Less SUCK, more ROCK in 2012!!!

[T'Mershi Duween]

How about it, Slutz?

Let's DO this!!!

[Hollywoods]

I don't know how many times i've listen to a so called new rock or metal band and, the intro sounds good, the build up to the first verse or chorus then.... Some wimpy sounding singer with no balls comes in. Where are the singers with the ass kickin voice thats appropriate to this style music like Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Biggest problem is that these corporate no talents that have the big bucks for marketing think it sounds good, so we're screwed.

[Matt R]

Originally Posted by Hollywoods

I don't know how many times i've listen to a so called new rock or metal band and, the intro sounds good, the build up to the first verse or chorus then.... Some wimpy sounding singer with no balls comes in. Where are the singers with the ass kickin voice thats appropriate to this style music like Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Biggest problem is that these corporate no talents that have the big bucks for marketing think it sounds good, so we're screwed.

I've heard a bunch of people bash Adrenaline Mob, but I must say that their lineup of talent is truly epic. I don't care if they feel that Mike Portnoy is being underutilized or whatever: Their music is actually pretty badass, and they have a singer that fits.

[yotonic]

Bands don't need singers anymore. They're more about dress-up, videos, and vampires. Most of them just want to be famous and get on TMZ.

I laughed my ass off tonight when I saw Coldplay on Austin City Limits tonight and they brought their own cute little spray painted stage set with them and ran around in their little Beatles uniforms with bits of dayglo paint on them.

How can you have more Rock and less Suck when crap like this is on Austin City Limits. Even a crap load of the Country bands today are total posers with high lighted hair, wrist bands and nose rings.

[AcoosticZoo]

As much as I am a fan of rock. Rock Flourished in the 70's, 80's 90's 00. 2010+ is the domain for mid paced Ballads, Acoustic Numbers and House/Electro, Pop.

So many have tried pushing new rock today and the market isn't just buying it. (Not referring to already established rock bands - they're still making $$ through touring and new material).

If you're talking about top40 market, little teenagers are into what you'd already called in your initial post as "suck" - which I personally don't mind listening to now and then.

Does anyone see motown, big band, barber shop making a return to modern pop anytime soon? The question is why isn't rock doing damage atm? why? There will be a few bright stars/numbers that come out now and then - but I don't see rock happening across the board atm.

back to back, modern rock just doesn't have to punch and spice when compared to modern day top40 productions. The rock genre has gritty/distorted, thick layers of guitars vs Top 40 productions with aurally powerful samples and exciting synths/lead riffs. On a dance floor, modern top 40 productions can get a crowd moving - rock on the other hand is great for bars and restaurants and surf stores, live arenas.. but not suited for your typical weekend dance clubs.

Old school rock is brilliant and will also ring a bell universally. They were the glory days of commercial top 40 rock. Companies just don't make records like that anymore (or atleast less than before) - the passion has gone. The market's changed. People are moving on...

Regards
Josef Horhay
Mixing Engineer
www.acoosticzoo.com

[Edward Shnapper]

Yea, i agree with the zoo man. Rock is dead. It had its day. It will NEVER be back. It will try to come back, but will never really make it. It will show up now and then just like jazz and classical etc do but it's just another 'classic genre' now. I don't think there is anywhere left for rock to go.

[Grimbog]

Also agree with Zoo...

Sadly times change, and the demographic that was there in the past have now moved on. Even (as simple examples) folk, house, or (heaven forbid) disco etc. was evidently quite popular back in the day, but as soon as the market is flooded with a particular sound it becomes over-saturated and the stimulus is gone. Don't get me wrong, rock has always been a fairly solid genre in general, but I've found contemporary rock to be... well, all the same - experimentation doesn't fall in to the equation, and those that do experiment with cross-genre tracks often get pigeon-holed in to obscurity.

I'm more sad to see how music is being viewed as less of an art (subjective), and merely a platform for satisfying a specific market. Record companies tend to follow stats quite ruthlessly, and as a result it shapes who or what they perceive as being in the interest of the 'larger audience'. Does it mean that the music has to be any good? No of course not, but what matters to the record company is to make money (not a criticism, but its just the way things are), and the only way they can do that is by seeing what is 'hot'. Arguably in the UK there is a big push for dub-step and drum and bass as a result of its popularity in the club scene.... to a point where it is now entering mainstream music with fairly substantial air-play and I think this is where things will go. Personally I loath it due to the same bloody 'hoover' sounds synonymous with dance, or 'wow-wow-wow' bass lines on every off beat - but alas that is what is 'cool with the kids', ie. the modern meme of 1950's 'rock n roll'. Lest we forget simple group behaviour (recommended reading in psychology fields if you're interested)... you shove a particular song down peoples throats long enough and they'll eventually like it - that's marketing.

