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twalsh

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Joined: August 26 2014
Location: Vancouver, BC
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Topic: Painful Muscal Experiment
Posted: March 18 2015 at 14:02

I thought I would try an experiment after hearing one too many discussions/commentaries about Kanye West, Beyonce, what great artists they were and realized I knew nothing of their material. I don't like being uninformed and in important subjects and like to look at dissenting opinions to better inform myself.

So, after a painful hour or so, in which I explored Kanye, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and the top three songs in the British and Canadian current Top 40.

The results: Complete despair over what constitutes good music/talent in the music industry.

Affirmation that I am exploring the music that works best for me.

I'm not a strong prog-head compared to many here and have mostly explored the edges of Prog metal, Heavy Prog, Crossover and Prog-related, with the rare foray into Symphonic and Eclectic until I discovered this site. I listen to a local Indie Rock/Pop station which is fresher than the overly testosterone-ish Modern Rock station and the tired-but-comfortable Classic Rock station. I also don't think i am particularly prejudiced, liking a fair amount of indie rock and hard rock some mostly 70s funk and disco and a lot of the edgier 90s alternative bands.

Is there anybody else out there who listens to and appreciates modern pop? What am I missing? All I hear are repetitive beats that don't speak to me, inane or trashy lyrics, and far too much over-the-top autotune.

The only 'positive' I can imagine is that many of these artists are physically attractive and can move well, but this is something that I do not appreciate being tied to music.

Any thoughts?

Edited by twalsh - March 18 2015 at 14:04

More heavy prog, please!

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: March 22 2015 at 21:58

I can't say I like a large amount of modern pop. There's a few artists that are pretty stellar, though. Janelle Monae and FKA Twigs come to mind.

I like Kanye, although he is way, way overrated (only outside of PA of course). If you want some real quality mainstream rap, Kendrick Lamar is where it's at. The Roots are also good.

Aside from a few artists, pop music is folk music. You can't expect to appreciate it in a period of intense disinterested contemplation. You appreciate it communally. They're the songs everyone knows and can sing to you. They're the songs people dance to. That people play at their wedding reception. That people put on as background music when they're driving. It's not escapist in any form.

A story: I live in the American South. I don't like a huge amount of country artists. Just a few of the more experimental ones that can't even really be considered part of the genre, and some progressive bluegrass. But one of my friends had a mini iron man olympics at his house in the country. Among the events was a push-up contest, a four-wheeler push, and shotgun shooting. After a long day of strenuous outdoor activity, I rode in the back of an another attendee's pick up truck to the lake, exhausted, shirt off, other people sitting beside me. On the radio was some Tim McGraw song, and, no joke, with the wind against my chest, I actually enjoyed mainstream country. It's music that serenades particular activities; music best listened to after a day of exhausting outdoor work. Music to offer a retrospective on your day of rural activities.

Pop music is similar. People have traditionally appreciated it because it serenades particular activities in a way that's appealing to them, and they don't have to sit down and put their lives on hold to appreciate it. They don't have to think about it. It becomes so tied to everyday life, that, when people are old, they can take a trip back to their youth by listening to its soundtrack. I, like most people here, do not appreciate music this way most of the time. I listen to music by myself, with few distractions (I generally keep one or two around, like my feet, as I tend to pace when I'm deep in thought).

That said, all of the artists I mentioned above (minus Tim McGraw) do make good albums (depending on your taste) that you can sit down, listen to, and contemplate by itself and enjoy (again depending on your taste). Pop music can be intelligent sometimes.

Edited by Polymorphia - March 22 2015 at 22:02

Stool Man

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 03:04

I went for years without listening to modern pop music, until a year or so ago. I saw a book that listed all the million-sellers in chronological order, and when I checked the later section I found there were loads that I'd never heard of, never mind not actually heard the song. The last one I'd heard was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley in 2006, and I saw the book in 2013. So last year I decided to 'catch up' (thinking it may be unfair of me to dismiss Lady Gaga et al without having actually heard any of their songs). I watched 30 minutes of Lady Gaga videos, and immediately afterwards couldn't remember how any of them went, so no catchy tunes there. Ed Sheeran is awful, Justin Beiber is appalling, Miley Cyrus is sh*te, One Direction are horrid. I can say this with a clear conscience, knowing I have given each them a substantial listen, along with numerous others. I shall stick with the weird old nonsense I love

rotten hound of the burnie crew

zravkapt

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 06:01

I find most of most genres blah these days. However, whenever something good comes along it's usually really good...even in pop. The OP may have already heard this song, it's my fave song from last year (seriously) and has the greatest nonsensical lyrics since "A Whiter Shade Of Pale":

Don't got a lotta time right now but I'll be back to post more examples of the better current pop music.

Magma America Great Make Again

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 08:22

Well the radio is just about the worst place you can go to check out "the good" new pop stuff. Just like any other style of music, there's loads of different scenes and directions these artists take. Not all prog sounds like Transatlantic - just like most pop doesn't sound like the stuff they're dishing out over the top 40 Wink

Search a bit and you find a style of music as diverse as anything out there.

You've got the danceable punk-like sounds of Liars, with their newest release feeling like a stiff middle finger to the mainstream radiofriendly pop.

