I know, first hockey now this, because I feel like talking about something other than politics and Rainbow Fascism. Let’s talk about music.
Music will never mean as much to you as it does when you’re a teenager; it has to do with the interplay of music and the rapidly developing adolescent brain. And it’s true, the farther my misspent adolescence disappears in the rearview mirror, the less and less I have cared about music, the harder it is for “new music” to break through to me. Most of contemporary pop music sounds to me like whores strangling cats (I’m looking at you, Bieber.)
But I haven’t hated all of the music of this century, and watching America collapse into the socialist abyss requires a soundtrack for comfort and refuge. Here are, IMHO, ten of the best songpieces to come out so far this century.
- A Day to Remember – “All Signs Point to Lauderdale” – 2010 – Sometimes I just loop this song continuously for an hour or more. Freakin’ love this song
- Boards of Canada – “Dayvan Cowboy” – 2005 – an almost impossibly beautiful composition. Once I was running on a hot day and passed out in the woods with this on my mp3 player. True story.
- Perfume – 1 MM – 2013 – After Johnny Craig, you need an upbeat pallet cleanser. Tho’ I would probably hate this song if it were in English and Katy Perry was doing it.
- Johnny Craig – “I Still Feel Her Part III” – 2009 – which I feel quite dirty for liking, if you must know, because Johnny Craig is a complete POS. Good song though.
- Bear McCreary – “Apocalypse” – 2009 – Bear McCreary has done the music for BSG, The Walking Dead, and Agents of Shield. I feel like this will be considered classical music in another hundred years.
- A Day to Remember – “I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?” – 2009 – Sweet video, just the band playing kickball with some adorable moppets.
- Kaiser Chiefs – “Ruby” – 2007 – Catchy, sort of retro, and the video speaks to my love of Sim City.
- Jimmy Eat World – “Bleed American” – 2001 — One of the few albums released this century I can listen all the way through without skipping songs.
- Saosin – “You’re not Alone” – 2006 – You really can’t discuss early 20th Century without acknowledging that Emo was a thing; and on rare occasion not a bad thing. (And doesn’t the little girl in the video look like Monica Lewinsky’s mini-me?)
- Hawthorne Heights – “This is who we are” – 2006 – I just like it because it’s catchy.
What are your choices?
90’s Grunge burned all the music out of me & my taste for tunes was permanently killed one New Years Eve at home when my downstairs neighbors (I lived in the top drawer) cranked up Prince’s 1999, or whatever it’s called. I made a scene, red-faced & livid with hate.
However; I have been known to listen to Bear McCreary & Coldplay when not playing anonymous jazz or classical in another room for background noise.
“contemporary pop music sounds . . . like whores strangling cats”
You’re are really being way too kind.
What, no “Still Alive” by GLaDOS the passive-aggressive killer supercomputer?
Here it is as performed by a choir of elementary-school children — and dang if it isn’t catchy.””
P.S. I’ve never actually played Portal, but my 7-year-old nephew has managed to get up to level 10 or so, and “Still Alive” is one of his favorite songs after “Everything Is Awesome.”
I did not recognize any “tune” listed above but I did find Brahms in the 74 year of my early birth.
Love Bear’s work, and for music geeks, his blog goes into detail of a lot of his scoring choices. I drove from Ohio to Georgia once on Bear music alone.
Cool thing, he wrote the theme to DaVinci’s Demons as a Palindrome.
Oh and the live version of Apocalypse? That cello needs a cigarette.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=U-tUbTU0jIA
How about anything by Breathe Carolina.
Yawn. Another “today’s music sucks” thread. There is so much great music being made today. Dont be a curmudgeon.
Since I had gone with straight co workers to the Mexican culturally enriching experiences of rooster fights & woman+ male donkey shows(separate events), I can not be certain if V_K has witnessed actual whores strangling cats. I enjoy all forms of music except rap. Different types of music set different moods.
I’m still a classical music (every day is better with some of Beethoven’s music in it) and opera (Puccini and others) fan. I also enjoy the sung “standards” plus the more accessible blues and big band styles.
Rap and other noises are not welcome.
I think the point of the thread was the opposite of what Niall said.
I have a large mix of music I enjoy from this century and the last.
I’m not a fan of most pop music and really don’t care for the overly digitally corrected voice. Probably because I really enjoy Punk (from the 70’s through current bands) which often is the anti perfect pitch when it comes to the music.
Just Me, I agree with your dislike of digitally corrected voices, although I come from the other direction. To me, one of the glories of nature is a human voice, especially when it has been well-trained in the song’s/work’s style. But part of that glory is how the person sings; I don’t want them to sound all the same, and I want to hear the full richness and expression of the voice. Auto tune and similar programs take a lot of that away. (Having said that, hearing really off-key singing, including my own [alas] hurts.)
V the K, thanks for the topic. I also needed the break from the usual Sturm und Drang.
I enjoy pretty much anything by Lambchop, Hem, Lucero, Vigilantes of Love, Buddy Miller, Alejandro Escovedo, Giant Sand and a lot of obscure country/folk bands. My favorite station is Radio Free Americana on the TuneInRadio app. My favorite URL is musicfog.com.
“Dayvan Cowboy” is a great choice. I first heard it through a Delta airplane’s sound system as I boarded a flight–Shazamed it. I primarily listen to indie pop, rock, and vocal trance. Otherwise, I can’t stand listening to rap, jazz, mainstream pop, nor country.
Lately, I’ve been repeatedly listening to:
“This Is The Last Time” – The National
“Daniel” – Devendra Banhart
“Hours” – Tycho
“Feel It All Around” – Washed Out
“Dying Hipster” – Torgny
“Turn The Bells” – White Lies
And a whole host of others, but those are some of my go-tos.
“Best music of the century” is a fortunate title, because the best music of -all time- would be Mahler, especially the finale (or last movement) to his Symphony No. 3.
I’ve toyed with the idea of finding a decent performance on Youtube and just posting it one Sunday morning, without comment.