to a club and see kidz playing their guts out for gas and beer money. It'll renew your faith in the future.
Yeah. We were pampered in the 60s and 70s. Back before the labels figured out the “code” on how to make a hit. Before they understood rock and roll enough to keep the gate, and they would just publish stuff and push stuff to the radio and we’d get Yes, and Bowie and all kinds of not really mainstream music on the mainstream because they didn’t know any better. Then in the 80s they found the code and shut the door. “Woh, is that adventurous? Outside the norm? Something we don’t know for sure will be a hit? Forget it then, no radio for you.” But it all still exists, probably more so than ever before because there are so many ways to publish and distribute that the gatekeepers don’t even know exist, much less how to control.
“Kids” playing for gas money? I do jams for $20 to cover some gas. Gigs are more of course. Since I don’t drink I don’t need the beer money. 😂👍🎸🔊🎤
There is good inventive music out there, mostly in the hard rock categories. You have to find the right bands who are composed of actual veteran musicians. Going to see one tonight, as a matter of fact. LA Guns.
Have you checked out Devin Townsend? Guy's a phenomenal talent; great writer, performer and mix engineer. Down to earth, too.