Topic: I think I'm old :) These new warbly singers do my head in

[ianburns252]

This.

There’s plenty of good music about

There is a lot of good music about but there does seem to have been a huge shift in which styles and techniques are coming to the fore.

Now this has happened before, and will happen again, but I think for many in my musical generation (80s through end of 00s) it can be quite jarring.

Rap is the genre that I personally think has suffered most over the last 10 years or so - the artists that I grew up listening to from that region  of music had a huge focus on the instrumental side, with clarity on the vocals, and the style of lyrics being heavily focused on word play, tweaks and twists on natural rhythms - I could go on for a while

I find the move these days to minimalist instrumentals, a near complete lack of live instruments, favouring synth ones, and a vocal style that I can only describe as mumble rap just massively turns me off.

Now to be fair, it clearly works as plenty of people still like the artists coming through but for me it is almost like an entirely different genre from what was classed as rap 10 years ago

[Red Ol]

This.

There’s plenty of good music about

There’s plenty of great music about.… no doubt about that, but the thread is specifically about exuberant divas over egging the vocal pudding when there’s simply no need. It’s a certain modern style  that doesn’t work for some of us.

But if Sam Smith or Mariah Carey are your thing … fair enough 

[rob1966]

This woman can hold a note

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/hQLGCX8D-1Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/hQLGCX8D-1Y</a>

[Sangria]

This woman can hold a note

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/hQLGCX8D-1Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/hQLGCX8D-1Y</a>

Try this one I posted earlier. It's at 3:15. 28 seconds I think. Believe it or not, depending on the arrangement, live performances stretch beyond the 30 second mark.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XY35g26h4dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XY35g26h4dc</a>

A tribute to her friend by my favourite singer. She can't hold it as long (16 seconds), but like she says, her friend was the better singer.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/hAVrZE4YIOE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/hAVrZE4YIOE</a>

And the second singer at her polar opposite, with lots of notes. Just one note per syllable though.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/IS_zocIyzgA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/IS_zocIyzgA</a>

[bradders1011]

I didn't say there was no good music since 2010, what I meant was that the 2010s seems to have been inconsequential, historically-speaking. Sure there were some great albums - AM is a good example and The War On Drugs release consistent greatness - but what will people look back on in the 2040s as  an "I was there" moment?

With Aitch being bloody everywhere, the 20s doesn't look much better.

[Snail]

There is a lot of good music about but there does seem to have been a huge shift in which styles and techniques are coming to the fore.

Now this has happened before, and will happen again, but I think for many in my musical generation (80s through end of 00s) it can be quite jarring.

Rap is the genre that I personally think has suffered most over the last 10 years or so - the artists that I grew up listening to from that region  of music had a huge focus on the instrumental side, with clarity on the vocals, and the style of lyrics being heavily focused on word play, tweaks and twists on natural rhythms - I could go on for a while

I find the move these days to minimalist instrumentals, a near complete lack of live instruments, favouring synth ones, and a vocal style that I can only describe as mumble rap just massively turns me off.

Now to be fair, it clearly works as plenty of people still like the artists coming through but for me it is almost like an entirely different genre from what was classed as rap 10 years ago

Have you somehow slept through the last decade and missed the entire existence of people like Kendrick, Tyler and Little Simz?

[ianburns252]

Have you somehow slept through the last decade and missed the entire existence of people like Kendrick, Tyler and Little Simz?

To an extent yes - I'll freely admit that my knowledge of where it has gone in the last decade is sorely lacking, but that my perception from what I have come across is as I said above.

I can't keep up with everything going on within the genre but the shift towards the techniques that I found put me off actively searching out new artists.

I am aware of Kendrick (presume you mean Kendrick Lamar?), Tyler (presuming the Creator?), can't say I know who Little Simz is.

Kendrick Lamar, from what I have listened to, doesn't connect with me as I find the lyrics to not resonate. Some the the tracks have elements that I like but from what I have heard I am not inclined to go out if my way to explore his stuff.

 Tyler the Creator feels overproduced to me in terms of the use of effects.

If you have recommendations then I'll give it a go  but I stand by my assertion that overall the genre has changed to be something that I am much less interested in.

