The Sounds of Our Lives (formerly General Music Discussion)

[GaT]

14 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I hope nobody is trying to claim that Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood's new song is anything close to country.

 

I don't care if it's country or not, what drives me crazy about this song is that it only has 2 short verses, then they keep singing the chorus over & over & over & over. It's like listening to a record player with the needle stuck in the groove.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, UYI said:

Silver Raven, meet Trigger from Saving Country Music. He had this pegged back in February:

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/keith-urbans-the-fighter-is-the-most-non-country-country-song-ever/

That rant is gold.

[janie jones]

17 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I hope nobody is trying to claim that Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood's new song is anything close to country.

All I have to say about this is that her sweatshirt looks like what men's underwear supposedly has to look like before they'll throw it away (according to sitcoms, etc.).

[Joe]

Alestorm have a new video out, Mexico. It's a good song, and they handle the subject matter with all the taste and sensitivity that they're known for. I'm amused by, for all that the sexy car wash is a trope, there's a sexy donkey wash here. God, sexy donkey wash. There's a phrase I never thought I'd say. However, everyone I saw in that video (the band and the women) look rather pale. I was given to believe that Mexicans are somewhat brown. The video was probably shot in Britain, but couldn't they have rounded up some people who look a little more Mexican?

[AntiBeeSpray]

Just found out tonight that Coolio ripped off Stevie Wonder with Gangsta's Paradise.

Here's Stevie's original:

 

Here's Coolio's:

[AimingforYoko]

18 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Just found out tonight that Coolio ripped off Stevie Wonder with Gangsta's Paradise.

As noted earlier in the thread, sampling is different than plagiarism. And Stevie is a credited writer on the song.

[magicdog]

I think the industry is far too segregated genre wise.  There was a time, many decades ago in which you could hear many different genres and artists on the same station.  A Supremes song would be followed by a Glen Campbell song, followed by a Beatles tune, etc.  

There was a time a person didn't have to be so narrow in their love of music - cross appeal was more common.

I am tired of the companies aiming for the lowest common denominator in music.  Especially songs that celebrate degradation of women.

 

On 4/28/2017 at 10:20 PM, 27bored said:

They need to stop trying to market music to the 18-24 demographic so heavily as though people over the age of 30 don't listen to music.

True.  I feel left out on a lot of local radio - I'd go insane if it weren't for the miracle of iPods!

[NutMeg]

15 hours ago, magicdog said:

I think the industry is far too segregated genre wise.  There was a time, many decades ago in which you could hear many different genres and artists on the same station.  A Supremes song would be followed by a Glen Campbell song, followed by a Beatles tune, etc.

I fully agree. There are so many artists I first discovered on radio, including non mainstreams artists who were featured in late evening programs. It's very bizarre to me that everything has become much more segregated somehow, from music genres on the radio to Google chrome thinking it knows what I want to see and restricting my universe based on my recent history.

[Yokosmom]

Quote

The jury in the Stairway to Heaven plagiarism case has cleared Led Zeppelin.

Quote

I don't think it's outright theft because they are different. At best you can say Page was inspired by it.

The video comparison that I saw/heard, the lengthy opening was virtually identical--way beyond "inspired by" status. LZ should have lost the case as far as I'm concerned.

[27bored]

I agree, but I think part of that is due to the narrowing of what is considered popular music. Popular music used to have a slightly looser definition than it does now. With the EDM craze and hip-hop/trap influences and R&B being mostly non-existent, it's like, popular music only pertains to certain types of music. It's to the point now that some artists, in a classical sense, might as well make a country album than try to make a pop record (i.e. Colbie Caillat, Pink, John Mayer who did kind of, BSB, etc).

I think that's why Country music has become so diluted, btw. Take a song like "Star of the Show" by Thomas Rhett. It's a nice little ditty, works as a slice of contemporary country given Rhett's slight twang, but it could easily be a Top 40 radio hit. If it had come out in the late 90s, it probably would've been. But it's a Country hit for no other reason than it's too simple. If it had Major Lazer on it, or a verse from Big Sean, it would be on Top 40, but it doesn't so off to Country radio you go.

[UYI]

Her name was brought up in the Covers thread recently, so this seems appropriate: Lucinda Williams just received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music!

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/call-her-dr-lucinda-williams-after-berklee-bestows-honorary-degree/

[Shannon L.]

I think they need to start signing artists who can actually sing without all the mechanical help.  I know not all of the older singers had great voices (like Bob Dylan, imo), but most of them could sing rather well and even the ones who needed help didn't seem to need as much of it as many of them do today. 

