aidan Advanced Member Posts:638  
| 8/2/2005 1:48 PM |
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james blunt dominating the charts, kt tunstall being the mainstream idea of cool music - what does this say about music at present? have the david grays/damo rices of this world finally won? will all the pop idol shows now be full of wannabe acoustic singer-songers and glorified buskers? are we back in the late 80s, when humourless, overwrought and over-earnest music like simple minds and 'rattle and hum' ruled the world? 
only the new scissor sisters album can save us now!
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 8/2/2005 1:59 PM |
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Man..... its like you just described the soundtrack to my own personal hell.. ok well there could be a lot of other bad bad things in there like say... Red Hot Chilli Peppers... and.... Steps.
But yea... I'm definitly hating it. There is always that underlying current of 'acoustica' tho. Before
Damien Rice and Declan O Rourke there was David Gray etc.. its always there man. Sneaky little f**ks.
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Punchbowl Basic Member Posts:205
| 8/2/2005 2:15 PM |
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quote:
only the new scissor sisters album can save us now!
That is a joke.. right? |
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Binokular Veteran Member Posts:1665
| 8/2/2005 2:33 PM |
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Nothing wrong with mellow acoustic songwriters as long as its done well (Declan O'Rourkes stuff is pretty good), but without singling out any one artist ot group of artists I can't help feeling that its part of a continung trend of people buying music to make themselves feel clever or morally superior or whatever. "We're above all that pop music you know, we listen to REAL musicians" - wow so Girls Aloud are a figment of my imagination then? *pop* and they vanish in a puff of logic. At the end of the day, its just as dull as a chart dominated by Britney Spears or Take That.
I think songwriters oughta take a leaf out of Donovans book, he was a singer songwriter but he embraced popular music, he was part of it, pushing it forward, not looking down at it derisively and doing "ironic" cover versions.
Theres always been various forms of music snobbery and people trying to set themselves above what they perceived to be the mainstream, rockism, discophobia, but I suppose the root of the way things are now came with people missing the point of punk. Punk served a purpose, breaking down a pompous muso establishment and re-democratising popular music and giving it back to the kids, something people like Patti Smith had been pushing for a while, but all some people seem to have taken away from it is the "breaking away from the mainstream bit" long after it had served its purpose, punk morphed into indie rock, indie fostered the bedwetter acoustic songwriters. Right I'm just rambling now so I'll stop.
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PilchardAdvanced Member Posts:699
| 8/2/2005 2:34 PM |
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just when u thought it couldnt get any worse after james blunt, i hear theres a new david gray album on the way.
music for the obese generation
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 8/2/2005 2:39 PM |
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No your dead right there Binokular. I can easily identify my own musical snobbery and I think everyone likes the idea of discovering a 'new band' and introducing it to your mates or whatever. The thing that gets me tho is the sameness of the acoustic 'scene'.
Dont get me wrong I am not completely anti acoustic or anything. I love Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits - all seasoned singer songwriters and at some point acoustic artists etc but it seems that now a days everyone is a singer songwriter and there is very little new or innovative about any of it.
In regards to punk nowadays - the last time anyone described what they were doing as real 'punk rock' to me was the singer from Wolfeyes and to be honest I think he just used that term and its anti establishment / against the grain leaneages to justify the biggest load of s**te I have ever heard in my life. 'Noise Metal Punk Rock' my arse!
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aidanAdvanced Member Posts:638
| 8/2/2005 2:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Punchbowl
quote:
only the new scissor sisters album can save us now!
That is a joke.. right?
not at all! I want my music to be exciting and swaggering and witty and arrogant and catchy and aspirational and daring and curious and all the qualities that are in the best stuff by bowie, the sex pistols,'65-'67 beatles, suede, the pixies, t-rex, the clash, the first stone roses album, 'achtung baby'.... and the first scissor sisters album: the best pop album in years, full of brilliant singles and great songwriting (catchy tunes, clever lyrics).
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DaraghAdvanced Member Posts:666
| 8/2/2005 3:06 PM |
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just saw there that jello biafra is playing the village on 20th august, should be a good gig. Missed the chance to hear him speak in San Fran two years ago, so this should be good. Benni just reminded me about it there with the punk thang, cos he used to front the Dead Kennedys.
Donovan rocks too! only heard a few songs, but they are really good. "First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is" (brilliant)
I love acoustic stuff too, but a lot of whats going about at the moment is just boring rehashes. You very rarely here something like Leonard Cohens early stuff, which had a load of mad quirkiness in the background, which really made the tunes stand out, and stay interesting. Plus very few people seem to write great lyrics any more.
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strollerAdvanced Member Posts:576
| 8/2/2005 3:27 PM |
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There's nothing wrong with quality acoustic music. I love Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, Elliott Smith, Devendra Banhart etc etc. But that James Blunt song is just trite. I'd file it in the same category as "Everything I Do I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams. KT Tunstall is just this years Dido. I'b be hard pushed to name two less interesting "artists".
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 8/2/2005 3:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by stroller
There's nothing wrong with quality acoustic music. I love Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, Elliott Smith, Devendra Banhart etc etc.
All class artists. Speaking of which did you catch Devendra in the Village? Unfortunatley I missed it due to being too drunk to remember I wanted to go. Yes. Nice. Apparently Joanna is on her way back over too. And Adam Green in Whelos this month. Now they are a bunch of quality acoustic acts. |
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strollerAdvanced Member Posts:576
| 8/2/2005 4:19 PM |
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I was planning To go see Devendra in Roisins in Galway but I was DJing that night so I couldn't make it. Ragin! And the night that Adam Green is playing the Roisin is the same night that the pixies are playing in Lansdowne Road. Double Ragin!
