Music today.....

[Danny Lectro]

I have a small setup for home recording, with a few different software programs, including apps usually associated with electronic and DJ music. I can tell you, there really isn't anything that lets you just hit a button and come up with an original song. This stuff is being put together with a lot of thought on the part of the producers.

Unfortunately, the main focus for pop music tends to be making something easily digestible, something that doesn't require much thought on the part of the listener/consumer.

In my opinion, what some people don't want to see, is that pop music has ALWAYS been that way. The tools have changed, the tempos have changed, the vocals have changed, but it still is designed as pablum to be disseminated by pretty people. Some people think their generation's pablum is superior, by virtue of being more familiar to them.

The good stuff doesn't get found on radios. It gets found by word of mouth, at shows, by tape trading, and now via the internet in forums and chat rooms.

[Harry P.]

In my opinion, what some people don't want to see, is that pop music has ALWAYS been that way. The tools have changed, the tempos have changed, the vocals have changed, but it still is designed as pablum to be disseminated by pretty people.

If you mean the type of "music" that's made in a deliberate effort to sell to as wide an audience as possible, then yes. That sort of "music" has always been designed as nothing more than "product."

But when you look at the music that was created by people like the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and many others of that era... there's so much more to it than just trying to crank out the next top 40 hit. Back then there were musicians who took their music seriously. They didn't let the record companies tell them what to do or how to do it... they did it their way. That kind of artistic independence and originality is gone from today's music. In the '60s-'70s you had musicians making music. Today you have bean counters making "music."

[Danny Lectro]

If you mean the type of "music" that's made in a deliberate effort to sell to as wide an audience as possible, then yes. That sort of "music" has always been designed as nothing more than "product."

But when you look at the music that was created by people like the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and many others of that era... there's so much more to it than just trying to crank out the next top 40 hit. Back then there were musicians who took their music seriously. They didn't let the record companies tell them what to do or how to do it... they did it their way. That kind of artistic independence and originality is gone from today's music. In the '60s-'70s you had musicians making music. Today you have bean counters making "music."

But there ARE people today doing more with their music than just making top 40 hits. You just don't hear about them... because they are not just making top 40 hits.

[Harry P.]

Ok people... music from A to ZZ...

What do you get when you take equal parts of ABBA ("Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man After Midnight") and ZZ Top ("Gimme All Your Lovin'") and put them in a blender?

Prepare to have your mind blown...

[charlie8575]

WOW! That's the first I heard of that Harry! Yes, as a kid in the '60's I can remember The Doors' music very well.

My one complaint about today's music---------------why must all of the female singers sound so much alike?? They all have that wiggly-tickly kind of singing voice that makes me cringe whenever I hear it. Others sound like they're just plain constipated!

Post of the day!

That does rather say it all, doesn't it?

Charlie Larkin

[Longbox55]

That's really messed up, Harry! I LIKE IT! Reminds me of Rock Sugar, Jess Harnell's band.

[High octane]

I still listen to the music today that I did back in the 50's & 60's and a bit of early 70's as well. I guess you can say that my needle is stuck. I told you that I was a dinosaur.

[Connor01]

Really good scottish band that were real musicians http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1032u_big-country-in-a-big-country_music

[Ognib]

[Mike_G]

I played guitar in my surf band The Surfonics for ~15 years, this has been my most successful song:

Another one in a sort of Dick Dale vein:

Now I'm playing drums and singing in a sort of surf/swampabilly trio called the Mudskippers- forgive the poor sound quality, this was recorded in my garage during a rehearsal

http://www.reverbnation.com/mudskippers/song/14305740-gone-ridin

Here are a few more freely downloadable MP3s from The Surfonics:

www.thesurfonics.com/SecretSea1.mp3

www.thesurfonics.com/LongboardCowboy1.mp3

www.thesurfonics.com/BoogieBoard1.mp3

Hope you like 'em! -Mike "the infamous Captain Reverb" Graves

Edited May 27, 2013 by Mike_G

[PowerPlant]

Mike, I love the reverb sound!

