Does anyone else feel like this about music?

[tubeguy]

Industry-published music today is disposable because it is generic, uninspired, corporation-assembled garbage. It's hard to sort the wheat from the chaff these days, but the internet does make it possible, albeit challenging and time consuming at times. I used to listen to the radio to hear good stuff, but since sometime in the 90's it's a huge waste of time. Today I get the best leads on new music from friends online and IRL. Examples: I got turned on to Buckethead by Pat Metheny's Facebook page. I found Pat Metheny by way of my college roommate. I found out about Pnuma Trio from my friend Jordan. I found out about Chris Botti from jazziz.com in '95.

Biggest problem today is finding high-quality productions, actual CD's I can buy rather than mp3 downloads.

I rarely will delete something I like because I find myself going back to it over and over again. There's something about exceptional music that makes it more than just a one-time distraction, it is timeless and becomes part of the fabric of who I am. I internalize it, learn about it, make it a part of me. Can't put my finger on why that is, but it's always been that way. I get focused on a new artist and can't listen to anything else for days at a time. Sort of have a compulsion to "wrap my mind around it", not just give it a quick listen and move on. I hear a track sometimes and have a reaction like "this is important, I have to know this stuff."

Of all the things and people in my 45-year life that have come and gone, music has always been there, and I keep making time and resources available in order to be a part of it, whether playing, listening or supporting.

In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "Oh, it's a scene man".

2014 edit: Today there are quite a few sources of high-quality, high-resolution music. Recommended are:

http://www.itrax.com/
http://www.highresaudio.com/
http://www.hdtracks.com/

I've also bought a bunch of stuff from http://www.beatport.com/ although they do not have high resolution audio but do offer 16/44 FLAC/AIFF/WAV.

[ajlec2000]

I more or less feel the same way. However good radio isn't dead. It just moved to the net. I'd recommend kser.org right off the top of my head. And net labels! Thank goodness for net labels. Laridae for shoe gazing and Alpinechic for what they're listening to in Europe.

When it comes to CDs I find the best stuff is produced by the artists themselves. I'm big on buying from the artists directly.

Fortunately the old music industry model seems to be in its death throes.

[john biles]

I too when I discover a new band be it old or new listen to the Album over and over for days. Always keep in mind that new music doesn't have to be what most would call "New" as in released 2010. I came across an old "David Bowie" album from the 1960's and heard a sound on one song that sounded new and fresh. New music is something a Listener hasn't heard before not something recorded in the last few months.

[ttuuxxx]

Music up until the early 90's was done with talent, today's music is done with looks, sex appeal etc, The rolling stones wouldn't of sold 1/10 of the albums if they released there first disc today. Most Bands today have digitally altered voice and no guitar or drum solos. Let's face it, modern music is 90% crap, 10% really nice, unlike 70's,80's. and early 90's where it was 30% crap.
ttuuxxx

Ps play a good 80's record on a Technics SL-1200 with a tube amp (like a McIntosh amp) and compare it to a cd, on the latest Yamaha, lol

[jemimah]

It's only mainstream media that sucks. You shouldn't be supporting the recording industry by consuming that stuff anyway.

I get all my new music from Jamendo.com. They've got a non-evil business model, plenty of talented artists, and creative commons licenses on the music. You can interact with the artists and buy stuff from them directly.

The best way to find really good music there is find an artist you like and see what artists they like. That way you don't only end up downloading what's popular, or spend hours searching through crap.

[dejan555]

I know what you mean tubeguy.
I usually find some good stuff totally acidentaly and it's mostly not recent stuff, but there are exceptions in that too.
Seems like every type of music is already tried and invented and now only repeats in dull patterns replicated in bunch of new names and bands that don't have any real talent.
But you can still discover something new you haven't heard before that sounds good no matter if it's recent or old or labeled/independent - after all there's so much music that there are high chances you haven't heard tons of quality stuff out there.

[runtt21]

The best stuff is always local and independent. Kind of like puppy.

[abushcrafter]

I agree mostly with every thing.

There are some exceptions.

I have been building up a list of artists to request (moan) asking (begging) for Flac downloads.

[nooby]

I am so different in my take on music that I better shut up

[obxjerry]

Here's a 2 cent's worth. A lot of the music you think is bad, you just don't get it. If you appoint yourself as judge and jury and listen to a piece of music one time and/or with a critical ear, you aren't giving that music a fair shake. Play it several times in the background, hear it at a public venue or concert, dance to it. Music does transcend words but it helps to be around someone that likes that music. The most important thing is to accept there is some music that you will never get. You and it don't speak the same language.

If none of this rings true for you and you still feel you can separate the good music from the bad music, make your own music and listen to your critics. There is a lot of exploitation in music, a lot that's not fair but, still music is still pretty great. If you can't appreciate the music at least respect the work that went into it.

In the beginning I said a two cents worth because most of this I learned from my son. He learned it the hard way over the years. He credits me, Chuck Berry and Maybelline as his first step on his musical road. I play and enjoy a lot of music, different genres and that was the first song that gave him a good shaking. He is fluent in so many musical languages it's almost scary. Fortunately, he has a job selling music. He's good at it. His boss said he could sell ice to an Eskimo. He said no, he could sell that Eskimo some music to make his life more pleasurable.

All that said, I hope I haven't killed another thread.

[abushcrafter]

All that said, I hope I haven't killed another thread.

No you have not. You have helped to refine it .

[linuxsansdisquedur]

are we too old fashioned men to (quasi) all thinking the same thing ... some retropupfellow

[abushcrafter]

are we too old fashioned men to (quasi) all thinking the same thing

I be 15.

[linuxsansdisquedur]

I be 15

so it's a puppy usage matter
non commercial old hardware independent way of thinking

[Tester]

i like a tube amp and a record.

[obxjerry]

Sorry to post back so soon but I saw this story on the evening news and had to share. I don't know why this hasn't been done before. Maybe it will catch on.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37824133

Same story in different words;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37835226

Brief synopsis, a British artist is putting pianos out in public for anyone to play, currently 60 pianos in New York City.

I do know there are at least 3 pianos on my local Craigslist free for the taking.

[abushcrafter]

I be 15

so it's a puppy usage matter
non commercial old hardware independent way of thinking

Not quite. I use puppy for the flash drive install feature and because its fast not sluggish like Linux Mint running gnome DE on my 2.66Ghz emachine computer. I can also use the same copy of my Extremy customised puppy on all my other computers which consist of this sort of spec 1.6ghz, 700ish MHz laptops, dual core 3.4ghz, 2.6ghz, ect. They don't all have puppy installed on them yet. only one has it installed on it at the moment which is my 2.66Ghz emachine.

Back on topic. I like all this modern stuff which ttuuxxx hates .

Cash Involved (Need to ask for Flac download):
The Polish Ambassador
mind.in.a.box
Goldfish -- live pa -- Cape Town -- Goldfish Track Fort Knox now on Kia Soul Advert in USA and Germany -- downloads at shop.goldfishlive.com
TOMMY SPARKS on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
Ronald Jenkees
AudioBody : Comedic Electronica!

Free (Need to ask for Flac download):
audiosyncratic's Audio
:: A L E X G R A H A M ::

Free and cash involved (Need to ask for Flac download):
[EDIT: Not my style. Just downloaded some albums and found out I must have not listened to there stuff before as I don't like it.]ytcracker - the original digital gangster

[linuxsansdisquedur]

cool electro fun music abushcrafter

[tubeguy]

Back on topic. I like all this modern stuff which ttuuxxx hates .

Groovin on mind.in.a.box

[thane]

Nice web radio station here:

http://www.radioparadise.com/