Random Music Thoughts

[RPS]

Oh. Forky, try other genres.

[LittleDaniel]

• Technology came and blew up the music industry. The internet altered the music business in so many ways - downloading was just one way. Previously, music was filtered to people through controlled channels - radio, MTV, print media like Rolling Stone, etc. Even people who consumed through irregular channels, like indie record stores or the earlier days of the internet, still were limited to how information about music was conveyed to them. Once the internet blew up, I could literally listen and discover any type of music I wanted. This meant that I could find out about Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada way easier than I could before. Also, technology made it easier for three music genres to be made - pop, electronic and hip hop. An electronic album was difficult to make in 1991. Using samples and new software, it was way easier for one guy to sit in his parent's basement and make an ambient album. Lily Allen was able to become a pop star when she would have never been a pop star 20 years ago. To make a rock record 20 years ago, you needed band members and a recording space. Now, a guy can make an entire electronic album in his basement, release it onto the internet for free and can still find ways to be a financially viable act (like touring or selling music to advertisers, etc). I think these two factors together have led to the proliferation of the attention of these genres and rock music has been neglected since. Indie rock was a nice little fad for a bit, but it never amounted to the same cultural moment that Nirvana had. Radiohead is "the best band in the world", but it hasn't amounted to very much.

Yeah, I'm late to the party.

Anyway, I feel like technology didn't have to spell the end for "rock" music for exactly the reasons you listed as the reasons it became easier for other genres of music. Don't have a drummer? Get a drum machine! You can convince your friends to play on your album but not go tour with you? Do like Bomb the Music Industry and tour with an iPod! Can't afford merch? Tell your fans to bring their plain t-shirts and you'll stencil on some art!

Basically, be Bomb the Music Industry! They're dead now that Jeff is putting out music under his real name; I keep meaning to check out his new album, it's supposed to be quite good.

[LittleDaniel]

Can now confirm: Jeff Rosenstock album is fucking great.

[RPS]

• Technology came and blew up the music industry. The internet altered the music business in so many ways - downloading was just one way. Previously, music was filtered to people through controlled channels - radio, MTV, print media like Rolling Stone, etc. Even people who consumed through irregular channels, like indie record stores or the earlier days of the internet, still were limited to how information about music was conveyed to them. Once the internet blew up, I could literally listen and discover any type of music I wanted. This meant that I could find out about Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada way easier than I could before. Also, technology made it easier for three music genres to be made - pop, electronic and hip hop. An electronic album was difficult to make in 1991. Using samples and new software, it was way easier for one guy to sit in his parent's basement and make an ambient album. Lily Allen was able to become a pop star when she would have never been a pop star 20 years ago. To make a rock record 20 years ago, you needed band members and a recording space. Now, a guy can make an entire electronic album in his basement, release it onto the internet for free and can still find ways to be a financially viable act (like touring or selling music to advertisers, etc). I think these two factors together have led to the proliferation of the attention of these genres and rock music has been neglected since. Indie rock was a nice little fad for a bit, but it never amounted to the same cultural moment that Nirvana had. Radiohead is "the best band in the world", but it hasn't amounted to very much.

Yeah, I'm late to the party.

Anyway, I feel like technology didn't have to spell the end for "rock" music for exactly the reasons you listed as the reasons it became easier for other genres of music. Don't have a drummer? Get a drum machine! You can convince your friends to play on your album but not go tour with you? Do like Bomb the Music Industry and tour with an iPod! Can't afford merch? Tell your fans to bring their plain t-shirts and you'll stencil on some art!

Basically, be Bomb the Music Industry! They're dead now that Jeff is putting out music under his real name; I keep meaning to check out his new album, it's supposed to be quite good.

