Where's the revolution?

Mr. Presentable

Maybe I'm too old to see it, but

1950s Rock was born
1960s Pop was born
1970s Punk and the New Wave
1980s Grunge

has there been no new shift in music since then, or more particularly, in this decade? Is the art form stagnant?

dez_warlock

nipplenuts wrote: »

Maybe I'm too old to see it, but

1950s Rock was born
1960s Pop was born
1970s Punk and the New Wave
1980s Grunge

has there been no new shift in music since then, or more particularly, in this decade? Is the art form stagnant?

I would have thought the 80's brought heavy metal/glam etc and that grunge was the early 90's.

Well so far we've had Nu metal, lots of brands of "core" music but I guess emo music is pretty big now!

Karl Hungus

nipplenuts wrote: »

Is the art form stagnant?

No. But listeners are.

We're living in a different era, and the internet especially has changed how we listen to music. Music, to a lot of people, has lost it's value. It's no longer a case of buying a record and listening to it fervently for weeks, it's a case of downloading 40 albums a day, adding them to your play list but really listening to any of them. I honestly think there's no end of artists who are doing absolutely fantastic, original music, but if it's a case of someone just accidentally listening to a single song when their play list is on random then they're going to miss out on what the band have to offer.

As well as that, I don't think we're going to see a big revolution again, where the next big thing is right there and in your face. If we want art, we need to look for it, and we also need to accept that even when we do find something that we feel is personally revolutionary, a lot of other music listeners will be just too apathetic to care.

The art is far from stagnant, that's for sure, but how most people listen to and view music has completely changed this past decade.

ShawnRaven

dez_warlock wrote: »

I would have thought the 80's brought heavy metal/glam etc and that grunge was the early 90's.

No, grunge exploded in the early 90s, but it was around in the late 80s prior to Nevermind's release.

Hell Nirvana's Bleach was released in 1989. Husker Du's final stuff was also 80s and very reminiscent to grunge, as was The Replacement's work in the late 80s too.

The Wipers were also pre Nirvana, but very similar sounding too. Would definitely be a step to the grunge movement.

ShawnRaven

1990s definitely had a britpop/indie/shoegazing revolution. 90-93 was all Ride, Swervedriver, Mega City Four, My Bloody Valentine.

Then 93-97 was Blur, Oasis, Pulp <insert knacker anthem producer here>

While thrown in there for good measure would have been Garbage, Manic Street Preachers and several others I couldn't really be bothered mentioning.

But the 90s definitely didn't miss a music movement, but the 00's certainly did, it was boyband hell.

JohnnyIrvine666

I think it might of already happened.... the amount of Britpop and Indie bands big now is unreal and they're backed by myspace.... facebook... the rest I mean look at all the bands that have been big in the last few months you got Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Baby Shambles etc who all show case that British sound... The truth is the revolution has come and gone in the groups backed by the squares.... bad times

Sabre0001

There is music with a difference there if you look for it. Different genres fused together to create interesting if not excellent pieces. Dance fused with rock, rap rock, nu-metal (the 00's), etc. As KH said though, the consumption has changed...

And while people are being presented with more choice, it is often the same stuff that is being consumed (i.e. bought).

chin_grin

Watch Metal: A Headbangers Journey for just how many genres of rock there are. It really opened my eyes (especially Black Metal).

Of course these aren't milestones in the popular listening sense. But when you start getting out of the comfort zone of the "mainstream" genres it really is an eye opener. Feels like "where has this been all my life". (Well not that deep.....or....nevermind!).

Karl Hungus

Aye, there's certainly a staggering amount of different sub-genres out there, and a lot of very interesting things happening in them. It's all about seeking something out. But I really don't think we're going to see another sound that defines a generation as it were, the landscape has changed too much for that.

If you're looking for recommendations, then I'm sure the good posters here can provide.

nyarlothothep

the defining music trends for this decade as some have mentioned would be, imo, retrogressive indie rock, emo and generic factory made metal. I'd say the reason they haven't captured the imagination of the mainstream, in the way grunge, glam or 60s rock did is because they suck, to put it bluntly, for a multitude of reasons.

This decade has been fustrating, I'm really hoping that the fixation with these genres dissapates soon, as they've been around for 5-7 years now. I remember when this skinny jeans indie crap surfaced around 2004 with its proto version starting with the advent of the strokes. If I recall correctly, grunge exploded onto the scene in the 90s but lost popularity around 94/95? So it was in the dominant for 4-5 years. It just seems like such a long time since all these crap trends appeared and they wont go away!

The best solution would be to bring something new to the table, but failing that I would like to see a return to the free spirited 90s. I think there was a lot less cynicism, some quality I guess in the music, in that people weren't so self conscious or snobby about it.

