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Zigmidge posted:I'd like to bring up, am I crazy for thinking that there has been progressively more 'twang' in american pop music the last few years? I feel like it's slowly turning into country music written by club DJs. It's kinda polarizing. I feel like there's a big more twang coming out of the still instrumentally driven rock pop stuff, Taylor Swift etc., but the main thing I've observed is that it's tending to become more electronic. I feel like it used to be much less electronic than it is now. A lot of synths in the mix, mostly synthetic drums, bass, lead synths, etc. But yeah, if there's instruments I think they are trending towards Teles.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 00:07 |
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| # ? Jun 20, 2013 04:17 |
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I feel like music is marketed at a much yonger audience nowadays, at least pop music is. I'm only 21 but it seems like none of the music on the radio is relatable to me. I love a huge variety of music, from country to dubstep to classic rock, all of which I can connect with on some personal level. When I turn on the radio and listen to the top 40 charts though, I don't really feel that connection so I get bored and turn it off.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 00:48 |
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abigserve posted:I feel like music is marketed at a much yonger audience nowadays, at least pop music is. I'm only 21 but it seems like none of the music on the radio is relatable to me. I think that's true to a certain extent, although the subject matter is still decidedly adult. Music is also very escapist currently, we are in an upswing of ridiculousness, but pretty soon something is going to come along like Bob Dylan in the 60's, Springsteen in the 70's or Nirvana in the 90's and it's going to get decent again for awhile, and then lovely again for another longtime after that.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 00:56 |
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Nessa posted:Oddly enough, as much as I can't stand modern radio music, I adore J-pop. "I hate radio music, but I love unlistenably twee bubblegum ear-poo poo from ~Glorious Nippon~!"
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 01:01 |
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abigserve posted:I feel like music is marketed at a much yonger audience nowadays, at least pop music is. I'm only 21 but it seems like none of the music on the radio is relatable to me. Pop music has always been marketed to middle class teenagers. The reason for that is because teenagers have the highest disposable income of any age group. They have no bills to pay, they don't have to buy groceries, and they don't have to pay for their housing. Any money they receive from working or from allowances can be spent on anything they want, and teenagers want music, clothes, and to go out to the movies.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 01:21 |
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Zigmidge posted:Real country loving sucks http://youtu.be/bDJPnG3RDxU#t=20s http://youtu.be/keQR4_7DBnM Real country is only the roots of the vast majority of American music. Real country is some OG punk poo poo. some old country musician posted:Well if the ocean were whiskey, and I were a duck, http://youtu.be/mqexThzOOC0 New "country" can be just as raw.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 01:33 |
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It's kinda bizarre how many people are defending or twisting this around to seem like a good thing. Come back, The Beatles, we miss you. There's some great pop out there (Florence + the Machine, Regina Spektor, that sort of stuff) but America has mass produced pop music as a product for quite a while now. It's not a good thing. There definitely is a 'formula', so to speak.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 02:05 |
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HollisBrown posted:I think that's true to a certain extent, although the subject matter is still decidedly adult. Music is also very escapist currently, we are in an upswing of ridiculousness, but pretty soon something is going to come along like Bob Dylan in the 60's, Springsteen in the 70's or Nirvana in the 90's and it's going to get decent again for awhile, and then lovely again for another longtime after that. What's wrong with "escapist" music? Nessa posted:Oddly enough, as much as I can't stand modern radio music, I adore J-pop. Maybe it's because I can't understand the lyrics. Partly that you can't understand the lyrics and partly that as the mass-market produce of a 'foreign' culture you (and many other people) are able to just enjoy it as pop music should be enjoyed without the massive societal hangups people have about pop music from their own mainstream culture. There's not really any musical reason to greatly enjoy J-pop but dislike Top 40. Either that or you're a japanophile but then you might be able to understand the lyrics.. abigserve posted:I feel like music is marketed at a much yonger audience nowadays, at least pop music is. I'm only 21 but it seems like none of the music on the radio is relatable to me. Apart from what constantIllusion said (don't worry, you're still being marketed to), do you go to clubs or even parties where they might play that kind of music? People can have a connection with top 40 that's as simple as "I had a great time dancing to this song last time I was out". It shouldn't be surprising that a lot of it's about drinking and dancing either.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 03:02 |
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HollisBrown posted:I think that's true to a certain extent, although the subject matter is still decidedly adult. Music is also very escapist currently, we are in an upswing of ridiculousness, but pretty soon something is going to come along like Bob Dylan in the 60's, Springsteen in the 70's or Nirvana in the 90's and it's going to get decent again for awhile, and then lovely again for another longtime after that. Ezra Furman for one gives me mad Bob Dylan vibes. So maybe you're on to something here.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 03:10 |