Anyway, I'm rambling again... if you can, I highly recommend checking out "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", which is a wonderful Storyville documentary (BBC Four - Storyville, 2010-2011, Anvil! The Story of Anvil) - it follows the group around as they try to re-attain the success they once had back in 1982 when metal was coming to its peak.

[FFTT]

There's more talent HERE than we are seeing out there from
the labels.

[Hollywoods]

I realize music and art is subjective. Time moves on. You only date yourself when you make an argument for a certain type of entertainment from days gone by. But, lets revisit an old Sage who is still on point, I think.

[yotonic]

I agree with Josay also but;

I found myself saying almost the same thing some years back when a little trio by the name of Nirvana came out and completely mesmerized young teenagers and old alike. One band one album.

[The Spark]

Sometimes I think rock isnt dead, its just presented wrong. Rock always seems to be the best when its raw and rowdy. Autotune and Beat Detective probably arent doing it any favors. (not that I want to put forward a stance of being anti either one of these things, but more of an observation as to maybe why rock doesnt work as well at the moment.)

[AnthonyRochester]

Yes, I was just going to say - What if you think rock sucks?

[pinkheadedbug]

Depends what you mean by rock. All sorts of interesting stuff still happening. Is it in the top 40? No. Who cares?

[robertshaw]

we need more diversity from the labels

[mizzle]

You're all just getting old. Forget "rock"; make "music".

[Edward Shnapper]

Originally Posted by The Spark

Sometimes I think rock isnt dead, its just presented wrong. Rock always seems to be the best when its raw and rowdy. Autotune and Beat Detective probably arent doing it any favors. (not that I want to put forward a stance of being anti either one of these things, but more of an observation as to maybe why rock doesnt work as well at the moment.)

Yep. Also, i feel the same about hip hop too.. Or today's 'squeky clean' sounding hip hop. 90's hip hop is considered the golden period of the genre - it was dirty and raw.

[The Spark]

Originally Posted by Edward Shnapper

Yep. Also, i feel the same about hip hop too.. Or today's 'squeky clean' sounding hip hop. 90's hip hop is considered the golden period of the genre - it was dirty and raw.

Agreed. It probably works across a multitude of genres.

[LimeMusic]

As a fan of 70's, 80's, 90's, and even '00's rock, I'll agree that I also felt that rock had died in the past decade. Until, that is, my band opened up for the band Cold in a town in Pennsylvania in 2009.
I had only remembered this band from a radio hit back in 2003, so I was totally surprised when I saw this venue packed with a few thousand screaming fans in 2009.

I hate this band, and the show sucked, but it showed me that people still want to hear rock... In whatever form. Rock isn't dead, it's just in a serious coma...

[robertshaw]

Originally Posted by mizzle

You're all just getting old. Forget "rock"; make "music".

with the exception of classical and jazz, all popular music is rock music

[sage691]

Originally Posted by robertshaw

we need more diversity from the labels

There's probably a better chance of a UFO landing in your backyard tomorrow and taking you on a ride to the other side of the galaxy and back in 20 minutes than anything like that happening with the labels.

[FFTT]

Watching DRAKE on New Years Eve on NBC

It was AWFUL!

Then Cee Lo Green butchering John Lennon's Imagine

The industry is F'd!

Rap & Hip Hop and Metal All completely saturated and over done.


Time for a new direction with real musical talent.

[mdme_sadie]

We live in the era of Karaoke as mainstream music, where people are willing to buy into not very good music covered poorly by pretty mediocre musicians who are cheered on because of their Uriah Heap origins and a sense of rubbernecking on tv shows more than because it's actually something good that you'd want to listen to or buy under normal circumstance.

Music as an industry has been hijacked by marketeers who realized that all you need to do is build an emotional connection, get the audience to invest and you can sell them rat dung flavored asbestos cookies and they'll love you for it. And what's more it's dirt cheap to make, easy to control and doesn't involve many shootings.