Totally true that you could use the argument that rock music could be easier for the above reasons. But in the same token, if I went to a rock show and there was no live drummer and only an iPod... I probably wouldn't go back to the band's show again. It would just be a weird experience to watch rock music that is live that relies on somebody playing a drum track on their iPod. Which has little to do with the actual music being played and everything to do with the realities of what constitutes live rock music. Contrast that with say a rapper, where isn't a whole lot of expectations that there is going to be "live" music in the traditional sense. They can get away with just playing an instrumental track on an iPod and rapping over that. Ditto for the drum machine example. I mean, it works in some contexts (the early 00s had a lot of dance-punk/dance rock that used drum machines), but I wouldn't go see a punk band who was seeing a drum machine instead of real drums or at the very least I would feel strange about the whole experience. I think that rigidity of rock music and the expectations really hurt it in the long run. There is this idea of authenticity in rock music that hinders it's ability to do these neat, DIY things. There is authenticity in other music genres, like hip hop for example, but the authenticity by and large has little to do with the music being played and way more with the identity or reputation or whatever of the artist. Nobody is like "oh, that isn't real hip hop music because it doesn't sound this way or you produced it this way". That attitude was sooooooooooo prevalent amongst rock fans in at the turn of the century. Heck, the whole garage rock music was basically about reclaiming rock music because it didn't sound authentic enough anymore.

[VerbalPuke]

You know what I did to discover new music? I looked at roots and influences. It's not a big secret that I'm a big time fan of punk, and I got so invested in it that I started checking out who influenced the Ramones? Who was punk before punk (The Stooges, MC5, that sort of thing)? It lead me to rockabilly, surf, electronic, glam, garage, etc...I've told this story before so you know where I'm going.

Think of your main taste in music as a tree trunk. Start branching off from there and you can really start finding more music to enjoy. Going back to my example of getting into the MC5 and the Stooges, I find them, I like them, but who is similar to them as well? Blue Cheer? Great, what is this song Blue Cheer is covering? Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran? Better check him out. Ok, now I like Eddie Cochran, what are other good artists similar to him, from his era? Like I said, think of your music taste as a tree, and branch off. It worked for me.

[Benji]

That's... fucking genius.

[thatshortguy]

Damn shame that Cove Reber's vocal ability apparently bit the dust. Saosin's "Come Clean" is my go-to for a great hard rock album of the last ten years.

[Horus]

Punk and rockabilly go together way better then they have any right to, but the more bands I listen to that fuse the two sounds together the more I'm I find myself lovin' it.

[Lint]

Yep, it has been there for a month or so.

I've never seen it. Am I that dense?

Probably not. It hasn't been there for everyone. Its been a slow rollout as they update the app for everyone

[Horus]

I'd implore any fans of the "alternative" scene from the late 80's-90's to give Dramarama a listen. Although not as hardcore as some later bands, they're still just as good, if not better then some of there successers and really don't get the love that they should.

[Benji]

I didn't know that Blur were releasing another album with the full group. Two weeks to go

[apsham]

I need to create a music app for my phone that FORCES me to not listen to the same song twice. It's no wonder to me how I actually rarely ever get around to actually listening to some of the newer music I try to get into - I never actually listen to it.

[Benji]

Alternatively (and probably more reasonably), just set aside listening to at least one new album a week.

[Colly]

Couldn't think of a sensible place for this so here it is. Wanted to buy an Andrew WK Party Hard vest for my mate as a pre-wedding present, couldn't find a size chart, DM'd AWK on Twitter (for some reason he's one of my 4 followers),got a reply within ten minutes and I think I've blagged a congratulations tweet for the wedding day too. I love Twitter.

[Nick Adams]

So, since Fall Out Boy used The Munsters theme in one of their recent songs, I suddenly started to wonder–who else used a riff from a TV theme to make a song for an album? I'd appreciate knowing.

[Benji]

Clicky.

[Nick Adams]

Thanks!

[Benji]

I literally JUST realised why ABBA are called that - Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid.

[Nick Adams]

I just realized that "Call Me Maybe" makes perfect sense. Who actually calls a girl when he gets her number anymore? The more common thing to do is a text message. It's a nice bit of subtle sarcasm.

As for ABBA, it took me years to realize that two of the members wrote the musical Chess.

[Benji]

Did anyone else check out Blur's "Magic Whip"? It's turned into quite the regular player for me in a brief time. "I Broadcast" is a proper choon.