Aging Rockers

[David]

Yet another aging rocker/geezer rocker story from the superficial press, but this one raises an interesting point (& then lets it drop without examining it): A generation of pop stars can't play rock 'n' roll like the old bands -- many current pop stars don't perform live at all -- so what happens when the final generation of pop stars who know how to play live music & build & pace two-hour shows (roughly, the pop stars from the early 1990s) gets too old to perform? Will the entire live rock industry just turn into a pumped-up dance/variety hour in the style of Britney Spears or Usher?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5569168/site/newsweek/

[GardenStateGirlie]

Very interesting article. I think as trends repeat themselves (as they so often do), the need for actual singers/songwriters and bands will come around again. IMO, it's starting now. People are slowly becoming tired of a music industry dominated with people like Britney Spears who can't sing worth a damn, can't write a song, play an instrument and who would be better suited as a Los Vegas showgirl than a singer. I don't know that Britney will be around that long but I do think that as more and more bands emerge, people will embrace them and they'll be the ones playing the live music...not Britney and Usher, IMO. Thanks for sharing!

[MacMan]

Great topic... There are a few out there that are fairly new that are writing their own stuff, playing their own inst. One that comes to mind, cause I've been playing it none stop for a couple of days is Avril Lavignes new cd... I'm actually impressed with it, the sound and the writing. Not too hard, not too light, it's just right! She's in a great place at the moment.

[tynan88]

Unfortunately as much as we may be fooled in to thinking it, there is really little choice we have in music trends, who knows I kinda hope maybe we have another group like the Mac in the days to come, but also you gotta realise that you always look back on the past with a lighter and less harsh view as you look at now, maybe now ain't that bad and we are making terrible comparisons (excuse me please...I'm 16)

Tynan

[Vianna]

The present music scene leaves me very depressed. Rap and stuff like it to me is not music. Music has harmony-polyphony I think is the proper word and that's what makes it appealing to me. Plus the fact you have Warners and all these companies and all they want is money not quality. Sad, sad, sad.

[chiliD]

Can't get this out of my mind:

I just can't imagine hearing a Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne version of "Johnny B. Goode".

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

Very interesting article. I think as trends repeat themselves (as they so often do), the need for actual singers/songwriters and bands will come around again. IMO, it's starting now. People are slowly becoming tired of a music industry dominated with people like Britney Spears who can't sing worth a damn, can't write a song, play an instrument and who would be better suited as a Los Vegas showgirl than a singer. I don't know that Britney will be around that long but I do think that as more and more bands emerge, people will embrace them and they'll be the ones playing the live music...not Britney and Usher, IMO. Thanks for sharing!

Well, it's one thing to be a group of songwriting musicians, but it's another thing to not suck at it! There are a gazillion of these performing middling bands that all wear the same boring/generic rock formula into the ground- Hoobastank, Three Doors Down, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Creed, Evanescence, etc. As far as I am concerned, they are just updated versions of the bad hairbands from the late 80s, but not nearly as campy and fun. Accordingly it doesn't surprise me that none of them are major concert draws.

However, I do think there are signs that the worst is already past us music-wise. Happily, there do not appear to be a bunch of those worthless "girl groups" or "boy bands" on the charts anymore. And the fact that Wilco made a top ten debut recently is also telling. And of course there is Norah Jones and even Alicia Keys along with the next big things like Jet and the Scissor Sisters. And even though they haven't sold a ton of records, great singer/songwriter/musicians like Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright are still making incredible recordings and have ardent live followings. And you've gotta love the fact that Jimmy Buffett had the Number One album on the Billboard charts. I can't stand his music personally, but it was a great "F__k You!" to all of those hip hop and rap artists.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by Vianna

The present music scene leaves me very depressed. Rap and stuff like it to me is not music. Music has harmony-polyphony I think is the proper word and that's what makes it appealing to me. Plus the fact you have Warners and all these companies and all they want is money not quality. Sad, sad, sad.

I agree...quality is not important anymore...it's all about the money...and yeah - it is sad.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Well, it's one thing to be a group of songwriting musicians, but it's another thing to not suck at it! There are a gazillion of these performing middling bands that all wear the same boring/generic rock formula into the ground- Hoobastank, Three Doors Down, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Creed, Evanescence, etc. As far as I am concerned, they are just updated versions of the bad hairbands from the late 80s, but not nearly as campy and fun. Accordingly it doesn't surprise me that none of them are major concert draws.

However, I do think there are signs that the worst is already past us music-wise. Happily, there do not appear to be a bunch of those worthless "girl groups" or "boy bands" on the charts anymore. And the fact that Wilco made a top ten debut recently is also telling. And of course there is Norah Jones and even Alicia Keys along with the next big things like Jet and the Scissor Sisters. And even though they haven't sold a ton of records, great singer/songwriter/musicians like Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright are still making incredible recordings and have ardent live followings. And you've gotta love the fact that Jimmy Buffett had the Number One album on the Billboard charts. I can't stand his music personally, but it was a great "F__k You!" to all of those hip hop and rap artists.

