why can't music be as much fun as it used to be?

[421JAM]

Tell me someone who has written and sang a real song this century? All the kids go o bars with sh....y thumping noise and speaking, not singing. Oh. Adele has written and sang some great songs. She's old school, like me.

Why are people like you so confident and boastful in your lack of knowledge?

Off the top of my head, the following people and/or bands have written and sung a real song in this century. None of these people are obscure, but they probably don’t get played on any of the radio stations you listen to.


Sam Evian
Ohmme
Jeff Tweedy/Wilco
Mountain Man
Cate Le Bon
Big Thief/Adrienne Lenker/Buck Meek
Marty Stuart
Liam Kazar
Faye Webster
Angel Olsen
Nick Cave
Waxahatchee
Deerhunter/Bradford Cox
Sharon Van Etten
Deep Sea Diver
St. Vincent
Tedeschi-Trucks
Marcus King
Lukas Nelson
Kurt Vile
Tame Impala
Lucy Dacus
Fiona Apple
Ty Segall
Jon Batiste
Sturgill Simpson
Madison Cunningham
Jim O’Rourke
Courtney Hartman
Brittany Howard

 

[Marc Morfei]

Because you are old and nothing is as much fun as it used to be. Go back to being 19. You’ll have a blast.

 

[Whatizitman]

Faith in humanity restored. Just keep in mind that Jon Batiste is not a guitarist (clearly). He is, however, everything else. Watch the entire song. If you're not blown away, you have no heart left and should be pronounced dead.

 

[kookaburra]

“Four dead in O Hi O”
“Hope I die before I get old”
“Helter Skelter”

Those really were some fun times.

Our misery used to be more fun?

 

[That Cal Webway]

This inspired the Beatles' Day In the Life:

 

[telemnemonics]

I totally didn't take the OP as another grumpy old man complaint?

I assumed it was a comment on Hank Jr complaining about Hank Sr complaining about his own kid?
I mean was Junior complaining about his grumpy old man being stuffy, an example of the peak of fun music from the codger era?

 

[Aftermath]

My old bassist had a sticker on his guitar case that said, “I’m not that old…your music really does suck!”

There’s plenty of good music out there; sometimes we have to search a little harder, but it’s there…the stuff that get pushed/promoted in the mainstream is not usually the good stuff…

I remember a lot of crappy music on the radio in “the good old days”, too…the Captain and Tenille, anyone?

Rock music definitely has a smaller talent pool to draw from. The underground rock in the past was better than it is now too.

 

[Bill Sheehan]

My wife and I just completed a three hour drive and listened to the 70s channel on Sirius. This is probably an old guy remark but it seems to me what’s missing today is originality and musicianship. Music was better and more fun when everyone wasn’t following the latest trend and everything wasn’t fixed, perfect and over-produced. The Guess Who, James Taylor, Boston, The Cars, Chic, Marvin Gaye and the like all in the same decade. There was a lot of great guitar playing across the board.

Now, kindly get off my lawn.

Hahahahahaha! I agree, Telemaster! I will always feel lucky to have grown up right in the thick of all those artists and groups, in real time. I remember as a pre-teen going to bed at night with my transistor radio under my pillow, hoping to hear my favorite songs. That's actually how I heard "Eleanor Rigby" for the first time!

 

[rand z]

It is for me...

mostly because it's minus the hoopla and riff raff of yester-year.

imo.

 

[arlum]

Reissues of what used to be?
What the hell for?

Well said.

Why are people like you so confident and boastful in your lack of knowledge?

Off the top of my head, the following people and/or bands have written and sung a real song in this century. None of these people are obscure, but they probably don’t get played on any of the radio stations you listen to.


Sam Evian
Ohmme
Jeff Tweedy/Wilco
Mountain Man
Cate Le Bon
Big Thief/Adrienne Lenker/Buck Meek
Marty Stuart
Liam Kazar
Faye Webster
Angel Olsen
Nick Cave
Waxahatchee
Deerhunter/Bradford Cox
Sharon Van Etten
Deep Sea Diver
St. Vincent
Tedeschi-Trucks
Marcus King
Lukas Nelson
Kurt Vile
Tame Impala
Lucy Dacus
Fiona Apple
Ty Segall
Jon Batiste
Sturgill Simpson
Madison Cunningham
Jim O’Rourke
Courtney Hartman
Brittany Howard

OK. I know of Marty Stuart and certainly Tedeschi-Trucks, (I'm a fan), but honestly can't place the rest of them.

If folks are looking for some truly fun songs post 2000 check out the album Burning Organ, (2004), by Paul Gilbert. Despite the strange titles just give these three songs from the album a chance. Suicide Lover, I Am Satan and Amy is Amazing. Fantastic!

 

[421JAM]

The generation that grew up when mainstream music was great have been in charge of the music and radio industry (and most other industries) for the last several decades. So if you’re going to lament the state of mainstream music and reminisce about how great it was back in the day, maybe your generation should do a better job running your businesses and provide the world with better quality music.

 

[fasteddie42]

You're just out of touch, happens as you get older.

 

[421JAM]

Well said.




OK. I know of Marty Stuart and certainly Tedeschi-Trucks, (I'm a fan), but honestly can't place the rest of them.

If folks are looking for some truly fun songs post 2000 check out the album Burning Organ, (2004), by Paul Gilbert. Despite the strange titles just give these three songs from the album a chance. Suicide Lover, I Am Satan and Amy is Amazing. Fantastic!

That’s a pretty long list. Anyone can pick any of those artists and see what they think. Most of these artists operate in a basic rock band instrumentation (though their sounds are quite varied) so an old school guitar enthusiast should be able to relate to what any of those artists are doing whereas maybe they can’t with electronic music, hip-hop, or modern pop.

If you know Tedeshi-Trucks, you’d probably be into Marcus King.

If someone’s into, say, Black Sabbath, they might like Ty Segall’s band Fuzz.

If you like George Harrison, try out Sam Evian.

If Joni Mitchell, then Big Thief or their front person Adrienne Lenker’s solo records.

CSN? Then try Fleet Foxes.

 

[Killing Floor]

Compared to the 60s-70s there are hundreds of times more artists making music. There are easily 1,000 more sources for music. I subscribe to couple dozen new music blogs based on my preference. Add a few streaming services and surprise, music today is rich, diverse and fun.
Not sure everyone’s age but growing up in the 70s most of what I heard on the radio was garbage. It still is. If you’re metric is what plays on FM radio you’re not ever going to get there.

 

[Skyhook]

Step one towards more happiness is less HW2

... and more MT-2.

 

[OmegaWoods]

Sturgeon's Law -- "ninety percent of everything is crap" -- is a law for a reason. But looking back at the past, we only focus on the 10 percent that was great.

Precisely so...

 

[telemnemonics]

OK where the hell did @rodeoclown go???

He posts one song where a now 72 year old codger complained about what an old codger HIS father was.
Cryptically suggesting that complaining about out of touch old codgers was what used to be fun?

Then nothing?
Not a single post to clarify what he meant suggesting music today ain't no fun?
Or suggesting we should do more complainoing about codgers?
Seems like boomers are getting enough blame these days?
Maybe even more so than kids used to get?

Followed by probably way off the mark interpretations of KIDS TODAY!!! codger laments.
In response to the polar opposite complaint?

 

[johnny k]

Why? Because you got old

Exactly what i thought.

 

[johnny k]

Hank III is as fun as they come.

I love hank 3.

 

[johnny k]

This inspired the Beatles' Day In the Life:

I love him too !