or Why does new music make me want to puke?
I asked my 20 year old son this question the other day, why does new music make me want to puke?…and he replied “because it’s all recycled crap – would you eat a chicken sandwich made in 1986? He’s a smart boy my son, with a good sense as to what is right and wrong – especially when it comes to music.
Music, one of the only constants in my life that makes it worth living (snuggled just behind my wife and kids of course), the one thing that will always be there for me, will always make me smile, will always make even the toughest day bearable (albeit with a glass of red to share the mood). So why do I not find comfort in sound these days?
Let me explain my predicament. I love to listen to music – I also love listening to new music, to a new band, or singer or whatever as long as it makes me go “mmmm I like that”. Then I will download it – listen to it – enjoy it – share it with my son maybe – listen to a few more times – – then enjoy listening to it again and again.
Currently my iTunes library has:
14260 songs 73:20:42:22 total time 78.43 GB
You can tell that I like my music but I must admit that I do not listen to everything on it, as on occasions I have downloaded music in haste believing a reviewer when he/she/it tells me that this new record by the next big thing will change my world and gives it 5 stars – when will I learn. I don’t really favour any particular genre, my taste is strictly liquorice – I like allsorts – the first 3 artists on my iTunes library are Aberfedly, AC/DC and Adam Freeland and as I write this I’m listening to Super Furry Animals Songbook so you can see that I’m kinda catholic with my taste in music.
What I don’t like, and this brings me back nicely to the crux of this post, is music that makes me puke. Or maybe I’ll put it another way, I don’t like music:
• that’s hyped up as the next big thing
• that sounds like A Flock of Seagulls should have sounded like in 1982 but didn’t
• that’s been done to death and back then dug up again and done to death again
• that involves pimply young men in black clothes
• that involves any one with the surname Gallagher (unless he’s Irish and can play a guitar like an angel on Sambuca)
• that is produced because the record company thinks it knows what we like
• that NME rate as essential
• when our beloved music critics use words like “angst” and “classic” and “next big thing” in their review
• when everybody loves it for 156 seconds then criticizes the 2nd album for lacking depth
Am I ranting here? Please stop me if I am….but I do feel that I have something to share with you.
Let me give you some examples:
• White Lies – To Lose My Life
• Glasvegas – Glasvegas
• Franz Ferdinand – you chose
• Kaiser Chiefs – you chose
• The Editors – You chose
• Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
• Peter Doherty – Grace/Wastelands
• The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of Understatement
Do you get my drift here?
I just want to sit down, relax, put my feet up, have a quick glug of red and go mmmm
The above do not do this for me – so why am I constantly being told that I should buy the above and even more scarily, why I am being told that I should like them and that if I don’t like them then I just don’t know what great music sounds like. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.
However, there are some exceptions – and I hope that this post will inspire you to share with me new music that will make me go mmmm but in the meantime let me share with you some new music that I believe is worth listening to:
• Bell X1 – Blue Lights on the Runway
• Fink – Distance and Time
• Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• Scott Mathews – Passing Strangers/Elsewhere
• Paul Heaton – Cross-eyed Rambler
• Nitin Sawnhey – London Undersound
There are not many new artists here – but they are all good, largely ignored by the music press, but enjoyed by music lovers. It is this I find hard to swallow, this that leaves a foul taste in my mouth, this that makes me seek comfort in sound, my sound, the music I like.
So, a question for you… am I missing something here?
Hmmmm, some interesting points but I have a bit of a bone to pick with you! You said that you don’t like music when our beloved music critics use words like “angst” and “classic” and “next big thing” in their review.
Good point, I agree with the second two. But I ask, how can you possibly discuss Faust without using the word angst in your review? And you’re not going to tell me that you don’t like Faust surely?
Hold on, I’ve just looked at the music you do like and I may be getting this slightly wrong! maybe you don’t like Faust after all!! Nah – impossible (isn’t it?)
Hi Spacepig – thanks for comment.
To be honest I have not heard a great deal of Faust but am currently on their Myspace page listening to “It’s a rainy day sunshine girl” and its good, yeah I like.
This is the main reason for creating this blog, to discuss and discover new music – thanks Spacepig – which Faust album do you recommend I buy?
