Old man james moans at the state of music

[everlasting]

I agree 100%. I ain't got into any bands in the past few years, nothing interests me at all, they all sound the same and have nothing to say and look like goons. The top 40 is full of shit most of the time but sometimes there's a few good songs I guess (if enough people have bought it to get it in there!). I don't listen to a great deal of new music anymore.

[sculptureofabloke]

I think he's got a point. I think a lot of newer indie and rock bands are too style orientated. Yeah, Manics have been guilty of that before today but they've made some fucking brilliant music.

I get the impression with a lot of newer bands that they've decided what they want to look like before they've decided what they want to sound like. I don't think the Manics of 91 would stand a cat in hell's chance today. I think it probably means more to James to be in a band than say, The Drums or The Horrors. Coming out of Blackwood in the 80s is a far cry from coming out of New York or London now. Cos of the time and place, these kids have far more opportunity than James did. They're from better backgrounds with better educations, growing up in a more prosperous time. If Manics fucked up, god knows what James would've ended up doing. I suppose everyone's too comfortable and not angry enough now.

[jac185]

Well at least I got to hear of The Duke Spirit out of this thread. I already love that woman.

[pennyroyalty]

frankly some of you people could do with broadening your music tastes a bit. i don't mean that in a sneering way, i just mean that music is there to be enjoyed and if you're seriously not enjoying anything new then the problem isn't music- come on the problem obviously isn't that the entire collective creative force of humanity is weakening since whenever you started paying attention- the problem is you in some way. it's genuinely a shame that like JDB you're missing out on all the great music and 'stories' that are being made all the time. but JDB is a career rock musician in his forties who thinks that the internet is evil and whose tastes are consequently at the mercy of magazines and what he sees on tv. what's your excuse?

'music' isn't just indie and rock bands for a start. sure it might have been what you grew up on and all, i remember in my teens not enjoying anything other than that and regarding everything else as a kind of inferior 'other'. clearly humans are built for appreciating more than just verse-chorus-verse guitar orientated pop though. even if you start to appreciate one new genre, you'll find a treasure trove of much loved old stuff as well as new to explore. you might have to work to appreciate new things, but it's not like the world ever said it was going to fall at your feet- or jump down your oh so special ears. people recovering from depression have to force themselves to smile sometimes. it's worth it.

and it does sound like some of you guys are in a music depression- bored by your own tastes. that is your cue to expand your tastes- that's what you're supposed to do, like the constantly developing exciting human being you are. don't sit there not having fun and act like you're proud of it!

[The Gutless Wonder]

I listen to a wide variety of stuff Pennyroyalty. Thankfully there is plenty of interesting stuff out there apart from some of the newer, dull, indie bands that are knocking about.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by pennyroyalty

frankly some of you people could do with broadening your music tastes a bit. i don't mean that in a sneering way, i just mean that music is there to be enjoyed and if you're seriously not enjoying anything new then the problem isn't music- come on the problem obviously isn't that the entire collective creative force of humanity is weakening since whenever you started paying attention- the problem is you in some way. it's genuinely a shame that like JDB you're missing out on all the great music and 'stories' that are being made all the time. but JDB is a career rock musician in his forties who thinks that the internet is evil and whose tastes are consequently at the mercy of magazines and what he sees on tv. what's your excuse?

'music' isn't just indie and rock bands for a start. sure it might have been what you grew up on and all, i remember in my teens not enjoying anything other than that and regarding everything else as a kind of inferior 'other'. clearly humans are built for appreciating more than just verse-chorus-verse guitar orientated pop though. even if you start to appreciate one new genre, you'll find a treasure trove of much loved old stuff as well as new to explore. you might have to work to appreciate new things, but it's not like the world ever said it was going to fall at your feet- or jump down your oh so special ears. people recovering from depression have to force themselves to smile sometimes. it's worth it.

and it does sound like some of you guys are in a music depression- bored by your own tastes. that is your cue to expand your tastes- that's what you're supposed to do, like the constantly developing exciting human being you are. don't sit there not having fun and act like you're proud of it!

I think you're due one of those famous FD Forum Awards.

[Midlands_Junk]

Originally Posted by The Gutless Wonder

Thankfully there is plenty of interesting stuff out there apart from some of the newer, dull, indie bands that are knocking about.

And the newer, less dull indie and alt bands that are out there if people can be arsed to look. Good music doesn't just stop. Anyone who says all new bands are shit and on a gap year just isn't looking hard enough.

[riot_star]

I was brought up on Reggae, Blues, Soul, Motown, Jazz, Ska and Calypso. In my mind, there's always something new to discover whether it's from 30 years ago or from now. It's just a question of whether you can be bothered to look.

