Im old

[deepblue]

Heres another "is it me?"...I fully expect to get crucified for this, but if I can dish it out I have to be able to take it.

 

Is it me or is the music industry at an all time low?

I dont want to sound like an old fart whos out of the loop, but what im hearing these days on the radio and on the telly is so cookie cutter. Its all sounding the same. These so called "rock bands" all strive for overly saturated power chords that dont even sound musical anymore. The tone is gone from their playing.

I honestly cant tell one band from another. Im not talking about Metal and all its offshoots ie. Death, Thrash etc. I get that. Its all about the energy and having a lead singer who sounds like the Cookie Monster. Thats cool, I get it...dont like it, but I get it. Its these so called "rock bands"...I wont name names, that gets me into trouble! lol

 

I remember in the 70's hating Disco, but now looking back id take it over what we have now.

I suppose thats why my cd's consist of classic rock and blues.

[Homz]

I agree hole heartedly.

 

I think part of he problem is the market place not really understanding the consumer. If it hasn't happened already it will soon and the internet will distribute more music then the outlet stores. This changes everything. How they advertise/promote and format their tunes. I think singles are again going to dominate as they did in the 60's.

 

I have found some really cool stuff just floating around the net. I have also found some real sh*t. If someone was able to put together a site that was constantly looking for good tunes and then promoted those tunes instead of promoting the bands it could result in the cream rising to the top. Basically I am suggesting a new kind of record company that doesn't produce the songs it simply (or not) displays what they feel is the best of the best.

 

I know itunes is actively involved in this type of thing, but he difference is that they don't differentiate between crap and good stuff. Like for example you have some metal head's best of the best list and some punk doing her best of the best list.

 

Might work. Anyone want to start a business with me?

[vagabond]

I learned a long time ago to give up on the radio and MTV. If you want good contemporary music you almost have to go to Indie labels to find stuff that's listenable, and even then you aren't really getting "rock and roll." IMO rock and roll is dead (I know, I know, it lives on in those of us who still love it blah blah blah), and all we have left are very few sparkling glimmers of hope from people like Jack White and the guys from the Black Keys and Back Door Slam, and even these guys don't get nearly enough, if any, radio time. I'm sorry to say it, but it's like the 80s all over again, only instead of keytars and synthesizers we have three and a half minute songs compose entirely of power chords through distortion pedals that have two settings: on and off. It's sad, I know, but c'est la vie

[RichCI]

You're getting old - welcome to the club. Every generation thinks that the music of the following generations sucks, particularly if they are parents of said generation. If rock and roll doesn't piss off your parents, it's probably not very good rock and roll and, if you like it, your kids will hate it.

[Homz]

This is why the biggest money making tours are from 70's rock acts. That and gay country stars, but then that's music for people who don't know any better.

 

I'll stick with the classics. Zep, Sabbath, Stones, etc....

[grampa]

Pop music has really never been the greatest music. A lot of junk with a few good ones. We remember the good stuff from our pasts and forget the junk. The good stuff is usually hard to find but is out there if we look. There was a short time in the late 60's and early 70's when "underground" radio was playing some of the obscure stuff but commercial considerations did away with that. Profit motivated music will never be as good as the "artistic" music.

[James Allen]

It got so bad for me a few years ago that I stopped listening to ANY music on the radio or television. I still don't watch any music channel or listen to much radio. I get PISSED and turn it off after hearing the tripe that is on there.

 

When I started searching for good music, I discovered some of the best music I've ever heard. For example, I only recently discovered Rory Gallagher. This man is incredible, but never made a dent in America. I watch some of his live performances on Youtube and am amazed that people don't rush out and buy everything the guy put out.

 

Another case in point is this: to me, the best music is blues and jazz. Music with real feeling and depth and skill. You can't find that on the radio. You're lucky if you can find a college station that plays it, then, it's only the watered down versions of the stuff.

 

My guitar teacher once said that the average person's musical knowledge is only at a 3rd grade level, which explains why they LOVE the slop that is dished out to them.

