Highly Praised Music Artists That Don't Do a Thing for You

[lamradio]

Kanye.

 

Well isn't that the point behind Pop Music? Produce hooks that will catch peoples ears? That means producing them by any means necessary (sampling, etc..).. When it comes to pop, it's really not about talent (not saying that all pop stars don't have talent) but musical talent is completely irrelevant in pop music. I respect Kanye for his accomplishments in the music business, not his accomplishments in music.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Good one.. No matter how many times I've tried to like them, they just don't grab me. Feb 14th is the only song I really like by them *ducking to avoid the e-slaps by hardcore DBT fans*

 

"Feb 14th" and "Outfit" are always trading places for my favorite DBT song.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

John Frusciante's a hell of a guitarist. The Chili Peppers are a great singles band, but I outgrew them long ago.

 

Frusciante, though, is terrific.

[choo-choo-charlie]

John Frusciante's a hell of a guitarist. The Chili Peppers are a great singles band, but I outgrew them long ago.

 

Frusciante, though, is terrific.

 

There was a period -- about a year in high school -- when Blood Sugar Sex Magik was the only album that mattered to me.

[lamradio]

There was a period -- about a year in high school -- when Blood Sugar Sex Magik was the only album that mattered to me.

 

That was me and Weezer's Blue Album.

 

And they are indeed another highly praised band that doesn't do anything for me anymore...

[austrya]

Bruce Springsteen

Neil Young

Sufjan Stevens

Das Racist

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Tom Waits

Soundgarden

Neon Indian

Joanna Newsom

Antony & The Johnsons

[u2roolz]

Well isn't that the point behind Pop Music? Produce hooks that will catch peoples ears? That means producing them by any means necessary (sampling, etc..).. When it comes to pop, it's really not about talent (not saying that all pop stars don't have talent) but musical talent is completely irrelevant in pop music.

 

Hmm. I volunteer a lot for local public access channel programming and last night there was a local young woman who is a singer/songwriter. She dressed a lot like Katy Perry and talked to some folks about the current pop music business. She claimed to love Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. She somehow got lucky enough to have herself some recording time in Boston with a producer and songwriter. She even did the hot photo shoot that all young women seem to need to do in pop music to get "noticed". Anyways, long story short when she did sing it sounded like a carbon copy of any vanilla Katy Perry song.

 

Part of what she talked about before the aired interview was how the business works and you need to fill that popular void and then if you catch on you can kind of change your image and style and hope that people will stick around once you catch on because you are "pop" music. Something that I'm sure a lot of us realize. It wasn't any surprise to me that this is how the record industry works on some level.

 

I mean, you see this beautiful dolled up woman talking about wanting to take the torch from Cash & Cline and then she belts out a tune reminiscent of Katy Perry; you need to stop and realize that picture isn't right. It's obvious that this is the path that she needs to take if she wants to be "successful" in the industry. I know a lot of musician friends who go out and play their own tunes and produce their own albums. The problem is that not many people know about them or their music.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but Lamrod's post reminded me of last night.

 

Would the musicians on this board adjust their image or their style to make it "big"? To make this analogous to me I would probably never direct or write something for a Vanessa Hudgens starring vehicle, even if it meant that I could direct my own script afterwards with a nice budget.

[lizish]

Leonard Cohen

 

 

Just don't see the appeal and fell asleep at his 3 hour concert.

[Winston Legthigh]

Bruce Springsteen

REM

Lucinda Williams (except for Car Wheels on a Gravel Road)

Jay Z

Kings of Leon

Patty Smith

Eric Clapton

[lamradio]

Would the musicians on this board adjust their image or their style to make it "big"?

 

This is completely hypothetical because I stopped being concerned with making it big as a musician long ago... Now I just do it for fun.

 

But honestly I don't know how I would react if asked to adjust my image or sound... It depends on how large the adjustment was and if the price was right...

 

But I guess I just proved my own point. Once you start producing music or adjusting your image just to be successful, I guess it's not really about the music anymore...

[stooka]

John Frusciante's a hell of a guitarist. The Chili Peppers are a great singles band, but I outgrew them long ago.

 

Frusciante, though, is terrific.

 

amen!!

[tinnitus photography]

i forgot to add Joanna Newsom.

 

 

her voice does bad things to me.

[Doug C]

Part of what she talked about before the aired interview was how the business works and you need to fill that popular void and then if you catch on you can kind of change your image and style and hope that people will stick around once you catch on because you are "pop" music. Something that I'm sure a lot of us realize. It wasn't any surprise to me that this is how the record industry works on some level.

I see your point but I can't think of an example. Admittedly I only spent a couple of minutes thinking about it but can any of us name someone that began as a Katie Perry-type pop star and then transitioned to a 'serious' critically-acclaimed and respected 'artist' that "stuck around"?