Crystal Castles - Electronic dream pop with heaps of the dark and gloomy 80s new romanticism.

How about a trip back in time to the tail-end of the 60s? Temples is your thing then.

Animal Collective - Beach Boys on caffeine and LSD meet up with the experimental Indie scene to eat strawberries and fish for birds.

Edited by Guldbamsen - March 23 2015 at 08:23

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

sublime220 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 08:30

^anyone who's never listened to Animal Collective, I highly recommend it despite any of your music tastes. Merriweather Post Pavilion is probably the best album of 2009.

There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 08:38

That is one great album and possibly also the easiest way to get into AC for a newbie methinks.

Panda Bear (from AC) also made one smoking album with his Person Pitch.

Anyone who think they know how modern pop music sounds like based merely on what they've heard over the radio and MTV - do yourself a favour and listen to this:

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 08:40

Oh my word!! how could I forget about Glass Jar Wacko

This track by Gang Gang Dance is one of my favourite modern pop tunes. Last summer I almost overdosed on it.

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

aglasshouse View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 08:50

I highly dislike any sorts of modern pop music. In fact, I would go so far as to say I loathe it.

http://fryingpanmedia.com

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 09:34

Guldbamsen wrote:

Well the radio is just about the worst place you can go to check out "the good" new pop stuff. Just like any other style of music, there's loads of different scenes and directions these artists take. Not all prog sounds like Transatlantic - just like most pop doesn't sound like the stuff they're dishing out over the top 40 Wink

Search a bit and you find a style of music as diverse as anything out there.

You've got the danceable punk-like sounds of Liars, with their newest release feeling like a stiff middle finger to the mainstream radiofriendly pop.

Crystal Castles - Electronic dream pop with heaps of the dark and gloomy 80s new romanticism.

How about a trip back in time to the tail-end of the 60s? Temples is your thing then.

Animal Collective - Beach Boys on caffeine and LSD meet up with the experimental Indie scene to eat strawberries and fish for birds.

I endorse this post, although this is more in the genre of pop rather than the tradition of radio and major labels.

dwill123

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Joined: December 19 2006
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Points: 4455

Posted: March 23 2015 at 10:15

twalsh wrote:

So, after a painful hour or so, in which I explored Kanye, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and the top three songs in the British and Canadian current Top 40.

Any thoughts?

I could have saved you an hour or so of wasted time. Current day "pop" music sucks the big one. All of it.

zravkapt

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Posted: March 23 2015 at 14:16

Here's some more...

Magma America Great Make Again

dr wu23

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Posted: March 24 2015 at 10:49

I suppose it depends on what one calls 'pop'......and are we referring to mainstream popular pop....or more underground pop..?

The only popular singer I really like is Adelle and that's mostly due to her voice quality since the songs are all mostly love songs. There are a few female 'white blues' singers I like when I hear them like Joss Stone but I don't go out of my way to listen to them or buy their records.

There are a handful of pop rock people I will listen to including Jack White, Black Keys, etc....but do they even qualify as pop..?

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

twalsh

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Joined: August 26 2014
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Posted: March 24 2015 at 18:00

Great feedback everybody! One thing that did not occur to me were a precise definition of pop music. n my head, this was labelled as "Top 40", which most pop is not. People also brought up other forms of popular music, including country and rap. Most PA members seem more drawn to 'pop' that is less mainstream and may be more connected to local scenes.

This is what I miss about the music I like versus the more popular forms 90% of my peers prefer (those that even listen to anything more recent than 1995!) I have a couple friends that like some lighter-toned prog-related artists sometimes. My g/f likes some prog but will not be forgiving me anytime soon for dragging her to see Dream Theater last year. She 'doesn't mind' them, but at a much lower volume.

I suppose it depends on what one calls 'pop'......and are we referring to mainstream popular pop....or more underground pop..?

The only popular singer I really like is Adele and that's mostly due to her voice quality since the songs are all mostly love songs. There are a few female 'white blues' singers I like when I hear them like Joss Stone but I don't go out of my way to listen to them or buy their records.

There are a handful of pop rock people I will listen to including Jack White, Black Keys, etc....but do they even qualify as pop..?

Sounds familiar. I more prefer popular rock music and really like Jack White. Most of my pop/rock likes are Canadian artists (I like Can-con rules) like Mother Mother, Metric, City and Colour, Imelda May, Said The Whale and probably more that I've forgotten. Of these, I only really 'follow' the first two artists.

I could have saved you an hour or so of wasted time. Current day "pop" music sucks the big one. All of it.

I highly dislike any sorts of modern pop music. In fact, I would go so far as to say I loathe it.

I concur with nearly all of the above, except that I've heard one Ed Sheeran song that I liked for a while, due more to the imagery than the sound - A-Team, I think.

Many substantive comments with pop artists worth exploring omitted....

More heavy prog, please!

Man With Hat View Drop Down

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Posted: March 27 2015 at 01:07

dwill123 wrote:

twalsh wrote:

So, after a painful hour or so, in which I explored Kanye, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and the top three songs in the British and Canadian current Top 40.

Any thoughts?

I could have saved you an hour or so of wasted time. Current day "pop" music sucks the big one. All of it.

Truth.

Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.