I want kids to get back into the garage and play guitars and drums again! It seems only a small percentage do that these days and are cast off to indie labels and don't get airplay. Frankly I am fed up with overproduction. I want to hear harmonies again and real instruments. PS fried green tomatoes and tomatoes on toast preferably with heirlooms are two of the best things ever.
Agreed on the fried green tomatoes. The movie was pretty good too. I have spoken with reps from two of the big makers of electric guitars and other instruments, and they say that their industry is in trouble in the U.S.--sales have been declining for decades. They both said the thing that is saving them is 1) big growth in other markets, especially in Asia, and 2) more and more girls picking up guitars.
I'm with you re. overproduction, but things are just going to get worse because of AI, I'm afraid.
Hard to argue with your analogies and the article itself, I was looking at shows in London in a few wks, and all the major venues has awful stuff on, but a deep dive to the smaller venues produced a pile of possibilities.
This made me think of Melbourne & Dublin, where I regularly see shows, and I realised a filtering systems is in place here, artists have to have something going for them, to get booked, and long wingedly, that's my point.
The majority of music these days is nonsense , and appallingly similar and predictable but... for me there are more cool bands than ever, who navigate the business, and survive, though many know it 's not a viable future.
I saw Glass Beams recently at a free show in Melb, there must have been 10,00 people there, it was mental.
Their unique, and on fire with creativity, so many interesting musical references, but very much themselves. Their microtonal stuff is incredible, in terms of historical musical context, I would suggest Frank Zappa, and similar to Frank, a vast catalog of work to try and wade though.
Finally got to play the Glass Beams clip. Thank you for introducing me to them, they are phenomenal. Actually, only one person is listed as a member of the band, so does he hire session musicians for live performances? Seems like they would have to have special skill sets to do this.
Seems to be the same three whenever I see them live or on a clip. There are enigmatic and mysterious. The guitarist took most of the frontrunning live, she (?) has a mystical timeless quality.
Not to mention serious skills--playing various other instruments while playing chords and runs on the guitar. I've only seen a couple of musicians do that!
Yes, you are completely right, there are still tons of creative and novel artists out there. My own main source of new bands these days is the world outside the US/UK axis--especially Japan and SE Asia, as well as Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. My column was aimed more at the homogeneity we find on the charts, but there is much more out there. Thank you for the comment and the links!
One other factor in the flattening of what gets played on radio was the shift from individual local DJs and program directors having some flexibility to add a song they believed in to the days when entire networks were programmed by consultants. When you look at a lot of the quirkier hits of the 70s and 80s, they gained traction because some local station played it and it grew from there.
On the other hand, the "DJ believed in it" method was also responsible for the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers,' so it wasn't a perfect system.
I want kids to get back into the garage and play guitars and drums again! It seems only a small percentage do that these days and are cast off to indie labels and don't get airplay. Frankly I am fed up with overproduction. I want to hear harmonies again and real instruments. PS fried green tomatoes and tomatoes on toast preferably with heirlooms are two of the best things ever.
Agreed on the fried green tomatoes. The movie was pretty good too. I have spoken with reps from two of the big makers of electric guitars and other instruments, and they say that their industry is in trouble in the U.S.--sales have been declining for decades. They both said the thing that is saving them is 1) big growth in other markets, especially in Asia, and 2) more and more girls picking up guitars.
I'm with you re. overproduction, but things are just going to get worse because of AI, I'm afraid.
Yep ugh 😑
Just recommended you!
Made my day!
I went out after reading this and bought some heirloom tomatoes!
I'm quoting you in my next post. So many great points here.
🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅😉
Hard to argue with your analogies and the article itself, I was looking at shows in London in a few wks, and all the major venues has awful stuff on, but a deep dive to the smaller venues produced a pile of possibilities.
This made me think of Melbourne & Dublin, where I regularly see shows, and I realised a filtering systems is in place here, artists have to have something going for them, to get booked, and long wingedly, that's my point.
The majority of music these days is nonsense , and appallingly similar and predictable but... for me there are more cool bands than ever, who navigate the business, and survive, though many know it 's not a viable future.
I saw Glass Beams recently at a free show in Melb, there must have been 10,00 people there, it was mental.
https://youtu.be/E4X56wIOZns
Acts like KGATLZ are simply astonishing, and inspiring.
https://youtu.be/beIDKFwXam0
Funny, KG have been around for so long and put out so much stuff, but I've only heard a tiny bit of it. Will have to find time to do a deeper dive...
Their unique, and on fire with creativity, so many interesting musical references, but very much themselves. Their microtonal stuff is incredible, in terms of historical musical context, I would suggest Frank Zappa, and similar to Frank, a vast catalog of work to try and wade though.
Finally got to play the Glass Beams clip. Thank you for introducing me to them, they are phenomenal. Actually, only one person is listed as a member of the band, so does he hire session musicians for live performances? Seems like they would have to have special skill sets to do this.
Seems to be the same three whenever I see them live or on a clip. There are enigmatic and mysterious. The guitarist took most of the frontrunning live, she (?) has a mystical timeless quality.
Not to mention serious skills--playing various other instruments while playing chords and runs on the guitar. I've only seen a couple of musicians do that!
Yes, you are completely right, there are still tons of creative and novel artists out there. My own main source of new bands these days is the world outside the US/UK axis--especially Japan and SE Asia, as well as Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. My column was aimed more at the homogeneity we find on the charts, but there is much more out there. Thank you for the comment and the links!
Speaking of Scandinavia, seeing this artist on Thurs:
https://www.whelanslive.com/ticket/anika/
Cool. I've actually heard some of her stuff before. I thought she was British...?
Your right, originally from England, lives in Berlin, her stuff has that dark stark Scandinavian beauty though .
Agreed. Haunting.
Hi Charles, I follow this girl on Instagram, she 's starting to do some shows, amazing.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJZjQhaMZSh/?igsh=MXdsbWVvdnV1cDRieg%3D%3D
One other factor in the flattening of what gets played on radio was the shift from individual local DJs and program directors having some flexibility to add a song they believed in to the days when entire networks were programmed by consultants. When you look at a lot of the quirkier hits of the 70s and 80s, they gained traction because some local station played it and it grew from there.
On the other hand, the "DJ believed in it" method was also responsible for the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers,' so it wasn't a perfect system.
😂😂😂 Thanks Rick, good points!
Brilliant.