Band Judging, why?

[Paul DeLouisiana]

what makes modern garage rock more relevant than anything else?

Don't think anyone can answer that to your liking.

[Denim Gremlin]

I subscribe to Stereogum via RSS and tend to download all the free mp3s they offer. I find myself having a ton of this new dance indie pop stuff that while isn't exactly my cup of tea, isn't bad enough to make me want to get rid of them off of my computer.

But sometimes it feels like I've lost any ability to judge these songs anymore. They're just so light and fluffy that they don't withstand any sort of judgement and are just there.

Does any of that make sense?

Exactly, yeah. Best Coast is the worst of that bunch, I think. Some of the laziest music I've ever heard in my life.

agreed, best coast is really bad.

but people need to have some fucking perspective. there's always been shit. older music often seems better because it's had the chance to stand the test of time.

if modern music isn't given a chance then you'll never discover what's good. if you are content with just listening to the same old stuff then great, that's your choice but don't generally dismiss everything that's happening because you're willfully out of touch.

the reason "the youth" are interested in new new new is because we want something that's ours. not something borrowed from past generations.

if this was 1969 you'd all be talking about how shitty the production value is on the stooges record and how the velvet underground are obnoxious hipster art students.

[KickTheBobo]

if modern music isn't given a chance then you'll never discover what's good. if you are content with just listening to the same old stuff then great, that's your choice but don't generally dismiss everything that's happening because you're willfully out of touch.

the reason "the youth" are interested in new new new is because we want something that's ours. not something borrowed from past generations.

if this was 1969 you'd all be talking about how shitty the production value is on the stooges record and how the velvet underground are obnoxious hipster art students.

hmm. I think it's more that I enjoy the new music that is being made that is more my taste. Here is a listing of new-ish bands that I tend to enjoy:

Ernest Gonzales
Big Blood
Expo 70
Fuck Buttons
Pharoah Overlord
Parts & Labor/ Dan Friel
Noveller
Japandroids

...even today I heard a song called ‘Get Over Here, Disco! by a band called Starring and was like "hey I need to check out more of this".

I think perhaps that some folks get a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of new bands/ music that seem to be churned out, and the resulting hype over the Next Big Thing (this week: Odd Future). I know I do.

[Denim Gremlin]

if modern music isn't given a chance then you'll never discover what's good. if you are content with just listening to the same old stuff then great, that's your choice but don't generally dismiss everything that's happening because you're willfully out of touch.

the reason "the youth" are interested in new new new is because we want something that's ours. not something borrowed from past generations.

if this was 1969 you'd all be talking about how shitty the production value is on the stooges record and how the velvet underground are obnoxious hipster art students.

hmm. I think it's more that I enjoy the new music that is being made that is more my taste. Here is a listing of new-ish bands that I tend to enjoy:

Ernest Gonzales
Big Blood
Expo 70
Fuck Buttons
Pharoah Overlord
Parts & Labor/ Dan Friel
Noveller
Japandroids

...even today I heard a song called ‘Get Over Here, Disco! by a band called Starring and was like "hey I need to check out more of this".

I think perhaps that some folks get a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of new bands/ music that seem to be churned out, and the resulting hype over the Next Big Thing (this week: Odd Future). I know I do.

yeah. i totally get that. i have no problem with people liking or disliking music based on personal preference and experience with the thing they don't like. i still think the whole point of this thread, judging music based on the complete wrong reasons, is pointless, pretentious and dumb.

but, i was feeling ranty this morning so i may have taken what's probably a joke thread way to seriously. I listened to way to much hardcore in high school so it's hard for me to shake my fervent defense of the youth from cranky old dinosaurs.

of course, i still stand by my point, new and/or popular is not bad. if you can't stand to wade through the shit to find the gems then stay out of it.

