Music today?

AsSiMiLaTeD

The news about Ray Charles got me thinking about our music industry.

I'd say overall it just really sucks. So much of the 'music' that comes out today is just horrible.

Is it just me, has mainstream music always sucked this bad???

What happened to Luis, Ella, Miles??? Wasn't that the popular music of the time? What does our stuff today suck so bad...

I'm not saying everything on the radio today sucks, but the majority of it does...I can count on my fingers the music groups around today that make good stuff...at least those that get radio play.

I heard this 'song' today saying something about 'don't you know you stink, your roses smell like poopoo" WTF is THAT?

They need to have a radio station that just plays good music...we have one in Dallas that plays good jazz (not that Kenny G **** either), but I can't dial it in very well...

Damn the music industry really just pisses me off...

I wanna go find whoever singsthat song about poopoo and just beat their a$$....

/end of ranting

Maurice

The group that sings that crap is called Outkast. Bunch of weak ****, bubble gum, no skill havin', gimick sellin bullsh*t!!! And I am a rap fan, but the old school stuff. Most of the new music is weak in every catagory. This weekend, I'll hit the road bumpin Parliament, Anita Baker, Frankie Berverly, and a couple more CHOICE artists.;)

mantis

All generations have good and bad music.

The radio plays what people want to hear.More of a reason to buy the music you love,maybe get into a server or MP3 type player for the car and home background music.

Xm radio is very nice for this purpose.

I feel todays music is better then alot of music in the past.Lyrics seem to be written with more thought and sense.Back in the 80's,the music was all about Cheezy "fire".The word was so over used.

All and all this is nothing new.I agree with you on the poo poo sound,I have heard it and I turn the dial.

gatemplin

I agree with you guys,
I find most new music unlistenable unless it is live. It is too slick, compressed and 2 dimensional. I really like older recordings with good dynamic range and with imperfections. I dont like the way new music seems flat and way too gimicky with funky computer noises, you cant turn on the radio without hearing about 26" dubs, WTF? There are new recordings that I really like, but they are rare.

Early B.

Blame it all on MTV. As soon as music videos hit the scene, there was no need for performers to have any real talent (remember the Milli Vanilli fiasco?). Even the superstars like Janet Jackson and Britney Spears still lip sync a lot of their stuff. Why? Because they can't sing very well. All you need is a good marketing gimmick, a nice body, some fake ****, and you, too, can be a rock star. But now people are getting tired of it. That's partly why CD sales have been in the toilet lately.

I don't fully agree that radio plays what people like to hear. Most people simply accept the status quo without question. Radio caters to the business side of the music industry just like TV does (for commercials). The weak stuff that's hot right now (rap, popular music, rock) is mostly marketed to young people. These young folk today don't know a thing about good music because many of them haven't been exposed to it. Soon, we will see the tide turning and real music (with real instruments!!) will make a comeback. Until then, I'll just keep playing my Anita Baker CDs until the 1's and 0's fall off of them.

swerve

Music is still there.. you just have to dig really deep. Outkast isn't the problem, if you were in the entertainment industry and wanted to sell albums... you too would jump on the bandwagon. You know what the real problem is, Lil Jon, Nelly, and all the artists on Shady/Aftermath. What I've had to do to discover new music is just walk into a music store and point to something till I find something I haven't heard of or seen on the TV. Right now I've been listening to:
Interpol
Atmosphere
Tech N9ne (before anyone makes a wise crack about this, this guy can't stand the media.... and thats what's wrong with the world, as well as music, the media)

Strong Bad

I agree with you guys!

Most of the stuff coming out today is just flat out terrible. When I DJ at the club, I have young girls coming up to request some of the worst **** in the existance of mankind. I think most of todays younger crowd pretend to like this **** just to feel like they fit in or to feel like they're rebeling against some sort of authority. They'll sit in their little import car loaded to the gills with audio while blasting some current **** like Outkast or Jay-Z or whatever.

If they only knew how stupid they looked!

By the way, that Outkast song is called "Roses". YEAH, it's f-ing terrible. I will not play it in the club. Some girl came up and requested it and I refused to play it.

"Roses smell like poo poo!" WHAT THE F*** IS THAT!

swerve

Originally posted by john d. strong
I agree with you guys!

Most of the stuff coming out today is just flat out terrible. When I DJ at the club, I have young girls coming up to request some of the worst **** in the existance of mankind. I think most of todays younger crowd pretend to like this **** just to feel like they fit in or to feel like they're rebeling against some sort of authority. They'll sit in their little import car loaded to the gills with audio while blasting some current **** like Outkast or Jay-Z or whatever.