[Silver Raven]

Yes!  Puddles Pity Party hits the big time.  I don't watch America's Got Talent, but I do follow Puddles on YouTube after seeing him perform with Postmodern Jukebox, and I'm really happy to see him getting mainstream acceptance.  Even Simon Cowell gave him a standing ovation.

[UYI]

I have been so impressed with Ariana Grande these last few weeks, and yesterday's One Love Manchester concert only cemented that more. Whatever she has done in the past (the donut stuff, etc.), she has made up for by about a billion percent. I know she will be hurting for a long time after this, but the way she has kept the focus on the concertgoers who were there that night (dead or alive now), and brought this concert together in such a short period of time...just amazing. Incredible. I commend her so much.

And it's clear she and Miley love each other so much, too.

[UYI]

[SunnyBeBe]

I watched most of the One Love Manchester concert yesterday.  It was quite inspiring.  While there was ample music being played, it felt like it was more about feelings to me.  I really liked it a lot and I'm not even a fan of most who performed. 

Edited June 5, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[proserpina65]

On ‎01‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 7:55 PM, WendyCR72 said:

For the Gen X people (like me!), it was announced that a deluxe soundtrack from the movie Singles is being released in May in a 2-CD set, with some previously-unreleased material and inclusion of a song by the (fictional) band Citizen Dick "fronted" by Matt Dillon's character (and with Eddie Vedder as backup...) If anyone is curious, here is all the info.

I guess I'm a Gen X-er (born in 1965), but musically, I'm a baby boomer.  Maybe it's because my musical taste was heavily influenced by my brother, who's 5 years older.  The only songs I even know on the Singles soundtrack are the ones originally by Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.

[proserpina65]

On ‎05‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 1:24 PM, Hrairoo said:

Miley Cyrus seems to be changing her sound and look.  In fact, now she dresses more like Minnie Mouse...

http://people.com/music/miley-cyrus-responds-backlash-hip-hop/

Okay, so, did Miley "wear hip-hop culture like a costume" the way some of these people say, or was she being genuine at the time?  Is she changing because no one cares about her anymore, or am I just being a cynical old lady?

I'll preface this by saying that I don't care about Miley Cyrus one way or the other, but can't she have genuinely appreciated it at the time, and yet still move one to something else?  Can't it simply be that her interests have changed, or that she's trying to grow as an artist?

[truthaboutluv]

35 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I'll preface this by saying that I don't care about Miley Cyrus one way or the other, but can't she have genuinely appreciated it at the time, and yet still move one to something else?  Can't it simply be that her interests have changed, or that she's trying to grow as an artist?

YMMV but no. Appreciating a different sound and culture involves experimenting with a different sound, working with certain producers, artists, etc. It's not changing your entire wardrobe, way of speaking, point of reference and basically going extremely far left to what you were before. Basically it's the same issue some are having right now with Drake and his use of Jamaican/Dance Hall music in his songs. It's not that he's experimenting with a new sound that's the problem. It's that suddenly he now has some fake Jamaican accent, trying to talk with some faux patios, etc. It's insulting. 

Miley just didn't add some hip hop/rap elements to her sound. She embraced and perpetuated every negative stereotype about the genre with the over the top sexual behavior, talking in some fake African American Vernacular, trying to insist how much she'd always loved hip hop music so much even if a few years earlier she couldn't name one Jay Z song. Miley was a young white girl who clearly has no freaking clue who the hell she is and just becomes whatever latest fad she's taken up. And while I would have mostly just rolled my eyes at her antics, it's the fact that so many came for some black people who called out why her behavior was offensive that bothered me.

I read so many comments by her little white teenage fans going on about how black people are so racist and always making things "a black thing" while emulating Miley's same stupid behavior and insisting that this was Miley truly being "herself". Sure it was. And even still, I would not have cared about her latest image change because the minute she and Liam got back together, I knew it was coming. But the gall of her to then come and talk about the offensive aspects of hip hop and that's why she's no longer feeling it when it's like really girl? When you perpetuated EVERY SINGLE one of those stereotypes and happily made your money off it. 

Edited June 5, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[proserpina65]

Thank you, truthaboutluv, for your answer.  I had just thrown my random thought out there, and you took the time to offer insight.  I appreciate that.

[UYI]

For all of Miley's mishaps in the past, like I said above, I was genuinely moved by how much she supported Ariana this weekend in Manchester (and since the explosion first happened, really). It's clear the two of them are true friends. 

[Hanahope]

8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I guess I'm a Gen X-er (born in 1965), but musically, I'm a baby boomer.  Maybe it's because my musical taste was heavily influenced by my brother, who's 5 years older.  The only songs I even know on the Singles soundtrack are the ones originally by Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.

