A lot of it also comes down to bands worshiping genre trends instead of embracing sounds and using them to forge new directions. "I want to be a metal/ska/alt rock/emo band." instead of just being a band. It leads to bands reveling in the tropes of subgenres instead of taking what worked in them and creating a personalized sound.
The Stray Cats were known as a rockabilly band but they did everything from blues to swing to even some new wave and weaved it into what they were already doing. All the best bands do that. The indie wave from the 00s you mentioned? They all pretty much sounded the same. The ones that didn't are the ones we still talk about.
It’s a good point. There’s a very fine line between genre-blending and trend-chasing. I don’t think I understand exactly how to discern sincere bands from insincere, but there’s a “I know it when I hear it” factor.
I guess a part of it is, is the genre a band is chasing the flavor-of-the-week, or is it something that’s not hot at the moment? Another is, does the resulting sound still sound like the original band at heart, or is it a forced stylistic shift?
It’s very intangible and mysterious. Just like music.
Does it still sound like the band - relates to ‘is it still the band”
Just because it has the same label on the box doesn’t always mean much.
Leaving aside one hit wonders, there are bands that captured a great album.... and never again.
Others have nailed a formula, one which they expand on and stretch on occasion, but retain a recognizable style. Take Sabaton, for example. Though one can argue that other than technical skill and learning to craft songs that are more subtle than the singable anthems they appear to be at first, most of the improvement is technical. That said, the previous album also has a matching orchestral arrangement version, with shifts from hard rock to more synth and back.
On the one hand we want our favorite bands to grow, and not do exactly the same thing. We also want them to keep the feeling we liked. The trick is, whether they incorporate the current thing or something else, whether it FITS TOGETHER with what they did, and the spirit they had.
You’re not blathering. Music fans are picky about what we want. I think, at a minimum, what you’re describing is basically we want the band to sound like they’re trying. That they’re locked-in. That they care. No retreads, no lazy songwriting, no taking the easy way out. That includes incorporating new genres or sounds. There are ways to do it that just feel slapdash and artificial, and in an artform that is all about feel, fakeness is a death-knell.
"The Stray Cats were known as a rockabilly band but they did everything from blues to swing to even some new wave and weaved it into what they were already doing."
My favorite modern-day rockabilly band, The Millwinders, also blended several genres (I use the past tense because it seems that the band is no longer together.)
Below are some samples to provide examples of what I mean (all of which can be played for free for at the provided Bandcamp links.)
"Trouble", "Sweet Talk", and "Don't You Dare" are classic, lively rockabilly.
I love that Bob Dylan essentially went backwards in time, embracing styles and trends from the 1920s and 30s, before he was born. Somehow, this fits him really well. Maybe because he's always been an old contrarian, even when he was young?
But yeah, music is strange. I do think a lot of younger generations are just listening to whatever these days, not caring when it's from. Apparently a lot of old, random songs are revived on Tik Tok.
“I do think a lot of younger generations are just listening to whatever these days, not caring when it's from. Apparently a lot of old, random songs are revived on Tik Tok.”
I’m glad to hear this. I do think that music, like nearly everything else, is marketed mainly to late 30s/early 40s childless adult children. Maybe the kids are all right after all.
A lot of it also comes down to bands worshiping genre trends instead of embracing sounds and using them to forge new directions. "I want to be a metal/ska/alt rock/emo band." instead of just being a band. It leads to bands reveling in the tropes of subgenres instead of taking what worked in them and creating a personalized sound.
The Stray Cats were known as a rockabilly band but they did everything from blues to swing to even some new wave and weaved it into what they were already doing. All the best bands do that. The indie wave from the 00s you mentioned? They all pretty much sounded the same. The ones that didn't are the ones we still talk about.
It’s a good point. There’s a very fine line between genre-blending and trend-chasing. I don’t think I understand exactly how to discern sincere bands from insincere, but there’s a “I know it when I hear it” factor.
I guess a part of it is, is the genre a band is chasing the flavor-of-the-week, or is it something that’s not hot at the moment? Another is, does the resulting sound still sound like the original band at heart, or is it a forced stylistic shift?
It’s very intangible and mysterious. Just like music.
Does it still sound like the band - relates to ‘is it still the band”
Just because it has the same label on the box doesn’t always mean much.
Leaving aside one hit wonders, there are bands that captured a great album.... and never again.
Others have nailed a formula, one which they expand on and stretch on occasion, but retain a recognizable style. Take Sabaton, for example. Though one can argue that other than technical skill and learning to craft songs that are more subtle than the singable anthems they appear to be at first, most of the improvement is technical. That said, the previous album also has a matching orchestral arrangement version, with shifts from hard rock to more synth and back.
On the one hand we want our favorite bands to grow, and not do exactly the same thing. We also want them to keep the feeling we liked. The trick is, whether they incorporate the current thing or something else, whether it FITS TOGETHER with what they did, and the spirit they had.
And I’m blathering at this point
You’re not blathering. Music fans are picky about what we want. I think, at a minimum, what you’re describing is basically we want the band to sound like they’re trying. That they’re locked-in. That they care. No retreads, no lazy songwriting, no taking the easy way out. That includes incorporating new genres or sounds. There are ways to do it that just feel slapdash and artificial, and in an artform that is all about feel, fakeness is a death-knell.
"The Stray Cats were known as a rockabilly band but they did everything from blues to swing to even some new wave and weaved it into what they were already doing."
My favorite modern-day rockabilly band, The Millwinders, also blended several genres (I use the past tense because it seems that the band is no longer together.)
Below are some samples to provide examples of what I mean (all of which can be played for free for at the provided Bandcamp links.)
"Trouble", "Sweet Talk", and "Don't You Dare" are classic, lively rockabilly.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/trouble
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/sweet-talk
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/dont-you-dare
"Ain't No Laughing Matter" is very reminiscent of Buddy Holly's style.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/aint-no-laughing-matter
"In Time She Will", "Too Late", and "The One Who Loves Me" are melancholy country in the vein of Patsy Cline.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/in-time-she-will
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/too-late
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/the-one-who-loves-me
"He'll Leave Tomorrow" has a sort of 1970s country sound.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/11-he-ll-leave-tomorrow
"Each Day" is R&B.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/each-day
"Bumble Bee" is a cover of a LaVern Baker R&B classic, but with a surf guitar twist.
https://millwinders.bandcamp.com/track/bumble-bee
"Voodoo Voodoo" is a rockabilly-ized up-tempo version of another LaVern Baker R&B song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKpCQw9PjMQ
Old man music needs to be really really old in order to be cool, like Mozart.
The classics. Now we’re talking!
I love that Bob Dylan essentially went backwards in time, embracing styles and trends from the 1920s and 30s, before he was born. Somehow, this fits him really well. Maybe because he's always been an old contrarian, even when he was young?
But yeah, music is strange. I do think a lot of younger generations are just listening to whatever these days, not caring when it's from. Apparently a lot of old, random songs are revived on Tik Tok.
“I do think a lot of younger generations are just listening to whatever these days, not caring when it's from. Apparently a lot of old, random songs are revived on Tik Tok.”
I’m glad to hear this. I do think that music, like nearly everything else, is marketed mainly to late 30s/early 40s childless adult children. Maybe the kids are all right after all.
Related note. It’s about role playing games, but it has to do about what makes a band a band. https://youtu.be/TP_K9ddFGus
Hey, you can link to Mr. Macris anytime.