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Alobar posted:http://youtu.be/bDJPnG3RDxU#t=20s Country music as it began was just a lamer version of the blues co-opted by white people. And now it's all about pick up trucks and jesus and how everyone singing it is secretly super loving gay and trying their hardest to cover it up with macho bullshit.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 03:23 |
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Hogburto posted:If it ends in "step" or "core" I won't be listening to it. I still have a backlog of 10 years of indistinguishable drum and bass to listen to before then. What are you talking about experimental musics have more of an audience now (and more ability to collaborate internationally) than ever before. There is a huge amount of diverse, interesting, and new music being created around the world right now and it is easier for a much larger percentage of the world's population to listen to it and even participate in it than at any previous point in history. I also like how you use "studio productions" and "actual creativity" as though these were opposites.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 03:41 |
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Earwicker posted:What are you talking about experimental musics have more of an audience now (and more ability to collaborate internationally) than ever before. There is a huge amount of diverse, interesting, and new music being created around the world right now and it is easier for a much larger percentage of the world's population to listen to it and even participate in it than at any previous point in history. Forgive my loose usage of "studio productions." I was looking for a short phrase to convey ghost-written music churned out of music factories and was leaning on context to give the gist. Naturally, I end up spending longer to explain that than if I had originally said it.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:12 |
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I'd just like to remind everyone decrying the death of music that in 1969, the year that gave us Led Zeppelin, Yellow Submarine, From Genesis to Revelation, and The Velvet Underground, the top single was - Suger Sugar by The Archies
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:17 |
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Bubble-T posted:Apart from what constantIllusion said (don't worry, you're still being marketed to), do you go to clubs or even parties where they might play that kind of music? People can have a connection with top 40 that's as simple as "I had a great time dancing to this song last time I was out". It shouldn't be surprising that a lot of it's about drinking and dancing either. When I go out with the dudes we're either dancing to remixed tracks in a club or we're hanging out in some backpackers playing pool, usually with some older pop rock on in the background. When we do house parties or whatever we have our own music which is mostly 90's alt-rock. I honestly can't remember in detail what songs I dance to because I'm usually blitzed out of my brain.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:34 |
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Bubble-T posted:What's wrong with "escapist" music? I think you touch on something really interesting here, but J-pop, and in general pop music from different cultures or decades is quite different than American pop, and can appeal to people for that reason. Foreign pop music provides a 'fresh' sound for someone who has only heard the pop music of their country. There is a different aesthetic, and the style of the music is usually pretty different. I feel like, for example much of the Asian pop has a much stronger influence from 80s New Wave and Pop and electronic music in general. I do think I do what you mention, I listen to a lot of New Wave and sometimes 80s pop, I think so much of it is underrated, and I see it get unfairly disparaged for the fashion and aesthetic sometimes when there are some really great, well written songs that have fallen into obscurity. Some of it, mostly the poppier stuff, really is just fun and shallow. I feel like many of the people who just like the cheesy pop music of the past, but thumb their nose at top 40 are doing what you mention. I do like some top 40 stuff once and a while, but I prefer the style of past pop music.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:35 |
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het posted:On behalf of your daughter, gently caress you Dad. Does she get grounded for that? I mean, I've let her buy drat near everything from these guys but do I need to understand it? I can't even say Nikki Minaj is decent to listen to because I'm just  and all I want to do is find some commonality in what my kids listen to 
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:36 |
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Hogburto posted:Obviously I was talking about the state of what gets played and popularized. It has always been true that you can find good music if you know where to look, but that's the trick isn't it. The average person doesn't have the track on this that a music aficionado would. quote:Forgive my loose usage of "studio productions." I was looking for a short phrase to convey ghost-written music churned out of music factories and was leaning on context to give the gist.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:37 |
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Hogburto posted:It has always been true that you can find good music if you know where to look, but that's the trick isn't it. The average person doesn't have the track on this that a music aficionado would. I think Earwicker's point is that it's been easier than ever for the "average person" to have a track on whatever kind of music they'd like to explore. It shouldn't be surprising that the advertising of music, like in other cultural industries, is dominated by a particular set of things. The barrier to saying "no actually I want something different" and actually finding it is pretty much lower than it's ever been in human history though, and the barrier to entry as a producer of alternatives is probably lower too (I don't make music so that's just my speculation).