Well – thanks for the welcome. Kinda hoping we can have somewhere we can discuss all kinds of music without any silly prejudices appearing. I personally like loads of different music, Faust just seemed like a good place to kick off.
Recommendations, It’s a Rainy Day is definitely their most accessible song and probably the closest they come to a proper song at all. From there on in its all weirdness and silliness.
Try BBC Sessions for a good taster. The purists will tell you that Faust Tapes and Faust IV are the must haves. Me, I don’t give a hoot about the purists – 71 Minutes of was the first of theirs I got and its awesome. In Autumn is a 3CD and 1 DVD set from their tour of the UK in 2005 and it is just plain mental (and I am on it!).
Latest one I have is Disconnected, a bit of a collaboration with Nurse With Wound and that one is really weird. Got a couple more on my Wishlist, but Christmas is coming so they tell me so here’s hoping!!!
I admit you have to have a bit of a thing for them or its not going to make much sense, they’re certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Best thing to do is to try to catch them live. Seen them a couple of times and they really are something else in concert. My girlfriend hated them until I dragged her off to see them. She got to play with all their power tools (listen to some of their more obscure stuff and you’ll see what I mean. Try and find the Hamburg / London 1990 set if you’re prepared to sell the kids for it). Now she’s converted and I even get off with playing their CDs when she’s in sometimes.
Anyway, as I said – wide range of music tastes. Some of my favourites are:
Anekdoten
Hawkwind
Ozric Tentacles
Buena Vista Social Club
Fairport Convention
John Martyn
Walter Trout
Ten Years After
Curved Air
Gong
Black Sabbath (Ozzy era only)
Marillion (Fish era only)
Guru Guru
Siena Root
Colour Haze
Porcupine Tree
Bert Jansch
And so the list goes on …and….and on. Hope we can get a good forum going as I said, without any prejudices or stupid remarks saying my music is better than yours!
Hi Spacepig,
Thanks for recommendations of Faust – I live in the Middle East so a bit hard to buy but will look more online (only Neuland album on Gomusic website – is that any good?)
I grew up with Hawkwind (1st gig etc.) love Porcupine Tree and Buena Vista Social Club will explore the rest soon.
Glad you like the blog – have you downloaded the music mix yet? Would like to know your thoughts on it.
Cheers
Laughing Dog
Wow, you live in the Middle East? Must be a bit difficult to attend rock gigs there then? If I remember correctly, I think Faust played in Israel some time in the distant past, don’t think they’ve been to the Middle East though.
I was in Tunisia earlier this year and I seen this fantastic band playing sorta updated traditional songs. Not the kind of thing I had listened to before but it was a really great night. I’m sure you have some brilliant bands there that no one has ever heard of before.
I don’t know the Faust one Neuland. having looked at it it looks like a compilation of some sort. I searched for it elsewhere but Gomusic seem to be the only ones that have it.
Hawkwind as a first gig is probably about the best place you could possibly start. I seen them maybe 15 or 20 times. First gig though was Motorhead supported by Saxon. I was only 16 at the time so for a 16 year old I suppose that’s not too bad. Don’t think I could be bothered with it these days though.
I live in Cork in Ireland, although I’m from Aberdeen. Problem here is, everyone is into either thrash metal (which I loathe), charty pop music (I detest) or MOR traditional music which I won’t even mention. It’s a bit difficult to get a decent music conversation going, which is how I ended up here.
We don’t get much decent bands coming here, but 2 weeks ago Nik Turner, ex Hawkwind brought his jazz band here. That was another great night, Mrs Spacepig in particular enjoyed the night as she’s a big jazz fan and doesn’t like Hawkwind at all.
Haven’t downloaded the music mix yet, but I do know quite a few of the songs on it. Haven’t heard The Airborne Toxic Event yet but I’ve heard good things about them. And with Jose Gonzalez featuring, the Cook De Books one is worth hearing too.
I’ve been wondering why no one else has joined in the conversation yet. Plenty of people seem to have taken a look going by the Amazon connection but no more comments yet? Surely someone else has got something to say?
Come on music fans – some input please!!!
Hi Spacepig – thanks for your support and marketing campaign, I’m sure we’ll get more joining us soon as the stats for visits are good.
