2013-01-09

somebody come and save the music, please

Why? I mean, just- WHY? I don't get it. I simply don't get it. I don't get what people are doing to their ears nowadays. Perhaps some of you have come across this post on Hipster Runoff where I read this (and obviously, darling Carles was ranting):

"The Lumineers are the first independent label artist to have a debut single reach #1 at three separate formats--Triple A, Alternative & Hot AC. "Ho Hey" spent eight weeks at #1 at Triple A radio and two weeks at #1 at Alternative Radio. The song is currently #1 on Billboard's Rock Chart and #4 on the Hot 100. The debut album and "Ho Hey" were both #1 at Spotify for some time in December, and are currently sitting at #2 on the music streaming service."

Now I'm gonna tell my anecdote. When I first heard about Mumford& Sons, I listened to them, and I really liked Little Lion Man; there is something untypical about this song. But the rest of the songs on Sigh No More were given about 30 seconds of attention each, and didn't make it onto my iPod. Because every song sounded the same to me- quite lame, to be frank- and I didn't even try Babel. Nevertheless, I don't blame people who like them, because their music, although it's folk, carries a bit of excitement.
Now, as I might have mentioned before, I review music for ROTE RAUPE, and I got the Lumineers album shortly before it came out. The label leaflet mentioned the platinum single, I was full of expectations and started listening. And almost fell asleep as I was halfway through the album. And thought, well aren't we the Mumford. Later on, the sad story of the bands origin filled half my review because, sorry- there was not much to say about the music itself.

I mean, I really tried to get into folk, or folk rock, but I just can't- yet, the slow-mo-shabby-back-to-the-roots- wave is rising high, and people seem to enjoy it; I don't have any other plausible explanation why the Lumineers made it, or why even Mumford& Sons came that far. Why NME is melting away because of Haim, who bored the shit out of me, and so on. I guess it only needs a cowboy hat and suspenders nowadays to be a music icon. Did you even know that Lana del Rey tried to become famous several times using several names and changing styles, and she only succeeded in the depressed-diva-girl-mode, because that's what's hip now. What's behind, doesn't matter, apparently.

WHY? WHERE? Where is it gone, the enthusiasm, the buzz, the revolution? Even Palma Violets, who were called "the most exciting band in the world at the moment" (NME) failed convince me...they don't quite have the Melody, they don't have the Spirit. They don't have the Music- to my mind, at least. I know that taste in music varies, but sometimes I can understand why people might like something, and sometimes I-just-don't. At all.

How about you? I myself am waiting for the new Virgins' album, the new Strokes', the new Arctic Monkeys', Peteysweet Doherty's new album and some more that are said to be released this year. Of 2012's new bands that got attention, I only liked Tame Impala, I think, because they've got those really intriguing harmonies and create wonderful atmospheres- you can't really predict their music, if you know what I mean. Of the bands that didn't get much attention, I absolutely adore and recommend Devin, a guy from New York plus his band- their music is pure rock&roll, it's edgy, it's melodious, it's simply great- and they got ignored by the masses and the media; don't ask me why, I don't get it.

Ok, and this ranting of mine was about the more or less alternative scene which is, by definition, supposed to be better than the mainstream shit which I'm not going to address here because it's not worth any attention at all. What happened to music? Where are we going? Who will come and change the world as the Smiths did in 1982, or the Strokes in 2001?

2 comments:

  1. ja ich hab wirklich glück, schätz ich mal. ich geh öfters im jahr ins ausland :) und bei mir ists auch noch so dass ich familie hab in finnland. da gehen wir sowieso öfters mal hoch :)

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  2. und zu dem post:
    folk (rock) mag ich sehr! hör dir mal the black atlantic an! aber wahrscheinlich gefallen auch diese dir nicht. aber dann hast dus wenigstens probiert.
    oder home von daughter. dazu kann mensch träumen!
    bei mumford und söhne fand ich den hype vorallem das doofe irgendwie. und auch ich hab noch nicht mal in das neue album reingehört. werd ich wohl auch nicht wenn ich nicht grad mal lust hab dazu. hm. das von tampe impala muss ich mir auch mal noch anhören. bin ich noch gar nicht dazu gekommen :s

    hör dir mal jake bugg an. davon bin ich grad ziemilch überzeugt dass dir der gefallen würde!
    und ich freu mich schon riesig auf das neue album von arcade fire.

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