Is Old Music Killing New Music?

[Robin L]

I have only one SACD (The Look of Love, 2002) from her and it is very boring.

All depends on how much you like Claus Ogerman arrangements [I love them]. Hypnotic to one person can be soporific to another.

 

[Axo1989]

All depends on how much you like Claus Ogerman arrangements [I love them]. Hypnotic to one person can be soporific to another.

Yes, no offence intended !!

 

[MattHooper]

This part of the article really jumped out at me:

"You might hear a cool song on a TV commercial, but do you even know the name of the artist? You love your workout playlist at the health club, but how many song titles and band names do you remember? You stream a Spotify new music playlist in the background while you work, but did you bother to learn who’s singing the songs?"

This "do you even know who you are listening to?" is a problem I encountered once I started streaming more music, even to my main stereo system. With so much music at my fingertips I found myself "surfing" music "what's this one like? cool...save to favorites...what about this one?...not bad...save to favorites." And my favorites just built up and up because it always seemed easier and more alluring to "check out the next thing" rather than go back to a favorites list. When I'd go to my favorites I could hardly tell you the name, or songs, of almost any of them.
There wasn't anything like the direct engagement it took while I was growing up, e.g. really paying attention to a song or group I loved on the radio, going out deliberately buying the single or album, playing it at home etc. It's one thing that drove me back to vinyl.

The ubiquitous nature of digital music I think makes for more "noise" in the system, more like wallpaper, and young people especially may be just grabbing songs here and there with less engagement with the full artist's albums or catalogues. There certainly ARE plenty of people who follow favorite artists, but it seems like new music is battling Digital Media ADD in the culture.

 

[Robin L]

Yes, no offence intended !!

None taken, I doubt I actually have any taste in music [I'll give anything a try], love the slow and sleepy stuff, programmed late-nite new-age programming for KPFA for a few years, 1980s/1990s. That particular Diana Krall disc would have fit in just fine.

 

[Timcognito]

I was growing up, e.g. really paying attention to a song or group I loved on the radio,

Internet radio is there and it occupies much of my listening. One finds a "DJ" with musical taste they like and let them pick the music, most list the artist, song and album in real time. It's nice to see the world though someone who's music you generally enjoy and find new (to you) things.

 

[Mart68]

I have only one SACD (The Look of Love, 2002) from her and it is very boring.

I have 'The Girl In The Other Room' album. I've tried twice but never made it all the way to the end.

If you look up 'bland' in the dictionary there's a picture of it.

Showcase production values though.

 

[abdo123]

Well things changed.

Almost every arena or stage or any space where someone would play their music outside their garage is owned by Ticketing companies.

They would rather bring back geezers like System of a Dawn or Queen for $$$$ instead of promoting new artists with fresh perspectives. Music festivals are just not a thing anymore like they used to.

Rap and country has dominated the industry because it's very easy for a record company to find someone on soundcloud with a fan base and songs ready to go. it's a safe investment and if they crossover to mainstream pop (Taylor swift, Lil Nas X .etc) it's incredibly lucrative.

The days when a record company would invest in a band, pay them to record new music, and go off to promote their work everywhere are over. it's not the most profitable model anymore and it won't be for any time soon.

My only hope, is that covid will drive real-estate prices down enough in big cities that live music can become a thing again outside of ticketing companies, this might be the only thing that might be good enough to kickstart a paradigm shift.

 

[MattHooper]

Maybe this explains my current obsession with ABBA.

 

[Yasuo]

Yes, and it can be applied to other domains as well, especially to those which belong to "art"

 

[Prana Ferox]

Maybe this explains my current obsession with ABBA.

I've found a terrifying pattern of late millenials / Gen-Z discovering and enjoying cruddy disco. My working theory is that when the yoots got into vinyl as a throwback, this is what they could find still left in their parents' collections after their Gen X older siblings ransacked all the good stuff.

