Tired of what's popular right now? I am!

[suribachi]

Popular music is all about selling CD's and pushing agendas. That's why it's best to be honest with yourself. I never like or dislike anything based on popularity. It's as silly to like something because it's popular as it is is to dislike something because it's popular. I like what I like -- I don't care if everyone else loves it or hates it.

[GhostontheNet]

That's an interesting question. Honestly, I don't completely know what I want music to sound like anymore. I get bored listening to the same kind of thing in the same genre over and over because it all starts to sound the same. That's just me, but I'm sure other people who go looking for their ideal of music would get bored eventually, too. Variety is the spice of life and there's something to be said for trying new things rather than setting your mind to one ideal kind of music and then trying to find other music that fits inside your paradigm.

My best advice then I guess would be to check out the insanely diverse internet radio stations I've catalogued on my blog's sidebar ( http://ghostonthenet.wordpress.com ), there's probably a lot of stuff you have never heard before.

[GhostontheNet]

Popular music is all about selling CD's and pushing agendas. That's why it's best to be honest with yourself. I never like or dislike anything based on popularity. It's as silly to like something because it's popular as it is is to dislike something because it's popular. I like what I like -- I don't care if everyone else loves it or hates it.

And what agendas exactly would songs about body parts like hips or buttocks, or songs like "promiscuous" have? If anything this is crass commercialism.

[Kkun]

And what agendas exactly would songs about body parts like hips or buttocks, or songs like "promiscuous" have? If anything this is crass commercialism.

Green Day's "American Idiot" album didn't have an agenda? ^^; How about Neil Young's new album? I see what suribachi is saying. It's kind of the spawn of crass commercialism and agenda pushing.

Also, I'm going to check out that link you sent me. Thanks, I'm always up for hearing new music.

[PigtailsJazz]

GhostontheNet has great taste in music....so read his reviews! ^^

And, as a music major, and one who has taken many-a music theory class and music history class AND music and culture class *pants*, I have quite a few theories to go with why we have specific types of popular music, and especially why it's so repetitious, and also why there's a generic form.

One is that psychologically speaking, people tend to like the familiar. There's some kind of quote from an Asian man who went to see a Western orchestra play a concert, and when asked what his favorite part was, he replied it was the warm-up before the concert. Why? It's probably because that's the familiar music of his culture. That also builds into the whole repetition and familiar form thing. Repeat a few chords a bunch of times, and you've got familiarity and something to follow along with, and the music becomes more aesthetically pleasing. Use a familiar form, and again, the music is easier to follow, and thus more aesthetically pleasing.

At my university, the main emphasis is on more contemporary, and newer, cutting edge instrumental music. When I first went to my school, I abhorred the music at first, but now I'm starting to like it. Why? When I began hearing the forms of these pieces, they were unfamiliar (and WEIRD), but gradually I became accustomed to it, studied it, and soon enough became familiar enough with the music that it could be aesthetically pleasing to me.

Anywho....that's just my 2 cents.....

[dyzzispell]

At my university, the main emphasis is on more contemporary, and newer, cutting edge instrumental music. When I first went to my school, I abhorred the music at first, but now I'm starting to like it. Why? When I began hearing the forms of these pieces, they were unfamiliar (and WEIRD), but gradually I became accustomed to it, studied it, and soon enough became familiar enough with the music that it could be aesthetically pleasing to me.

"Cutting edge instrumental? o_O Like what? I'm curious now...

[GhostontheNet]

GhostontheNet has great taste in music....so read his reviews! ^^

Wow, thanks for the encouragement.

[GhostontheNet]

[quote="Kkun"]Green Day's "American Idiot" album didn't have an agenda? ^^] Umm, Green Day is pop-punk music, and from the beginning punk music has always been an incredibly politically liberatarian (whether on the left or right) movement and music. From my own perspective, that Green Day in all their popularity didn't sell out to being strictly apolitical like other pop music is a good sign that they didn't wholely abandon their roots, even if punk is supposed to strive for perpetual unpopularity caused by open nonconformity to norms. Chances are, whatever Green Day says in American Idiot, it is probably a lot more mellow than stuff like the Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, or Bedtime for Democracy.

[GhostontheNet]

One other thought has occured to me: just how many of the people who think rap music is incredibly easy to produce can actually keep up with a series of tongue twisters without mixing the words?

[PigtailsJazz]

"Cutting edge instrumental? o_O Like what? I'm curious now...

eh....well, I'm a clarinetist, so an example is making unusual noises with the clarinet as a part of a musical piece. For example, you can use multiphonics, which is playing 2 notes at the same time on the instrument...but the tone quality is pretty bad when you do that. You can also take off the mouth piece and blow into the barrel like a flute or take off the mouthpiece AND barrel and buzz into the instrument like a trumpet. It sounds kind of weird....

It's basically just messing around with the instruments to create new sounds...

[suribachi]

And what agendas exactly would songs about body parts like hips or buttocks, or songs like "promiscuous" have? If anything this is crass commercialism.

How about an overt sexual agenda. Hollywood and the music industry continually push a sexual agenda driven by a secular humanist worldview. Could of sworn I also said it's about selling CD's.