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:39 |
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het posted:Seriously do you have any knowledge at all of pop music? This is in no way new, loads of beloved pop artists in decades past had nothing to do with the composition of the music. The idea of "ghost-written [pop] music" being either a recent development or a slam on the music is absurd. You know who's one of the most beloved musicians of all time? Frank Sinatra. You know how many of his songs he actually wrote himself? About 6. He's credited on that few as being a writer/composer. So with the argument Hogburto seems to be making, I guess Frank Sinatra is all bullshit.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:41 |
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Faust IX posted:You've never heard a Four Chord Song? The funny part is one of their members is a goon here. Also my music theory teacher told us about this early on, and for our final when we had to write a song, we couldn't use the structure as our main chorus for this very reason.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 04:57 |
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bad day posted:The problem isn't just with mastering - ipods and other portable devices typically have really lovely digital-to-analog converters and 80% of people are now listening to music almost exclusively in this format. I can put together a bass masterpiece that sounds absolutely amazing on some nice speakers but it's going to include all sorts of frequencies that won't even register on your ipod headphones. Consequently things mastered for portable devices tend to be really loud and bright on quality systems. I'm tired of people saying the iPod and iPhone have a lovely dac. Both devices can natively play 24/48 lossless files and have a very low noise level. With good in ear monitors the sound is quite good. On the same token, stop the bullshit with vinyl sounding better. It doesn't. It's been processed heavily to stop the stylus from leaving the groove, and the sound gets shittier as the side plays on.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:00 |
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Millstone posted:I'm tired of people saying the iPod and iPhone have a lovely dac. Both devices can natively play 24/48 lossless files and have a very low noise level. With good in ear monitors the sound is quite good. For whatever it's worth, I've never heard in-ear monitors that don't sound like rear end. If a set existed that could actually stand up to a quality set of amped monitors, I'd love to hear about it.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:09 |
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het posted:Seriously do you have any knowledge at all of pop music? This is in no way new, loads of beloved pop artists in decades past had nothing to do with the composition of the music. The idea of "ghost-written [pop] music" being either a recent development or a slam on the music is absurd. I think writing your own music is a big deal and (now apparently quantifiable) should be expected to lead to greater variety. Bubble-T posted:I think Earwicker's point is that it's been easier than ever for the "average person" to have a track on whatever kind of music they'd like to explore.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:11 |
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This is the best thread
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:12 |
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One of the things that frustrates me the most when it comes to music is people that get bogged down in the process. WHO THE gently caress CARES. All that matters in music is the result. What does it sound like? Do you like that sound? Stop there. How many of us have heard those tired old arguments trotted out every time pop music is mentioned? Vocal processing means someone can't sing! They didn't write that song! Electronic instruments aren't real! They aren't real musicians!  The reason this study is important is not the process, it's the result. Pop music is becoming demonstrably less diverse tonally and musically. That's a problem that won't be solved by arguing about who wrote the song. It's a more nuanced problem than that. It's suits sitting in meetings looking at pie charts with types of music that sell and making decisions based on that. Now we have the rap bridge in every female pop single. Well, not every one, but you get my point.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:24 |
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I don't know i grew up listening to metal music which was objectively louder than the tame stuff kids listen to these days and in retrospect a whole bunch of it did sound very similar. It wasn't exactly the height of musical sophistication  .
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:36 |
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Hogburto posted:That is something I do not like about pop music, we're largely discussing pop music, it's a valid criticism of pop music. Where's the confusion here or my lack of knowledge? It's like you agree with what I say, except think it's no big deal at all, therefore what I said is somehow wrong. quote:I struck that note pretty exactly with my first post, but the subject leaned a little deeper into pop music specifically, what the music industry likes to push, and what people wind up listening to.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:55 |
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Dauq posted:I don't know i grew up listening to metal music which was objectively louder than the tame stuff kids listen to these days and in retrospect a whole bunch of it did sound very similar. Hogburto posted:I think writing your own music is a big deal and (now apparently quantifiable) should be expected to lead to greater variety. I don't quite understand why it matters so much that the writer is also the performer. Someone is writing the music either way.. probably someone better at writing and worse at performing compared to the performer. Why is that such a distasteful arrangement?