"Oh hey kid sis. You want to know if you can go through Mom and Dad's record collection? No, sure sure, it's fine, take all the Kris Kristofferson and DeBarge albums you want!"

 

[Prana Ferox]

Another name for that kind of music is Elevator music.

Isn't Muzak a different kind of music? More like a weak bossanova?
And some of those are actually great. The Sims 1 OST is the evolved version of that and is brilliant background music.

'Modern' elevator music (as opposed to synthy Muzak, which is its own specific thing) tends to be more associated with smooth jazz, of which I strongly recommend this thread for your doomscrolling.

The Sims music is very clearly Lounge.

 

[pablolie]

I think every generation may have found newer generations' choices anywhere from formulaic to repetitive and untalented.

While I try my hardest always to not fall into that trap, the death combo of autotune with the mandatory jerky dance videos have doomed a lot of today's popular music to the trash can variety.

Then again, many of my favorites these days emerged as I enjoyed good quality acts at my time -George Benson, Grover Washington, Luther Vandross and many others)- which let me to explore their past. Low and behold, many of my favorite artists now are before my time - Bill Evans, John Coltrane... many others... never mind classical music, which I am a huge fan of.

My GF's early teenage boys are hip hop fans, and now they discovered 2Pac and others (and I am ashamed to say Too Short) through me and say it's much better than the current acts. Seems to be a story that repeats itself.

 

[MattHooper]

I've found a terrifying pattern of late millenials / Gen-Z discovering and enjoying cruddy disco.

Hey, dem's fightn' words!

I happen to love cruddy disco. I was just blaring this tune on my system an hour ago:

Followed by listening to my abbey road 1/2 speed master of ABBA's Super Trooper album that just arrived at my doorstep today:

BTW, as ridiculous as the title is, Agnetha's vocals are absolutely glorious on gimme, gimme, gimme!:

My working theory is that when the yoots got into vinyl as a throwback, this is what they could find still left in their parents' collections after their Gen X older siblings ransacked all the good stuff.

"Oh hey kid sis. You want to know if you can go through Mom and Dad's record collection? No, sure sure, it's fine, take all the Kris Kristofferson and DeBarge albums you want!"

But yoots are supposed to rebel against the older generation.

In any case, my son (23) has been a big Duran Duran fan since he was a little guy. And amazingly enough, they are still putting out some excellent albums!

 

[Sal1950]

My GF's early teenage boys are hip hop fans, and now they discovered 2Pac and others (and I am ashamed to say Too Short) through me and say it's much better than the current acts. Seems to be a story that repeats itself.

Yes and no.
As a generalization, we boomers weren't listening and buying Big Band, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc; records when we were in our teens. (at least until we hit our 50-60s ). A bit of a curious situation today, maybe encouraged by the recent vinyl fad among the hipsters.

 

[Sal1950]

I happen to love cruddy disco. I was just blaring this tune on my system an hour ago:

Oh No, is it disco zombies come back to life?
I thought we put a permanent end to that garbage back on July 12th, 1979
We offered the disco ducks a 0.10 cent beer night to bring all their disco LP's
to Cominsky Park so we could blow them up.
A real piece of musical history now. LOL

 

[MattHooper]

Ha!

 

[Chrispy]

I think some old music is hanging out longer than it should....particularly classical

 

[Doodski]

Oh No, is it disco zombies come back to life?
I thought we put a permanent end to that garbage back on July 12th, 1979
We offered the disco ducks a 0.10 cent beer night to bring all their disco LP's
to Cominsky Park so we could blow them up.
A real piece of musical history now. LOL

Where you there? Pandemonium for sure.

 

[Axo1989]

Groove Armada is as close as I'll personally go to disco. But I do love the movie:

Edit: the monologue is correct, disco re-emerged via house as new dance genres, characteristically four-on-the-floor

 

[caught gesture]

And amazingly enough, they are still putting out some excellent albums!

still?