Your unpopular music opinions

karaokeman · 10-06-2012 5:06pm

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Singer-songwriters make dull, dreary, self indulgent ****.

Which singer-songwriters in particular?

Are you referring to all commercial acoustic guitar holding singer-songwriters like Damien Rice, James Blunt, Ed Sheeran or established and highly acclaimed singer-songwriters as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Sandy Denny, Paul Simon, Gordon Lightfoot and the likes?

flyswatter · 10-06-2012 5:29pm

What is it with the term singer-songwriter anyway? Technically then any singer who writes a song in whole or part is one.

Matt Bellamy is a singer songwriter, Bono is one, Robert Plant is one.

karaokeman · 10-06-2012 6:26pm

flyswatter wrote: »

What is it with the term singer-songwriter anyway? Technically then any singer who writes a song in whole or part is one.

Matt Bellamy is a singer songwriter, Bono is one, Robert Plant is one.

It just seems to be a way of simplifying musicians that are not in bands.

But I agree it is thrown around too much, and it has become too stereotyped to acoustic guitar players singing mainly angst-driven songs. The same is with the "indie" title, how did that ever get attached to mainstream soft rock?

flyswatter · 10-06-2012 6:47pm

karaokeman wrote: »

It just seems to be a way of simplifying musicians that are not in bands.

But I agree it is thrown around too much, and it has become too stereotyped to acoustic guitar players singing mainly angst-driven songs. The same is with the "indie" title, how did that ever get attached to mainstream soft rock?

Indie is interesting, it kind of means feck all nowadays. It just gets thrown around like you said. It used to mean underground bands signed to independent labels I think.

Then indie bands like Modest Mouse started signing with major labels and it started to get messed up as a term.

Now it seems every guitar band is described as indie.

Kold · 11-06-2012 12:10pm

Aaah the age old troll of explaining why Indie or individual music is much better than the stupid (c)rap music people listen to in 2012.

You say Justin Bieber, I say Paramore.

vader65 · 11-06-2012 12:17pm

I guess the beetles had a few good songs but I was never really a fan and couldn't really get into them!

rcaz · 11-06-2012 6:29pm

Kold wrote: »

I say Paramore.

We talkin' Paramore are we?

I think they're a really good band, completely ruined by circumstance. There are loads of absolutely savage tunes on Brand New Eyes, that sound pretty crap because they got put through the cookie-cutter emo-pop-punk production machine, and came out sounding like a million other huge guitar bands. But if you could have them writing those tunes and recording them with a real producer, in a real studio making real art, they'd be ****ing incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDy2wCQYSrU

Somewhat comparable to early Radiohead I reckon, they're not doing anything amazing yet, sure, but the raw ingredients are there - a really solid band that plays well together, great songwriting, a fantastic lead singer, they've got a continuous feel across an album, they do different kinds of songs well (belters, ballads, straightforward pop tunes, etc).

If you could get Paramore out of the scene and pop machine they're a part of, I bet we'd get some really great albums.

flyswatter · 11-06-2012 6:48pm

Fight like Apes are like a bad Paramore.

Aoiferz · 11-06-2012 11:47pm

rcaz wrote: »

Paramore

Their next album should be more promising and less of the 'cookie cutter' as you say. With Josh and Zach leaving the band, Taylor York has become more of an established member with more of a hand in the songwriting process, having only had a writing credit on four tracks on Brand New Eyes and only being an official member of the band since around 2009. Taylor himself is influenced by the likes of Radiohead and even says he is a big Bjork fan so who knows what the fourth album will sound like

Their emo pop sound was more due to Josh who was involved in writing almost all of the songs. He was more into the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab for Cutie.

Chevolution · 11-06-2012 11:54pm

I hate all that indie pop happy stuff, it sickens me :P also cant stand emo,screaming,poser metal. A lot of people seem to like them though, i just cant stand them

SilverScreen · 12-06-2012 12:10am

Chevolution wrote: »

I hate all that indie pop happy stuff, it sickens me :P also cant stand emo,screaming,poser metal. A lot of people seem to like them though, i just cant stand them

Ha!

I love indie pop stuff like The Field Mice, Belle & Sebastian and The Wake. I can see why some people don't like that sort of music but I say screw them.

I like earlier emo stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate and Braid but 'emo' has become really watered-down over the past ten years into commercial trash.

What's poser metal, as opposed to non-poser metal?

Chevolution · 12-06-2012 12:22am

Zero1986 wrote: »

Ha!