Interesting.  I always considered myself a Gen Xer even though I was born in late 64. My sister is 7 years older than me.  While she certainly turned me onto classics like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and I like Yes, ELP and Rush, my love is 80s metal and  90s grunge. I loved Singles.

[GaT]

I'm really surprised by this song by Niall Horan, called Slow Hands. It's not what I would expect, I like it.

 

[truthaboutluv]

13 hours ago, UYI said:

For all of Miley's mishaps in the past, like I said above, I was genuinely moved by how much she supported Ariana this weekend in Manchester (and since the explosion first happened, really). It's clear the two of them are true friends. 

Just to be clear, I agreed with the sentiment, even if I could only watch snippets of the show because much as I sympathize with what Ariana's going through, her inability to enunciate her words is still incredibly grating and painful to listen to. But yes, she and Miley were adorable and my understanding is that they are actually friends. 

[CaughtOnTape]

7 hours ago, GaT said:

I'm really surprised by this song by Niall Horan, called Slow Hands. It's not what I would expect, I like it.

 

 

Sounds like Dirty Laundry from Don Henley.  He's quite an up and coming songwriter.

[GaT]

I don't like Coldplay, & I don't like The Chainsmokers, so why do I love this song?

[UYI]

I like that song, too, but I liked it when the Chainsmokers originally used that beat on their song "Roses." (Which is IMO a better song.) 

[Silver Raven]

I like Miley Cyrus's voice, but "Malibu" has too many words and no hook.

[Joe]

I've never listened to Miley Cyrus before. Is it just me, or is she a bit flat in terms of vocals?

[KatWay]

36 minutes ago, Joe said:

I've never listened to Miley Cyrus before. Is it just me, or is she a bit flat in terms of vocals?

yeah she's not a brilliant vocalist (though by no means the weakest we've got out there atm)

at the Manchester Love concert I thought Little Mix blew everyone else out of the water, performance-wise. They're the least known of the acts there and their styling is kinda tragic but those girls can sing and seem to be good performers too. I never gave them much thought but they really impressed me.

[cpcathy]

Funny, I thought Coldplay blew everyone out of the water with their performance.

[truthaboutluv]

Just now, cpcathy said:

Funny, I thought Coldplay blew everyone out of the water with their performance.

Agreed. I did enjoy Little Mix but that's because they performed my favorite song of theirs. But yeah I thought Coldplay really stood out.

[Shannon L.]

16 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I like Miley Cyrus's voice, but "Malibu" has too many words and no hook.

My favorite by her is still The Climb.  She had a bit more of a country twang and it suited her, imo.  Plus, I like the lyrics.

[KatWay]

1 hour ago, cpcathy said:

Funny, I thought Coldplay blew everyone out of the water with their performance.

that's true, they were great as always. But I'm used to them being good performers so maybe that's why I focused on the girls. They surprised me, cause I hadn't seen them perform before.

[cpcathy]

I've seen them live four times, they just keep getting better and better.

[magicdog]

I think this guy hits it right on the head.  

[GaT]

I've come here to ask people who like rap whether this is good or not. I really like Sahyba Kaur's singing, & the song is very catchy, but Nick Cannon rapping sounds truly horrible to me. Is it just me, or is he that bad?



[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 6/5/2017 at 1:34 PM, truthaboutluv said:

YMMV but no. Appreciating a different sound and culture involves experimenting with a different sound, working with certain producers, artists, etc. It's not changing your entire wardrobe, way of speaking, point of reference and basically going extremely far left to what you were before. Basically it's the same issue some are having right now with Drake and his use of Jamaican/Dance Hall music in his songs. It's not that he's experimenting with a new sound that's the problem. It's that suddenly he now has some fake Jamaican accent, trying to talk with some faux patios, etc. It's insulting. 

Years ago, Rosie O'Donnell did a bit in her act about having seen Tina Turner win one of her many Grammy awards, and how when she came up to the stage to give her acceptance speech, her accent was very different than when she first started out; "Isn't Tina Turner from Tennessee? When did she decide she was from the British West Indies?"

As for the rest of it, I think Rihanna's way ahead of Miley Cyrus in terms of the use of sexuality in her music, and it's just as damaging. If only because I think Rihanna's more talented and a better singer, but I don't think we should gloss over Miley's having picked up the idea that that kind of stuff works when it comes to selling music. I don't dispute that she's an annoying little twit, and that like Bieber she underwent a radical image change in the hopes it would disguise her shortcomings as an artist, but is it any less insulting to see Rihanna do it than it is for anyone else?