Your music is awesome... Believe it or not, there's a pretty decent Croatian surf-rock band named the Bambi Molesters... Check them out, you might dig them

They even did a spin-off band, named The Strange, together with Chris Eckman of the Walkabouts

Here's a couple of hits:

And here's one from The Strange... Basically, the Bambi Molesters, with Eckman doing vocals...

Edited May 27, 2013 by PowerPlant

[Mike_G]

Mike, I love the reverb sound!

Your music is awesome... Believe it or not, there's a pretty decent Croatian surf-rock band named the Bambi Molesters... Check them out, you might dig them

Thanks for the kind comments about my music. Sure, I've heard the Bambi Molesters- also the Bitch Boys from Slovenia.

Here's another modern surf band I like- it's made up of former members of Violent Femmes and Midnight Oil

[PowerPlant]

It's awesome you've heard them!

I know they've had moderate success in the US opening for R.E.M. among other gigs...

You should check out The Strange also... A bit moodier, but also great

I totally dig The Break, too... Never heard of them before

[Chuck Most]

There aren't any good genres of music left anymore- everything has been run into the ground at this point. And any time somebody tries something new, it just sucks. If you don't believe me, just listen to some Dubstep...

[southpier]

One of my long time favorites.

never heard anything by BTO except "Radar Love" (which I do!); thanks for putting this up

[Harry P.]

never heard anything by BTO except "Radar Love" (which I do!); thanks for putting this up

BTO didn't do "radar Love," that's Golden Earring.

[hvymtl]

Thanks Harry for the ABBATOP now my wife won't talk to me cuz i said i liked it sorta.

But some of that surf music is sweet gotta downlad some of that !!!!! but i still love my Metal

Michael

[CrazyGirl]

Randy Bachman , great little picker , and had a killer Gretsch collection , I think around 400 , but I heard he sold most of the collection to Gretsch guitar for there museum ,,, these days he is picking a Les Paul

Edited May 28, 2013 by CrazyGirl

[Harry P.]

Thanks Harry for the ABBATOP now my wife won't talk to me cuz i said i liked it sorta.

It is pretty catchy in a twisted sort of way!

[JollySipper]

There aren't any good genres of music left anymore- everything has been run into the ground at this point. And any time somebody tries something new, it just sucks. If you don't believe me, just listen to some Dubstep...

This statement reminds me of some Primus lyrics;

"....have you heard the brand new sound? It's a cross between Jimi Hendrix, Bocephus, Cher, and James Brown... called Heavy Hometown New Wave, cold filtered, low calorie, dry......"

And this was written 20 years ago, which tells you where music has been headed for at least that long...

[CrazyGirl]

This is for Danny Lectro , my take and build on a Danelectro and Jerry Jones inspired electric sitar

[southpier]

BTO didn't do "radar Love," that's Golden Earring.

yeah; the Golden Earing is the flip side of Radar Love. right?

[Longbox55]

yeah; the Golden Earing is the flip side of Radar Love. right?

No, Golden Earing is the band that sung Radar Love.

http://youtu.be/JeRa3RtBiIU

[Danny Lectro]

This is for Danny Lectro , my take and build on a Danelectro and Jerry Jones inspired electric sitar

Nice! You say you built that? A very cool instrument.

The only Dano i have in my collection is a 90's reissue Longhorn bass, in aqua green. Ugly color, but an awesome instrument, and alot of fun to play.

I would love a Dano Hodad guitar, maybe someday...

[Mike_G]

When I first saw that I immediately thought Jerry Jones

I have an Ibanez Talman with lipstick tubes

My main guitar is an early '70s BC Rich Seagull Jr. that I bought in 1981

Before I bought the Ibanez on eBay ~6 years ago, it was the only electric guitar I had ever owned.