Sonic Youth Gossip - View Single Post - The State of Music (Inspired by the modestmouse thread)

Rob Instigator · 04.16.2009, 03:04 PM

Is there a music bubble about to pop?
Are we gorging on ever more releases by ever more bands/artists in ever more expanding sub-genre after sub-genre?

I ahve always been a big music fan, but I have also been a big reader, interested in writing that deals with the state of music, with music busioness and creation as a whole.
In the early 90's, with the availability of DAT and other new media, leading us into the full digital media spectrum we have now, many writers talked about a lowest common denominator problem which would or could soon hit Music.
In an age when anyone and everyone has the ability and means to not only record themsevles, but to release the music into the world seconds after recording it, whether via online or CD-r's etc, these writers would ask whether, as an effect of this, the quality controls that bands placed on music released would come down?
In many cases it seems to have. bands record and release songs that are barely more than an idea strecthed out too long, or that seem like "unfinished sketches" of song.

while that may be interesting to hear for a band whose work you already love, it leaves something wanting to me. mosttimes I would prefer to hear a band put out one album in two years of perfect tunes, than to hear 4 albums of half-songs, barely-worked ideas, and filler.

Part of me loves this stuff but part of me hates it.

I love the idea of easy release of music, without the constraints of a record label. I also love the idea that working hard to tweak and work out all the kinks in a song, to find a better change, or to re-work the bridge to better match the chorus, etc.

I also find it annoying when these original, recordings have huge energy, but then when the band set out to make a proper record, they lose that energy, and the plainness and redundancy of their music "ideas" is left in plain view.
I cannot count the number of bands whose first self-recorded release sounds NOTHING like their first official release, leaving me to wonder whether I just enjoyed the low fidelity of their shitty recording techniques, or whether the band just forgot how to write a good song.

I also cannot count how many bands' first release left me thining, "jesus, there are like 3 or four good bits in these songs, but the stuff connecting the good bits is so trite and generic."
ahhh, music.

that most glorious and universal of all the arts.

what do you guys think?

04.16.2009, 03:04 PM	#1
Rob Instigator invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In the land of the Instigator Posts: 27,930	Is there a music bubble about to pop? Are we gorging on ever more releases by ever more bands/artists in ever more expanding sub-genre after sub-genre? I ahve always been a big music fan, but I have also been a big reader, interested in writing that deals with the state of music, with music busioness and creation as a whole. In the early 90's, with the availability of DAT and other new media, leading us into the full digital media spectrum we have now, many writers talked about a lowest common denominator problem which would or could soon hit Music. In an age when anyone and everyone has the ability and means to not only record themsevles, but to release the music into the world seconds after recording it, whether via online or CD-r's etc, these writers would ask whether, as an effect of this, the quality controls that bands placed on music released would come down? In many cases it seems to have. bands record and release songs that are barely more than an idea strecthed out too long, or that seem like "unfinished sketches" of song. while that may be interesting to hear for a band whose work you already love, it leaves something wanting to me. mosttimes I would prefer to hear a band put out one album in two years of perfect tunes, than to hear 4 albums of half-songs, barely-worked ideas, and filler. Part of me loves this stuff but part of me hates it. I love the idea of easy release of music, without the constraints of a record label. I also love the idea that working hard to tweak and work out all the kinks in a song, to find a better change, or to re-work the bridge to better match the chorus, etc. I also find it annoying when these original, recordings have huge energy, but then when the band set out to make a proper record, they lose that energy, and the plainness and redundancy of their music "ideas" is left in plain view. I cannot count the number of bands whose first self-recorded release sounds NOTHING like their first official release, leaving me to wonder whether I just enjoyed the low fidelity of their shitty recording techniques, or whether the band just forgot how to write a good song. I also cannot count how many bands' first release left me thining, "jesus, there are like 3 or four good bits in these songs, but the stuff connecting the good bits is so trite and generic." ahhh, music. that most glorious and universal of all the arts. what do you guys think? __________________ RXTT's Intellectual Journey - my new blog where I talk about all the books I read.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|