[brianjeremy]

U2 - Ok singles band but can't stand their albums.

David Bowie - Love Ziggy and a few of his early albums but nothing else. I never say "Let's listen to Low"...or anything like that.

Gaslight Anthem - Not sure if they're highly praised but a few songs are alright but overall

Black Sabbath - Just not me.

Talking Heads - Not sure why but I can't really ever get into them. I have a compilation of theirs but I rarely if ever listen to it.

[bourbonbreath]

Van Morrison

Elvis Costello

Phish

Grateful Dead

Dave Matthews

Bon Iver

Foo Fighters

Arcade Fire

[Vacant Horizon]

U2 - Ok singles band but can't stand their albums.

David Bowie - Love Ziggy and a few of his early albums but nothing else. I never say "Let's listen to Low"...or anything like that.

Gaslight Anthem - Not sure if they're highly praised but a few songs are alright but overall

Black Sabbath - Just not me.

Talking Heads - Not sure why but I can't really ever get into them. I have a compilation of theirs but I rarely if ever listen to it.

 

maybe we need a thread on singles artists. that works for me. i have singles artists and CD artists i like. then there's artists that i enjoy if they come on the radio or in a movie, but i won't buy. van morrison comes to mind. love into the mystic when i here it at the grocery store, but never compelled to buy it.

 

btw-u2 and bowie are singles artists to me.

[GtrPlyr]

However, complaining about the hooks is pretty much besides the point, as his albums are densely layered enough to bear repeated listenings. Also, the stories he tells are strong enough and compelling enough, IMO, to make up for any perceived lack of flow.

Repeat: I like Kanye.

Yeah, his records are densely layered... with other peoples music . I hear a song of his on the radio, it just makes me want to hear the original. As for the stories he tells, I guess I'm just not a fan of hearing a guy blow smoke up his own ass for 3 1/2 minutes. Yawn. Another thing I don't dig is the production on his records: way too slick and built on current trends. In 10 years time all those auto-tuned songs are gonna sound pretty dated, as well the glossy production touches employed; where's the grit or soul? I don't know, his records are way too slick and protools-y for my tastes. I'll take Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic over this hack any day .

[froggie]

U2 - some really good singles, but i cant sit through an album... (plus Bono's a cockhead)

Michael Jackson

Kiss

AC/DC

Tom Waits

Radiohead

Madonna

 

... and how come no one's mentioned Justin Beiber?? (you know, 9 year old girl from Canada!)

[choo-choo-charlie]

That was me and Weezer's Blue Album.

 

And they are indeed another highly praised band that doesn't do anything for me anymore...

 

Also a marker of a different era of taste for me. Good call.

[lost highway]

Arcade Fire

 

Yes! I've read so much glowing press on these guys that I always end up streaming their newest record, or someone burns it for me. How can such blase' music be packaged so well that people interpret it as multi-layered intellectualism (their prerogative by the way, just trash talking here).

 

I see photos of them with a million and a half cool instruments on stage, and then the new single comes out and all I hear are guitars. Ooooh great a cheap Bruce Springsteen knock-off with some New Wave tendencies obsessing over suburban angst, or political soap boxing.

 

I'm also disappointed with Lady Gaga. She's supposed to be a challenging, fascinating genius. She's a fat free vanilla latte served in a crazy cup that changes colors.

[lost highway]

BTW, if Van Morrison hasn't sold you yet check out Astral Weeks. If you're still not sold, don't invest any more time.

[jff]

Joanna Newsom

 

 

I don't get it.

[jff]

 

 

But I guess I just proved my own point. Once you start producing music or adjusting your image just to be successful, I guess it's not really about the music anymore...

 

You have to adjust your image if you work in an office or most restaurants and retail stores.

 

I'd be willing to adjust my image somewhat if it meant I could make a living for the rest of my life playing music. I would rather not have to, but why are people so willing to compromise in order to do something they probably hate, but aren't willing to compromise in order to do something they love?

 

I don't think I'd be willing to play music I hate, though. That'd defeat the whole purpose.

[jff]

Anthony Keidis deserves to be repeatedly punched in the face and balls for that photo of sniffing his own armpit.

[lamradio]

You have to adjust your image if you work in an office or most restaurants and retail stores.

 

I'd be willing to adjust my image somewhat if it meant I could make a living for the rest of my life playing music. I would rather not have to, but why are people so willing to compromise in order to do something they probably hate, but aren't willing to compromise in order to do something they love?

 

I don't think I'd be willing to play music I hate, though. That'd defeat the whole purpose.

 

I agree, that's why I said it depends on how big the adjustment... I don't think I could completely change my music to a point where I couldn't stand listening to it.. But I think minor adjustments would be fine. I've actually thrown around the idea of getting a music producer for my bands next record. I think it would be interesting to have an outside source help shape the music and the overall picture of the record.