There's an awful lot of crap music these days. I caught one of those video hit shows on TV the other day, counting down the chart hits. Listening to it I thought this is the sort of music I don't listen to, and the sort of music I don't want to listen to. It's no accident.
I guess I sound like one of those curmudgeonly old fellas complaining how things were better in 'my day'. I was complaining to someone the other day what slackers generation Y dudes are in comparison to us worthy gen X'ers. So I guess that's the way of things, whether you like it or not you bring with you the golden imprint of your time.
Okay, so I've put that out there but, jeepers creepers, music was better in my day. Or least it seemed to have more substance (and here I deliberately turn my head from the dispiriting sight of the New Romantics). A lot of it was more substantial then, it meant more because it was grafted for, in Oz anyway, there was more meat on the bone because most of it emerged from deep passion followed by years of struggle. It came from inside.
These days much more music seems manufactured. Is manufactured, in fact. Mainstream music anyway, but that's the point really. Once upon a time it seems to me the top 40 charts were much more eclectic. Sure, there was always some crap, but there was also a lot more room than there appears these days for 'authentic' bands. Unless you're an established headline act these days very little of of this music that makes it to the charts. It remains underground, played on the edgier radio stations only, and followed by the knowledgeable few.
I spoke of Miley Cyrus the other week expressing a cynical admiration of her, but she typifies what I mean. It's a business these days, it's a formula to be followed, the business plan aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the audience - teenage girls. Even much of the boy rock is fabricated - how can Nickelback ever be taken seriously?
I caught some Bruce the other night, he was singing Hungry Heart. Now that's a great song, but I can't imagine it being written these days. Though it's not a particularly dated tune, the whole process that made it seems of another time. I listened and sang along and wished there was more of this being written these days.
Which is not to say there isn't any decent music. There is, plenty, and some of it's great. It's just that for this set of ears attuned to another era you have to sort through a lot of other stuff you don't want to hear to find it.
Any case, there is a bunch of music I've been listening to lately which crosses over musical eras. This is what I've been listening too since Christmas.
Coupla Aussie bands playing the sort of Aussie rock that never seems to change, heavy on guitars and attitude. Don't You Know Who I Am? by the Small Mercies; and Whole Lotta Love by The Androids (they're the band you had the I Want To Do It With Madonna song). Lot of energy in this music, good stuff.
Listening to some Gomez too, particularly How We Operate; some Mogwai both old stuff and new. Mogwai have a very distinctive, occasionally discordant, very compelling sound that is more than ambient.
Speaking of ambience I've discovered Clint Mansell (ex Pop Will Eat Itself) and his film music. Very brooding, atmospheric, orchestral. He wrote the music for The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Smokin' Aces, and some of his music appeared in one of the Lord of the Rings films. Lux Aeterna and Dead Reckoning are my two favourite tunes.
To change the tune completely listening to Duffy. That's a great voice, and a style that takes me back to an era I was barely alive in - the era of Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black and Julie London. I grew up with my mum playing that singing and often singing those songs while cooked or did something else. Mercy is a great song, and Rain On Your Parade has an interesting retro styling to it that works. She'll be around for a while to come, and I reckon I'll be listening to her much more than the Beyonces, Mileys and Kylies of this world.
Now Latin! This has a sex vibe, man, get's you cooking. This is by a Spanish band I'd never heard of before and had a lot of trouble tracking down the tune, Manuela by Negritos.
Otherwise, some random Pogues, and would you believe some ELO? Was mucking around with my iTunes and they came up. I loved them when I was a kid I'm unashamed to admit. Much of their music seems very much of that period - the mid to late '70's - but listening to it again today some great music.
Sweet Talkin' Woman has to be one of the most perfect songs of it's ilk. Great hook, great production, just infectious. Then great songs like Mr Blue Sky, Strange Magic, Rockaria, Evil Woman, and a whole lot more. For me this is feel good music.
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