# Does anyone over 40 like today's new artists ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652 "2013-04-25T09:16:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/121 "2013-05-04T12:35:46Z")
> [@Hookit](#): > > Most white, middle class, insecure, self-hating dorks think they love the blues, but they actually don’t. They love the whole idea of authenticity and living vicariously through the trials and tribulations of some poverty-stricken black man, but the music itself? Something they pretend to enjoy to impress other tryhards. There are myriad ways to classify the blues, just as there are for rock and jazz. Everything from Bessie Smith to Bonnie Raitt. From Mississippi John Hurt to Mississippi Heat. Some want to throw the Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers and Eric Clapton in there, and I think you could easily make a case for some songs. You can also make a viable claim that early country music is just the blues with a name change to make it palatable for white folk. Given that jazz, rock, country and American folk were born from the blues I think it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t have a fondness for some form of them. I know the blues from Louis Armstrong up through Asie Payton. I don’t love all of it, but I think there are enough niches that most white, middle class, insecure, self-hating dorks can find one that they love. IMO, restricting the blues to some narrow definition is a form of hipster-ism akin to boomers saying that no good music has been recorded since 1975. ---
**Author:** ![Hookit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71e660/32.png) [@Hookit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hookit)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/122 "2013-05-04T12:55:49Z")
The Rolling Stones were always pop band. ---
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/123 "2013-05-04T21:36:19Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Since he’s not here to defend himself, it falls to me: I’ll have you know that even my dad knew the Eagles sucked. I can’t remember with who, but in an interview someone described the Eagles as a country version of the Monkees. ---
**Author:** ![jools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@jools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jools)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/124 "2013-05-04T22:23:44Z")
I’m 48 and I’m very excited to have just discovered (last week) a band called “ **The Heavy** ”, I’m loving them and it is very rare these days that I find new music. But over the years there have a been a few bands I’ve liked such as Black Keys, Muse, The Kills, Florence and the Machine, Adele. But overall I find today’s music way over produced and unoriginal. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/125 "2013-05-04T23:00:57Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Despite just the beat or production values, there’s a lot of interesting lyrical content in some rap. That may be why I don’t like it. With a few exceptions, I’ve never much cared about the lyrics in songs I like; it’s all about the music. There are exceptions, but there are literally hundreds of songs that I grew up with and liked, without knowing any of the lyrics except maybe the chorus. Similarly, I love classical music, but I don’t care for poetry. So yeah, that’s probably it. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/126 "2013-05-05T03:44:44Z")
> [@Hookit](#): > > The Rolling Stones were always pop band. This is a really silly argument to enter into, but: Robert Johnson was a pop performer, too. Your point is? > [@glilly](#): > > I can’t remember with who, but in an interview someone described the Eagles as a country version of the Monkees. And the Eagles weren’t even good enough to land a T.V. show. > [@Deegeea](#): > > But uh, what about visual artists? I think there’s more good new art coming out every year from painters and tapestry makers. I really enjoy fabric art. Or perhaps that’s off topic, but the subject line… oh well 🙂 Well, I like [Ron Mueck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Mueck). He’s a sculptor that uses unusually large and unusually small combined with hyper realism; to sometimes touching and sometimes disturbing effect. [Jim Shaw](http://www.praz-delavallade.com/artists/Jim_Shaw/selected_works.html) is a modern surrealist, with plenty of art historical jokes. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/127 "2013-05-05T09:15:30Z")
I’m in my 40s and my problem isn’t so much liking (or not) new bands–it’s _finding_ them. There are so many damned avenues that it’s almost paralysing. This weekend was good, though. We live near the local showground (fairground, I guess, for USians), and there was a big show on, and we got to listen in. It was pretty good: one band wasn’t my type (speed metal), but I could still appreciate the fire–they were determined to leave it all on stage. But I found a couple of new bands to like, or at least investigate further: [Alpine](https://soundcloud.com/alpineband), [Frightened Rabbit](https://soundcloud.com/frightened-rabbit), [Seth Sentry](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0pNPtYOO8), [Tame Impala](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0pNPtYOO8) and [Urthboy](https://soundcloud.com/elefanttraks). ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/128 "2013-05-05T23:26:25Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I’m pushing 60, I never listen to the radio or watch shows with singing themes, and if I look at a list of the current top 40 songs, I may have only heard of one or two of them, and maybe five of the artists. > > Nevertheless, I hear new songs I like fairly often, just from the musical guests on late night talk shows or SNL. That’s how I discovered “Some Nights” and “Suit and Tie,” to name a couple. It happened again. I had never heard of the Icelandic group that was on SNL last night, “Of Monsters and Men.” I liked them, especially the adorable female lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/129 "2013-05-06T03:19:53Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Here’s one from about ten years ago but I’ve just recently fallen in love with because I actually listened to the lyrics: > > [Outkast - Hey Ya](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw). At first it sounds like a generic pop song but it’s actually really friggin depressing. What I think is really clever about that song is that, at least as I interpret it, about halfway through the narrator pauses what seems like a frank and honest account of his own trust issues and the difficulties of making a relationship work, and says “Y’all don’t wanna hear this, you just wanna dance.” The catchy, bouncy “Shake it like a Polaroid picture” stuff is what comes after he apparently decides that no one cares about his problems and that what the people want is another fun pop hit. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/130 "2013-05-06T03:34:10Z")