[Californiaman]

I'm all in.

The music that kids are listening to today is a far cry from what I would call good.

Just try to get them to listen to some of the guitar greats. They don't want any of it.

I recently put on some Joe Bonamassa for some of my high school students to listen to while they work and all they wanted to do is complain about it.

Fortunately my own kids know the value of Eric Clapton, Jimi Page, Billy Gibbons, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton and Jimi Hendrix.

[Homz]

Ya-all should go to the Gibson's Lifestyle section and take a look at the 10 worst albums of the year list. Although I typically hate best/worst lists of any kind this list is very applicable to what were discussing here. Really top notch bands who are capable of so much more, pumping out shi* just to make a buck. Case-N-point the new GnR album.

[RichCI]

Pop music has really never been the greatest music. A lot of junk with a few good ones. We remember the good stuff from our pasts and forget the junk.

 

I'll second that. It's a lot easier to program a "classic rock" or "oldies" station when you have decades of hits to draw from. Not so for "top 40" where you're limited to the current year and maybe two or three years prior.

[myspace.com/jessenoah]

there are lots of quality rock acts out there, it s a matter of the big shots at the top of some big building deciding what singles to feed radio stations

 

 

for me it is a matter of give and take

 

bands i like usually do a couple of thiings right, but lack somethng else

paramore-good songwriting, lots of lttle hooks and riffs, but horrible tone

daughtry-good crunchy riffs, fuzzy heavy metal tone, but everysong is too short and over mastered

red hot chilli peppers, talented musicians, but wont play anything but over funk and rap-i-fized pop rock

seether-lots of pure rock, might benefit from a better singer

my chemical romance-again, lots of pure rock, but too punk'y sounding

foo fighters-modern-ized 70s rock, they are just starting to realize their potential

 

there are good bands out there, it is just a matter of tapping into the old school rock sound market

[guitar_randy]

Its not you deepblue,you are speaking the truth.I don't know the reason for it but damn near all of the new bands today are nothing that you will remember in 5 years time.It kinda seems that lately they will give anyone a record contract.

[Homz]

We are directly in the middle of the latest version format wars. Like some of you remember casset to CD. This is perhaps the biggest of the format wars. Retail vs. internet. It could be interesting by the time it's over.

[elantric]

Its corporate Clear Channel owning all the FM stations and determining the playlist each day on a national level that ruined our "ride".

 

The FM radio in my local market suck so bad. I got a Sirius radio, but that got so predictable I now have a Iphone and use WunderRadio to dial in college FM stations around the world.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/apple-iphone/message/6009

 

http://forums.macworld.com/message/669614

 

If you cant handle an Iphone ATT monthly charge - Wunderadio runs on an Itouch too.

[RichCI]

We are directly in the middle of the latest version format wars. Like some of you remember casset to CD. This is perhaps the biggest of the format wars. Retail vs. internet. It could be interesting by the time it's over.

 

My vote goes to internet, even if I still buy actual CDs from Amazon. It is SO much more convenient to sample some songs on their web site then place an order rather than go to a record store, ask to use some skeevy headphones that have been used by who knows who else then have them set up whatever I want to listen to. If I were a total convert to MP3, it'd be even more convenient but I still like to own the actual disk with the album art and credits.

[Homz]

 

My vote goes to internet' date=' even if I still buy actual CDs from Amazon. It is SO much more convenient to sample some songs on their web site then place an order rather than go to a record store, ask to use some skeevy headphones that have been used by who knows who else then have them set up whatever I want to listen to. If I were a total convert to MP3, it'd be even more convenient but I still like to own the actual disk with the album art and credits.[/quote']

 

I value your opinion: What's the best site for sampling and purchasing good tunes?

[elantric]

Itunes Genius lets you hear 30 seconds free of everything. I changed Itunes default format to "MP3" so I could bypass ITunes default DRM that typically occurs when importing / sharing your own imported CD's with others.