I don't see what aspect of the artists you mention particularly stands apart from my assessment of how the genre has changed but I would not say I am an expert on the genre either - just describing my perception 

I have come across Kid Bookie recently - can't put my finger on it precisely  but I find him catchy. I think it may be the fact that my first exposure to him was in his collaborations with Tech N9ne and that he has crossed over into a bit of metal.

[Snail]

To an extent yes - I'll freely admit that my knowledge of where it has gone in the last decade is sorely lacking, but that my perception from what I have come across is as I said above.

I can't keep up with everything going on within the genre but the shift towards the techniques that I found put me off actively searching out new artists.

I am aware of Kendrick (presume you mean Kendrick Lamar?), Tyler (presuming the Creator?), can't say I know who Little Simz is.

Kendrick Lamar, from what I have listened to, doesn't connect with me as I find the lyrics to not resonate. Some the the tracks have elements that I like but from what I have heard I am not inclined to go out if my way to explore his stuff.

 Tyler the Creator feels overproduced to me in terms of the use of effects.

If you have recommendations then I'll give it a go  but I stand by my assertion that overall the genre has changed to be something that I am much less interested in.

I don't see what aspect of the artists you mention particularly stands apart from my assessment of how the genre has changed but I would not say I am an expert on the genre either - just describing my perception 

I have come across Kid Bookie recently - can't put my finger on it precisely  but I find him catchy. I think it may be the fact that my first exposure to him was in his collaborations with Tech N9ne and that he has crossed over into a bit of metal.

Give Little Simz a go:

https://youtu.be/Nkt93coQzqg

[ianburns252]

Give Little Simz a go:

https://youtu.be/Nkt93coQzqg

That is quality mate. It feels composed rather than produced and the way the vocals have been constructed gives it some real warmth and body.

Will definitely check out more of her stuff.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[PROPER crazyemlyn72]

Just jumping in with this. I went down Grafton street in Dublin a couple of times in the last month. It's renowned for kids busking. I was usually suicidal by the time I reached the end of the street. Every song was ultra slow and depressing. What's wrong with the kids? Someone write a happy song for them to play. And also the vocal warblings of the young ones, fucking hell, it's alien to me. Kids are fucked. Worlds fucked. Merry Christmas everyone.

[bradders1011]

[BarryCrocker]

Just jumping in with this. I went down Grafton street in Dublin a couple of times in the last month. It's renowned for kids busking. I was usually suicidal by the time I reached the end of the street. Every song was ultra slow and depressing. What's wrong with the kids? Someone write a happy song for them to play. And also the vocal warblings of the young ones, fucking hell, it's alien to me. Kids are fucked. Worlds fucked. Merry Christmas everyone.

Bring back the days of Rodrigo y Gabriela, Glen Hansard, Paddy Casey, Damian Rice, etc.

[wampa1]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/NNXg5dIVC1M" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/NNXg5dIVC1M</a>

Rick Beato is cool. I like his What Makes This Song Great series.

[Ray K]

With Aitch being bloody everywhere, the 20s doesn't look much better.

At the risk of sounding like Supt Ted Hastings, who's Aitch?

[Crosby Nick]

At the risk of sounding like Supt Ted Hastings, who's Aitch?

I regret to inform you that Steps are making another comeback.

[Ray K]

I regret to inform you that Steps are making another comeback.

I was hoping it would be a band of one rank superior. So, Blue.

[Riquende]

Rick Beato is cool. I like his What Makes This Song Great series.

I've only really watched the one about Bohemian Rhapsody, but he pulls it apart brilliantly. It didn't really explain how Freddie saw those progressions and how to put the styles together, but I supposed you can sometimes only shrug at sheer genius at work.

As for some of the modern stuff in this thread, you're just proving the point that was being made earlier given how unknown these people and their "greatest achievements in this era of music" are. I think things are very fractured now, and people are prone to dwell in different cultural bubbles without as much crossover as in the pre-internet days.

[Snail]

I've only really watched the one about Bohemian Rhapsody, but he pulls it apart brilliantly. It didn't really explain how Freddie saw those progressions and how to put the styles together, but I supposed you can sometimes only shrug at sheer genius at work.

As for some of the modern stuff in this thread, you're just proving the point that was being made earlier given how unknown these people and their "greatest achievements in this era of music" are. I think things are very fractured now, and people are prone to dwell in different cultural bubbles without as much crossover as in the pre-internet days.