I also agree with this...

My brother in law is into all those bands - they all sound exactly the same to me....it sucks....however, there is still great talent out there to be found - such as Rufus and others you mentioned...

[amber]

Originally Posted by MacMan

Great topic... There are a few out there that are fairly new that are writing their own stuff, playing their own inst. One that comes to mind, cause I've been playing it none stop for a couple of days is Avril Lavignes new cd... I'm actually impressed with it, the sound and the writing. Not too hard, not too light, it's just right! She's in a great place at the moment.

I like her, too, and I think she's good, and I don't like anybody or think they're good I saw her perform on Letterman, and i gotta say, she ROCKED it. Great voice, pretty good stage performance/charisma, good songwriting for her age...
Amber

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Can't get this out of my mind:

I just can't imagine hearing a Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne version of "Johnny B. Goode".

Judas Priest covered "Johnny B.Goode" a few years back, But at least "those geezers" CAN play their own instruments unlike those "force fed flavor of the weak POP music morons"!

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Can't get this out of my mind:

I just can't imagine hearing a Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne version of "Johnny B. Goode".

Please. That would hurt my everything

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Well, it's one thing to be a group of songwriting musicians, but it's another thing to not suck at it! There are a gazillion of these performing middling bands that all wear the same boring/generic rock formula into the ground- Hoobastank, Three Doors Down, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Creed, Evanescence, etc. As far as I am concerned, they are just updated versions of the bad hairbands from the late 80s, but not nearly as campy and fun. Accordingly it doesn't surprise me that none of them are major concert draws.

However, I do think there are signs that the worst is already past us music-wise. Happily, there do not appear to be a bunch of those worthless "girl groups" or "boy bands" on the charts anymore. And the fact that Wilco made a top ten debut recently is also telling. And of course there is Norah Jones and even Alicia Keys along with the next big things like Jet and the Scissor Sisters. And even though they haven't sold a ton of records, great singer/songwriter/musicians like Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright are still making incredible recordings and have ardent live followings. And you've gotta love the fact that Jimmy Buffett had the Number One album on the Billboard charts. I can't stand his music personally, but it was a great "F__k You!" to all of those hip hop and rap artists.

Amen. I absolutely love Rufus Wainwright and I've loved Ben Folds with his band and now solo. I also love that Modest Mouse (which had a cult following but was virtually unknown to the average radio listener) has emmerged and bands like Franz Ferdinand are coming out and kicking ass. I hope this trend continues and that they all have some staying power and continue to release quality music as they have been doing.

[Johnny Stew]

"Pop-idols" have always been around... folks like Lesley Gore and Connie Francis, were pretty much the Britney Spears and Christina Aguileras of their day. Of course, THOSE women could sing. (Although some people insist that Christina Aguilera CAN sing, but I disagree... all she does is note-scale and over-emote. That doesn't impress me. It's flash over substance.)

So I guess popsters don't bother me as much.
But I'm not a fan of rap. Try as hard as I have, I just can't find any sort of appreciation for it.
I've tried to view it as just lighthearted fun (stuff by Snoop-Dogg, etc.,), and I've tried to view it as having cultural significance (stuff by Dr. Dré & Ice-T, for example), but I still come back to the fact that it's all just monotonal recitations of sometimes corny and often-times crude rhymes, over a repetitive beat. Not to mention the fact that much of it is misogonystic and homophobic.

I prefer a melody and a thoughtful lyric (which don't always have to be ultra-deep, but I prefer them to have some substance), so rap holds no appeal.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

"Pop-idols" have always been around... folks like Lesley Gore and Connie Francis, were pretty much the Britney Spears and Christina Aguileras of their day. Of course, THOSE women could sing. (Although some people insist that Christina Aguilera CAN sing, but I disagree... all she does is note-scale and over-emote. That doesn't impress me. It's flash over substance.)

So I guess popsters don't bother me as much.
But I'm not a fan of rap. Try as hard as I have, I just can't find any sort of appreciation for it.
I've tried to view it as just lighthearted fun (stuff by Snoop-Dogg, etc.,), and I've tried to view it as having cultural significance (stuff by Dr. Dré & Ice-T, for example), but I still come back to the fact that it's all just monotonal recitations of sometimes corny and often-times crude rhymes, over a repetitive beat. Not to mention the fact that much of it is misogonystic and homophobic.

I prefer a melody and a thoughtful lyric (which don't always have to be ultra-deep, but I prefer them to have some substance), so rap holds no appeal.

thats exactly how I feel, I'm a melody junkie too

Brian "Librarian in 2004" j.