I don't know about everyone else, but I think music is actually getting better over time. While the 00's have given us some absolute rubbish - think nu-metal, all the rnb/pop, "retro-rock" revival bands - there have also been some amazing, groundbreaking releases that have pushed the boundaries of genres or refined them to a new level of quality. For a while (in some academic circles at least) there was an attitude that "everything had been done", and that musicians/artists were just going to repeat themselves over and over. But bands like Battles, Radiohead, Portishead, Flaming Lips and others (I'm an indie fan I suppose) show that real original, listenable material can still be created. I think the trend will continue into the next decade and contemporary music will keep improving on a whole. As new artists search for different influences on their sound, the Internet is proving to be really good at introducing some of the older (90's/80's mostly), lesser known, left-of-field musicians to a new audience.
Hmm. I think it will be some time before we see anything to match the astonishing creative output of the 60s: Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, the Kinks, Santana, the Rolling Stones, the Incredible String Band ... need I go on?
I kinda agree with your points. I think good music has always been there, but a lot of us never got to listen to it because it wasn't easy to find. The 80s had an explosion of digital gear, and anything mainstream took that route. it's not to say that there were tons of other bands who stayed underground still making kickass tunes... 90s was when bands finally realized that all the old gear they had stored in their attic sounded fantastic, (thanks to Nirvana, just to name one) and grunge made it huge. But again, there were tons of underground bands that were already playing around with this stuff, who came out with great tunes, but they were hard to find. I think music will keep evolving... Except now, we have sop many different styles to choose from.. We're in different times.. We'll never get a super group like the beatles, the who, Zeppelin, etc etc etc .. but, we do have lots of bands to listen to, who haven't made it big. (and are more comfortable staying that way) .. And it's better for us cause when they do come to town, we get to experience a great concert that's more personalized, with 1200 or so capacity type venues.. . But, Thank god for the internet,. . . I've learned so much, and discovered so many bands because of it.
Music will evolve. There was a time when the head of the patent offices in the US resigned because he though that everything that could be invented was already invented, but he was wrong and all sorts of advances such as computers took place. It just takes a catalyst and something will happen. Maybe we won't like it. Maybe it will move away from traditional instruments. I don't know. The important thing is, enough people must be able to take that catalyst inspiration and copy it and make it their own. If only one band can do it, the sound will fade away. It also has to resound with people, even if everyone hates it at the time. Take the velvet underground and heavy metal for example, they were both critically reviled at the time, but pushed music forward.
Ya if you think about it all before the 80s was pentatonic and simple in terms of chord progressions and shit It all had the same style and feel although still complex genres mixed and others split off and went off in their own direction Now we have epic melodic metal, jazzy rock, screamo rock, punk, screamo punk and other shit The basic 4 chord chord progressions in most mainstream songs are REPETATIVE but yes music is getting better and better
i agree, the last 5 years or so has had some exceptional releases (Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet - Husky, is a fantastic jazz album that i think raised the level of jazz exponetially... Skeetaz - Off, VibeSquad - Bass Love, are two world class electronic releases. Skeetaz is more trancey, VibSquad more focused on beats and bass Zilla - All Iz and also Egg are both completely innovative and unlike anything else ive ever heard. Not to mention some new Leo Kottke/Mike Gordon releases that, and a lot of other new stuff that is very worthy of mention. Lots of genres being combined, and new music unlike anything nobody has ever heard is being created right now. The electronic/jam scene is exploding (sts9) and i feel like things are getting much better than the early 00's... you just gotta look for it... And Roffa, you need to get out more my friend You are stuck back in time of an era that doesnt exist (but it was cool!).....the new scene has some really great stuff, and the creative output of the bands today are much much higher than the creative output of the bands that play a standard guitar, bass, vocals, and drums type rock band. Zilla, Toubab Krewe, The Motet, JFJO, The Everyone Orchestra are some acts that are just incredibly creative...and unique. Everyone Orchestra in particular (they only play festivals because they have a dozen or so musicians each from a different band come together and play improv...which creates a completely different style and set each show they play....not one show is the same!) and they all sound completely different than anything youve ever heard