No "genre" of music is dead, just the desire (and money) to market it and make it relevant, it's horrible to realize that's all that it takes but it's true.

We're living in a re-run of the 80's right now with all it's cheesy soft ballads, bad production and the rest, well either that or the prelude to Demolition Man, but it's down to the marketeers deciding that this is what will sell the most, that this is the soundtrack of the summers hit films and games, that this is the era of nostalgia for the generation with the deepest pockets, you shouldn't let that get you down. This stuff goes in cycles, and if it doesn't then sooner or later kids take matters into their own hands and often come up with something completely new and far more interesting and with the web they have the potential perfect delivery system of that new idea.

Of course I could be wrong, it could just be that recorded music itself is dieing. When all that's left is "standards" in *every* genre it's a pretty poor outlook.

[RoundBadge]

Ha..I shot that interview at Franks house in the 80's..he invited us to stay for dinner..that was a fun day to say the least.amazing guy!

Originally Posted by Hollywoods

I realize music and art is subjective. Time moves on. You only date yourself when you make an argument for a certain type of entertainment from days gone by. But, lets revisit an old Sage who is still on point, I think.

[mizzle]

Originally Posted by robertshaw

with the exception of classical and jazz, all popular music is rock music

Sorry, that kind of delineation is a waste of time. You can't prove or disprove such a categorical generalization.

[Space Station]

The biggest thing amongst the kids at my sons school is dubstep I might have him taken out of there..

[Salivan]

Its is good to hear that rock is dead... It is good to hear I´m spending thousands to build my studio just for rock music, and it is dead =(

BTW, Im being ironic

[Edward Shnapper]

Originally Posted by Salivan

Its is good to hear that rock is dead... It is good to hear I´m spending thousands to build my studio just for rock music, and it is dead =(

BTW, Im being ironic

when i said it was 'dead' i didn't mean it like that. i meant i didn't think it would be the number one force that it has been for the last 40 years.

There is still a huge market for rock. Still one of the biggest genres in the world today. I wouldn't worry about it dying out. Has jazz died out? Classical died out? There's hardcore fans everywhere...

[Yummerz]

Rock will return to the mainstream when bands start writing catchy melodic songs with pop sensibilities. No one wants to listen to whiny self-indulgent indie crap, and no one wants to listen to aggro screaming metal crap. Modern rock doesn't have a danceable beat, it's not fun, and it doesn't feature the hallmarks of classic songwriting. It's just not cool.

It has nothing to do with the sonics of rock being raw. It has to do with the lack of classic pop songwriting and broadly appealing personalities; and it has to do with the insular, off-putting atmosphere that modern rock exudes - "I'm so cool, self-aware, and meta" indie hipsterism on one hand, and dark, "I'm angry because my daddy didn't love me and I hate my job" metal on the other. These emotional attitudes (thankfully) do not have universal appeal. They do not translate to the desires and experiences of most people.

What does have broad appeal? Having a good time, going out on the town, and falling in (and out of) love - as expressed through catchy melodies, clever lyrics young people can relate to, strident beats, charismatic, likable performers, and soulful singing. (Not whining, and not screaming and barking.) Max Martin and Dr. Luke understand this. Bruno Mars understands this. Lennon and McCartney understood this.

If rock wants to be relevant, it has to cater to the desires of the people. It has to stop looking inward and serving small subcultures. And it has to do so creatively, without obviously copying from the past, otherwise it risks sounding "old." Amy Winehouse managed to satisfy some of these requirements, as did Adele, the Kings of Leon, and now the Black Keys. But these are just shadows, inklings, of a future resurgence of rock - if only rockers will go back to basics, whilst simultaneously pressing forward with something new.

[mattg082]

It's amazing how much rock died...Everyone use to bitch, but we'd still see the killers, green day, foo fighters ect. But these days nothing... I've always made electronic/ industrial type rock, but it's a bit out of hand. It's like as a writer you might as well pick up Ableton and some vengeance sample packs and go at it than a traditional rock band with good melody and the ocassional weird synths... I personally was more of a NIN, the Faint kinda person even a long time ago...but god damn

[The Real MC]

Want less suck?

Better songwriting, ban the beancounters and image-centric labels, less egotistical guitar ******y, less technical scale jockey jazz music.

There are good songs still being made. They are not on mainstream media and not on major labels. I can't stand contemporary media (radio, TV, etc) anymore as there is too much garbage and too many ads.