Ive become that which I once mocked.

I used to laugh at the old rockers in my social group when I was 18/19yrs old. They would say how bland new rock was, now I find myself feeling the same.

Ive been listening to a huge amount of my favourite music recently (been doing temp work, which allows me many hours alone with my MP3 player), and Ive noticed that bar the odd album (Barenaked Ladies - Are Men for example), I havent really updated my music collection since I was around 15, which is coming on for nearly 10 years (also when I started getting into overclocking  :shock: gamerz.com forums anyone?). Of course Barenaked Ladies arent rock, but for some reason I love them, but its bands like that who dont seem to age.

I am/used to be a huge fan of the 1st wave of popular nu-metal, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Lost Prophets, P.O.D., etc etc. Yet I find myself stumped for new music. LB have given up, LP are going in a different direction according to the new single (although I am looking forward to the new album), Lost Prophets have gone a bit emo (thats a different thread - I enjoy hard-emo, not this my daddy hit me rubbish), and P.O.D pretty much died with the rest.

I listen to Radio 1 every day, but Im finding the music less palatable (sp?) every day, even the Rock Show is full of crap emo.

Sooooo, after this rambling, am I just getting old, or has music gotten pants?

*Edit - My favourite band, who I would give a limb to meet, are the Manic Street Preachers. Them, Pulp, and Meatloaf were the 3 first albums I ever had on CD, whilst Micheal Jackson was the first ever music I bought myself (on cassette!).

I still listen to stuff I liked when I was fifteen every now and then as well, as it brings back those wonderful memories of teen angst. Smiths, Talking Heads, REM, Jesus and Mary Chain. Nah, I actually have been revisiting stuff that I listened to in my early 20s, when my tastes got braver and I had a bit less emotional investment in the records. Id been trying to find my copy of Bob Moulds "Black Sheets of Rain" earlier. It was one of the first records I bought that was LOUD. Not regular rock loud, but Bob Mould/Husker Du loud. Which is to say sonic cocaine.

Anyway, theres nothing wrong with nostalgia, but mind, there is a ton of great pop/rock/soul/country and what have you being recorded every day. Last year was good for me, as I thought Id never discover any artists as important to me as the stuff from my early twenties, only to expand my collection with a dozen new albums that just blow me away.

It just takes opening your ears. I made a pilgrimage to Memphis a few weeks ago to the Stax Museum of Soul. Now Ive always loved soul music, but Id forgotten how freaking much I love it. Id never taken the time to really familiarize myself with the songs as they relate to the artists. Ive also started back going to see old time Bluegrass at the Station Inn in lieu of rock shows.

I listen to Public Radio a lot, and their rock critic has turned me onto some great stuff. Ive discovered artists by listening to last.fm neighbor radio..

Point is, that theres pop thats going to really belong to that years or times memory. Gnarls Barkleys song "Crazy" owned last summer, and will always be associated with it. Thats the nature of popular music. Then theres stuff that has special meaning to you, like what you mentioned. We mustnt forget the shoulders that our favorites stand on, so its good and healthy to put on some Otis Redding or the Kinks from time to time.

At any rate, dont feel an obligation to keep up with this years model of guitar rock. Thats silly. Id instead make a goal of putting yourself in situations where new sonic discovery is bound to happen.

Ah youre on stage one. Stage two is switching to Radio 2... its all downhil from there.

I was thinking the other day how awesome the 90s was:

Jungle
Hard House
Grunge
DNB
Good Hip-hop
Big beat
UK Garage
Brit Pop
Rock
Trance
Breakbeat
Punk
Chillout
Techno
Metal
etc.

The 00s have condensed that down to:

Whiny rock
Whiny pop
Whiny metal
Whiny RNB
Whiny electronic.

I think this is just a duff decade tbh. Edit: I mean you gotta hunt for the good stuff.

