Why Don't I hear the Genius in these new bands?

[playlikedanko]

That's it! I'm going to invent AutoGood. Like AutoTune, but for songwriting. Put a piece of crap song through it and it will make it good. We had something similar to that back in the late 70's. It was called a "Producer."

 

 

No no, it's called "the weed." Take matters into your own hands, I say. With a lot of these new bands, it only takes about 1-2 servings of weed to sound totally awesome. Then again, I've heard that today's "chron-chron" (as us youngsters call it) is a lot more potent than the old-timey, folk-strummin' "reeferoni" of yore. Maybe this explains everything? The weed wasn't as good, so the music had to be better? I think I've heard worse theories.

[Mastodude]

Mainstream is trash, and has been for some time. I'm 23, and hate all of the hipster b/s I hear.

 

I know from reading and soaking up as much of the wonderful topics, debates, conversations, thoughts, posts, etc. on these boards that heavier music isn't everyones bread and butter, however check out Mastodon's 'The Czar'.

 

Great music, structure, songwriting and riffage.

 

Id also like to chime in and say Ray Lamontange and Wilco are two great newer acts (or at least new to commercial successes)

 

Thanks for the great reading everyone, I'm super happy to have found these threads, and if anyone has a faded explorer they're looking to part with, please please p/m me!!

[richardmac]

You could be right, playlikedanko.

[Cliftonb]

I don't know. There's a good bit of mainstream stuff i can get down with. I absolutely love Janelle Monae and Cee Lo. Kanye's latest is pretty damn solid. Drake and Rhianna are pretty cool as well.

[MVP Loops]

The new bands haven't had a chance to really develop. To be completely fair, the older bands are not putting anything exciting out either. They put out so so records when they want to go on a tour and make millions off their old stuff. A lot of the newer groups need time to hone their skills. Even though it's harder to get a deal these days I feel some of the groups who do get deals need a lot more work before they really get great. But sadly many won't get the chance. One mediocre single and they're discarded like yesterday's trash.

[flatfinger]

The new bands haven't had a chance to really develop. .......... A lot of the newer groups need time to hone their skills.

 

 

REQUEST DENIED

 

 

 

 

Get busy with....

 

Touring permanently with your studio in tow , record , mix , master , promote , advertise , keep the books , attend to half a dozen blogs or social media aspects including a little web mastering , perform live and pour your heart out , be the camera operator, edit the video , and drive and wash the tour bus too !!!

 

 

 

Why Don't I hear the Genius????

 

Subtract big chunks of energy from the creation of the content ( or funds and conditions to promote collaboration and consultation from heavy hitters )

 

instead transfer those considerable resources to " promote the crap" out of what is left in the aftermath of the aforementioned shifting of energies .

 

 

Do we really need to consult an Einstein to calculate the results of applying this formula??????

 

 

.

[MVP Loops]

@flatfinger You hit the nail on the head. That is a great observation. It's expected that you must do all things and do them well these days in music.

[sventvkg]

REQUEST DENIED Get busy with.... Touring permanently with your studio in tow , record , mix , master , promote , advertise , keep the books , attend to half a dozen blogs or social media aspects including a little web mastering , perform live and pour your heart out , be the camera operator, edit the video , and drive and wash the tour bus too !!! Why Don't I hear the Genius???? Subtract big chunks of energy from the creation of the content ( or funds and conditions to promote collaboration and consultation from heavy hitters ) instead transfer those considerable resources to " promote the crap" out of what is left in the aftermath of the aforementioned shifting of energies . Do we really need to consult an Einstein to calculate the results of applying this formula?????? .

 

 

 

Dude...You are exactly right.

[RickGoetz]

(shrug)... While they fail the criteria of new set above and the both probably admittedly fall far short of the word genius- I think Muse has really become a band worth noting and while one album does not a band make I think Mumford and Sons have a great deal of promise as well. Seemingly the revolution in music over the past two decades has been more about the technology than the product. Personally I'm shocked that we haven't moved on to something much cooler I mean rock n' roll is many generations old at this point - I would have sworn kids would be listening to... I dunno - death klezmer bossanova or something by now.

 

It could be the cut and paste pro-tools crutch and or the lack of music education in schools... who knows...

[daddymack]

(shrug)... I would have sworn kids would be listening to... I dunno - death klezmer bossanova or something by now.

