Where has all the music gone?

There is still music out there you just need to look away from the "pop-culture" music and get deep into a music scene. Really when you get into music really hard core like those great rockers in the 60's (yeah) you can find good music. I happened to listen to punk, then I started moving to harder stuff.

I do have a lot of respect for the older music because I am learning to play the guitar and my friend is teaching me. He happens to be into 60's music right now so I am learning a lot of the older stuff.

just depositing my two pennies

Music is still alive and well -- there are a select few bands in the mainstream of any quality, and they will be the bands remembered. The past generations of music are the same way -- the bands that couldn't hit a note aren't remembered.

A short listing of bands summarizing "good" (music I like that's outside of the mainstream) music seems appropriate, so here goes:

Dream Theater - Progressive rock/metal; intelligent lyrics. _Extremely_ talented musicians, a breath of fresh air. Check out
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Great album.

Of Montreal - Light hearted, happy music. Story telling lyrics that captivate are their primary feature.

Brian Eno - Not new. Amazing innovator, especially in the areas of ambient music.

Belle and Sebastian - Excellent indie pop, story telling lyrics, great music.

The Postal Service - Good electronic indie, heartfelt lyrics and soothing instrumental backing.

would like to chime in...last few days I have been downloading the songs for the led zeppelin 4-cd box set...best album I have ever heard. And yes, I know I should buy the music, which is why I plan to purchase the "complete studio recordings" when I save up the money..

Wow..such a big thread ! I wanted to read every single one of the replies but I spent nearly a half hour just on the first 4 pages that I pretty much only skimmed the rest.

Everyone makes good points. I think the most important lesson learned here though is that music taste will always be subjective and highly personal as well. I don't know a single person for whom music doesn't speak to emotionally and spiritually and because of that, I believe we all choose the music that "does it" for us. Serious music lovers will know what I mean by that.

A lot of people would gag because I love the Spice Girls and thought they had some of the most uplifting music that I have ever heard. I don't give a frogs fat ass if they were a "manufactured" band or not, I just liked THEM and their music. They were also very colorful and fun to watch.

But I also loved bands like Guns and Roses. They made some truly beautiful music, plus they were beautiful to watch.

I came of age in the 80s when MTV still played videos, anybody remember that ? LOL So for me, a big part of the music was seeing it too. Therefore I not only considered music as good in itself, I also considered whether the band was capable of making a great video.

The best ones are just like hearing the best songs...you can listen/watch them over and over again.

I don't decry music going downhill per se as much as I decry the fact that video all but seems to be gone.

Gone are the visually gorgeous arty type videos from the eighties and what we have remaining are as someone else said, 15 year olds gyrating around in midriff revealing mini-tees.

I want my 80s stuff back.

If there was a band that lyrically matched the topics
one would find in ATS.. that would imho would be a
close call between KMFDM and Bad Religeon.

I mention that Megadeth kinda went that direction
with Rust in Peace now that I think about it.

In an abstract kind of way the same could be said
of Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

As far as vocal talent and lyrical poetry that would be
a three way tie between Jim Morreson(Doors),Roger Waters[sp?](Pink Floyd), and Todd Rungren(Utopia)

Just my drop in the bucket folks..

There are many problems with modern popular music. However, finding brilliant modern music is not so hard as most of you seem to think. Just don't look on the radio, because all you will hear on the radio is what the major labels pay for you to hear.
Most modern popular music is focussed on the teen market, the spending power of which has grown greatly over the last several decades. And the problem is that teen-agers (I am one of them, so don't tell me I am making unfair assertions) go for the gimmicky, soul-less crap that is well promoted. The majors are the best promoters, of course, and they don't really care about quality as long as people buy it.
The practice of paying off radio stations to play their music puts independant music out of the picture. This practice was illegalized in the '50s, but no one gets punished for it to this day. The major label record industry is entirely corrupt. Records cost too much, artists get barely anything, the music itself suffers as a result, and thus the consumer gets the short end of the stick also.
You can can save music diversity by supporting independant music and radio, and boycotting major-label music. If you have to have major label music, then get it on file-sharing networks (the chances of the RIAA suing you are less than your chances of being killed by a vending machine). If you feel at somewhat of a loss about where to find out about independant music you would be interested in, there are many places to check out....ask me or other people you know or people on a music-related message board or something. Find publications on independant music (example: www.pitchforkmedia.com... for independant pop/rock, or freshsites.com... for independant hip hop) Amazon.com can be a good resource for finding out about independant music you would be interested in. I also recently discovered irate.sourceforge.net... , which legally streams music for you, which you then rate, and it learns/give you more of what you like.
I recommend trying to listen to music you normally wouldn't, and looking for new kinds of music. There is so much music out there that to trap yourself into one genre can be unfulfilling.
I also recommend, if you have the time and the will, checking out your local music scene. Wherever you are, check out the local music and you just might be surprised with what you dsicover...

