The challenge: Think of a genre of music you hate. Decide you are going to make a sincere effort to learn what others see in this genre. To do that, you might listen to it generally, might seek out what people consider the best in the genre, might read articles or talk to people about what the music means to them. Deliberate exposure is the key.
The judging: It’s up to you to define “a sincere effort.” (If you say you’re going to try to understand country music and post again in three minutes that country sucks, I don’t think anyone is going to be impressed with your wit and acumen.)
The point: Lots of things are easy to dismiss from a place of ignorance.
So, I’m going to try to learn about… <GULP>… Christian Rock.
Anyone want to join in and explore a genre of their choosing to see what it’s really all about?
Good idea. I’m not ready to commit to the effort, but I guess I’d go with…let’s see…norteño (a.k.a. banda), that Mexican (and south Texan) music with the blaring oompah brass.
I enjoy an extremely diverse range of music - metal to Arab rap to classical to '60s folk to whatever.
However, I cannot tolerate jazz, especially modern jazz. At all. None of it. Not even the greats. It is discordant and nasty and makes me lunge at the radio to turn it off RIGHT NOW and I would prefer to hear fingernails screeching and scratching on a blackboard, and I am not kidding.
I’m not sure where I would even start, that wouldn’t have me diving for the mute button and my blankie. Christian rock is also a pretty brave choice. Yikes.
I’m too ignorant of jazz to know when “modern jazz” started, so I don’t know if it fills me with hatred, too. Hmm. Actually it’s smooth jazz that makes me stabby.
And yes, I’m going to regret my choice of Christian rock, at least for a while. But I don’t like having a kneejerk reaction. If I’m going to dislike it, I want it to EARN that dislike!
I can also recommend August Burns Red, Wolves At The Gate, Jars of Clay…
I know that my own tastes lean to the heavier, more brutal kind of sound, so if this all was too heavy, lemme know and I’ll tone it down. There’s lots of great Christian music being made; it ain’t all Amy Grant.
I’m not sure what you mean by “modern jazz”. Could you maybe name some of the “greats” that you’ve heard but didn’t care for? That would help me understand what you mean.
Modern jazz is okay, unless they try to play it too damn fast.
My genre would be mainstream country, but I’m not even sure where I would start getting into it.
I think it would be a good idea if people helped each other out and gave some suggestions to get started, along with pointers about how to enjoy the music.
Classic country is great. Modern pop country is a useless waste of time. Except maybe unless you watch the accompanying videos. At least then you’ve got some ‘country camp’ to enjoy.
I found this site when I just did a search on “modern jazz” to see if the genre is just jazz that is contemporary or if it’s a specific thing (like “modern art” is a thing, but has nothing to do with whether it’s being produced now).
It seems for jazz that it would be nice to have real guidance, because it’s such a complex field.
For the categories listed above, while I’m not an avid listener of any of the genres, I wouldn’t dismiss them outright and would be receptive if someone said, “Hey you should give a listen to this Christian rock/modern jazz/tejano song.”
I would say the genres that deserve to have quotation marks around them if they are to be considered music are death metal and avant-garde-Yoko-Ono crap. I am as open minded as they come with regard to all things musical but for these two, forget it.
Having said that, if someone wants to provide a sample of one that I might like, I’ll give it a shot.
Death metal & black metal are two of the most extreme forms of metal, and it can take awhile to get used to the Cookie Monster vocals; I find it helps lots of people to think of the styles as grand forms of sonic kabuki: it’s all theatre, just for your ears.
Here’s a couple of death metal bands that I think might pique your interest, at least enough to listen to one or two of these songs all the way thru:
Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not (this is a progressive death metal band; it’s a long song, so it requires an investment of about 12 minutes to hear the whole thing) Ne Obliviscaris - As Icicles Fall (slightly shorter at under 10 minutes; also slightly more aggressive)
Opeth - Master’s Apprentices (another progressive death metal band, this one starts out aggressive but doesn’t stay that way. Death Whispered A Lullaby (okay, this requires a bit of explanation: both of these songs are from different albums that were recorded simultaneously and intended to be a double album, showcasing a kind of light/dark dichotomy. The record label couldn’t wrap their head around that concept, so they were released as 2 separate albums. The album this song is from is called Damnation; the previous song is from Deliverance. If you like this song, I urge you to check out other tracks from the same album as they are all excellent. I linked to a video taken from a live DVD the band released so y’all can see that the people who make the growly music are indeed musicians and craftsmen, not just idiots flailing away and barking into the microphone. And yes, IMO this is death metal because it’s a death metal band expressly playing within their oeuvre.)
Sigh - Amnesia (Japanese black metal band that is also kind of a let’s-throw-some-shit-in-the-blender-and-see-what-comes-out kind of band.) Sigh - Equale
Ihsahn - Frozen Lake On Mars (Ihsahn is a master of the black metal form, having first entered the fray in the band Emperor, arguably the first melodic/progressive black metal band. Since beginning his solo career, Ihsahn has been fearless about expanding the sonic palette of black metal.) Ihsahn - The Eagle And The Snake
I’ll have to think about the avant-garde stuff before I post; I’ll likely have to make a couple of videos real quick for that.
ETA: I’d urge everyone reading this thread to PLEASE join us in the Straight Dope Music Appreciation Society thread. I only ask that you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read the OP and follow the rules laid down there; it really helps keep the thread sane. There’s a ton of good music linked in that thread and new contributions and contributors would be awesome.
Yeah… I don’t think I can do it, either. The only sub/genres of music I outright hate are jazz, screamo, and opera, and I think I’ve already been more than fair to all three. Two out of three I can’t understand any of the words, and the other makes me think of elevators and being put on hold.
I don’t know any names because I shut it off too quickly to hear.
I enjoy some of the older jazz - Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis. On the Terri Gross NPR show there’s a guy who often does reviews of new jazz albums and without exception what he reviews and praises is so discordant it makes my teeth itch.
OK, thought of a contemporary jazz musician - Dave Brubeck. Do not like.
You took the time to write out this post and to provide some links so I said I would give the songs a listen and maintain an open mind.
Every death metal song I hear begins with a machine gun drum beat, a slashing guitar riff, vocals as if someone is ramming the microphone down one’s throat and all this with the volume control set at 11. I’d more prefer listening to a chain saw set on full throttle.
As to your links (I went through them all) I’d have to say I like all of the parts that didn’t sound like death metal. There’s definitely a lot of talent there and the Japanese one -you’re right- is an interesting mash up of styles and instruments. So I don’t think I’m won over but I appreciate the offerings.
Ditto. I don’t like opera because sopranos give me a migraine. Literally.
(I can handle jazz and death metal and all kinds of stuff, but opera…no. And I’ve tried. One of my best pals from childhood is an opera singer, and she’s good…but also migraine-inducing.)
But it is an interesting experiment to get people outside their comfort zones!
My husband has done this with me with rap music, exposing me to it and talking about it until I was able to understand what it was I didn’t like about it, what I did, and what it was all about.
Along the way, I discovered that I rather like LudaCris, and that Eminem is catchy as hell.