If they only knew how stupid they looked!

By the way, that Outkast song is called "Roses". YEAH, it's f-ing terrible. I will not play it in the club. Some girl came up and requested it and I refused to play it.

"Roses smell like poo poo!" WHAT THE F*** IS THAT!

Outkast went too deep into the mainstream with their last release. You people should really set Outkast aside and start with Lil' Jon..... or maybe you like hearing "YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAA" in everything you hear on the radio.

-adam

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by swerve
Outkast went too deep into the mainstream with their last release. You people should really set Outkast aside and start with Lil' Jon..... or maybe you like hearing "YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAA" in everything you hear on the radio.

-adam

Ok so it's obvious you dig Outkast, which is cool by me...

but that Roses song is the absolute dumbest f#$(ing thing I've ever heard...

Absolute Trash!!!!!!!

I don't know who Lil john is but that name is **** and I can tell just from that I don't like him.

I was just using that Outkast song as an example becuase that's what set me off...

Truth is most of the stuff produced today just sux a$$

Shizelbs

Maurice, what rap do you like then? Lil Jon is more to blame. He has even admitted that he has no talent. Its more the fault of consumers for thinking they like it and then buying it. I guess people can be told what to like. You have to at least give Outkast credit for being consistently original and having their own unique style. I don't think their latest is the slightest bit mainstream. And its 'boo boo', not 'poo poo.'

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by Shizelbs
And its 'boo boo', not 'poo poo.'

Whatever....it's still stupid...actually I think I like poo poo better becuase at least that's a real word...:D

Strong Bad

And Poo Poo describes the song very well. It's a hunk of ****!


John

mrmusicman

Blame it all on MTV. As soon as music videos hit the scene, there was no need for performers to have any real talent (remember the Milli Vanilli fiasco?). Even the superstars like Janet Jackson and Britney Spears still lip sync a lot of their stuff

Don't you remember when mtv first came out and all that **** wasn't there,and you could turn it on,smoke some weed, and see some of your favorite rock bands play some tunes.My teenage kids know what ozzy looks like but not what he sounds like.One even asked who Led Zeppelin was?I listen to all styles of music,rock,country ,alt,rap,hip/hop,easy listening etc...And I agree almost all new music thats out today and is played on the radio is crap(thanks clear channel radio)that is the biggest reason I subscribe to X-M radio , I hope it doesn't fall into the same hands as MTV.

Steve@3dai

Clearchannel = teh devil.

HEINEY_9

gatemplin wrote:

I agree with you guys,
I find most new music unlistenable unless it is live. It is too slick, compressed and 2 dimensional. I really like older recordings with good dynamic range and with imperfections. I dont like the way new music seems flat and way too gimicky with funky computer noises, you cant turn on the radio without hearing about 26" dubs, WTF? There are new recordings that I really like, but they are rare.

heiney_9 replies:

It's late so I hope this is coherent. But I agree. Todays sound engineers, with some exceptions of course, have no idea how to record and mix a cd that sounds good. Way to much technology is used to compensate for the performers lack of talent.

Maximizing profits means cutting corners in the studio. By using using either a cheap low budget studio or by cutting studio time essentially in half they are chruning out mediocre product.

The big thing producers are doing is compressing the hell out the recordings and then boosting the output creating a hot signal and it sounds like ****. Especially on really good equipment. I can't tell you how many times I:ve been disappointed by the recording quality of many modern cd's.

Sound engineering is an art and not many studio people are practising it these days. Try this interesting test. Pick a cd from an artist that was recorded within the last year or so. Preferably a lagres selling top 40 artist and while listening to it note the position of the volume knob/setting on you preamp/reciever. Now take a cd from 5-10 years ago and do the same thing. Notice a difference in output volume? Just because the format is
digital doesn't mean you can record the hottest signal you can produce on a cd and it will sound good.

There are always exceptions of course, but for the most part mass produced top 40 artists generally sound like crap especially the more accurate your music equipoment is. Shortcomings in the music source are greatly enhanced on high resolution systems.

SACD and DVD-A are a joke. Most people don't have the kind of audio equipment to produce any advantage in these formats. Gimme a break, you can buy an SACD player for 300 bucks. I have almost 3 times that invested in my stand alone digital to analog converter for my cd player. And that set up would anhilate the $300 SACD player. Not because the technology is no the good, but the hardware is very mediocre. The above formats are nothing more than a marketing tool to sell more verisons of the same cd. The only way the consumer wins is if they have a system that reproduces the sublte nuances these formats claim to offer. No matter what format, you still rely on the producer/enginner and how they think it should be/sound. No format will make up for a poorly recorded and mixed cd.