There is brilliant music out there that isn't played on the radio. If you aren't willing to take the initiative to look for it, or to save music diversity by protesting the major label monopoly, then you shouldn't be complaining about the quality of music.

Other resources:
www.kexp.org... - the best radio station in the world. Totally independant, non-profit, plays all genres of music. You can stream it online 24/7.

www.downhillbattle.org... - A music activism organization that organizes shows, poster campaigns, develops programs in aid of protesting major labels, and keeps people informed about the fight to save music diversity

www.magnetbox.com... - RIAA Radar. Will tell you if an album is under the jurisdiction of the RIAA or not.

irate.sourceforge.net... - Streaming radio that you rate, and in turn learns what you like and gives you more of what you like.

mute-net.sourceforge.net... - MUTE, a filesharing program that is 100% RIAA-proof.

[edit on 6-6-2004 by spngsambigpants]

I don't know if its been said before but maybe the prices of gas and every thing else (+taxs) going up has backed ppl into the corner of accepting a slow degrade in quality for every thing else.

But its safe to say industrial/goth will probably not sell out that easy. Most ppl in Canada think its just KMFDM and Ram. DM was good while it lasted. Some 80's rap was good, its the only rap I have ever liked.
The Spice girls movie, the kidnapping and constant playing of thier stuff ruined them, they may have been pulled because too many ppl like the music its self.

WWW.shoutcast.com

Originally posted by spngsambigpants

I recommend trying to listen to music you normally wouldn't, and looking for new kinds of music. There is so much music out there that to trap yourself into one genre can be unfulfilling.
I also recommend, if you have the time and the will, checking out your local music scene. Wherever you are, check out the local music and you just might be surprised with what you dsicover...

There is brilliant music out there that isn't played on the radio. If you aren't willing to take the initiative to look for it, or to save music diversity by protesting the major label monopoly, then you shouldn't be complaining about the quality of music.

Other resources:
www.kexp.org... - the best radio station in the world. Totally independant, non-profit, plays all genres of music. You can stream it online 24/7.

www.downhillbattle.org... - A music activism organization that organizes shows, poster campaigns, develops programs in aid of protesting major labels, and keeps people informed about the fight to save music diversity

Thankyou for the links. Since I am in the biz, I am always looking for new music. You sentiments on the state of the industry reflect mine pretty closely.

~Face

Originally posted by GanjaGoddess
...
Corporations dont like change. That's why crappy remakes of songs like "They paved paradise" get airtime while...
...
[Edited on 10-3-2004 by GanjaGoddess]

I'm hearing you. Like WTF is up with that. In Canada they played "they paved paradise" like a million times on the radio. It sucked before and the repetition isn't make it sound any better.

Anyways descent bands worth listening to:
Scorpions -- "Edge of Time", "We'll burn the sky", "Through My Eyes"
Kamelot -- "Lost and Damned", "Don't you cry"
Iced Earth -- "Watching over me", "I died for you", "A question of heaven"
Helloween -- "Mission motherland", "Savage", "Why", "Perfect Gentleman"
Metallica -- the days they were playing "the memory remains", "Turn the page", "unforgiven 2", "fade to black", etc.
Primal Fear -- "tears of rage"
Lacuna Coil -- "To Myself I turned", "Stately Lover", "Stars"
Timo Tolkki -- "soldier", "Greensleeves", "Are you the one"
System of a down -- "chop suey","Aerials", "Toxicity"

Yup quite a long thread, not as long as we crazy maniacs have back in the weps forum where arguements are interlaced with information, ..but long nonetheless...

I wanted to read every thread but only got as far as the 7th page, but this is a good thread to look for good music sites..thats one thing I've learnt!

To add my opinion...

Music will change as long as it exists, can't stop that, and we witness a faster change than most eras because we are in an accelerated phase of social and technological development...
Music was good in the 60s, its just as good now, Britney Spears has good songs and so does Iron Maiden...I've listened to all types bit by bit through the years..

Rock,Rap,hip-hop,pop,country,classical(western,african,Indian) etc. etc.. and there are many more I haven't even heard of thats for sure..

But I liked all to a certain extent, the funny thing is almost equally actually (esp. in the case of rock,pop,country)..
which has always left me kind of in the middle, stranded in terms of 'choice' or 'taste'...
so rather than having the easier task of looking/searching for new music in 1 particular 'genre' or following a particular name/group, I have took rummage through loads and loads of music of all kinds to make my playlists..
I used to get really bugged at this..tried in vain to force myself to listen to only one kind of music, but to no avail, until it dawned on me..

Music is just what one likes to listen to, no more, no less..
It is "a point of view" depending on character, mood etc..

so its futile to try and segregate 'good' & bad music,music
then/i] and now... its all based on indivisual perspective..
lets just enjoy our kind of music w/o dissecting the word 'music' as it were, because to me humanity is descirbed completely by 2 traits:

1. Logic/reasoning exhibited in mathematics and science
2. Emotion/creativity exhibited in art(music)

P.S.: The logic part I had to add because im an engg.