"Hello Obama, goodbye meaningful music"

Alfons

Way of the future
just read this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29002527/

"When musicians are dissatisfied with presidential administrations, they write protest songs, march on Washington and mouth off on stage. When they’re happy, they make dance music."

:slanted:

This grossly simplifies and distorts things (what about punk in the era of jimmy carter, gangsta rap in clinton years etc...), and makes popular music out to be very homogeneous

But there's still a discussion to be had. A lot of people seem to think that the economic downturn will have a positive effect on the arts, will obama's election influence that (for better or worse?).

Thoughts?
 

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
This is clearly the thoughts of some disgruntled campaign manager and not an actual human being. Obama does not have the entire population of the world dancing in the streets, firstly because he’s the President of America, secondly because not everyone voted for him or agrees with him, thirdly because the scope of human expression and experience isn’t limited to who America did vote for, and lastly because some people just don’t care.

It feels strange having to say that out loud, doesn't it?
 
So they said disco didnt rock the boat but Bruce Springsteen did, because his tunes had more lyrics. This goes back to the whole thing that mainstream music journalists will dismiss instrumental music, because its very hard to write about.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
So they said disco didnt rock the boat but Bruce Springsteen did, because his tunes had more lyrics. This goes back to the whole thing that mainstream music journalists will dismiss instrumental music, because its very hard to write about.

I've always noticed this about music journalists, too, and it's a generalization so DON'T GET PISSY with me music journalists who don't fit into this picture. I'm just saying I've seen it, it even discouraged me quite a bit from doing music writing from college onward.

The type of people who want to be music journalists often do not play any instruments. They have no formal training, either, which would be ok, but neither do they have an intuitive bond with any musical instruments. They also tend to be the types who majored in either, a) composition, b) journalism, or c) English. So they like literature. Early on in my journalistical dealings, I noticed that almost everyone who wanted to write about music knew nothing about music theory, or how to play music, and listened to music almost exclusively for the lyrics.

Any professional musician will tell you they hardly even register lyrics in their brains, unless they're exceptionally good (to the point where they add something to a song), or exceptionally bad (to the point where they nearly ruin it). In the absence of any theoretical or intuitive bond with the music, so many music journalists are left with what? A poem set to instrumental noodlings. So they assess it like it's a poem.

This I don't relate to at all. I think it misses the point of music entirely.
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
A lot of people seem to think that the economic downturn will have a positive effect on the arts, will obama's election influence that (for better or worse?).

Thoughts?

in terms of the US, i imagine that a good deal of professional musicians are Dems above GOP voters.

how an economic downturn might positively affect musical production is a re-run of great art springing from adversity which certainly has currency in some quarters. (i'm sure there's been threads, roughly on this, here.)

Alfons, your icon is lovely.

props to Nomad for her usage of journalistical.
 

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
This I don't relate to at all. I think it misses the point of music entirely.

Agreed.

This guy takes it to some next level of missing the point. He seems to be suggesting that all dance music is made revelling in the prosperity of the times.

It reminds me of that Dotun whatshisface who got brought up again in the Grime thread the other day re: his "grime music makes me a menace to society" piece. There are a lot of places out there that need janitors, and it's sad that these people aren't supplying that demand.
 

mms

sometimes
I've always noticed this about music journalists, too, and it's a generalization so DON'T GET PISSY with me music journalists who don't fit into this picture. I'm just saying I've seen it, it even discouraged me quite a bit from doing music writing from college onward.

The type of people who want to be music journalists often do not play any instruments. They have no formal training, either, which would be ok, but neither do they have an intuitive bond with any musical instruments. They also tend to be the types who majored in either, a) composition, b) journalism, or c) English. So they like literature. Early on in my journalistical dealings, I noticed that almost everyone who wanted to write about music knew nothing about music theory, or how to play music, and listened to music almost exclusively for the lyrics.

Any professional musician will tell you they hardly even register lyrics in their brains, unless they're exceptionally good (to the point where they add something to a song), or exceptionally bad (to the point where they nearly ruin it). In the absence of any theoretical or intuitive bond with the music, so many music journalists are left with what? A poem set to instrumental noodlings. So they assess it like it's a poem.