I love indie pop stuff like The Field Mice, Belle & Sebastian and The Wake. I can see why some people don't like that sort of music but I say screw them.

I like earlier emo stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate and Braid but 'emo' has become really watered-down over the past ten years into commercial trash.

What's poser metal, as opposed to non-poser metal?

Poser metal is the bands that scream a lot, down tune their guitars about 4 semitones and play the same breakdown riff in every song. They dont have the look of metal, the attitude of metal or the sound of metal. Theyre just jumping on the bandwagon as this kind of music has become popular lately, theyre mostly in it for the money :P

SilverScreen · 12-06-2012 12:42am

Chevolution wrote: »

Poser metal is the bands that scream a lot, down tune their guitars about 4 semitones and play the same breakdown riff in every song. They dont have the look of metal, the attitude of metal or the sound of metal. Theyre just jumping on the bandwagon as this kind of music has become popular lately, theyre mostly in it for the money :P

I get what you're saying about the whole image thing, I don't know what mainstream metal is like now because I haven't read Metal Hammer or Kerrang in years, but there were plenty of metal bands putting image over music 10 years ago so it's nothing new.

Although metal bands have been down-tuning their guitars and screaming/grunting since the mid-80's when death metal and grindcore first started to emerge, and those bands certainly weren't posers.

Chevolution · 12-06-2012 12:51am

Mainstream metal is mostly watered down emo type stuff. But the mid 80's death metal bands were pioneers, they were underground bands experementing with new sounds, these days they tune down their guitars and scream cos all the kids think its "br00tal" :P All these bands are a dime a dozen and they all sound nearly the exact same.

SilverScreen · 12-06-2012 1:01am

It happens to all styles of music. Grunge in the late 90's was completely watered-down compared to late-80's grunge. 00's emo was completely watered-down compared to early-90's emo. The same was bound to happen to something like grindcore.

SilverScreen · 12-06-2012 1:23am

Anyway, an unpopular opinion of my own:

A lot of people say that there's no such thing as bad taste in music. That's b.s. there is such thing as bad taste in music, a bad taste in music is a limited taste in music. I'm referring to people who only stick to one style of music and completely turn their nose up at everything else, for example people who listen to nothing but hip-hop or people who listen to nothing but metal. Unless you are willing to approach music with an open mind and sample as much music as possible you have no way of knowing what music you do like and what music you don't like.

flyswatter · 12-06-2012 1:33am

Zero1986 wrote: »

Anyway, an unpopular opinion of my own:

A lot of people say that there's no such thing as bad taste in music. That's b.s. there is such thing as bad taste in music, a bad taste in music is a limited taste in music. I'm referring to people who only stick to one style of music and completely turn their nose up at everything else, for example people who listen to nothing but hip-hop or people who listen to nothing but metal. Unless you are willing to approach music with an open mind and sample as much music as possible you have no way of knowing what music you do like and what music you don't like.

Isn't that a more ignorant, close minded type of musical taste? Listening to just one genre? They could be listening to good bands.

The usual type of "bad" music taste would be liking terrible artists imo but isn't it all subjective anyway?

Chevolution · 12-06-2012 2:05am

Zero1986 wrote: »

Anyway, an unpopular opinion of my own:

A lot of people say that there's no such thing as bad taste in music. That's b.s. there is such thing as bad taste in music, a bad taste in music is a limited taste in music. I'm referring to people who only stick to one style of music and completely turn their nose up at everything else, for example people who listen to nothing but hip-hop or people who listen to nothing but metal. Unless you are willing to approach music with an open mind and sample as much music as possible you have no way of knowing what music you do like and what music you don't like.

Agreed, there's so much good music to be enjoyed and you deny yourself the enjoyment if you just stick to one style of music.

flyswatter · 12-06-2012 2:26am

Not criticizing any of the music lumped into this genre, like Boards of Canada, Four Tet or Aphex Twin, cos a lot of them are excellent but the person who coined the genre name IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is a knob.

It's like saying any electronic music outside the genre is dumb or stupid.

rcaz · 12-06-2012 1:22pm

flyswatter wrote: »

Not criticizing any of the music lumped into this genre, like Boards of Canada, Four Tet or Aphex Twin, cos a lot of them are excellent but the person who coined the genre name IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is a knob.

It's like saying any electronic music outside the genre is dumb or stupid.

Everyone who got labeled 'IDM' hated it too. I think I remember Autechre being vocal about it being a stupid term.

I much prefer intelectro :pac:

Kold · 12-06-2012 2:28pm

rcaz wrote: »

We talkin' Paramore are we?