Some staggering albums came out in the last 12 months, IMHO:

The new NIN
Cat Powers "The Greatest" (contender for my favorite of all time)
Arcade Fires newest
Kings of Leons Because of the Times
Solomon Burkes mature "Nashville"
Bright Eyes "Cassadega" (Yeah, he dresses emo, but his music aint at all )
The Good The Bad and The Ugly
Hank IIIs evil "Straight to Hell"
The Rescue Me Soundtrack will turn you onto a lot of good cock rock including...
The Twighlight Singers spec-fing-tacular "Powder Burns"
Neko Cases amazing "Fox Confessor"
The Raconteurs
The Black Keys "Magic Potion"
John Legend "Once Again"
Tom Waits "Orphans"

And thats just a few...in the last year.

Ive been living in the 80s for months now  

Quote from: Clockd 0NeIve been living in the 80s for months now  

I was wondering about all those extra zippers and epaulets. You do have hair mousse to complete the look I hope? :shock:


/me notices that Rhythmbox just cued up The Smiths "Suffer Little Children"

QuoteThe new NIN
Cat Powers "The Greatest" (contender for my favorite of all time)
Arcade Fires newest
Kings of Leons Because of the Times

All on the way Albeit very slowly  

Part of it is the whole culture that goes with the music - like you can look back even on something like garage and know for a few months it was the best thing on the planet. k, then it got really embarrassing with all the so solid and artful dodger crap so you burnt all your cds but for a short while it was pulling bigger crowds and better atmospheres than anything else.

Problem with looking back (or at the new stuff from outside) is people dont see the culture that went with the music and on its own a lot of the music doesnt stand up. Im sure all these emo kids have their own culture (mostly hanging round street corners looking bored it seems) - so when its on radio one you only get half of it.

My posting gets a bit schizo sometimes, we think.

Quote from: White Giant

QuoteThe new NIN
Cat Powers "The Greatest" (contender for my favorite of all time)
Arcade Fires newest
Kings of Leons Because of the Times

All on the way Albeit very slowly  

I wont be offended if you dont like them. That Cat Power album is a really slow Memphis soul record, just to warn ya. Ive tired of Arcade Fire, as I overplayed them in the car, the NIN Im saving for fall as its too dark for this weather, but the Kings of Leon, theyre some nice local boys that play good summer cock rock.

If you want good happy summer rock, last years Raconteurs record is a great romp. Or any of the three massively under appreciated records from Canadas The New Pornographers.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/newpornographers/twincinema?q=new%20pornographers
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/newpornographers/electricversion?q=new%20pornographers
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/newpornographers/massromantic?q=new%20pornographers

Okay got the NIN album, remember I hate their previous stuff, but Im gonna give this a go.

It seems a little industrial for my tastes. Arcade Fire album almost here.

youre getting older - Radio 1s music choice will become increasingly annoying till eventually you make the crossover to Radio 4.  Ive seen it happen! lol

If you like older music stick with it - theres a healthy back catalogue of bands out there  Theres a fair few sites around that will suggest you related music to bands you know you like.  Even amazon etc have peoples playlists thatll help you discover new bands related to what you like.

With those bands youre probably going to get a lot of people from skating backgrounds so youll get a lot of ska punk suggestions like Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, etc.

I guess the newer equivalents of those bands are probably Fallout Boy, etc etc

Quote from: White GiantIt [NIN] seems a little industrial for my tastes.

For mine too, but I still find it fascinating. Its not something I can relax to, but take it in a song at a time if I got headphones on.   Some folks can actually chill to it, but then again, some people find death metal soothing.  :mrgreen:

Im not really that "into" music.... but christ the new stuff theyre making now if miserable crap!

(p.s. Im already spending more and more time listening to radio 4....)

Quotebut then again, some people find death metal soothing.

There are some great black metal songs (a few by Naglfar and some Emperor springs to mind) that can be almost trance-like at times they are so rhythmic.

WG; if you started with nu-metal why dont you try looking for some more metal and less mainstream bands? There are literally thousands out there that dont see the mainstream but are very talented; Im sure you can sift through them to find something you like.