This I don't relate to at all. I think it misses the point of music entirely.

def some truth in this, i was sitting in a pub the other day and there were this couple who i reckon were definitely aging rock music journalists, as in between loud exchanges of gossip about rock musicians, they were trading lyric quotes across the table like english lecturers trading quotes from the classics in a lecture, or overgrown students with an nmeology. Just made me think how is music ever going to change?
The thing was that portisheads first album was playing on the pub stereo and ex loaded editor and courter of laddism had just left the pub earlier too, it was like being trapped in some kind of time warp, if it hadn't been snowing outside.
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
mms, does James Brown (journo) drink in your local then?!

i am sure i remember you making reference to him before somewhere on here.

i am actually quite impressed :D
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
The thing was that portisheads first album was playing on the pub stereo and ex loaded editor and courter of laddism had just left the pub earlier too, it was like being trapped in some kind of time warp, if it hadn't been snowing outside.

I'm confused. Did it never snow in the 90s or something?

Nomad's post is a very fair generalisation and is borne out by the fact that even today music eds will claim that dance music has 'less personality', when what they mean is it's harder to write about.

haven't read the blog this thread's all about - but is he under the impression we've been living through some golden age of protest music for the last eight years?
 

mms

sometimes
mms, does James Brown (journo) drink in your local then?!

i am sure i remember you making reference to him before somewhere on here.

i am actually quite impressed :D

he was that day, i haven't seen him since, but simon pegg drinks in my local on the regular, he comes in with his tiny little dog, sits there silently, has one drink and leaves, it's a bit spooky.
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
haven't read the blog this thread's all about - but is he under the impression we've been living through some golden age of protest music for the last eight years?

near the start of the piece the author writes
During the past few years, countless artists have vehemently despised George Bush, while voicing support for Obama. In the U.K., the Guardian noted “You could construct a decent box-set of anti-Bush songs… covering ground from Bright Eyes to Eminem, Pink to Public Enemy, Jay-Z to Elbow.”

as Alfons says the article grossly simplifies and distorts, although that above quote is accurate enough
 

mms

sometimes
I'm confused. Did it never snow in the 90s or something?

you are aware we've had the worst snow in this country for 20 years no?

its funny to think that music has to have personality to be music, surely thats the job of personalities to have personality, you know showbiz people.
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
near the start of the piece the author writes

as Alfons says the article grossly simplifies and distorts, although that above quote is accurate enough

Well at least he didn't put Green day on the list ;)

Bush makes a very easy target (at least here in the UK, there were/are probably more consequences in the US, as Dixie Chicks could vouch). I don't get the sense of a movement behind it the way there was with the counterculture or afrocentric rap.
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
he was that day, i haven't seen him since, but simon pegg drinks in my local on the regular, he comes in with his tiny little dog, sits there silently, has one drink and leaves, it's a bit spooky.

good lord !!

i once saw John Robb in a Caffè Nero in Manchester city centre (Cross Street branch, for those who know Mcr town).
that bloke has easy wardrobe choices..

(depending on which John Robb i meant, we could fit a John Robb into one of four different Dissensus threads. i did however mean the talking punk head.)
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
good lord !!

i once saw John Robb in a Caffè Nero in Manchester city centre (Cross Street branch, for those who know Mcr town).
that bloke has easy wardrobe choices..

(depending on which John Robb i meant, we could fit a John Robb into one of four different Dissensus threads. i did however mean the talking punk head.)

Dude, you don't get points for that. Try going out in Manchester for more than a few hours without seeing him.
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
Dude, you don't get points for that. Try going out in Manchester for more than a few hours without seeing him.

very true. normally drinking with 'Lard' Riley.

my middle-aged mother, however, does get some points for recognising the Unabombers in Kro Piccadilly once.

hip-cat ma!
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
very true. normally drinking with 'Lard' Riley.

my middle-aged mother, however, does get some points for recognising the Unabombers in Kro Piccadilly once.

hip-cat ma!

One day there'll be a statue of Luke next to the Tony Wilson one they're putting up;)
 

mms

sometimes
good lord !!

i once saw John Robb in a Caffè Nero in Manchester city centre (Cross Street branch, for those who know Mcr town).
that bloke has easy wardrobe choices..

(depending on which John Robb i meant, we could fit a John Robb into one of four different Dissensus threads. i did however mean the talking punk head.)

i know crazy innit.

this john robb, he's a very grown man and he's the lead singer in a punk band, what can that mean to him, singing in a punk band in his 40s, is it like going to a nostalgia gym and having a workout on your rose tinted memories?
 
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