The End

Peace

Brock

exalted512

Originally posted by Early B.
These young folk today don't know a thing about good music because many of them haven't been exposed to it.

im sure you didnt mean to, but that comment kind of made me angry...
im a 'young folk' and dont even try to tell me i dont know what good music is
just because you dont like it doesnt mean its bad
having xm radio, i listen to a huge variety of music...everything from channel 4(40s music) to channel 20-21(today's hits)
you know what i think sounds like crap?
40s music
i have never heard such God awful singing in my entire life
but you might like it...so im not going to belittle it
but dont speak for me...just because you dont like it doesnt mean its crap
really, that is one of the most retarded statements ive ever heard...and the thing is a lot of adults say the same thing
obviously the adults who make this statement have not matured enough to know that not everyone shares their taste in music and that the world does not revolve around them
i happen to like some of outkast's songs...but that song roses IS CRAP
i absolutely hate it
i dont listen to a lot of rap
im much more into rock
in fact i saw drowning pool today in concert
you know what else? if you dont listen carefully youll never have any idea of what theyre saying
but people to listen to SKAT and no one ever says anything to them...theres NO words
and as far as lil jon being a weird name, i think 'The Presidents of the United States of America' is one of the dumbest names ive ever heard of in my entire life...but i still like em:)
and no i dont like lil jon...
my favorite bands are the ones of the 90s era
green day, nirvana, nine inch nails, collective soul, oasis, red hot chili peppers, bands like that
i still love bands like Kiss, def leppard, a few songs by queen, queens ryke(sp?), alice in chains, etc and i listen to them on a daily basis
there are a lot of bad songs out there now
probably a lot more than there used to...but you know why?
because the music industry has expanded so much in the last few years
think about it, how many more types of music are there now compared to years past?
and at that, how many more bands play those types of music compared to years past?
my 2 cents
-Cody

Mark of Cenla

I am 47 years old, so I have seen several styles come and go. For the most part popular music has been pretty bad. But now it seems to be in about the worst shape ever. Is it MTV, sampling, computers, radio, or what? Maybe it's all of these (and more) interacting together.

Having said all of that, I submit that there is more good music out there now than ever, and I am not talking about old stuff. You just have to look harder to find it. I like prog rock and fusion, neither of which has been popular for a long time. But there is more good prog and fusion out there than ever. Without the internet, both styles would be close to extinct.

I just used those as examples. There is plenty of good music out there in all genres, but very little of it is on radio. If you like rock, check out Gov't Mule. Peace.

Demiurge

I probably shouldn't interject, but I will anyways.

I think that the mainstream is 90% crap. That's just how I see it. Almost all of that 90% is talented. That isn't anything I deny...I just feel that the music isn't soulful and typically doesn't give me any real enjoyment....which is why I listen to music.

I listen to it to accent certain moods.

Ironically the music i've been into for the past 4 years or so is becoming extremely popular. An example of this is Modest Mouse. They have about 6 albums at last check and their latest release is all over "alt" radio and MTV. They've always been a favorite of mine. I'm not pissed about it, but I think that the large markets have a tendency to corrupt bands. They make them seem fake to me. I truly don't enjoy the glam crap MTV and the like create.

I don't wish to minimalize the success of these bands in any way. They deserve to maximize their potential.

So when it comes down to it.....I choose to listen to independent music. It has heart and it's real. I respect that much more. You guys should check out the underground rap scene if you like rap.


The Decemberists are my favorite band right now.

swerve

Originally posted by Demiurge
So when it comes down to it.....I choose to listen to independent music. It has heart and it's real. I respect that much more. You guys should check out the underground rap scene if you like rap.

preach it louder so these people can hear you! i think people assume since it's underground it means it's even worse// the artists hasn't yet come to grips with his skill and made a blingin cd.

just my .02

-adam

Airplay355

what?

swerve

Originally posted by Airplay355
what?

rofllmfao, i really don't know after I read that myself.... I don't have a good grip on things right now....

Airplay355

i was lacking some grip myself

swerve

Originally posted by Airplay355
i was lacking some grip myself

it's alright. I think rap is stereotyped based on the mainstream... so when people hear underground rap they assume it's even worse.

-adam

danger boy

right now.. rap and hip hop all sounds the same to me.. i'm sure it's not that way.. but every time it comes on the radio.. alll I hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blahhh.

next song, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....

radio DJ, hey listeners here is something new by _____ new artist. song begins, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... same tempo, same bass line, same everything.

How about all those remakes out right now???