Nah, the secret to today's music is not mixing genres...it is hitting the LCD with happy tunes, forgettable pop fluff, or pseudo-gritty gangsta-wannabe BS...and that is why we hear no genius: the need for genius is eliminated from the process....see my prior post regarding true mediocrity

[Cliftonb]

Death klezmer bossanova is so last Tuesday....

[michael_B]

 

REQUEST DENIED Get busy with.... Touring permanently with your studio in tow , record , mix , master , promote , advertise , keep the books , attend to half a dozen blogs or social media aspects including a little web mastering , perform live and pour your heart out , be the camera operator, edit the video , and drive and wash the tour bus too !!! Why Don't I hear the Genius???? Subtract big chunks of energy from the creation of the content ( or funds and conditions to promote collaboration and consultation from heavy hitters ) instead transfer those considerable resources to " promote the crap" out of what is left in the aftermath of the aforementioned shifting of energies . Do we really need to consult an Einstein to calculate the results of applying this formula?????? .

 

 

With all the bitching and moaning about what musicians "have" to do nowadays I find it all rings pretty hollow for me. Today, you have at your disposal the tools and techniques that musicians and artists that came before could only dream of. Why does modern music seem to suck? well, it really doesn't, it's just there is an avalanche of crap corporate pop and music that came from the the fact that, with a fairly meager investment, anyone who's mother said the were pretty shnazzy musicians could produce a CD and web presence, and they did.

 

Request denied? If they can't handle it, maybe a career at the local shoe store might be a better fit. Does that stuff kill creativity? No. Being a musician in the last 10 years means you wear a lot of hats. Get over the fact that the music industry has changed, or lets keep bitching about stuff you can't change.

 

shut up and play yer guitar. Maybe we can get back to music being fun instead of millions of musicians thinking they can have a career out of it. When everyone's a star, nobody is a star.

[3shiftgtr]

My crackpot theory is that what older musicians experience is different from what younger musicians experieince. And it is for this reason:

Have you ever loved a song, worked your ass off to learn it, and then after a few performances, the magic you USED to experience when you listened to it, is gone? Either listening or playing?

The more notes we play, write, and work on, the more we become magic CREATORS rather than magic RECEPTORS. The harder it gets to become inspired. Steve Vai told me personally that he thought that he'd lost his ability to be inspired by music the same way as he was when he was a kid...and that he would never find anything like that again. But he does find certain things inspiring, and he keeps looking, and the reason why is convoluted....

....but it is real. As musicians, the more serious we become about being providers and vehicles for people to expericne the magic we feel (felt), the less the magic 'sticks" with us. Music doesn't affect us as much because we use it to affect others. The buzz we used to get listening and recieving music, can now only be found in creating, playing and giving music to others (performing). And if you look back to your own musical life, you can see this in transition.

So why do I still get a rush from the "Stone Cold Crazy" riff (although not as big of one)? Well, because it is a trained memory...the first time I heard it it fired me up! I was playing pool in my friend's basement and the riff was so AWESOME (I was in 8th grade) it wen't straignt to my adrenal glands and the pool stick magically became a guitar. And I have a trace feeling spurred by that memory every time I hear that riff.

BUT why don't I get the rush when I listen to newer riff oriented rock bands? Is it cuz they aren't as good as Queen? No, of course not. It is cuz I am not 17 and don't want to be. And the sheer number of notes that I have imbibed, created and played over the years is staggering. And as I begin to understand "everything under the sun", I need NEW things....things that speak to UNDISCOVERED parts of myself. Hoping for that 17 year old rush is unrealistic. Speshilly with a prostate the size of a grapefruit!

If one is over 40 and still looking for that rush from bands repackaging sounds from the 70 year old legacy genre that rock music has become, then good luck. I don't think you are going to find it as a musician....maybe a twinge here and there....but remember you are either a listener first or a musician first....the more musician you are, the harder it is to be inspired by what you hear and easier to be inspired by what you play, and the more listener you are the easier it is to be inspired by what you hear, and harder to inspire others with what you play.

crackpot will now shut the {censored} up.........just a thought.

[Cliftonb]

 

you are either a listener first or a musician first....the more musician you are, the harder it is to be inspired by what you hear and easier to be inspired by what you play, and the more listener you are the easier it is to be inspired by what you hear, and harder to inspire others with what you play.

