You think rap is shallow? Whatsa matter with you? Haven’t you ever listened to lyrics like:
Now that’s deep.
First of all, they are more often referred to as group or act, not band, unless it is by those who do nothing but denigrate and insult them.
As for needing electronic equipment to "make it sound like they’re anywhere near in key or in tune" EVERY act, be it teen pop, speed metal, rap, country, rock has their vocals dicked around with and sweetened during the recording process and they also all have a mixing board at every concert which does the same dicking and “sweetening” of the vocals in concert, so don’t even try and pass it off that it is only “boy bands” who do that, 'cause it’s Bull S.
Also the greatest act in pop music history, The Beatles, had their vocals dicked with, by the band members themselves in one way or another during the last 4 years of their recording career as The Beatles.
And perhaps the songs don’t have any personal meaning to you, but I really doubt that you are the tyarget audience for the songs.
Plus, rock/pop music is supposed to be disposable.
I hate to point it out again, but groups dont always have to have their voices dicked around with.
If you’ve ever heard *Nsync sing Happy Birthday Acapella from a german girl’s living room, you might get me better.
and when it’s footage shot with a home video camera, you can pretty much assume that their voices werent dicked around with.
I’m not saying that every band has live talent like that.
O-Town is a band I like alot, but they arent very good acapella.
while I have very little respect for BSB, I can say that I have yet to hear them sing unaccompanied.
Minor nitpick:
It’s à capella, i.e., “relating to the chapel” (where chant was sung without instrumental accompaniment, as opposed to the main church where the organ was available). A two-word phrase, not a single word.
And yes, several of the groups do do some excellent à capella harmonization, though unfortunately on largely forgettable songs.
I’ll see you these guys and raise you The Swollen Members, Krs-ONE, and Ph Balance.
Rap is not shallow, which is probably the reason you don’t hear much of it. Most of that stuff on the radio is pop.
Why don’t I like boy bands? They’re not particulairly good looking guys with average voices singing forgettable songs to pre-teen girls. And they’re all rich. I want a piece of the pie!!!
Since I am a female (and straight) my dislike for boy bands has little to do with the facts that they can “get chicks.” Incidentally, I am puzzled by the fact that most members of boy bands are supposed to be considered attractive. I suspect that the reason so many young girls believe this is simply because they are told to, and because the boy band members are a thoroughly non-threatening looking bunch. Personally, I think most are boring looking, and though while not ugly (no one in hollywood is actually ugly) the majority are certainly not especially attractive.
Anyway, the reason I dislike boy bands is because they do not write their own music. I know 16 year olds who are capable of writing quite presentable songs, and yet the boy bands cannot manage it. Really, they are little more than million-dollar cover bands, and while cover bands can be very entertaining, I would not pay money for one of their cds.
And the music is so boring! You’d expect that with teams of writers they’d be able to come up with a subject more interesting than the kind of crap that the boy bands inevitably churn out. Thankfully, they seem to be in a decline these days. While some, I know, hate the rock and pop punk that is ever-present nowadays just as much, they at least write their own stuff and some of them even put a little real feeling into their lyrics.
People of course are free to like whatever they want, and I respect that, but I’d strongly advise any fan of such bands to check out some real music as well. There’s pop out there that’s just even more catchy, and just as romantic, but written and performed by the same people, some of whom are quite talented.
Has anyone heard the acappela “i though she knew” by NSYNC on the album “no strings attached?” So much for average voices…
I love BSB, NSYNC and even Westlife to an extent although they are getting worse by the song. However i do hate the fact that they usually have only two people who are allowed to sing:take NSYNC. Strictly Justin and JC sing. YEt, when i heard Joey Fatone sing on the a cappela i just mentioned iwondered why with a voice like that, he is sidelined. At least BSB has 3 lead singers and the other two are occasionaly given a go. Still very sad they dont give everyone a chance.
And yes, BSB do play instruments…Kevin plays the pioano, Brian the guitar and i forget the rest.U saying all those concerts have been doctored to make them look real? Yeah, and the moon landing was fake too wasnt it?
umm…that would be piano…sorry for the typo…
Whoah. Don’t blow a gasket, there junior.
Yes sometimes artists uses “tricks” on their vocal tracks, but for the most part they are for artistic effect, not for keeping things in tune. Also, while mixing boards often mix in effects, the primary purpose of a mixing board is to keep the levels set so that the overall sound is a good “mix”. See? So the lead guitar or the drums aren’t washing out the bass or the vocal.
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You’re totally missing the point. The Beatles may have done re-dubbing and looping and pahse shifting to give trippy effects, but there’s a difference between that and layer of a million chorus effects on a vocal track to knock down the cracking and note cuffing – because the singer can’t pull it off.