Your right we don’t get many bands here in Doha – Dubai’s not bad but too far to travel for a gig. We do have ‘Dunestock’ every year which is an all day music festival in the desert featuring local bands – my son played last year in front of maybe 1000 people – not bad.
You mention Nik Turner , must have been a great night. I remember him from Hawkwind (vinyl only not live) and of course from Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters with Robert Calvert – a bit weird but one of my favs when growing up. My son and daughter will be seeing Hawkwind at the Green Man Festival near Brecon on the 21st Aug – good to see them still playing.
Just bought Faust “The BBC Sessions’ will let you know soon – may even make it ‘Album of the Month’
Can anyone else recommend some good new music for these hot Summer days in Doha?
Laughingdog
Hi Laughing Dog
You make a good point here but I think you are giving the music press too much credit. I dont think they influence me to much I buy what I hear on sites like last fm and what is new, sometimes this is good but the bands now can be good and can be bad this has always hapened yeah?
Why you slag off Oasis they are one of the best bands of the last 20 years and very much a big part of my youth – dont understand where your coming from on this one.
BTW – I read about your blog on Qatar living as I aslo live in Doha
Good luck
Please don’t get me started on Oasis – this blog aint big enough to record my thoughts – I’m just glad that the gobshitte twins will not be making any more CDs’ although I reckon we haven’t seen the last of them.
Good to hear that you saw my blog on Qatar Living
Please can we make a solemn promise that this is the last time that band will ever be mentioned on this website?
Hi Laughing Dog/Spacepig
What do you think of Oasis breaking up? I must admit I cried like a baby the best band ever better than the Beatles, the Stones Roses, Blur there feels such a gap in my life now. It funny when Jackson died I didn’t really care much, him being strange and all, but when I heard the news that these guys who are musical genius broke up I felt worse keep on playing wonder wall over and over and over just can believe it
Hey what’s going on here? Didn’t you read that last post?
But seeing as how you asked – I must admit I am a bit distressed that they broke up! Why? I hear you ask – well here’s why. had they stayed together (and let’s face it, they’ll probably be back together by the time I finish writing this) then they would have muddled on for a little while until everyone realised how utterly banal and insignificant they really are. But – having broken up, suddenly we have all these misguided adolescents bleating about how they are broken hearted and crying like babies as their lives don’t have any reason any longer!!!
Come on get a grip little sinner boy (or girl)! Better than the Stone Roses – possibly, better than Blur? definitely, but The Beatles!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really don’t think that that one is worth explaining to you, I’m sure the hysterical hound will put it a thousand times better than I could.
And as for ‘musical geniuses’!! ha ha, I’m not even sure where to start you off on your exploration of genius after that kind of comment.
Please, for your own good, look up Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Oscar Peterson, even your own recommendation, Johnny Cash, but don’t whatever you do, don’t even think about classing those two nerds alongside such illustrious names.
Important Announcement – From now on Oasis (last time we use that word on this website unless I am describing a day out in the Qatari desert when we accidentally come across a pond) Oasis will be known as “THE GOBSHITTE TWINS”
My point – Genius refers to a person, a body of work, or a singular achievement of surpassing excellence. More than just originality, creativity, or intelligence, genius is associated with achievement of insight which has transformational power – do you think of The Gobshitte Twins when you read this sentence? No nor me
A work of genius fundamentally alters the expectations of its audience – again do you think of the Gobshitte Twins when you read this sentence? Again not me
When I think of the Gobshitte Twins I think of two lucky lads who couldn’t even spell genius never mind know what it is – I think of two lucky lads in the right place at the right time with the right management (Alan McGee you leave a nasty taste in my mouth) – I think of two lucky lads who listened to their management who actually believed that they were the best band since The Beatles – and finally when I think of the Gobshitte Twins I think of the thousands of talented bands, artists who have created genius and who have been ignored because everyone thought the Gobshitte twins were good.
Sin Again Think Again – listen to the my music mix read Spacepigs recommendations, stay with us we will try and help you.
Finally look at this video clip – this kinda sums up the real image of the hard man of rock – look how Liam gracefully rabbit punches the stage invader safe in the knowledge that his bodyguards were close by to handle the guy – nice one gobshitte
Goodbye Gobshitte Twins
Now where did I read this:
“Hope we can get a good forum going as I said, without any prejudices or stupid remarks saying my music is better than yours!” ?