[davidgoeschatting]

if modern music isn't given a chance then you'll never discover what's good. if you are content with just listening to the same old stuff then great, that's your choice but don't generally dismiss everything that's happening because you're willfully out of touch.

the reason "the youth" are interested in new new new is because we want something that's ours. not something borrowed from past generations.

if this was 1969 you'd all be talking about how shitty the production value is on the stooges record and how the velvet underground are obnoxious hipster art students.

hmm. I think it's more that I enjoy the new music that is being made that is more my taste. Here is a listing of new-ish bands that I tend to enjoy:

Ernest Gonzales
Big Blood
Expo 70
Fuck Buttons
Pharoah Overlord
Parts & Labor/ Dan Friel
Noveller
Japandroids

...even today I heard a song called ‘Get Over Here, Disco! by a band called Starring and was like "hey I need to check out more of this".

I think perhaps that some folks get a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of new bands/ music that seem to be churned out, and the resulting hype over the Next Big Thing (this week: Odd Future). I know I do.

yeah. i totally get that. i have no problem with people liking or disliking music based on personal preference and experience with the thing they don't like. i still think the whole point of this thread, judging music based on the complete wrong reasons, is pointless, pretentious and dumb.

but, i was feeling ranty this morning so i may have taken what's probably a joke thread way to seriously. I listened to way to much hardcore in high school so it's hard for me to shake my fervent defense of the youth from cranky old dinosaurs.

of course, i still stand by my point, new and/or popular is not bad. if you can't stand to wade through the shit to find the gems then stay out of it.

I get what you're saying. I spotted myself feeling a little smug early on in this thread, and so I listened to some samples of Tori Amoi. For my part, a band's or musician's image is sometimes the only portal to their existence for me, so if someone looks like a goon, I might not even muster the energy to pass. It just becomes indifference.

If I count myself as a "cranky old dinosaur," I'll say that most of us listened to hardcore in high school and still do. Whatever that's worth.

[cutout]

i still think the whole point of this thread, judging music based on the complete wrong reasons, is pointless, pretentious and dumb.

Are people not allowed anymore to post about whatever illogical, complainy stuff they feel like, even if it doesn't reflect on them well? We're all friends here. This a forum for The Best Show, FFS.

[Denim Gremlin]

i still think the whole point of this thread, judging music based on the complete wrong reasons, is pointless, pretentious and dumb.

Are people not allowed anymore to post about whatever illogical, complainy stuff they feel like, even if it doesn't reflect on them well? We're all friends here. This a forum for The Best Show, FFS.

i don't think anything i post reflects on me well.

but i see your point.

complain away.

[dave from knoxville]

All boards have a tendency to drift towards "You take that opinion back!!!". But we're all friends here, so let's let it go, post another opinion that pisses people off, and move forward. I love you all unconditionally. But I still like Grand Funk.

[yesno]

There may be room for differences of opinion even among old cynical assholes.  E.g., I think Ariel Pink is pretty good.  And "Hot Child in the City with bleeps and bloops" sounds like a description of a cool song, I'll have to check it out.

There was a time when the mediocre buzz bands of the day actually filled me with rage, they were so shitty.  I think we're in a period where the stuff I don't like is just kind of dull.

[crumbum]

I subscribe to Stereogum via RSS and tend to download all the free mp3s they offer. I find myself having a ton of this new dance indie pop stuff that while isn't exactly my cup of tea, isn't bad enough to make me want to get rid of them off of my computer.

But sometimes it feels like I've lost any ability to judge these songs anymore. They're just so light and fluffy that they don't withstand any sort of judgement and are just there.

Does any of that make sense?

Exactly, yeah. Best Coast is the worst of that bunch, I think. Some of the laziest music I've ever heard in my life.

It's funny, I would say pretty much the opposite. Of that whole wave of recent Pitchfork 'best new music' bands mentioned above I think Best Coast is among the best. What a lot of people call repetitive and simplistic I like to think of as laser-tight focus on one aspect of girl-group pop to the point of self-conscious absurdity. That is probably a total misreading of her intentions, but who cares? To me it's like conceptual art with great hooks.