I can’t speak for the Back Street Boys (or whatever) but sticking with the O-Town theme – I saw the show, I heard them sing. None but one of them could carry a tune in a bucket.
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Why aren’t I the target audience? I like music. I like poetry/lyrics. The majority of these “acts” got their starts recording music pumped out by hacks. There is this one person I saw some special on, who just writes the most formulaic drivel (“Oh baby, girl I want you, you make my heart ache, you’re the one for me Baby, girl, baby, ooh, baby, girl yeah”) and supplies them to Boy Bands. She’s a middle aged woman writing songs lamenting girl trouble from the point of view of a young man – how sincere can it be?
Then when these kids recognized the formula, they just cut out the middle man and started writing their own “Babys, Girls” lyrics.
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No it isn’t.
Usually I’d be polite and ask for a cite, but this is just bullshit. A mixing board doesn’t=voices being dicked around with, and it certainly doesn’t mean that the vocals are being ‘sweetened’.
Like most artists, and indeed, people, the Beastie Boys have grown over the years. Considering you failed to read the Adam Yauch quote directly above the section of my post that you quoted, you can see the lyrics for the song here. It’s certainly not shallow, although as he admits, “the idea that a person could read a couple of books, go to one teaching, and then attempt to write an updated abridged version of the Bodhicaryavatara is presumptuous at best.”
Well I agree with most of the above reasons for not liking boy bands, but for me, the main reason is that, being a guy, I have an aversion to male wussiness. And singing stuff like that, acting all sad on video clips, etc looks really wussy.
Wassamatter Ravage2…not in touch wit your sensitive side yet…
I hate to say this, but as someone wwho is well versed in this kind of music, there arent that many songs with the words “Baby” in them, and I can only think of 2 that have the word girl in the title. “Girl” by O-town and “Girlfriend” by Nsync.
Oh, Jack, Having just now noticed what you said about them obly being listed as primary artists on the record, and I have to aggree to the fact that their not listd on the album as playing.But I can vouch to having seen Jacob Underwood and Ashley Parker Angel play acoustic giutar on more than on occasion, both live and on TV. I believe they played to the song “Love should be a crime” as well as “Say Say” , which is not part of their concert show, but is seen on an episode of “Making the band” Season 2, I think.
As a former fan of the BSB I can see from both sides how they are liked and disliked.
The main reason I liked them when I was younger, was because my friends did too and I didn’t want to seem completely out of the loop (c’mon most of my favourite bands are ‘oldies’ and folk type singers. I got teased mercilessly about it back in junior high/high school. Now I don’t really care.) One song that I still like though is ‘The Perfect Fan’ which is I recall was written by Brian and Kevin (I think) as a tribute to their Mom’s.
Now I can see how much most of their songs sound alike, but there are a couple that are still good. It all depends on your tastes. My tastes have since grown, but every so often I pull out the Millenium CD and play it because some of the songs I gasp actually like.
I stopped being ‘totally into’ the BSB when I happened to be watching Much Music and an N’Sync video came on. I thought they were the BSB for a minute until the little sign at the bottom came up telling you who it was and the name of the song. That’s when I went… uhh okay… I haven’t bought a CD of theirs since Millenium and in fact I have sold most of the ones I did own off. (I had owned a number of the singles, as well as the full CDs)
I gotta meet this guy’s mom. I’ve always wanted to learn how to walk without my hands.
Posted by Jack Batty:
Which one do you think can carry a tune?
(If you cant name them, just decsribe the hair, I know their hair like the back of my hand)
Still liking them, I have to admit that not all 5 of them are terrific singers, but the main 3 of them are, Dan Miller, Ashley Angel, and Jacob Underwood. The other 2 are good enough for singing the chorus and the occasional solo.
Unless you are between the ages of 9-15 and are just starting to get boobs and a period, you are definitely not the target audience for boy-bands.
YES, it is.
Say, Servant. You may as well cheese it with the big font, you ain’t impressing anyone.
Popular music is music that is popular, and as such should reflect the times. The best popular music is remembered throughout the ages. The worst popular music is forgotten about ten minutes after the artist goes tits up. I’m talking as far back as recorded music was available. The best tunes from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s on up to today, are remembered because they were “popular”. Hence popular music is not disposable.
Shitty music is.
And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not in O-Town’s wheelhouse as a fanbase goes. So someone ought to tell them that and make them stop calling themselves a band, or worldwide recording artists, or anything else having to do with music and just call themselves “pubescent masturbation fodder masquerading as talent.”
Flowerchild, I kind of thought that Angel guy had a decent voice. He’s the only one on that show I thought had very much going for him. But even he had mucho star-attitude, while not even being a star yet.