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by pennyroyalty

frankly some of you people could do with broadening your music tastes a bit. i don't mean that in a sneering way, i just mean that music is there to be enjoyed and if you're seriously not enjoying anything new then the problem isn't music- come on the problem obviously isn't that the entire collective creative force of humanity is weakening since whenever you started paying attention- the problem is you in some way. it's genuinely a shame that like JDB you're missing out on all the great music and 'stories' that are being made all the time. but JDB is a career rock musician in his forties who thinks that the internet is evil and whose tastes are consequently at the mercy of magazines and what he sees on tv. what's your excuse?

The more music that gets recorded, the harder it is to be original. There are still thousands of older bands that you or me haven't heard. Most the discoveries I've made over the past few years have been around for a while. Every now and again a new band will grab me, but generally I'm finding myself to be more of a Johnny Come Lately. Nothing wrong with that.

Originally Posted by pennyroyalty

'music' isn't just indie and rock bands for a start.

James was talking about Seattle, Manchester and Britpop. I thought he was talking about indie and rock, that's why I said it.

Originally Posted by pennyroyalty

and it does sound like some of you guys are in a music depression- bored by your own tastes. that is your cue to expand your tastes- that's what you're supposed to do, like the constantly developing exciting human being you are. don't sit there not having fun and act like you're proud of it!

Fair enough, but forward isn't the only way to expand.

[jac185]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Every now and again a new band will grab me, but generally I'm finding myself to be more of a Johnny Come Lately. Nothing wrong with that.

Bloody frustrating though! I seem to exclusively get into current bands just as they are coming off of a tour and then going away for a bit.

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by jac185

Bloody frustrating though! I seem to exclusively get into current bands just as they are coming off of a tour and then going away for a bit.

Haha I meant Johnny Come Very Lately. I only got into John Cale a few months back

[jac185]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Haha I meant Johnny Come Very Lately. I only got into John Cale a few months back

Oh yeah I get that too! I went through a phase a couple of months back of getting into music I thought I knew but actually didn't.

There are so many names I just know from around and have made up opinions of what they must be like without really giving it a chance. My mum went mental when she found me listening to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding as a result though.

YOUVE STOLEN MY RECORDS HAVENT YOU

It was more acceptable when I was little and discovered Hendrix and ended up getting my dads taste in music - but now I seem to be getting my mums which is a bit disconcerting.

[hummingbird]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

The more music that gets recorded, the harder it is to be original. There are still thousands of older bands that you or me haven't heard. Most the discoveries I've made over the past few years have been around for a while. Every now and again a new band will grab me, but generally I'm finding myself to be more of a Johnny Come Lately. Nothing wrong with that.

true. Two bands i've got into the last year are Skunk Anansie and The Cure. You definitely can look backwards to find new music.

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by Midlands_Junk

And the newer, less dull indie and alt bands that are out there if people can be arsed to look. Good music doesn't just stop. Anyone who says all new bands are shit and on a gap year just isn't looking hard enough.

Yeps. There is a shed load of brilliant music being made in the lower leagues of music as it were. There are half empty venues with amazing music being thrust at the few who bother to look for excitement in new music. These days the medium is different (via blogs and online recommendations) but it is all out there.

That said James is in his 40's and I wouldn't expect him to be on the cusp of what is trendy or hot in musical terms. Unknowingly he is into some decent stuff at times like Russian Circles though, but if he takes the rose tinted specs off, theres loads of stuff like that to check out.

[pennyroyalty]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

The more music that gets recorded, the harder it is to be original. There are still thousands of older bands that you or me haven't heard. Most the discoveries I've made over the past few years have been around for a while. Every now and again a new band will grab me, but generally I'm finding myself to be more of a Johnny Come Lately. Nothing wrong with that.



James was talking about Seattle, Manchester and Britpop. I thought he was talking about indie and rock, that's why I said it.



Fair enough, but forward isn't the only way to expand.

on the contrary all having a larger base of influences and inspirations should do for a healthy creative mind is give them a larger palette to create with. almost all groundbreaking music (and art) in the past has essentially boiled down to combining previously existing elements in new ways. there are now more elements than ever. musicians are not discovering new music like explorers discovered new lands, doomed to one day circle the world.

and yeah by all means get into old stuff, everything, the vast majority of the stuff i listen to wasn't released in the last year. some genres rose and fell somewhat through the years as well, so the present only has so much worth if you're adventuring. maybe rock itself has had its day in the sun, and the best creative minds are choosing other musical outlets- can't say i'd blame them.