OMG! Wilson Phillips doing classic Fleetwood Mac.. Go Your Own way WTF! is that crap???

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by HEINEY_9
SACD and DVD-A are a joke. Most people don't have the kind of audio equipment to produce any advantage in these formats. Gimme a break, you can buy an SACD player for 300 bucks. I have almost 3 times that invested in my stand alone digital to analog converter for my cd player. And that set up would anhilate the $300 SACD player. Not because the technology is no the good, but the hardware is very mediocre. The above formats are nothing more than a marketing tool to sell more verisons of the same cd. The only way the consumer wins is if they have a system that reproduces the sublte nuances these formats claim to offer. No matter what format, you still rely on the producer/enginner and how they think it should be/sound. No format will make up for a poorly recorded and mixed cd.

I disagree. I find a HUGE difference in quality with SACD...literally a night and day difference with most recordings...

True, I don't have a really expensive CD player...but most people don't. I've got a $200 CD player and a $150 universal Pioneer player that does all formats including SACD. Both of these are in the same price range...but the Pioneer gives me far better sound with SACD than I get from CD.

I don't see these formats as solely marketing schemes when you can hear an audible difference.

Play Dark Side of The Moon on CD and SACD and tell me the SACD version is a merketing scheme...

reeltrouble1

After reading the thread which I find myself agreeing with most, that it is difficult to find new music I like, I started to wonder what is it that makes good music.

Is it the lyrics? The Chords? Transient notes? Rythym Beats? Or the video?

Classical music often contains all seven of a keys major, minor and diminished chords, it is complex, I enjoy it from time to time. The Beach Boys, Rolling Stones songs have three of four chords but both bands have huge followings and many hit songs. Me I go for Santana and Clapton love that bluesy kind of rock. Being older Stevie Nicks did get my motor running. How about that bass run in the "The Chain".

Rap not exactly my fav, but some of the lyrics I find to be powerful when I can figure them out, a sort of raw poetry.

Don't know this poo poo song but it sounds awful!!

So what makes up good music to you guys??

danger boy

what makes music good is the talent of the musican behind the music.

So many of the singers in the past 20 yrs have been manufactured to appeal to the masses.

I like some of todays music. Cheryl Crow is one musican that comes to mind. She's talented. She writes music, she's a great musician, she CAN sing, there are others.. but they seem to be few and far between.

Problem I have with todays singers... a lot of them can't play an instrument.. that used to be the only way a person could be considered to be a musican and singer, if they knew how to play one or several instruments. Those days seem to be gone now.

reeltrouble1

DB,

One other thing Sheryl Crow is HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cool:

Some good points about singers as opposed to true musicians, I suppose their are singers professionaly trained who understand musical structure I am sure of this actually.

I agree that young artists today seem to have things processed for them and told to do the music a certain way. Could you imagine someone telling McCartney or Lennon how they were going to write. But is this the only way a new band or singer can get a foot in the door? I went to a Jessica Simpson concert, never really listened to her before, ok, she looked great, the show was definetly geared to young teenage girls. Ms. Simpson did send what I would call a high moral message throughout her show. Her singing was OK, she talked about her family her father in particular, it was allright, but she never went near one of the instruments, I got the feeling she could not play, first time ever I went to a concert where the main artist never played any music.

Old rock bands that still draw big crowds had heart, soul, and passion to their music, because it was there's, maybe that is why some of the rap appeals to me, I at least get the feeling the rapper is speaking their own words.

Your roses smell like poo poo does nothing for me, how about your roses are blackened by your darkness, ok maybe not the greatest but still better.

danger boy

reel,
how about your roses have thorns and they rip my heart out in small pieces. only to reveal that my blood runs icy blue, but i still want to share my life with you.. yeah, yeah, yeah baby!! Ooo OOo OOoo

and yes Sheryl Crow is hot!

AsSiMiLaTeD

I'm not a Jessica Simpson fan...Having said that...

She was in my 18th century counterpoint (music theory) class at UNT, and she does play piano...

I still don't like her singing and she wouldn't know a perfect fifth if it bit her in the ****...but she does at least play an instrument...

reeltrouble1

PM,

No piano at the concert I saw her at, just a keyboard, somewhat the same thing though, she never went near it. See, maybe she is a really good musician, she said she is 23, so I think it would of been cool if they had a piano on stage and let her play, would of chaged the way I felt about her.

Like you stated the image of Ray Charles with that **** eatin grin on his face pounding away on the keyboard is something you can hold onto for a lifetime.


DB,

Your roses have thorns which I wiped with poo poo de scoobie doo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1