[Sakaki Onsei]

Mostly profit driven for an oversexed American populus. That's typically a radio DJ's point of view.

When stuff like Britney Spears was coming out, I was stuck in the 80s. Why? Because I knew where the music was going and I wanted to stick with something that actually worked with my system, being as I was stuck in the 80s since 1992 (Grunge threw me backwards).

It is a part of the world in which we are a part of.

[dyzzispell]

When stuff like Britney Spears was coming out, I was stuck in the 80s. Why? Because I knew where the music was going and I wanted to stick with something that actually worked with my system, being as I was stuck in the 80s since 1992 (Grunge threw me backwards).

Ah, I totally understand. When Christian music went the way of "worship", and all creativity and originality virtually disappeared, I got stuck in the late 80's/early 90's stuff too. I'll never understand why every band and their mother had to make a remake of "Breathe" or "Forever" or any one of the other 10 most popular "worship" songs out there. Everyone had to do the same 10 songs. I never did understand that. Doesn't the Bible say "Sing unto the Lord a NEW song", not the same old overdone ones?

I prefer to remain in a time when Petra and WhiteHeart were on the forefront of the Christian music scene, and when Christian rock/metal didn't have to be hunted down on the internet, but could be found in your local Christian store. Man, they don't even seem to carry Carman anymore for that matter!

As for current music? I listen to nothing mainstream. Some of what I listen to is obscure. Some of it is movie soundtracks. And the rest is pretty much foreign - Japanese to be exact - as in, anime and game soundtracks. I have no use for the mainstream market anymore.

[Authority3000]

...I'll never understand why every band and their mother had to make a remake of "Breathe" or "Forever" or any one of the other 10 most popular "worship" songs out there. Everyone had to do the same 10 songs. I never did understand that. Doesn't the Bible say "Sing unto the Lord a NEW song", not the same old overdone ones?

...Man, they don't even seem to carry Carman anymore for that matter! ...

Carman did a remake of "Awesome God".

[Eric]

Ah, I totally understand. When Christian music went the way of "worship", and all creativity and originality virtually disappeared, I got stuck in the late 80's/early 90's stuff too. I'll never understand why every band and their mother had to make a remake of "Breathe" or "Forever" or any one of the other 10 most popular "worship" songs out there. Everyone had to do the same 10 songs. I never did understand that. Doesn't the Bible say "Sing unto the Lord a NEW song", not the same old overdone ones?

I prefer to remain in a time when Petra and WhiteHeart were on the forefront of the Christian music scene, and when Christian rock/metal didn't have to be hunted down on the internet, but could be found in your local Christian store. Man, they don't even seem to carry Carman anymore for that matter!

As for current music? I listen to nothing mainstream. Some of what I listen to is obscure. Some of it is movie soundtracks. And the rest is pretty much foreign - Japanese to be exact - as in, anime and game soundtracks. I have no use for the mainstream market anymore.

That's good to hear.

[dyzzispell]

[quote="Authority3000"]Carman did a remake of "Awesome God". ]

This is true. I'm not sure if he did any others, but he didn't fall into the worship phase quite the same way, I don't think. He released I think a 2-disc set of favorite hymns. While this is remaking old music, many of those older songs were much deeper lyrically than most choruses that seem to be remade today, and there aren't already 30,000 versions of them being played over and over on the radio. Speaking of which, I wonder what he's been up to lately? I hope he wasn't one of the casualties of the Worship Wars...

Steven Curtis Chapman is another that I don't think ever fell into it. While his songs are wonderfully worshipful, they are HIS OWN, not remakes, for the most part. I'm glad that, to the best of my knowledge, he never released a CD with the word "Worship" in the title.

[Radical Dreamer]

Ah, I totally understand. When Christian music went the way of "worship", and all creativity and originality virtually disappeared, I got stuck in the late 80's/early 90's stuff too. I'll never understand why every band and their mother had to make a remake of "Breathe" or "Forever" or any one of the other 10 most popular "worship" songs out there. Everyone had to do the same 10 songs. I never did understand that. Doesn't the Bible say "Sing unto the Lord a NEW song", not the same old overdone ones?

You know, I agree. In and of themselves, those aren't bad songs, but they're only good the first 15 times. They tend to get a little old after that. ]Man, they don't even seem to carry Carman anymore for that matter![/QUOTE]

Oh, I used to listen to Carman as a kid! XD I watched some of those videos he had, too. Ah, nostalgia. XD You're right, though, I haven't seen him around at all anymore. Wonder what happened to him...

[dyzzispell]

Two Christian worship artists I know of who make good and original music are Chris Tomlin (I don't think he's done any remakes) and Babbie Mason, who sounds quite a bit like Natalie Cole (that's a good thing), but other than those two, I really can't think of many (or I just haven't heard enough, since my Christian raido station is practically on repeat, with the same songs over and over. )

Hehe, yeah our ONE Christian station is the same way... Same songs over and over and over...

[Radical Dreamer]

Hehe, yeah our ONE Christian station is the same way... Same songs over and over and over...

Exactly. This is why I mainly stick to CD's, though, and not worship CD's, at that. I just listen to clean music that appeals to me (some of it is Christian, but not worship songs), and go from there. XD