Dear music industry,
What are you thinking? Like seriously though, music has turned into a cesspool of terrible no-talent, degrading and just plain horrible music. Every time I turn on the radio nowadays I want to take a cheese grater to my earlobes. When you start signing 100s of bands that have the exact same sound, you know you’re doing something wrong. I was listening to modern rock radio the other day, I hear about six songs and I honestly thought it was just a sneak peak preview for a new Nickelback CD, when I figured out that it was six different bands I almost threw up in my mouth.
Auto-Tune is the worst thing that ever happened to music. Any moron with a microphone and a computer can go on FL studios, make a mediocre beat, throw Auto-Tune on their voice and have a new top of the Billboards song. T-pain did the Auto-Tune app for the iPhone, he even says in the video for it “if you can’t sing, put Auto-Tune on your voice and you can sound just like me!” isn’t that kind of admitting he has no talent? I find it funny when these morons play live without the Auto-Tune they sound beyond horrible.
Modern rock, how much longer can bands rip off Pearl Jam and Nirvana? I’m sorry to say, but they’ve milked that sound dry by now. Everyone has that same yearrh voice, sounds like they’re gargling mayonnaise. All the songs are the same three cords, with a variation of shitty little riffs in the middle, singing about how their girlfriend left them and how badass they are. Can anyone really tell the difference between bands like Theory Of a Dead Man, Nickelback, Puddle of Mud, Creed and Default. I know I can’t.
All in all, I think that bands on the radio should be original and instead of people writing songs that sound like all the other songs that are on the radio. They should grow a set and try something new. The underground music scene is thriving with bands that are so underestimated by the general public who have actual passion for the music and real emotion. I don’t understand why people with talent, a good message and integrity in their music must remain in the underground scene. —Jayson LeMoine, a real musician
This article appears in Mar 18-24, 2010.
I agree with virtually every sentence, however, please keep in mind, producers produce bands.
Labels sign bands with the intention of selling records, and they use producers.
Therefore, any band with a record label is expected to honour their contract which states they have to make MONEY for the record company, and do what the producer says (generally the same unimaginative dude who produces the 3 other popular bands on that label). Unless they’re willing to forfeit the contract, and pay back the advance they most likely already spent, they do what they’re told.
Until independent musicians start taking over the industry (which will never happen if people don’t go out and support independents instead of watching/buying up slick-processed MTV shit), we’ll be stuck with the same manufactured, tired, lame-ass shit we’ve been spoon-fed for years.
Oh, and as a professional musician, as far as I am concerned, if you can’t sing a capella and stay on key, you have no business doing anything but karaoke.
Go indie!
Dude, if you are listening to the radio for your music, that’s your problem right there. Apart from CBC I haven’t listened to the radio in a very long time.
And if you like Nickleback, you are a lost cause…Just sayin.
FA: You don’t have to have your very own radio tuned to a shit station to be inundated with (I want my) Nickelback (’cause that’s too much to pay to hear your band). You can work in a place where they have sattelite radio, or local stations, or play Much Music all day… or maybe you shop… 🙂
My point is, we’re stuck having it thrown at us no matter how much we try to stop it… But I guess since the masses are lapping it up, that makes it OK?
Unfortunately, Nickelback is on our store’s playlist for some reason, so I occasionally have to put up with it.
I’m not exactly sure what you are saying with your first paragraph, but if it’s what I think you are: I don’t listen to satellite radio. I also don’t go to the mall often enough, or have a job that requires me to listen to radio stations.
I am actually oblivious to any “main stream” music. I know who nickleback is, but I wouldn’t recognize a lady gaga song, and only know the name because of this forum.
So in that sense, I think we can stop it pretty easily if we try, cause I do..and I’m not trying.
Not everyone has great musical taste including some of the bands making the music. The music industry recognizes this and markets accordingly. Those with taste and an ear for good music will only listen to and buy the best. Those without are attracted to equally tasteless bands. The music industry wins either way. ‘Have A Cigar’.
Puddle of Mud, Creed and Default? Have I timewarped back to 2002?