[RichCI]

Its corporate Clear Channel owning all the FM stations and determining the playlist each day on a national level that ruined our "ride".

 

The FM radio in my local market suck so bad. I got a Sirius radio' date=' but that got so predictable I now have a Iphone and use WunderRadio to dial in college FM stations around the world. [/quote']

 

I switched to Sirius as for the same reason. I hadn't planned on getting it but the whole FM market in my area (NY/NJ/Phila) FREAKED after Howard Stern left for satellite and went totally schizophrenic. One day they were talk radio, the next day music, David Lee Roth the next (I love DLR, but not as a talk show host). The final straw was when the last classic rock station that I liked switched to smooth jazz. Literally, FM drove me to satellite.

 

Yeah, some of the stations tend to repeat songs a little too frequently but that's really no different than FM. Fortunately, there's a crapload of stations to choose from, particularly when it comes to oldies and classic rock. Besides, how easily can you switch from rock to reggae to classical to jazz to top 40 to electronica to country to latin to blues to hip hop and still have a bunch of other stations just for talk, news and sports when compared to FM? I have my MP3 player too but most of the time I listen to Sirius, particularly at work.

[RichCI]

 

I value your opinion: What's the best site for sampling and purchasing good tunes?

 

Well thank you! As I mentioned, I really like Amazon. They don't have song samples of EVERYTHING, particularly more obscure stuff, but they do have a lot and their prices are as good as anyone else's, whether you buy CDs or MP3 downloads. If I go anywhere else, it's because what I'm looking for is pretty rare and hard to find (I had to buy a bootleg of an Osmond Brother's CD that is out of print off of Ebay. Don't laugh! It's their one good album!).

[RichCI]

I do not stay in my car long enough to purchase Sirus

 

I think that's a major factor for most people. I commute 50 minutes each way to work and can listen at work as well so I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it. Plus, when I got it two years ago, they were offering a lifetime plan for $500 so I got that so I got that and don't have a monthly charge.

[Homz]

I too am a Sirius Radio guy. Mostly channels 14 through 21, but with the zep channel on 33 I frequent that one too. I also like to call into the morning talk shows and talk shi* about republican NEO-CONS. Lots of fun.

[KSG_Standard]

Is it me or is the music industry at an all time low?

 

You are old...so am I, but I believe that you can trace the downfall of the entire western world to MTV, rap/hip-hop...mostly MTV.

[Dynadude]

There are many good bands out there that have albums waiting for the right time to release.

 

When rap took hold in a big way, the major labels put their other music in mothballs, and started agressively signing new pop/rap bands to try to keep their heads above water. Good music was not selling anymore, except for the big name bands that were already established.

 

So, when it starts selling again, good music will make a comeback, in a big way.

 

Rock and roll ain't dead, it's in hypersleep, waiting for people to come to their senses.

[BIGBENDS]

In the meantime, listen to the ZZTop 6 Pack 3 times and you ought to feel better. A couple of Humble Pie albums will quickly cure a cookie cutter hangover also.

[James Allen]

I've been thinking about all this since posting earlier today. Look at it this way. Back in the day the music industry (as well as the listeners) seemed to want good music played by good musicans who played good interesting music.

There was a free creative spirit.

Nowadays, the industry puts out such tuneless, uninteresting, uncreative "music" out because the people have forgotten what good music is.

We used to have Hendrix, now we have Jay Z. We used to have the Allman Brothers, now we have the Jonas Brothers. We used to have Joplin, now we have Miley Cyrus.

The younger generations have been brainwashed to think this stuff is good. Sampling isn't good. Lip Syncing isn't good. Not playing your own instruments sucks!

 

But I did see a bright spot of hope the other day. At my local music store (where I currently take lessons to be BETTER) I saw a young guitar player (maybe 17 yrs old) wearing a Skynard t shirt, he was playing a LP through a Marshall stack. The song: Statesboro Blues.

 

Maybe, just maybe, there is hope.