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 05:58 |
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het posted:The subject didn't just lean deeper into pop music, that is explicitly the topic of the thread. If your opinion is "pop music is and always has been trash" then that is not a particularly productive contribution. Don't put words in my mouth. I described a preference for something (and stated a reason why) and you turn that into me calling an entire genre of music trash (and classical, now, too). Obviously you're passionate about this subject, but if that means we absolutely must have some kind of heated argument instead of a discussion, I already know I'm not up for it. In the spirit of avoiding "not particularly productive contribution" I'm just gonna watch other people go crazy on each other (as that seems to happen in every thread about art). It already feels like the smartest move I've made all month.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 06:27 |
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Hogburto posted:Don't put words in my mouth. I described a preference for something (and stated a reason why) and you turn that into me calling an entire genre of music trash (and classical, now, too).
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 06:31 |
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Bubble-T posted:I don't quite understand why it matters so much that the writer is also the performer. Someone is writing the music either way.. probably someone better at writing and worse at performing compared to the performer. Why is that such a distasteful arrangement? The fact that a singer does not compose their own music feeds further into the image that all pop music artists are basically puppets, created by big business in order to make easy bank. They sing what they are told to sing, promote what they are told to promote, etc. In actuality this is a load of bullshit but it's pretty easy to see how you could get this impression if you only looked at the Perry's, Spear's, and the Biebers of the world.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 06:44 |
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Zigmidge posted:Everyone posting real country music albums are doing it wrong. Did you just say real country sucks and then site Ween as an example of good music? I don't even like much country music, but Ween is one of those bands that only college students and weird manchildren listen to. Hogburto posted:Obviously I was talking about the state of what gets played and popularized. It has always been true that you can find good music if you know where to look, but that's the trick isn't it. The average person doesn't have the track on this that a music aficionado would. Filter my posts I literally listed half a dozen good bands that are receiving Top 40 radio play right this very second. None of you people bitching even listen to the radio, do you? EDGECRUSHER posted:I can't even say Nikki Minaj is decent to listen to because I'm just No one will hold a dislike for Nicki Minaj against you. Disliking this poo poo is not a generational thing, it's just loving terrible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaC-zCMLTKU She's like MC Chris with a vagina. Ugh.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 06:49 |
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Oooh, are we still  ing over the merits of country music? Because I think Hayes Carll might like a word with you all.I feel like popular music has become more inane because intelectual listeners have abandoned it in favor of the internet. All they have left to market to are the people who literally only listen to the radio. And let's face it, that just isn't the brightest segment of our population.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:05 |
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Flynn Taggart posted:I feel like popular music has become more inane because intelectual listeners have abandoned it in favor of the internet. All they have left to market to are the people who literally only listen to the radio. And let's face it, that just isn't the brightest segment of our population.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:21 |
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What exactly is pop music?
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:21 |
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Psalmanazar posted:What exactly is pop music? You kids with your POP-ular music. Technically pop music is any music that is not classical or folk/world music. So yeah, everything people are saying sucks and sounds the same isn't actually that at all. Unless they're only considering Top 40 to be pop music or something.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:33 |
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mr. mephistopheles posted:No one will hold a dislike for Nicki Minaj against you. Holy poo poo  , I kindof assumed she was like lady gaga or something...how...bad...
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:34 |
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Flynn Taggart posted:Oooh, are we still My favorite thing to do when I'm driving in my car is listen to the Internet. Because I am an "intelectual."
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:35 |
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mr. mephistopheles posted:My favorite thing to do when I'm driving in my car is listen to the Internet. I have a turntable strapped to the passenger seat which I motion to with my mustache tattoo festooned finger while at stop lights.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:43 |
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| # ? Jun 20, 2013 04:17 |
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More proof that country ain't so bad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTyhcRtt1WY
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| # ? Aug 14, 2012 07:50 |
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