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Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

I'll jump in with grand rambling overstatements as well!
Oct 19, 2007, 03:02
I haven't listened to a Radiohead album since OK Computer (and I thought that one sounded like a mix of Queen, Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin -- no wonder it was so popular!) I do give them credit for trying to bypass the "record industry" in putting out their latest record, I sincerely hope it works for them and inspires others to follow suit.

But I think the idea that Radiohead, or "music today in general", is just as cutting edge as 25-50 years ago simply isn't true. And it's not like I'm nostalgic for my youth, I wasn't around for most of that period!

I hear all sorts of amazing "new" music all the time -- most of which was recorded 30+ years ago, but it's "new to me." I really don't make any distinction between music recorded last week and last century . . . good music is good forever and boring music is forever boring.

Sure you can find innovative, quality albums these days (Scott Walker's "The Drift" and Liars "Drums Not Dead" were both superb and unlike anything heard before) -- but for every record like that, there's ten thousand computer-produced snooze fests (from Britney Spears to kids messing around in their bedrooms) and "indie rock" bands (or whatever the "cool groups" are called these days) that seem like they're more interested in their style signifiers than writing tunes (The Strokes, et al!) In this regard, I basically see Radiohead's "explore the history of avant rock with us" ethos as simply their particular current style signifier ("Faust Arp" -- hey, what a cool name for a song!) They were sorta "grungy" back when that was popular, so I guess you can call this artistic growth! (I mean, that is a lot better than the style signifiers Joss Stone like to attach herself to . . .) It's all so "postmodern" ya know? All surfaces and marketing . . . "meaning" has no meaning anyway, so let's all get rich.

I've harped on this before -- here and to anyone who will listen in person! -- but there is a qualitative difference in what's being done today musically vs. in pre-computer generations. The songs that were popular as recently as the 1980's were more melodically and harmonically complex than anything you hear today (except when they sample an oldie! Like Pink's hit "Feel Good Time" which was just a loop of the intro from Spirit's "Fresh Garbage" with some "party" lyrics over the top.) Because once upon a time you had to learn something about playing an instrument in order to be "a musician." Songs today tend to start with a looped beat and end with a cool haircut. Modern technology means "anyone can do it", but frankly just because everyone CAN doesn't mean most people SHOULD! (No wonder the music biz is losing money these days . . . today's songs are perfect for cellphone ringtones, no reason for kids to actually care about them very much. Videogames are the new rock and roll!)

BTW -- the only one of those "big in certain circles" artists I've ever heard of is Dan Deacon -- who does have an actual CD out. It's pretty good, but on first listen wasn't exactly a revelation . . . there's quite a lot of records that sound like that these days, though he does do it better than most.

On a final note, I'm gonna recommend the new Fiery Furnaces album "Widow City" -- cuz they are MUSICIANS and COMPOSERS in the classic sense! Saw them live the other week, and the show was basically playing the album live, which is fine because the album almost sounds like it was recorded live anyway. (Much more stripped down production than their previous effort.)
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Re: Radiohead download... (Robin Tripp)		 Replies:
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