Singers, style and voice

Something I’ve discovered about myself and the music I love definitely leans towards groups that have unique and good voices. Now that’s not to say an artist with a good voice I’m going to like. The voice has to marry up with the music and provide the chemistry that I’ve become attracted too. I look back on the artists that I’ve grown to love vs. the ones that never made it with me and find a distinct pattern. Music and artists that I like today follow this pattern. Again, this is not definitive. There are always exceptions to the rule.

Let me start off by shitting on music today. BAM

It’s not all music, in fact I get pretty damn excited when I discover new music and that happens more and more. I believe a great deal of music today is generated and ground through the machine. Artist that sound like a million other artists. Songs that sound like a million other songs. It’s then consumed by masses who don’t seem to be too discriminating. Which in turn fuels the cycle and it continues to poor out crap. I think artists like Adele prove that the masses can appreciate good music and jump on it when it becomes available. But if great music is not there, then they just gravitate to what is presented to them. A vicious cycle. I don’t have to watch American Idol to hear the machine grinding on that one. I’m sure there are some good singers on there, but I have to feel it. What little I’ve heard, most of the singers sound the same with the Maria Carey wailing. That’s to generalized I know. Sorry. The only artist I think I had an interest in from American Idol is Daughtry, and even with him, he sounds like Creed and few other bands, and then keeps putting out the same song. Blehhh. So in other words, American Idol has been on a long time with lots of folks and produce nothing… for me. I’m constantly taken aback what impresses people.

The drive time station I listen to is a talk show, but the produce is an old time rocker and plays a variety of bumper music. Most of it I don’t like or think meh. As I was thinking about those artist he was playing, it came down to the singers. The music was OK, some real good, but the singer just flattens it for me. For instance, he loves to play Thin Lizzy. I’m sorry, but I think Phil Lynott has a horrible voice. Some of the song arrangements are good, but when I hear his voice, it just wilts any enjoyment of the song. He plays bands that average to bad singers.

Bob Dylan is prime example. I don’t understand the love for him. In fact, it’s probably an extreme example of bad. As is the Grateful Dead.

I just do not enjoy a mediocre, or middle of the road voice that is indistinguishable from everyone else.

Speaking of, should we talk about Autotune? No, I don’t think so. It’s one trick pony. A cheat and worst of all boring.

Which leads to all the ‘Now’ various artists release’s. I try very hard to find and discover new music. It sounds like work, but it’s not. It’s fun to seek these things out. So I thought maybe these Now CD’s would be good, fast way to find something I like. What I’ve discovered is they do reveal and reflects what pop music is popular at the particular time it’s put out. I also discovered this is music I don’t like. It’s not thinking like maybe I’ll like it or get use to it. It’s definitively describes irritating noise to my brain.

The bands I gravitate too typically have amazing voices. Journey (don’t get me started about Journey singer evolution), Sting, Jethro Tull, Boston, Yes, Asia, Robbie Wiiliams, Adele, Bruno Mars, Motown, Elton John, Billy Joel and on and on. Not only are their voices full of soul and passion, the music they write compliments their voice so well.

On one hand I think I’m pretty open to a ton of a variety of music and artists, yet I do find myself knowing my limits and putting up walls. But in my defense, I think it’s good to know what I don’t like and quit wasting my time learning to like it.

This all goes hand in hand with my recent review of Great White’s Elation CD review and the article on Gen Y with quality of music.

I don’t typically don’t vocalize my thoughts with regards to music. I just feel it like lots of other folks. I do think about it on occasion. Penny Can is just a great opportunity to have those thoughts written down. Right, wrong or indifferent. 

Good point. I don’t know Christina Aguilera’s work. Either because I may have heard her and jumped to turn the station or they just don’t play her on the stuff I listen to. What you said makes me think of Alicia Keys. I really didn’t know anything about her until I heard Empire State of Mind with Jay-Z (which I learned about from Glee). Then I discovered she put out her version of Empire State Of Mind, PT II, which today I find in my top 5 songs evah. Then diving into her catalog of work… not so much. Too much wailing and hip-hop. But, she did continue, presented us with something different. I love her for that. I think P!nk is masterful in covering a variety of styles and very excited on what she has yet to bring us.

Speaking of in-house mentality, I have long thought about that of radio stations. At one point, local radio was cool with it’s freedom to play things. Today… unthinkable. Little boxes and play within this boundary. I find rock radio extremely limiting, boring and the lowest common denominator.

Sorry... jumped the track there.

I watched the first episode for this season (the last being about 4-5 years ago). I only had it on because there was nothing else to watch. You're right in that nothing has changed and with the lack of talent on the show, I haven't bothered to go any further with this season. I was planning on watching the 'rejects' episodes leading up to Hollywood week, but I lost my interest, the same as before 5 years ago.