I agree to a point with what you’re saying, but qualifying that as modern rock is mystifying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0U38Nv3uXQ
and I spent 6 hours in the car with a teenager cousin this past weekend who wanted to listen to the radio….
I think I can count the number of different songs I heard on both hands.
one song (the fucking… “I’m a little drunk and I need you” song… was played 4 times….)
horrible “like a waving flag” song…
the train one that’s just garbage…
who pays for this shit???
uh…
jayson, modern music as you call it, has been in decline for over 20 years. with the fucking crap they put out now, it just gives you the dry heaves. i just tune it out on a daily basis. don’t get me wrong now, there is some that has a glimmering of redeemance, but very little so far. most is just a bunch of noise with fuck this, fuck that thrown in to make you think it passes for talent. anyone with no ears can make rap today, and having a burnt out coke brain helps too. pity our ears, and keep the crap lowered.
FA; Wasn’t trying to insult you, was just saying that you don’t have to listen to the radio to hear the crap Jayson’s talking about. It’s everywhere, sadly.
LS actually has a point. With the internet, we now have an easier time of tuning the music we don’t like out.
Yeah, I agree with you there Gidget, definitely didn’t think you were trying to insult me at all either.
couldn’t have said it better myself.
Just don’t listen to the radio. Make yourself mix
tapes of music that you like. I haven’t listened
to the radio in years, except talk radio.
Sadly, I only listen to the radio to try to win things… It’s cheaper than scratch tickets and slot machines 😀
The best rock and pop music was created in the sixties and seventies. Only a handful of artists since then have hit the mark. Motown anyone?
MJK all the way. I just wish we had The Bear, or Edge or Power 97-type stations so we could listen to real rock…
You can listen to most radio stations across the planet online. Toronto’s Q107.ca has Psychedelic Psunday with 12 full hours of great rock (1965 to 1975)oldies…London UK’s Planet Rock is owned by rock musicians and plays some very audible stuff…some decent Aussie stations too…the choices online are global and awesome…no need to listen exclusively local.
That’s the thing though… the point of having good local stations would be so we are able to keep listening locally. It’s easy to go to any one of thousands of good online stations but local radio would not become obsolete for some of us if we could hear what we want to. I miss the days when I liked what was on the radio and also experienced the locality of the small-town radio station with its prizes, commercials and local voices.
I listen locally for the local news, prizes, local artists and on air personalities. I also listen globally to expand my perspectives. And then there are times when I listen to some of my personal music collection which has selections not no longer or not ever available on radio.
Great music is being made as we speak all over the place, not just locally. The problem is that the mass media and big corporate record companies are pushing regurgitated crap down the masses’ throats. Of course, we all have a choice as to what we tune in or tune out, the problem with this is that for the most part, the real artists, except for a handful, get left in the dust and don’t get to reap the fringe benefits that go with big record company support.
Exactly, BRoc. And it’s very difficult to make music that is true to your loves when there’s nowhere to play it…
On the one hand, thank God for open stages, but on the other hand, people assume they have to sit through wailing singer-songwriters playing the same three chord laments, and so the only audience you get are other musicians.
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said, i’m the guy who wrote this bitch BTW. I’m a grade ten student and i was assigned to write a letter of complaint, i didn’t really know who to direct this towards so i just did the broad topic of the whole music industry.
Musical taste definitely has a relation to your age. There’s a point in time where most people thinks modern music has “gone downhill”. With mention of Pearl Jam/Nirvana, I’d assume you’d be in your 30s.
To lament the passing of some fictitious “golden age” of the music business is a waste of time.
Every generation critcises the ‘mundane’ and ‘copycat’ styles of the day…although it’s far worse today than ever before, I think…there’s just SO MANY bands!
The paradigm has shifted, the virtual airwaves are flooded with literally millions of bands now…it would impossible not to have huge amounts of repetition of styles and melodies…
The same thing happened to baroque, classical, ragtime, show tunes, jazz, blues etc etc.
There are lots of great musicians and bands out there, but it’s a full time job for you to weed through the mediocrity.
Really, these days (as it has been in the past)…it’s as much about the presentation of the artist as it is about the music.