 

 

I tend to agree with this. I'm primarily a psychotically obsessed music fan and a musician a distant second. Third or fourth even.

[sventvkg]

My crackpot theory is that what older musicians experience is different from what younger musicians experieince. And it is for this reason: Have you ever loved a song, worked your ass off to learn it, and then after a few performances, the magic you USED to experience when you listened to it, is gone? Either listening or playing? The more notes we play, write, and work on, the more we become magic CREATORS rather than magic RECEPTORS. The harder it gets to become inspired. Steve Vai told me personally that he thought that he'd lost his ability to be inspired by music the same way as he was when he was a kid...and that he would never find anything like that again. But he does find certain things inspiring, and he keeps looking, and the reason why is convoluted.... ....but it is real. As musicians, the more serious we become about being providers and vehicles for people to expericne the magic we feel (felt), the less the magic 'sticks" with us. Music doesn't affect us as much because we use it to affect others. The buzz we used to get listening and recieving music, can now only be found in creating, playing and giving music to others (performing). And if you look back to your own musical life, you can see this in transition. So why do I still get a rush from the "Stone Cold Crazy" riff (although not as big of one)? Well, because it is a trained memory...the first time I heard it it fired me up! I was playing pool in my friend's basement and the riff was so AWESOME (I was in 8th grade) it wen't straignt to my adrenal glands and the pool stick magically became a guitar. And I have a trace feeling spurred by that memory every time I hear that riff. BUT why don't I get the rush when I listen to newer riff oriented rock bands? Is it cuz they aren't as good as Queen? No, of course not. It is cuz I am not 17 and don't want to be. And the sheer number of notes that I have imbibed, created and played over the years is staggering. And as I begin to understand "everything under the sun", I need NEW things....things that speak to UNDISCOVERED parts of myself. Hoping for that 17 year old rush is unrealistic. Speshilly with a prostate the size of a grapefruit! If one is over 40 and still looking for that rush from bands repackaging sounds from the 70 year old legacy genre that rock music has become, then good luck. I don't think you are going to find it as a musician....maybe a twinge here and there....but remember you are either a listener first or a musician first....the more musician you are, the harder it is to be inspired by what you hear and easier to be inspired by what you play, and the more listener you are the easier it is to be inspired by what you hear, and harder to inspire others with what you play. crackpot will now shut the {censored} up...... ...just a thought.

 

You are not a crackpot. I agree 100%. VERY VERY astute observation!

[flatfinger]

With all the bitching and moaning about what musicians "have" to do nowadays I find it all rings pretty hollow for me......... Being a musician in the last 10 years means you wear a lot of hats.

 

 

 

Never heard the phrase " Jack of all trades , Master of none" then I suppose .

 

 

It's a two edged sword... of course the argument can be made that the opportunity is greater , But the amount of things one must delve into that are in no way related to the composition or performance of music itself have grown considerably .

 

Many a businessman has been successful by surrounding himself with others who have greater expertise in areas where he himself does not excel ..... At some point the go getter who trys to do it all single handedly will have to delegate some responsibility or crash and burn ...

 

 

 

You are of course entitled to try and do it all yourself ...... The best of luck with that ......

 

 

 

 

 

"Frontline Finds We Stink at Multitasking"

http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=466&doc_id=187485

 

 

 

 

Stanford researcher Clifford Nass also demonstrated the impact of too much Internet on our brains by asking a group of people to multitask -- an important area seeing as distractions have become mainstream thanks to social networking, email, etc. While all of the students he surveyed claimed to be good multitaskers, his study showed that people were significantly slower when multitasking than when sticking with one activity. "Multitaskers are terrible at every aspect of multitasking," said Nass. "We're worried it may be creating people who are unable to work well and clearly."

 

 

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/

[Barber Surgeon]

Okay, time to step back a minute.

 

I'm looking for a psychological essay I read recently (I doubt I'm going to find it though, so until I prove my point you're absolutely free to take it with a grain of salt).

 

If you're asking yourself why music isn't as good these days as it used to be, then chances are it really is just because you're old. It's a scary phenomenon, but studies have shown that we form a particular sort of psychological attachment to the music we listen to during our late teen to mid-twenties -- as in, different pathways in your brain correspond to different styles of music. One particular study showed the fond, memorable music from yester-years caused activity in a wholly different part of the brain than new, unfamiliar styles of music.