[truthaboutluv]

14 minutes ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Years ago, Rosie O'Donnell did a bit in her act about having seen Tina Turner win one of her many Grammy awards, and how when she came up to the stage to give her acceptance speech, her accent was very different than when she first started out; "Isn't Tina Turner from Tennessee? When did she decide she was from the British West Indies?"

As for the rest of it, I think Rihanna's way ahead of Miley Cyrus in terms of the use of sexuality in her music, and it's just as damaging. If only because I think Rihanna's more talented and a better singer, but I don't think we should gloss over Miley's having picked up the idea that that kind of stuff works when it comes to selling music. I don't dispute that she's an annoying little twit, and that like Bieber she underwent a radical image change in the hopes it would disguise her shortcomings as an artist, but is it any less insulting to see Rihanna do it than it is for anyone else?

I am not sure what this comment has to do with my comment you quoted. The issue was not about Miley's being over the top sexual. It's that when she decided she was going more urban and hip hop with her sound, she suddenly took on this very over the top vulgar persona, as if that's all the genre is. Whatever flaws Rihanna has, I have seen no indication that she isn't true to who she is.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Years ago, Rosie O'Donnell did a bit in her act about having seen Tina Turner win one of her many Grammy awards, and how when she came up to the stage to give her acceptance speech, her accent was very different than when she first started out; "Isn't Tina Turner from Tennessee? When did she decide she was from the British West Indies?"

I'd hardly call Turner's evolving accent an affectation (via comparison to the Bieber example), rather than simply a natural result of her lifestyle -- she divided her time between the U.S. and Europe back then, living in several different cities (more often in Europe than here; she was HUGE there, and the man who would become her husband was German, often working in London), eventually moving full-time to Switzerland (she's not even a U.S. citizen anymore).

[27bored]

So Jay Z's latest album 4:44 has gone platinum in three whole days. The problem? It's fake news. Basically, Sprint bought the exclusive rights to the album then gave their customers free downloads. One album sale is the equivalent of 1,500 streams, apparently, so that mixed in with it being free on Tidal, and people just buying it, gave him a Platinum record.

At the risk of sounding like a hater, isn't this, uh, cheating? There are other artists who don't have his pockets and his connections to do something like that, so they have to actually come out with a project that's both good, gets attention, and they have to work to keep the attention on the record. But with Jay Z, there was no grind beyond putting out the record. And I've heard it's a very good record, but without having heard any of it, my guess is this is Lemonade all over again:

1. Jay Z is a private person, so for him to start telling his business is compelling in a novel kind of way.

2. Jay Z is well-respected in the hip-hop world, so people who are not really into today's biggest acts (Migos, Rae Sremmurd, Lil Yachty, Future, etc) finally feel like they have some "adult hip-hop" to listen to.

3. OMG IT WENT PLATINUM OVER THE LONG WEEKEND

I...think Beyonce and Jay Z are due for a fall off.

[truthaboutluv]

This is not new for Jay Z and most people are aware of it. He did the exact same thing with his last studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail and there was a whole debate and discussion about it then. Consequently, while the RIAA recognized and certified it platinum, Billboard did not because of the Samsung deal. 

Edited July 7, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[27bored]

I just think it's bogus for so many artists to struggle to go Gold because of streaming while Jay Z just cuts to the front of the line and sells his album to a cell phone provider. The RIAA probably only changed the rules because it's good for appearances to have at least one album go Platinum in a year. Part of what keeps sales low is because people talk about how few sales there are. But Jay Z just wants his legacy to be that all his albums went Platinum. It's cheap and makes me think this entire thing is just one big ruse. I think I mentioned an article on Pitchfork a few years ago that talked about how we'll probably look back in a few years and see "Drunk In Love" as a bit of a ruse. Like, they were just putting on but really they were headed for divorce. After Lemonade and 4:44, that seems kinda true. I mean, they're still together obviously, but...you know. Barely.

But enough about Jay Z.

I came here to post about Kesha. This bitch...I don't even know really how to...say this, but Kesha might win 2017. I mean, I'm a little surprised to hear myself say that, but yes, the "Tik Tok" chick released a song that is emotionally arresting, mature, well-crafted, and she sings her ass off. It's called "Praying" and I was listening along, like, okay it sounds alright, then she unleashes a high note that would make Mariah Carey proud. I didn't know Kesha had a whistle register or even a real singing voice, since she was introduced to us as the trashy rapping white girl. But she goes from looking like she passed out behind a dumpster to looking like a new millennium hippie granola chick, which works, and she channels a lot of her struggles with Dr. Luke into this song.