About ‘auto-tune’; the ‘effect’ you are hearing…e.g. the “Cher” effect, lol, is really almost a misuse of the unit, although it was compelling when it first was used, it’s now everywhere…google “auto-tune weather forecast”…
It’s a bit like “fuzzy voice” was a few years back…what started as a few bands experimenting with distortion on the vocals was suddenly everywhere. I still like fuzzy voice though.
To try and forge a career out of playing rock/popmusic in this day and age? And in THIS part of the world!?…whew, I’m glad to be the semi-retired truck-drivin’ sumbitch organ player that I am…
Unless you’re into sideman gigs, stressful paid studio work or you’re a regular on the Xmas daddies…stay in school, get a job.
But, of course, continue to write and record as much as you can…do it for yourself first and foremost.
Hey gidget, where do you play at around this berg?
Or, if you’re keeping anonimity on here, that’s cool too…
Hahha. I assumed wrong. There’s always that danger. But I still believe musical taste does have a relation to age, regardless.
HAHAHa, that’s awesome Jayson, you chose the bitch forum for your assignment.
And yeah sarey..you seem like a pretty right on kid. Now you just need to pick up a record player and enjoy some Hendrix old school style.
“”All in all, I think that bands on the radio should be original and instead of people writing songs that sound like all the other songs that are on the radio. “‘
Because, if you go back far and wide enough, everything sounds like something, lol…
The same thing happened to classical music…20th century composers, in order to avoid being labelled ‘derivative’ and unoriginal, began using all sorts of atonal chords, crazy percussion and wacky time signatures…and the result was unlistnable to all but the most ardent fans of “originality”…
We see that with pop music now, and have for years…to be “original” these days seems to involve more than just the music, doesn’t it?
Oh don’t even worry about that. I go to school with 100’s of kids who listen to this bullshit lady gaga and horrible rock. When blasting out of my headphones is reggae, blues, funk and real rock, gotta love the classics. I’m from cape Breton myself, so music was always around me and the appreciation for good acoustic music is always there, sitting around a fire with some bongos and a couple of acoustic guitars, i don’t see a better way to spend my youth.
I see your point on the fact that everything has been done before, but i just mean throwing your own personal touch onto the song. Like, there’s a guy named g-love, he played blues on the streets of Philly with his guitar and harmonica, then one day he decided to pretty much rap over the blues and it was a sound that no one heard, he might not be you’re thing, but it’s hard to find someone who sounds like him. See i respect that.
we call those bands theory of a dead pickle in mud by default(sorry all i could come up with)
hey bmf you changed your avatar the parka is gone. is that really you?
Hey JaysonLeMoine, judging by your name, I would say we may have a bit in common. Is the LeMoine part where you are from?
Paingirl, yeah it’s me I don’t usually wear that inside…
😉
“”theory of a dead pickle in mud..”‘
…just a blur of similar names…like midwest US cities – Sioux Rapid City Cedar Falls….
I agree
Indeed! Hear hear JaysonLeMoine! If radio is a reflection of culture then bring on the Porcupine Tree instead of the default theory of a nickleback! WTF is a nickleback anyway and who really cares?
Hey, it’s a small pic but the first thing that crossed my mind was a cross between Ozzie Ozbourne and Gary Busey. 80% Ozzie, 20% Busey.
There’s a nickleback in football but that doesn’t make much sense. Buck 65 was supposed to be Buick 65 but the leaflets and fliers had a typo and the name stuck. Who knows.
IT’S BAAAAACK, AND I DIDN’T SAY IT 3 TIMES. WHO THE FUCK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SHIT. LET’S HANG EM’.
I soooo agree with you both about the auto tune and all the “Theory Puddle Nickle Creed” bands out there.
What really sucks about halifax is the lack of support for local rock bands. the venues are shrinking because people don’t come to shows. Bands are better off just having a festival circut in the summer and looking into other options in the other 11.5 months of the year.
