People who say modern music has no artistic merit just don't bother to look for the good stuff...

[Danger Mouse]

and go by what they hear on the radio. There is awesome music out there, a LOT of it, for those willing to look beyond the top 40.
I'm sick of this 'all recent music sucks' bullshit because it's absolutely untrue.
EDIT: Here are some very good recent bands for you to check out (or fantastic modern bands with recent releases):
El-P, Sage Francis, Buck 65, The New Pornographers, Boards of Canada, Rilo Kiley, Neko Case, Aesop Rock, Emily Haines, Radiohead, Portishead, Madvillain, Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow, Prefuse 73, Bright Eyes...and there are many, many others!!!

[Writer]

1. Don't call me out, dude.

Because I still have a few more recent trends to shit on. Like the resurgence of '80's garb. WTF is up with that???

[Danger Mouse]

5. This isn't a call-out of you, Writer.

Actually, there are a lot of people who say it. Your thread just got me thinking about it.
And there were no good fashion trends to come out of the 80's. None.

[Writer]

35. NONE! NOTHING good came from the 80's...

except for weekend afterschool cartoon programs, that is.

[ghostsofgiants]

38. Wrong.

[Writer]

41. Right!

How old were you in the 80's, anyway?

[ghostsofgiants]

43. I was born in '85 so the mere fact that I was born in the '80s proves my point.

:P

Lots of good music and movies came from the '80s though.

[Writer]

45. You don't know a THING about the 80's, young man!!!

I am 10 years your senior, but I won't claim to know anything about the 70's... but then again, who wants to remember the 70's?

[ghostsofgiants]

46. I know a fuckload of good mausic was made during the decade.

[Writer]

48. Like... ???

I'd LURVE to know.

[ghostsofgiants]

52. Well...

Gang of Four, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Psychedelic Furs, The Clash, New Order, Sonic Youth, Comsat Angels, Pixies, The Fall, Mission of Burma, Black Flag, Public Image Ltd., Sad Lovers and Giants, and on and on and on.

[ghostsofgiants]

18. There's always a resurgence of shit that happened a couple decades ago.

Don't act like that's something new.

[Writer]

36. I am going to act like it's something new - ha!

I kid.

I saw this chick a couple of months ago who had an off-the-shoulder shirt and LEGGINGS on. It was awful! She even wore a sideways ponytail. I was crying. :cry:

[Robb]

2. All music in the past sucks too

:D

[Bennyboy]

3. no truer words have ever been spoken

There are so many great bands and musicians out there right now.

Spearhead. Leftover Salmon. Widespread panic and so many others. For me, right now is the golden age of music.

[Arugula Latte]

4. Damn kids and their rock and roll music!

You can't even understand the words! And the fellows have long hair and they look like girls! *shakes cane*

[Danger Mouse]

6. Now it's 'damn kids and their hiphop music'.

Same cane shaking.
Yet, Sage Francis is among the best lyricists you will ever hear, he puts the vast majority of songwriting to shame, but he would probably be shit on because he's a hip hop artist.

[ghostsofgiants]

8. You see kids, they listen to the rap music, which gives them the brain damage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5crsfe-NUw

[tigereye]

20. it's the metallish screaming that I find hard to decipher

and it hurts my vocal chords just hearing it - but the music accompanying it isn't too bad.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

28. another Sage Francis fan?!

I'm not much on hip-hop, but I think he's absolutely BRILLIANT and have a nice collection of his mp3's.
Personal favorite: Makeshift Patriot.

[Danger Mouse]

40. Makeshift Patriot is an awesome song, agreed.

[ghostsofgiants]

7. *cocks shotgun*

You git off mah lawn!

[tigereye]

21. yeah, listen to that old codger, Primate 1

:rofl:


That's a funny image, actually.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Okay, other than Radiohead or Portishead, I've got no idea who any of them are.

Not saying they aren't any good, mind you. But you have to sift through a lot of crappy garage band to find the hidden gems (such as perhaps the artists you mentioned), and I just don't have the time for all of that.

But I do love Radiohead.

[Danger Mouse]

11. None of them are garage bands, and a lof of them have gotten some mainstream attention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH9Q4fsZ1IY
Don't pay attention to the student film, just listen to the awesome song.

Anyway, here are some songs to look up:
Aesop Rock: "None Shall Pass"
Emily Haines: "Our Hell"
Neko Case: "Maybe Sparrow"
Bright Eyes: "Sunrise, Sunset"
Sage Francis: "The Cure"
El-P: "The Overly Dramatic Truth"
Buck 65: "Corrugated Tin Facade"
Rilo Kiley: "Picture of Success"
Aesop Rock: "No Regrets"
New Pornographers: "My Rights vs. Yours"
Aesop Rock: "Pigs"
Sage Francis: "Runaways"
any of those can be found on Youtube. Check it all out.

[suninvited]

10. I havent heard anything new by Bright Eyes in a while

but I used to really enjoy them.

I agree though, the best music is generally not "mainstream".