Miasima Goria

The internet has played another role - bands/scenes can exist without the need for mass cultural exposure, thus don't make the compromises previously necessary for a band to get a following.

They'll tour the world, playing gigs or audiences numbering hundreds and will never get attention from the media.

Also, in my opinion this makes the bands play to their audience, not the general public.


The media is trend driven but also very conservative - there's a raft of bands from Leeds who play to big crowds, but because the music (grungy or whatever it's called this week) doesn't fit in formats, you don't hear it much on the radio.

The female synthpop acts of the moment are presented as a 'scene', but it's really a group of talented but careerminded women making what on the whole is very safe music.

nyarlothothep

hmmm the talent bit is questionable. But yeah thats another thing which is bugging me, the manufacturedness of the female synth pop trend. I'd prefer to see a little bit more diversity in the mainstream, rather than just one trend or two trends at any given time.

Mr. Presentable

So, all things considered, there has been no innovation that changed the direction of rock since c1989?

Are we saying rock has achieved nirvana? It is fully evolved? Forget the audience, ignore the media - that has changed many times in the last five decades - ask the teenagers who are the next generation of musicians. Where is rock?

My new thing? Bands like "Care bears on Fire" that my kid listens to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-NPyxtUSEU

Yazacoo

I think that your perhaps being a bit hard on the 00s.

I would certainly say indie has been a major revolution in the decade- even if perhaps you dont like it.
I like it.

Certainly the internet has changed how we listen to music but there have always been people, with cds, records and radio, who have bought them just for the mere sake of having them. This music would too like the random playlists of today not truly be appreciated. Its the very nature of fashion and trends. It is up to the individual to find what they like and say sucks to the rest of em.

and maybe its a product of our society where everything is handed to us on a plate, but christ if you want a music revolution then go out and make one.

How do you define the genre of a decade without the luxury of retrospect?

Karl Hungus

nipplenuts wrote: »

So, all things considered, there has been no innovation that changed the direction of rock since c1989?

Are we saying rock has achieved nirvana? It is fully evolved? Forget the audience, ignore the media - that has changed many times in the last five decades - ask the teenagers who are the next generation of musicians. Where is rock?

My new thing? Bands like "Care bears on Fire" that my kid listens to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-NPyxtUSEU

That's a ridiculous conclusion to come to, nobody has suggested anything of the sort.

If you want to believe that there's been no innovation since 1989, then you're blatantly disregarding a lot of very original and innovative bands such as Faith No More. Albums like Angel Dust and King for a Day, Fool For a Lifetime were a huge part of the sound of the 90's for many rock fans. Likewise, Tool created some incredible music this past decade, and I think Lateralus was to a large degree unifying for a generation of rock fans. I'd say A Perfect Circle was one of the best rock bands of the 00's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zur1ufWVi10

Honestly, Rock is constantly evolving, just because you've not heard it or dismiss it out of hand, doesn't mean that evolution isn't happening. You want to think that Care Bears on Fire is what rock is now? Fair enough that's your choice, but you're being extremely dismissive of what's out there and just how creative some musicians are being.

I think there's a lot of great instrumental rock bands doing the rounds today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM7oioKt7XE

ShawnRaven

Plus the 90s gave us Anathema, that alone is something to be thankful for.

Mr. Presentable

Karl Hungus wrote: »

That's a ridiculous conclusion to come to, nobody has suggested anything of the sort.

If you want to believe that there's been no innovation since 1989, then you're blatantly disregarding a lot of very original and innovative bands such as Faith No More. Albums like Angel Dust and King for a Day, Fool For a Lifetime were a huge part of the sound of the 90's for many rock fans. Likewise, Tool created some incredible music this past decade, and I think Lateralus was to a large degree unifying for a generation of rock fans. I'd say A Perfect Circle was one of the best rock bands of the 00's.

Honestly, Rock is constantly evolving, just because you've not heard it or dismiss it out of hand, doesn't mean that evolution isn't happening. You want to think that Care Bears on Fire is what rock is now? Fair enough that's your choice, but you're being extremely dismissive of what's out there and just how creative some musicians are being.

I think there's a lot of great instrumental rock bands doing the rounds today.

Sorry, Karl, I think you've missed my observation. I'm not denying innovation, I am missing the seismic change in music a la my examples in the OP. I am aware people are doing new and different things in rock. But there has been no great new movement to change how rock is perceived, played, performed in the last generation.

Care bears on Fire is a reference to the fact that it is the teenagers that redefine rock at every generation, rebelling against the previous old farts like me. And with the teenage mindset starting younger all the time, this is what you end up with.