 

So if you're old, you're probably just out of luck. New music, no matter how interesting, will always have a "different" quality than the stuff with which you spent your formative young adult years.

 

 

 

If it makes you guys feel better, my formative years are being spent absorbed with low-production blackened death metal. I can't listen to any radio stuff from any decade. I'll probably want to go into isolation as a musician when I'm older.

[BlueStrat]

 

If you're asking yourself why music isn't as good these days as it used to be, then chances are it really is just because you're old.

 

 

I think this is mostly true, though the downward slide in production quality the past 30 years is, I think, undeniable. I like a great many of the songs newer bands have, but many of the recordings are not that great, vocals are ragged, and so on. I guess we got used to hearing the slickness that came along in the mid to late 70s until the 90s. More and more recordings, even label stuff, is being subbed out to cheaper studios to make records. And, since most new bands write all their own material, they fancy themselves as producers, and most just aren't. But that doesn't mean the music itself is bad- like I said, a lot of it is very, very good.

[sventvkg]

 

Okay, time to step back a minute. I'm looking for a psychological essay I read recently (I doubt I'm going to find it though, so until I prove my point you're absolutely free to take it with a grain of salt). If you're asking yourself why music isn't as good these days as it used to be, then chances are it really is just because you're old. It's a scary phenomenon, but studies have shown that we form a particular sort of psychological attachment to the music we listen to during our late teen to mid-twenties -- as in, different pathways in your brain correspond to different styles of music. One particular study showed the fond, memorable music from yester-years caused activity in a wholly different part of the brain than new, unfamiliar styles of music. So if you're old, you're probably just out of luck. New music, no matter how interesting, will always have a "different" quality than the stuff with which you spent your formative young adult years. If it makes you guys feel better, my formative years are being spent absorbed with low-production blackened death metal. I can't listen to any radio stuff from any decade. I'll probably want to go into isolation as a musician when I'm older.

 

 

Well i'm 39 for another few days so I don't feel or look old. Also, I didn't say nothing was good anymore, just most of what is lauded as good including those bands I mentioned doesn't sound genius in the least to me. I find tons of new music that I think is great, it's just lesser known. Also, I would like to say, I don't listen to much of the music that I dug when I was a kid. I've moved on and love to move forward.

[richardmac]

If you're asking yourself why music isn't as good these days as it used to be, then chances are it really is just because you're old. It's a scary phenomenon, but studies have shown that we form a particular sort of psychological attachment to the music we listen to during our late teen to mid-twenties -- as in, different pathways in your brain correspond to different styles of music. One particular study showed the fond, memorable music from yester-years caused activity in a wholly different part of the brain than new, unfamiliar styles of music. So if you're old, you're probably just out of luck. New music, no matter how interesting, will always have a "different" quality than the stuff with which you spent your formative young adult years. If it makes you guys feel better, my formative years are being spent absorbed with low-production blackened death metal. I can't listen to any radio stuff from any decade. I'll probably want to go into isolation as a musician when I'm older.

 

I agree - it's "You kids get out of my yard" syndrome. I feel it a little bit at 45, but there's great stuff out there. I'll get laughed out of the forum for saying this, but Imogen Heap is a freaking genius. She can fall out of bed and write a catchy pop melody better than any top ten hit in the last decade. That's all opinion of course, but I'm thrilled that there are artists out there like her than even an old guy like me will listen to and get goosebumps. I pray that I never lose my sense of wonder in a great song.

 

An interesting offspin, and sventvkg mentioned this (by the way... can you people not choose easier to type user names, please? ...

 

Anyway, sven mentioned outgrowing some of the music he listened to when he was younger, and it's interesting to me what you outgrow and what you don't. In 1980 I was 15 years old and I was listening to KISS. Now I'm 45 and I still love some of those songs... Detroit Rock City is something I will still crank. I love Strutter, still. Got To Choose, great song. But God almighty do NOT make me listen to Love Gun. I'm not 15 any more. Also, when I was 15, if you had asked me what I'd be listening to when I was 45, I would have said "Classic music and jazz." Because I assumed my tastes would continue to become more and more "refined." And I'm 45 and Classical music and jazz are interesting to me, but mostly I listen to rock and pop rock still. Funny.