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 8/2/2005 4:35 PM |
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s**te! Hate that man. Where do you DJ? Always on the look out for some good tunes.
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UnicronVeteran Member Posts:1696
| 8/2/2005 6:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by benni
Speaking of which did you catch Devendra in the Village?
Best gig I've seen in this country all year. |
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EoinBasic Member Posts:174
| 8/2/2005 7:18 PM |
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James Blunt, what a f**kin w**ker ! saw the guy being interviewed the other day. his single is complete toss, if you listen to the vocal performence it basicially sounds like a whining auld one. whoever said KT Tunstall was this years Dido is dead right.
As for mellow and acoustic music... I do actually really like Stephen Fretwell's album Magpie, saw him live in Whelans earlier and he was amazing. However if you hear the new single 'Emily' on the radio, please do not go out and by it as it is not the original and lovely version that appears on the album 'Magpie' but a bad re-mix complete with dodgy strings and such.
Another to watch out for I think is the new Richard Hawley album 'Coles Corner' out in September, I have had a sneaky preview of 4 tracks off it and it is ace, this bloke is genius !
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strollerAdvanced Member Posts:576
| 8/2/2005 9:45 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by benni
s**te! Hate that man. Where do you DJ? Always on the look out for some good tunes.
I do an Indie night upstairs in Cuba on Eyre Square, Galway. The Night's called The Magic Number and it's been on the go every Wednesday for nearly three years now. I uded to do a couple of indie gigs in the Drum (Bar part of GPO, Eglington Street, Galway) but they're on hold for the Summer. But once the students come back in September I'm sure the gigs will start to resurface again. |
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PilchardAdvanced Member Posts:699
| 8/2/2005 9:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by stroller
quote:
Originally posted by benni
s**te! Hate that man. Where do you DJ? Always on the look out for some good tunes.
I do an Indie night upstairs in Cuba on Eyre Square, Galway. The Night's called The Magic Number and it's been on the go every Wednesday for nearly three years now. I uded to do a couple of indie gigs in the Drum (Bar part of GPO, Eglington Street, Galway) but they're on hold for the Summer. But once the students come back in September I'm sure the gigs will start to resurface again.
ah so u are the same stroller who did 110th street in the GPO? has that club finished? |
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strollerAdvanced Member Posts:576
| 8/3/2005 12:27 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Pilchard
quote:
Originally posted by stroller
quote:
Originally posted by benni
s**te! Hate that man. Where do you DJ? Always on the look out for some good tunes.
I do an Indie night upstairs in Cuba on Eyre Square, Galway. The Night's called The Magic Number and it's been on the go every Wednesday for nearly three years now. I uded to do a couple of indie gigs in the Drum (Bar part of GPO, Eglington Street, Galway) but they're on hold for the Summer. But once the students come back in September I'm sure the gigs will start to resurface again.
ah so u are the same stroller who did 110th street in the GPO? has that club finished?
Nope the club has left the GPO and it's now on once a fortnight in the Vic. When it was in the GPO Cian and Cyril (Si-Si) used to play electro, Punk-Funk, House and Techno on the main floor as well as everything from the Ronnettes to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I used to play in the second room (The Drum) with Simpy and Ger-Z. We Used to play Soul, Funk, Disco, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Ska, Breaks and Beats, House, Drum and Bass, Indie and anything else we could think of. However about two years ago the GPO changed hands. The old owner is know involved in the Roisin Dubh as well as Massimos and the Blue Note. 110th Street stayed in the GPO for a while after the club was sold but the new owners wanted a different crowd and a different music policy. 110th Street moved to the Vic last year but alass it's only a one room venue so Cian and Cyril had to go it alone. It's been a hugh success for them though. It regulary sells out and in the last few months both Erol Alkan and the Glimmers have played here. The lads play mainly electro now but they're really good at what they do and there's always a great atmosphere down there. They're starting to play more regulary in Dublin now as well and it looks like one of their re-edits might be getting released on a big British label pretty soon (fingers crossed). If you want more information email sraid110@yahoo.com and they'll start sending you weekly mail outs. |
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PunchbowlBasic Member Posts:205
| 8/3/2005 9:22 AM |
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Firstly the James Blunt song is atrocious. This is a guy who's credibility stems from the fact that he was added to Glastonbury and feted like an indie superstar by the BBC and indeed the same people who've been coming to it since they decided to allow Robbie Williams play there. In a summer seriously lacking in anthems it's no surprise that this song has made him a (temporary) star. but temporary he is and as soon as all the schoolteachers return to work his music will be long forgotten. Sure, he'll be dragged out at some dinner party by a gang of idiots who can't remember where they left the David Gray CD, but who cares.. I certainly won't be there.
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Vent My SpleenAdvanced Member Posts:500
| 8/3/2005 1:33 PM |
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I had filed James Blunt under 'inoffensive' until I saw him (on TOFP of all things) singing live. I honestly couldn't decide whether he just can't sing of had tried it a couple of octaves too high. It was deplorable. Yet another guy marketed directly at those who buy 2 albums a year. Pseduo indie-lite pop.
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mickeyjoe New Member Posts:42
| 8/5/2005 12:48 PM |
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In fairness to KT Tunstall she put on a great performance on Jools Holland back in October last year and it was that performance which really launched her career. Plus i think if you see her live with her full band you can only realise what a great performer she is.
'Viva KT'
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