15 Songs Entertainment Weekly is Loving?

[luve2fli]

I'm totally baffled that Rolling Stone magazine treats stuff like One Direction and Justin Bieber as if it's actual art.

You're kidding right? Did you actually think that Rolling Stone was about real, credible music? They are in the business of MAKING MONEY. If they put One Direction or Justin Bieber on the cover, the mag sells and they make money. Mission accomplished and to hell with the fact that it's a paradigm shift from what RS started out as.

Much like the good music that's still being made out there, you need to search for alternative media to find the good stuff. Rolling Stone is garbage and has been for years.

[Granny Gremlin]

My wife and I had dinner with another couple the other night. LONG time friends, but my buddy's wife is apparently into a lot of top 40 stuff. She was offended when I ripped on Katy Perry

As silly as it sounds, Katy Perry, up until the last record or 2, was a standout to me as hope for top 40 pop music.  This has since faded, but there was a chance there for a moment.  The system is designed to dumb down and corrupt/co-opt.  That's how we ended up with Kei$ha drinking her own piss on TV (and ironic metaphor for the state of things fyi).

it doesn't have to be in the top 40 to be current. There's good music being made out there. It's just harder to find and keep up with, especially at my advanced age! I'm totally baffled that Rolling Stone magazine treats stuff like One Direction and Justin Bieber as if it's actual art. And I'm even more baffled that any adults have an interest in it. They have about as much artistic integrity as a can of Coke.

Amen, brother.

You're kidding right? Did you actually think that Rolling Stone was about real, credible music? They are in the business of MAKING MONEY. If they put One Direction or Justin Bieber on the cover, the mag sells and they make money. Mission accomplished and to hell with the fact that it's a paradigm shift from what RS started out as.

Much like the good music that's still being made out there, you need to search for alternative media to find the good stuff. Rolling Stone is garbage and has been for years.

I think that was his poing.  ... then again even newer upstarts like Pitchfork are also pieces of merde, though for completely opposite reasons.  Never bothered with any mags really.  100 mile diet is best; if you can't relate to your local stuff (and their influences, what your buds turn you ion to) then, and only then, is it over (at least for you, the proverbial you, that is).

[nofi]

most of those 'alternative or indie bands' are just  as horrible as the top 40 junk. to yet again paraphrase theodore sturgeon, '90 percent of everything is crap'.

[Pilgrim]

I remember sorting through all the 45s that came into radio stations in the 60's....less than 1 in 20 was even worth listening to.  Maybe one in 60 got airplay. I doubt that ratio has improved.

[Granny Gremlin]

I wrote a long thing in response, but thought better of it (it's the internet, to easy to misconstrue and I don't want to offend).

I'll just sum it up by saying that I actually think that attitude is part of the problem.

[Pilgrim]

I really don't know much about the indie bands, so I have no informed comment to offer in that regard.  I'm one of the old mossybacks that has difficulty in regarding rap as music, often because I find little or no melody in it.  Much of pop music just seems so trivial in construction that I have trouble listening to it.

Does it bother anyone else that in much popular music, most of the vocals are all chorused so that no voice leads?  I always wonder whether they're not just hiding the faults of the lead singer and adding auto-correct to achieve a mechanical version of music.  There definitely are pop stars with good voices, but I confess I'm not interested in searching the mass of that stuff to find them.  I've heard Bruno Mars and Christina Aguilera, and those two CAN sing.

[nofi]

go ahead and print it granny. i assume it will be in defense of alt bands following my less than cheerful post.

[chromium]

Much of pop music just seems so trivial in construction that I have trouble listening to it.

Seems there's a standard issue template for those forgettable "hits".  Applies to many genres.

This mashup demonstrates it well 

[Dave W]

.....

Does it bother anyone else that in much popular music, most of the vocals are all chorused so that no voice leads?  I always wonder whether they're not just hiding the faults of the lead singer and adding auto-correct to achieve a mechanical version of music.  There definitely are pop stars with good voices, but I confess I'm not interested in searching the mass of that stuff to find them.  I've heard Bruno Mars and Christina Aguilera, and those two CAN sing.

I'm sure sometimes it's done to cover up faults, other times just because it's the current style of pop. Doesn't matter to me which it is, the music annoys me so I tune it out, change the channel or turn it off.

What really bothers me is the vocal style I see on news or promo clips from the talent shows (American Idol, The Voice etc.). Apparently making a face like you're in agony, contorting your body like you're taking a particularly difficult shit, and yowling and caterwauling (even on ballads) is what passes for talent. And then there's the melisma. The audiences seem to go crazy for it. Go figure.

[gearHed289]

You're kidding right? Did you actually think that Rolling Stone was about real, credible music? They are in the business of MAKING MONEY. If they put One Direction or Justin Bieber on the cover, the mag sells and they make money. Mission accomplished and to hell with the fact that it's a paradigm shift from what RS started out as.

Much like the good music that's still being made out there, you need to search for alternative media to find the good stuff. Rolling Stone is garbage and has been for years.

Oh, I know. I certainly don't look at RS as any kind of "moral compass" musically speaking. It's just weird that a mag seemingly geared toward college age and up covers boy bands and pop tarts. I DID enjoy the recent Stevie Nicks interview. 

And getting back to my dinner conversation - I explained to my friend's wife that I had recently spent 2 years playing dance/pop covers. It got to the point where I was having a hard time memorizing the stuff because it was so simple and similar. I could write "A, D, G" next to the song title on my set list, and be good to go. LOL! Of course, the next song would be "G, D, A". 

[uwe]

... the next song would be "G, D, A". 

That is already half of Knocking on Heaven's Door - or even all of it if you ignore the G,D,C part as some people do.

I don't mind well-trodden chord progressions so much. If there is an infectuous melody to it such as here:



Or here



Or here



Or here

[westen44]

Although they've been discussed here before, I'd say just the fact that Modest Mouse is considered relevant to anyone is proof enough that civilization is doomed.  I'm not even trying to be funny.  If there is a worse song than "Float On," I shudder to think what it must be like.  I've just listened to "Lampshades on Fire" and it is only slightly better.  I absolutely cannot stand that lead singer's voice. 

[Pilgrim]

I didn't intend for this to be a ringing endorsement: "...and ONE, "Lampshades of Fire" by Modest Mouse, that I listened to all the way through."

Just that I could tolerate listening to it all the way through. I don't know the Modest Mouse songbook in any case.

[westen44]

I didn't intend for this to be a ringing endorsement: "...and ONE, "Lampshades of Fire" by Modest Mouse, that I listened to all the way through."

Just that I could tolerate listening to it all the way through. I don't know the Modest Mouse songbook in any case.

I've had a lot of computer problems and have been sporadically checking threads such as this one.  I had forgotten that you had even said that.  But my comment wasn't directed toward you anyway.  It's obvious, though, that I really dislike that particular band's music.  Most likely it would be better if I toned down my comments on the matter; I'm sure I've made my point. 

[Pilgrim]

No problem.  Your comments are moderate compared to some that I have made about rap.