 

One more thing. Death Metal? And you can't listen to radio? The best thing in the world any musician can do is to widen their horizons. You owe it to yourself to listen to a wide variety of music - it will turn out to be inspiring and very rewarding and make you love music more.

 

Oh, and eat your vegetables. And get off my lawn!

[sventvkg]

Sorry man...You can call me SEAN...That sventvkg is my old AOL handle that was an inside joke from when I was a kid..Means Sven The Viking

[Cliftonb]

It's kind of interesting that I'm just 29 but my absolute favorite band ever started making records twelve years before I was born. If someone were to tell me as a teenager (and huge hip hop fan at the time) that King Crimson would ultimately become my most cherished music act along with David Sylvian, Cocteau Twins, Paolo Conte, and Yellow Magic Orchestra - I wouldn't have believed them. Same deal with my obsession with modern classical composers Bartok, Lutoslawsky, Messiaen, Penderecki, Dutilleaux, and Panufnik among many others. I didn't see that one comin' either. Most of the music that I've become passionate about is totally alien from anything I grew up with (80s MTV and Radio and early 90s hip hop) and the trend is continuing. It's become a habit of mine to actively discover new styles and sounds, and I hope that "explorer/adventurer" mentality doesn't end.

[flatfinger]

I think that everyone has there own level of " discovery " ......

Some are content to have a nice cache of stuff from their formative years and leave it at that . I do however think that it's a bit cliché to simply assume that everybody is like that . I have a family member who has border line amusia ; couldn't care less and never spends a second thought on listening except as background .I always utter to myself as a reminder " It's a world of individuals " ...

One of my all time favorite bands didn't come into my consciousness until I was in my late thirties and I've never stopped wanting to find new high octane stuff that moves me , and allot of the "new " that I have found is from before my stay on this rock began . I think really good music that stands the test of time will almost always be able to make the connection with folks who have an active, open ear !

[Vito Corleone]

My crackpot theory is that what older musicians experience is different from what younger musicians experieince. And it is for this reason: Have you ever loved a song, worked your ass off to learn it, and then after a few performances, the magic you USED to experience when you listened to it, is gone? Either listening or playing? The more notes we play, write, and work on, the more we become magic CREATORS rather than magic RECEPTORS. The harder it gets to become inspired. Steve Vai told me personally that he thought that he'd lost his ability to be inspired by music the same way as he was when he was a kid...and that he would never find anything like that again. But he does find certain things inspiring, and he keeps looking, and the reason why is convoluted.... ....but it is real. As musicians, the more serious we become about being providers and vehicles for people to expericne the magic we feel (felt), the less the magic 'sticks" with us. Music doesn't affect us as much because we use it to affect others. The buzz we used to get listening and recieving music, can now only be found in creating, playing and giving music to others (performing). And if you look back to your own musical life, you can see this in transition. So why do I still get a rush from the "Stone Cold Crazy" riff (although not as big of one)? Well, because it is a trained memory...the first time I heard it it fired me up! I was playing pool in my friend's basement and the riff was so AWESOME (I was in 8th grade) it wen't straignt to my adrenal glands and the pool stick magically became a guitar. And I have a trace feeling spurred by that memory every time I hear that riff. BUT why don't I get the rush when I listen to newer riff oriented rock bands? Is it cuz they aren't as good as Queen? No, of course not. It is cuz I am not 17 and don't want to be. And the sheer number of notes that I have imbibed, created and played over the years is staggering. And as I begin to understand "everything under the sun", I need NEW things....things that speak to UNDISCOVERED parts of myself. Hoping for that 17 year old rush is unrealistic. Speshilly with a prostate the size of a grapefruit! If one is over 40 and still looking for that rush from bands repackaging sounds from the 70 year old legacy genre that rock music has become, then good luck. I don't think you are going to find it as a musician....maybe a twinge here and there....but remember you are either a listener first or a musician first....the more musician you are, the harder it is to be inspired by what you hear and easier to be inspired by what you play, and the more listener you are the easier it is to be inspired by what you hear, and harder to inspire others with what you play. crackpot will now shut the {censored} up...... ...just a thought.

Spot on!

[fakeplasticshrub]

For the most part people who are in popular bands don't actually know their theory, they find two sets of 4 chords and bang them out. This, coupled with a lack of attention to lyrics = dull, uninspiring music that anyone can write.