The demographic of this site is, uh, how do I put this... not exactly representative of popular culture and wider society at large, to be fair. The people I know talk about Kendrick Lamar a lot more than they talk about Queen.

[Sangria]

I mean, if we’re going to talk about how well known an artist is, in the case of Kendrick and Tyler, you are talking about two artists who aren’t “unknown” at all. Simz is only just being given even a little bit of the recognition that she deserves, but the other two have been at the forefront of contemporary music for well over a decade now, their albums top the charts in multiple countries and they have achieved the highest accolades in terms of awards.

And there's Morten Harket. Apart from all the commercial success he's had, and the rotting portrait he has in his attic, he also holds the record for the longest note held by a singer in a charting single in Europe. Now that's an objective award.

[So… Howard Philips]

And there's Morten Harket. Apart from all the commercial success he's had, and the rotting portrait he has in his attic, he also holds the record for the longest note held by a singer in a charting single in Europe. Now that's an objective award.

As a Norwegian I assume he's a Redshite?

[Sangria]

As a Norwegian I assume he's a Redshite?

Well, red and white.

"When we were kids, Stoke was massive in Norway", says Morten. "A while back we were in London and this thing (about football) came up. People were in fits, because all of a sudden, between Mags and myself, we were starting to remember great players from the early seventies."

It seems Morten's passion for the Potters was started by his brother. The two shared a room, and while Morten tended to his orchids (!) his brother pinned up posters of Victoria Ground legends all around the walls.

"My younger brother was a big Stoke fan, and I was sucked into it," says Morten "I was kind of waking up every morning and looking at Gordon Banks face!"

"We had all these small football cards - literally hundreds of them, and swapping them was the currency back then."

[didi shamone]

Well, red and white.

I'll bet you searched high and low for that information.

[Crosby Nick]

I thought he was a Spurs fan because whenever he watches them, the Son always shines on TV?

[GreatEx]

Don't know anything about modern hip-hop but as for the thread subject, warblers are indeed an abomination. I guess Adele was ok for one album. I was listening to the radio the other day and Belinda Carlisle came on, and I reflected on how damn sexy and what a great voice she was, but never indulged in this awful vocal gymnastics, and she belted out rock bangers without concocting a vain edgelord persona like today's equivalents would (eg Pink). Those were the days.

[Sangria]

I thought he was a Spurs fan because whenever he watches them, the Son always shines on TV?

Let this mistake be your memorial, bitch.

[Mutton Geoff]

In my opinion
It is sometimes not the voice but the style of the singer, take Lady Gaga some of her early stuff was on the beeb the other night except for a couple of major hits it was dreadful noise in my opinion, but get her paired with Tony Bennett singing Jazz and especially Cole Porter's songbook she becomes a quality singer also in Star is Born she was very good as well.
As a side-note when i listen to some of the stuff i rated in the sixties some of it now sounds pretty bad and trashy!

[TepidT2O]

In my opinion
It is sometimes not the voice but the style of the singer, take Lady Gaga some of her early stuff was on the beeb the other night except for a couple of major hits it was dreadful noise in my opinion, but get her paired with Tony Bennett singing Jazz and especially Cole Porter's songbook she becomes a quality singer also in Star is Born she was very good as well.
As a side-note when i listen to some of the stuff i rated in the sixties some of it now sounds pretty bad and trashy!

For me, the modern music is a bit over produced…. But otherwise no problem with it at all.

I’ve no time for oasis or blur now, but they were so big when I was at uni…

[Sangria]

For me, the modern music is a bit over produced…. But otherwise no problem with it at all.

I’ve no time for oasis or blur now, but they were so big when I was at uni…

I disliked most of their stuff at the time. The stuff I liked at the time, I still like now. Except that I saw them as great songs at the time, while nowadays they're regarded as classics.

To the End, This is a Low, Slide Away...

[Snail]

Shall we just rename this the old fogies thread

https://youtu.be/xjSaUFix09A

[ianburns252]

Shall we just rename this the old fogies thread

https://youtu.be/xjSaUFix09A

Considering it was established last night that my life is essentially the Grampa Simpson "Old Man Angry At Cloud" meme, renaming the thread along those lines would be fitting.