[Danger Mouse]

12. The best music is rarely 'mainstream'...now or ever.

Sure the Beatles were popular, but so was Aerosmith and they suck ass.

[redqueen]

13. Rilo Kiley <3

Took the kids to see Bolt over the weekend, and Jenny Lewis has a song in the movie. I was sitting in the theater thinking Is that Jenny Lewis? That sounds like Jenny Lewis. I love her voice. I've got to be sure to watch the credits cause that sounds just like Jenny Lewis.

I was way too excited when I found out I was right. :P

[Danger Mouse]

15. I am in love with Jenny Lewis

:)

[redqueen]

23. Well she's only super adorable.

Her music does tend to be a little on the depressing side... I love it, but it's not always so good for me.

[tigereye]

24. yes, she has a great voice...

[redqueen]

27. It nearly gives me chills in this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA38zy3kFXI

Curse that awful annoying puppet. x(

[Celeborn Skywalker]

14. Porcupine Tree,

Opeth, Amon Arath, Dream Theater, Iced Earth, the Decembrists, the Flaming Lips, etc., etc. There is much good new music out there.

[Danger Mouse]

16. How could I neglect Dream Theater? They are also amazing.

[ghostsofgiants]

17. On a serious note, it's nto surprising...

People who grew up with a certain type of music will always look upon that music as the be all and end all and since new music doesn't sound like what they have defined to themselves as good music, new music sucks to them.

[Danger Mouse]

22. I grew up with Pink Floyd and the Beatles, because I loved classic rock as a kid.

But I still have found plenty of other stuff I like that is completely different. I used to HATE rap...but then I heard Tupac's song 'Keep Ya Head Up' and it blew my mind. It was real and raw and painful in a way most songs couldn't possibly hope to be, especially for that period of the 90's.

[ghostsofgiants]

25. I'm just saying that's usually the mindset of the people who hate new music.

[tigereye]

26. a lot of the Brit pop now sounds like the 80s

and many bands from across the pond still sound like the Kinks, which is actually a good thing for the most part.

[tigereye]

19. it's funny, cuz some of those have been around for a number of years

And I agree with you, basically. There is always good new music to enjoy.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

29. Radiohead and Portishead aren't particularly recent

They were around when I was in high school and that was over a decade ago

[Danger Mouse]

39. They're still putting out music. They each had a new release within the last year.

[Schema Thing]

30. and literally hundreds more

playing in clubs through out America.


Sure, there is a lot of shit out there, but there is more great music than ever, too.

[DBoon]

31. Sounds like what my parents used to say

Couldn't understand why we listened to "crap" like to Beatles

Their parents probably said the same thing about Igor Stravinsky

[redqueen]

32. Sunset Rubdown is a new band, and I think they're fantastic.

I doubt many (if any) here will agree, but I love them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaTdM-v86fI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S_yfCu5yCE

[Beausoleil]

33. Neko Case is one of my favorites

"Porchlight" is one of her best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6yPseg6-A

I also grew up with the Beatles and Pink Floyd, but my tastes lately run more towards the Americana/Alt-Country genres. I'm not having any problem finding great music to listen to.

[meegbear]

34. But even a lot of the stations that play alternative play what they're told to play ...

can be hard to find the wheat in the chafe.

[mvd]

37. I will always disagree about the no artistic merit, but..

you are right - if you can't find anything in the mainstream, there's something for you if you look. Kudos on mentioning the NPs, Rilo Kiley, Neko Case, and Radiohead. Just this year I have found Erin McCarley, who is kind of a mixture of Regina Spektor, Lisa Loeb, and Jewel. I highly recommend her CD "Love, Save The Empty."

[LeftyMom]

42. You mean the crap on the radio isn't all there is?

:wow:

[Taverner]

44. 45% of what they play on SIRIUS/XM Left of Center/XMU is really good

And 45% is a great number

[redqueen]

47. I don't get a chance to hear it often...

but I've been surprised at the quality of some of the stuff I happen across on XM. Or Sirius. Whatever it is I get to listen to every once in a great while.

[Taverner]

49. Sigh - music is like capitalism

Think of what you hear on FM radio as Burger King, McDonalds and Wendys. Horrible crap that will kill you someday.

Think of Sat Radio like Chilis, Chevys and Olive Garden. You pay more, and get better quality as a result.

Of course Internet Radio is the small French Cafe in the North Beach district that you need reservations a month in advance, but the food makes you have multiple mouthgasms.

[redqueen]

50. I don't even care much for internet radio.

I prefer to just use word of mouth and search around for stuff on bands' myspace pages or youtube.

:shrug:

[Taverner]

51. You just haven't found the right station yet

There are literally thousands

I found one that has old porn soundtracks from the 70's once - Radio Boink!

[mvd]

53. My biggest problem with radio is the limited playlist

Not really that is's all bad.. Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kayne West, Pink, yes Katy Perry, Paramore, The Killers, etc. offter good stuff IMO. But I highly recommend satellite - the range of music there is excellent.