Even our media (I AM TALKING TO YOU COAST) put the same Weezer looking nerdy chic blah bands in their publication. If you even sound a bit like Joe Plastic (or Joel Plaskett if you wish) and take a dump you make the cover of the Coast but a local rock band is the only Canadian band that opens for Ozzy Osbourne on his last tour and they don’t print a story or even agree to review their CD.
This town is not made for Rock-n-roll.
You think Pearl Jam and Nirvana are good bands? LOL. Try Handel or Beethoven, that kind of music is the ONLY good music.
yea but you bred one of the best 70’s bands ever april wine EL; the only good mainstream band i’ve heard lately is metric and they’re canadian; the first time i heard autotune by that freakshow cher i was wtf is that shit; and echo pearl jam is still making fine tunes
The shitty thing is I can only name one Nirvana song and no Pearl Jam tunes (though I could probably recognize a ditty or two if I heard them) and I was finishing university when these bands were ‘cool’.
Go see Slowcoaster next time they are in town. Now there is a gifted musical act.
I cannot say this enough: brit rock/revival Babyshambles and the Libertines…some of the best (albeit obscure) music put forth from albion today. also check out Ben Harper and Relentless7….some good shit right there.
okay…
we’re all never going to agree on music, I think that much is evident.
but at least we all agree that today’s crap is quite terrible…. so that’s progress.
now if only people would stop listening to the radio.. perhaps we’d get something decent played. I was at the gym this morning and heard the same fucking songs I heard over the weekend…
I swear, If I hear Hedley’s fucking “I’m not perfect” crap fucking song one more fucking time…
I’m gonna snap.
THROW A DECENT OLDER SONG IN ONCE IN A WHILE.
today’s best music my ass….
this is a pretty shitty day if that’s the best you can come up with
I mean really, are they all on a 3 hour loop? I hear the same 6-8 songs EVERY time I’m subjected to the radio no matter what time of day…
I did Jonnoman lol.
i am planning the tunage for today…i’m thinking zappa and tom waites maybe some peter tosh
paingirl….. throw some Cockburn, Cash and The Pogues on there and you’re all set.
no cockburn, but the other two are covered…how bout iggy pop or toots and the maytals
My problem with modern music is there’s no real decent metal anymore. Nu Metal fucked it for all of us 80’s thrash metal fans, because all of a sudden Metal was marketable. Now all we’re left with is Dream Theater, and that’s more Progressive Rock, but try and tell that to a “fan”. Sigh…
There was a bit of a decent resurgence of good, solid rock about 5 years ago, I mean, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back (The Darkness) was okay, but then they broke up a year later. Wolfmother is okay if you like classic rock, but I’d say they’re pretty commercial. Airbourne is pretty good too, same great Aussie rock taste, less douche-y Jet aftertaste.
Halifax rock died when they closed the Moon… ’nuff said. 🙂
And yes, I’m dating myself… Thank God I was doing gigs in Toronto at the time…
LS “It” didn’t GO anywhere. Be happy for a change or, better, crank up some Porcupine Tree and get over me. Happy Tuesday, asshat.
Man i couldn’t agree more on the nu-metal shit. When i see these douche bags like limp bisket it makes me fucking sick, vanillia ice came out and made a nu-metal cd last year, he remixed like ice ice baby.
BTW I’m hijacking sorry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=TmsNyY8uoh…
*Drool*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Gs4xGw1Eg
‘Nuff said.
I was pretty much done with Metal when Motley Crue came along. Twisted Sister was pretty much the end of the road. Thanks to MM for bringing back the Alice Cooper vibe of the 70s though.
“”Halifax rock died when they closed the Moon… ’nuff said. :-)””
Agreed.
I played there at least a dozen times back in the day…best club east of Quebec City (the Palladium capacity 3000!) …have you seen “friends of the moon” on FB?
That place rocked! I miss The Moon too:(
I once watched a guy hanging from the balcony, and suddenly fall right down on top of the bar, bounce up about 5 feet, lay still for about 5 seconds with the bartenders screaming….then jump down with his arms in the air and ran around the dance floor going “rraahhhhh”! while everyone cheered…
The old Moon…I remember one of the first shows I seen there was Edgar Winter. The place was packed !