If this were a conversation, I would've been able to get a swift "no" in there.

smokedeels · 12-06-2012 2:37pm

I've been listening to Pod (album, not the Wrestle-Rock combo) all week and I've come to the conclusion that The Breeders are far more interesting than The Pixies.

Zero1986 wrote: »

Fugazi

End Hits is my favorite Fugazi record. That's an unpopular choice, yeah?

lordgoat · 13-06-2012 10:24am

Huslte Bones is an unpopular choice as an alarm clock song. I did find it amusing though.

"WTF is that? It feels like i'm being beaten up by music"

Jimmy Iovine · 13-06-2012 11:13am

lordgoat wrote: »

Huslte Bones is an unpopular choice as an alarm clock song. I did find it amusing though.

"WTF is that? It feels like i'm being beaten up by music"

Such a strangely beautiful piece of music.

soccymonster · 14-06-2012 3:36am

Absolutely adore Jedward. Like, I want to have their babies. This would be fine if I was a teenage girl but as a 32yo guy, it's generally frowned upon.

Kold · 14-06-2012 8:20am

lordgoat wrote: »

Huslte Bones is an unpopular choice as an alarm clock song. I did find it amusing though.

"WTF is that? It feels like i'm being beaten up by music"

I've been using I've seen footage. I need someone to edit an "i love you Jesus Christ" ringtone for me.

karaokeman · 14-06-2012 7:24pm

A lot of people are embarrassed to admit they like dance music because they think its girly and feminine and they associate it (not with Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada etc) with mainstream dance.

And when most people say dance, they think of chart dance, its the same way that when a person mentions the term "rock music" many think about hard rock, heavy metal etc when the term actually covers a whole spectrum including soft rock and art rock.

rcaz · 15-06-2012 12:23am

karaokeman wrote: »

A lot of people are embarrassed to admit they like dance music because they think its girly and feminine and they associate it (not with Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada etc) with mainstream dance.

And when most people say dance, they think of chart dance, its the same way that when a person mentions the term "rock music" many think about hard rock, heavy metal etc when the term actually covers a whole spectrum including soft rock and art rock.

Isn't that all just the preconceptions you have about the way people think, rather than what actually happens?

Either that, or start talking to better music fans...

karaokeman · 15-06-2012 10:27am

rcaz wrote: »

Isn't that all just the preconceptions you have about the way people think, rather than what actually happens?

It just occurs to me when I see people liking certain types of music because others think its cool. Whether we like it or not, many people do choose their music based on what their peers like. In an ideal world everyone's music tastes would be based on individuality, but I rarely see that.

rcaz wrote: »

Either that, or start talking to better music fans...

I reckon what you're saying here is start talking to people that are open to all types of music? That's subjective too as some of them are like that, others aren't, its all down to the individual at the end of the day.

kunst nugget · 15-06-2012 10:57am

karaokeman wrote: »

A lot of people are embarrassed to admit they like dance music because they think its girly and feminine and they associate it (not with Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada etc) with mainstream dance.

And when most people say dance, they think of chart dance, its the same way that when a person mentions the term "rock music" many think about hard rock, heavy metal etc when the term actually covers a whole spectrum including soft rock and art rock.

I can't say I have any problems with saying I like dance music but I understand why, if somebody's only association of dance music is the charts, people think it's rubbish. If somebody's not going to take some time to listen to the music before discounting then they're not worth arguing with over. Essentially, this is the crux of most of the arguments on here about music but you know what, that's pretty understandable. Time is precious and you're not going to listen to something that might initially grate with you unless you have the interest. But that said, someone coming out without ill-informed statements like 'all metal is bullsh¡t' or 'dubstep is cancer' is being pretty retarded. Like you said broad titles like Rock or Dance cover a wide variety of genres. If you know the music then you can debate the merits of say Thrash metal over Black metal or Brostep over UK Funky. If you don't listen to the music but have heard a snippet of a heavily commercialized tune on MTV, that's not going to give you enough to judge a whole genre on. Take dubstep for example. Most people get exposed to the metal rape noises of Skrillex's brostep and decide that's what dubstep sounds like and it's sh¡t. Dubstep also encompasses the likes of Burial, his work with Four Tet, Joy Orbison and Martyn - all of these people's music is a million miles away from the crap that the likes of Skrillex produces. The problem is that when a scene or genre gets such a crappy figurehead attached to it, it stops people from investigating any further and we end up with more and more subdivision of music.

Some good dance tracks being made right now: