Well hello there. Glad you decided to drop by this week. As you may or may not know, it is, in fact, the end of the week as we all know it, and I, like many of you, have a strong craving for a weekend do-absolutely-nothing session.
Last weekend, I attended the 2012 NAMM Show, a convention that, although astonishing in many ways, left me physically sore and a tad brain dead. The experience overall was one of eye-opening insight and personal growth, but after hours of work, my fatigued brain decided that I should abandon my expensive camera at several points throughout the weekend (luckily it wasn’t snagged), and my toxic pal, Jagermeister, made me unfortunately miss a Testament show. But all in all it was great, and over coming weeks, you can look forward to several NAMM feature articles, photos and video interviews – yes, video interviews – from yours truly.
But for now, I’d like to write about something I’ve noticed over the past few weeks and why it makes me a bit cynical.
A blanket topic that has spread itself over music news during the past several weeks – well, over months and years really – is one based in negativity: the sorry state of music today. We’ve been hearing a lot of reasoning why the music industry sucks nowadays; how musicians are being pick pocketed due to widespread piracy; how shallow, commercial music tops the charts while music that (shockingly) requires a degree of musical ability and intelligence seems to be resigned to niche audiences. Albums don’t sell as well, social media changes the way the game is played... Hell, these days it’s easy to get pessimistic about being a musician and even being a fan of music. There’s just so much crap out there and everyone (including myself) has been whining about it.
And I know I’ve been developing a rather negative attitude toward it as well. I find myself growing increasingly tired with contemporary guitar-driven music. Much like the episode of "South Park" where Stan becomes disillusioned with reality and everything around him sounds and looks like sh-t, the music I’m usually into has been starting to sound like one giant clichéd riff constantly looped over a predictable bassline and overly busy drumming. I need to rectify this.
So as we comb through this week’s UG headlines, you’ll likely see a pattern; there’s a litany of grievances against the state of music, signifying why musicians and fans are flat-out grumpy about today’s current state of music. Many gripes are justified, yet perhaps by looking at things differently, we could better digest what’s going on in the industry, and see how things could get better. I grant you temporary membership of the Official Piss and Moan About Everything Club and you’re free to commiserate. Let’s go.
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Man, That Music Industry... It's Just "Weird"
Here, we have Motley Crue guitarist, Mick Mars, noting how the music industry is "tweaking out and getting weird". Although I’m sure that Mars is shocked that fewer large breasted teenagers want to snort a mix of cocaine and ants off of Tommy Lee’s left nipple, the guy has undoubtedly seen a ton of changes in the industry from when Crue rose to prominence in the 80s. It makes sense though; in those crazy hair metal days, excessive sex and drug use went hand in hand with commercial pop music disguised as metal, and bands like Motley Crue were paid handsomely to wave their junk at female fanatics.
Things are obviously not the same. That behavior and image clearly isn’t celebrated on a widespread scale, and Mars, probably fondly remembering those insane days of touring, reacts to the industry’s changes. Mars, like other artists, understands that adapting to the change is the way to go. In Motley Crue’s case, they’re undergoing a residency in Vegas rather than hitting the road.
This is something we hear all the time: because the industry is changing so drastically, bands and artists need to invent new ways to gain exposure and climb to the top. The problem with this is nobody is sure what will work. In the face of all that uncertainty, it’s difficult to be optimistic.
Why Even Bother Getting Into The Music Business?
Now let’s hear from the more vocal figure in Motley Crue, Vince Neil! Echoing similar sentiments as his bandmate, Vince Neil chirped on some of the difficulties current musicians – emerging and established – face due to a seemingly endless amount of media outlets. Essentially, there are more ways to expose yourself, but it’s harder to get people to notice you. Good point.
But this general "warning" is likely familiar to anyone who has ever considered pursuing a music career – "You want to be in a band? Are you insane? Why not pursue something more stable?" I suppose in retrospect, it’s easy to look back 20 years and figure how it may have been easier for a band to succeed in various ways (more $, more sales, more people listening), but then again, traditionally, music has never been a secure business to pursue. I guess no matter what the current climate of the industry is, you still need to work extremely hard to make it. Easy to gripe about how the music biz sucks now, but we all still need to put in the work.
The Sound Of Today's Music Causes Anger
Oh, how I love Neil Young. This week, the eloquent Young explained that he is often frustrated, not by the quality of today’s music, but by the quality of the music’s sound. He cites the "bottom and beat" as the driving forces in the production of today’s music, while the "warmth and depth" of the high end are essentially nonexistent.
+1 for Neil, I’d say. In my opinion, digital recording technologies make the recording process easier and more streamlined, but because of it, albums sound too sonically similar and too polished. You could also argue that because of such advanced recording technologies, there is less of a need to execute a perfect performance in the studio; editing will take care of that.
Audiophiles, what do you think? Do you tend to favor older recordings, or is modern recording equipment a true asset to delivering a high sonic quality? I’m a little torn on this one.
Yeah, This All Sucks, But What Can We Do?
Blah! The industry is tanking, it’s more difficult for bands to exist, and even though we have amazing technologies, the result is a homogenized group of similar-sounding records. This sucks, Beavis...
Maybe I even grabbed at too many issues, but I think the abundance goes to show the complexity of the music business, the methods of which we’re exposed to it, and how, frankly, we can get tired of it. All the nostalgia for the quality, iconic, legendary, and culturally significant music from past decades seems to make the present scene look bleak like an overcast day in the middle of February.
But what can we do to restore our faith in music and stay excited about it? Is it possible to feel the same joy you did the first time you plugged in your electric guitar and played your first powerchord?
It is, but you must seek. I recommend taking every opportunity you can to expose yourself to new music. Learn a style of music you never considered before. Watch a band’s live DVD. Pick up a new instrument entirely. At the end of the day, music f--king rules, and even though we’re exposed to a ton of aural garbage, there’s still a great deal of sweet-sounding music that needs to be heard.
I’ll leave you guys with an experience I had this week that shifted my musical attitude from disenchanted to boyishly excited:
Imagine walking up to an unassuming building in a slightly sketchy part of town. The only indicators that the building is a place of business are the address – 1642 – and two words describing what’s inside: beer and wine. You open the door and a dense crowd of twentysometings is revealed, everyone leaning against the bar and small tables.
Go ahead and grab a dark beer. Then make your way toward the back where you’ll see a 5-piece band dressed in casual suits and standing in a loose formation. Three hollowbody guitars, an upright bass, and a clarinet supply the music for the night, and at times an unassuming female vocalists joins the band on stage in between beer rounds.
Even with the absence of percussion, the band is precise and tight. The lead guitarist and the clarinet player, in perfect unison, jam on playful scales at a brisk tempos. Damn, this band is good! The set of American standards, jazz tunes, Dixieland jams all set the mood for a lively night for the bar’s patrons, who even get up to dance. Sound like something you’d be into?
The most refreshing thing I noticed about this bar, aside from the ridiculously impressive band, was how young the crowd was and how much they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. These weren’t goons worshipping a scene band or guidos bumping and grinding to the latest club hits; no, these were young people who enjoyed a classy night and some great, timeless music.
This music, although it was definitely appreciated, wasn’t the focal point of the night. The music was atmosphere enhancer; a tool that contributed to the liveliness of the place. There was no pointless glorification of showy guitar solos or an egomaniacal lead singer, just a group of seriously talented musicians.
It was then that a burst of musical inspiration hit me. Somehow, it indicated that despite all the negative aspects we can point at regarding modern music, there’s still some great music out there, which people still apparently enjoy.
On The Next It's The End Of The Week As We Know It:
Fans of Black Veil Brides become upset when it’s revealed in a new book, which analyzes music’s effects on the human mental state, that listening to BVB causes slow, yet complete pituitary shutdown.
After the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed Steel Panther's album cover for "Balls Out" to be "overtly sexual", the band responds in defense, expressing how tame the cover is compared to what they originally planned to use – the concept for Spinal Tap’s "Smell The Glove".
Ticketholders to the upcoming Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival are outraged when the as-yet-to-be announced "special guest" turns out to be Limp Bizkit.
By Zach Pino
My two cents on the sound of modern music, I think Wasting Light is a perfect example. The album wasn't recorded digitally and wasn't tarnished by over-producing so the music not only shone for its musicianship, but also because the human emotion was not filtered out, and the album was a huge success.