(BTW, my 2c on that situation is that Kesha is probably not entirely telling the truth and I think she probably just wanted out of her deal more than wanting to accuse Dr. Luke of sexual misconduct, BUT I don't feel sorry for him because from what many people have said, he's kind of a dick, and I think he probably did sign her to a shitty deal when she was young and got rich off her and then when she wizened up and wanted to renegotiate, him and Sony probably turned their asses up to her. So even though I'm skeptical of the facts, I'm happy for Kesha being free from all that. )

The song is the first Top 40 song this year has provoked any real sense of...anything in me. Pop music has been in a weird nothing place this year, which I think has a lot to do with politics sucking all the air out of the room. Hopefully this song can bring it to a new place. It kind of reminds of "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato, in that, there's a barely contained quality to the vocal that speaks to something more than technique. It's emotional without being showy. So, kudos to Kesha. It's crazy that 2017 has seen both Miley and Kesha become mature, but alas, that's where we are.

Kesha - Praying

[aradia22]

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6266683/one-direction-steal-my-girl-new-found-glory-journey

I've always thought "Steal My Girl" from One Direction sounded like Journey's "Faithfully" but I assumed it was just a sample. It's not the first time they've borrowed a bit of music like with "That's What Makes You Beautiful" having a bit from Grease. But tonight it came up on shuffle and I decided to do some digging. http://www.mtv.com/news/1947531/one-direction-steal-my-girl-journey/

Quote

The song is now #1 on the iTunes songs charts and, not surprisingly, it was instantly loved by fans. But many critics couldn't help but notice the similarities between the piano opening of 1D's song and the classic Journey ballad "Faithfully," something Julian wasn't even aware of until he read the song reviews.

"When we sat down and played the piano lick, nobody had any references in their head about what they wanted to write or anything and then I saw all the things about that [Journey song]," he said. "At the end of the day, the lyric and the melody have nothing to do with any other song that I have ever heard. Sometimes there's only so many things you can do with a piano at that tempo.

"There is an age-old saying that great minds think alike so, naturally, sometimes people are going to write on the same inspirational wave lengths and come up with things that are similar and it wasn't anyone's intention to do that at all...

He added, "But at least we are being compared to a classic song and not a sh---y song, so that's a compliment."

That is some hot garbage. It's not a sample? You just stole it without giving them credit and/or financial compensation? And deny that you stole it when you so clearly stole it? BOO.

[GaT]

Calvin Harris has a new song out that features Pharrell, Katy Perry, & Big Sean, it's called "Feels".  It's just your basic pop song, but this is the chorus Katy Perry sings:

Don't be afraid to catch feels
Ride drop top and chase thrills (Hey)
I know you ain't afraid to pop pills (Hey)
Baby, I know you ain't scared to catch feels
Feels with me

"I know you ain't afraid to pop pills"????? What???? 

[27bored]

Yeah, that song is kinda weird. To his credit, though, Calvin Harris' latest album is pretty good. I heard it described as the soundtrack to the coolest pool party you weren't invited to, which sounds about right. I wish he'd work with more up-and-coming artists, though. I'm a little tired of the usual features, especially Migos.

[ESS]

I've always loved this group! Has anyone gotten their new & finale album?? I have I love it!

[topanga]

Not yet. I'm waiting to hear other singles. 

Man, Chilli has barely aged. T-Boz still looks good, too. Miss you, Left Eye!

And it's just the two of them? What happened to O'So Krispie?

[rmcrae]

3 hours ago, topanga said:

Not yet. I'm waiting to hear other singles. 

Man, Chilli has barely aged. T-Boz still looks good, too. Miss you, Left Eye!

And it's just the two of them? What happened to O'So Krispie?

They only had O'So Krispie on for the sole purpose a single they released after she won their reality show. They never intended on replacing Left Eye for good and I respect them for that. That girl was and still is irreplaceable imo.  

[ESS]

3 hours ago, topanga said:

Not yet. I'm waiting to hear other singles. 

Man, Chilli has barely aged. T-Boz still looks good, too. Miss you, Left Eye!

And it's just the two of them? What happened to O'So Krispie?

Yes it's just the two of them it's been that way for years now...and as for 'O so Krispy she was never apart of the group she just got a chance to sing with T-Boz & Chilli on one single that's it.  She was never a replacement for Left-Eye at all. T-boz & Chilli have repeatedly stated over the years that they'll never replace Lisa [Left Eye] and that they've gotten used it to just being the two of them.  And in their words "this is the new normal TLC" I hope that answers your questions. 

 

As for the new album I love it!! I've been listening to it non stop I think it's their best album to date, JMO though.

Edited July 20, 2017 by ESS