> [@Hookit](#): > > Most white, middle class, insecure, self-hating dorks think they love the blues, but they actually don’t. They love the whole idea of authenticity and living vicariously through the trials and tribulations of some povety-stricken black man, but the music itself? Something they pretend to enjoy to impress other tryhards. How about you? Do you love the blues? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/131 "2013-05-06T03:45:44Z")
For anyone interested to hear what middle aged white self-hating insecure dork tryhards have done for the blues, check this guy out. [http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/25-new-blues-artists-you-need-to-hear-266210/4](http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/25-new-blues-artists-you-need-to-hear-266210/4) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/132 "2013-05-06T04:27:37Z")
> [@Hookit](#): > > Most white, middle class, insecure, self-hating dorks think they love the blues, but they actually don’t. They love the whole idea of authenticity and living vicariously through the trials and tribulations of some povety-stricken black man, but the music itself? Something they pretend to enjoy to impress other tryhards. That has to be the biggest thread-shit I’ve seen in a while. Seriously? No white, middle class person can like the blues w/o your say so? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/133 "2013-05-06T04:44:20Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > It happened again. I had never heard of the Icelandic group that was on SNL last night, “Of Monsters and Men.” I liked them, especially the adorable female lead singer. I’ll have to check them out. I’m a sucker for adorable female lead singers 😃 > [@Mosier](#): > > How about you? Do you love the blues? Speaking for myself, I don’t love it. At least I don’t like “modern white blues”. I can admire the musicianship (I’m a musician myself), and I can listen to a bit of it, but please don’t ask me to sit through a full performance. To my ears, by the middle of the second set the songs are all running together and I find myself asking, “Didn’t they play this one already?” I’ve listened to some very good local and regional blues guitarists, and I always come away with the same definition of a blues song: A long guitar solo bookended by some lyrics. The only blues I’ve ever truly enjoyed listening to was Robert Cray’s stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/134 "2013-05-06T09:06:28Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > For anyone interested to hear what middle aged white self-hating insecure dork tryhards have done for the blues, check this guy out. > > [25 new blues artists you need to hear! | MusicRadar](http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/25-new-blues-artists-you-need-to-hear-266210/4) That link incited several reactions from me but I don’t want to hijack the thread. I can’t let the most prominent though slip though. Most prominent is that there is just one black artists among the 25 listed. I find that site’s definition of the blues to be racist. Somewhere along the way, the blues have been co-opted to give the appearance of being a genre solely by and for white people. I’m not familiar with Aynsley Lister but I’ll give him a listen. I’m put off a bit by his influences but am open to new music. If you do a search for Hookit’s posts, you’ll find that he’s a purist when it comes to music and thus hates everything and everyone that has name recognition. Music criticism seems to be his favorite topic for posting. I’m a snob when it comes to music as well but I try to be less restrictive. The Eagles do suck but I like 9/10ths of _Greatest Hits 1971-1975_. Seeing as how it’s the best selling album of all time, it would be ludicrous to say that it isn’t good music. The “art” of music is balancing your creativity with what the public is seeking. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/135 "2013-05-06T09:11:17Z")
I’m as old as the OP. I follow various all-girl K-pop groups, and I think he should too. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/136 "2013-05-07T15:37:48Z")
I’m 48, and I like a number of current rock, pop and country stars. Off the top of my head I can think of Usher, Pitbull, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Christina Perri, Britney Spears (some of her stuff, anyway), Cobra Starship, Fun., Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Jake Owen, Rhett Akins, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/137 "2013-05-07T16:30:57Z")
Eventually most music lovers will conclude that the best two live albums ever recorded are, in order: 1. Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore 2. Little Feat Waiting for Columbus Get both, full versions. CD, album, itune (whatever) and play loud and often. On the road at night is extra good. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/138 "2013-05-07T18:24:43Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > I’m not familiar with Aynsley Lister but I’ll give him a listen. I’m put off a bit by his influences but am open to new music. If you do a search for Hookit’s posts, you’ll find that he’s a purist when it comes to music and thus hates everything and everyone that has name recognition. ::Kerplodes at the irony:: ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/139 "2013-05-08T02:44:41Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > [Immortal Technique - Dance with the Devil](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8yKTuvRmPE) Is that sampling the theme to Love Story? ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652/140 "2013-05-11T10:17:27Z")
Oh, one place I forgot to mention where I find stuff: Adult Swim, who has a new album available for [free download](http://adultswim.com/garageswim). This one is garage rock, so it’s got a retro flavor to it. But, as observed upthread, no one is _that_ original, anyway. (Besides, the Gories RULE!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-over-40-like-todays-new-artists/656652.md?page=8)