About every ten years, a new generation of young people embrace some form of music that annoys their parents. In the 50’s, we got rock & roll. In the 60’s, we got the British invasion. In the 70’s, we got punk. In the 80’s, we got rap. In the 90’s, we got grunge. So isn’t it about time for some new form of “that stuff the kids are calling music today - it’s all just a bunch of noise - and why do they have to play it so damn loud?”
Being middle-aged myself, I’m clueless on popular culture. But even I can see Britney Spears’ handwriting on the wall; we’re overdue for another round of out with old and in with the new. Can anyone in the younger crowd give us an idea on what we’re about to be overwhelmed by?
Until last year I though of myself as part of the younger crowd, but hearing the shyte that gets passed along the radio waves these days…maybe it’s just that record execs, scouts and deejays are morons. I mean, Limp Bizkit? I’d rather listen to a, well, a whole lot of other things that I don’t normally like to listen to.
There was a thread up last week called “Rock and Roll is back” and we concurred that it had never left, just that pop stuff had taken the limelight for now. Maybe it’s better that way, forces musicians to be musicians.
Kuroashi has hit the nail on the head. I quite like a bit of metal, and I love hip-hop, but this new fangled nu-metal is quite clearly bollocks.
The fact that I would happily rip it to shreds on artistic merit rather than just give it a “not really my thing” brush off is the final proof that I am now an Old Git.
It’d be a lot easier to hate the music of Britney Spears and Eden’s Crush if they put more clothes on. As it is, when I see them on TV I’m too distracted to pay much attention to the music…
Whatever it is, it certainly WON’T be britney or any other manufactured bands. All of the movements listed by Little Nemo were - initially at least - underground music created by people unhappy with the status quo. Boy bands and teeny-pop are the quintessence of mediocracy,carefully designed not to enthuse anyone in particular, but avoid offending as many middle of the road listeners as possible.
Regarding the OP, I think that the next wave will more likely be something akin to Indie music eg meoldious (for want of a better word) stuff that is written and performed by the band.
Out of that, I think the next shocking trend will emerge.
PS Can I just say that what is called Soul or R&B at the moment really gets on my tits
I’d say R&B is about the most misused term in popular music, only because it doesn’t seem to have any defining characteristic other than that it’s performed by African Americans. If I hear the word today, without qualification, I assume it’s mostly hip-hop and rap. But to rock historians, the word covers the work of people like Big Joe Turner and Hank Ballard.
I assume I’m around the same age as the OP. I have to say that most popular music annoys the sh** out of me, except that I did like a lot of what was happening in the early 90’s, bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. Being a guitar player I like traditional band-centered rock music. But most of what I hear nowadays – tech, industrial, rap (which shows no sign of ever going away or evolving into a more musical genre), and hip hop I’ve got NO use for.
Sometimes Java woman and I think it might be fun to go out dancing…but where? Seems like the music in the dance clubs is usually anything but rock’n’roll :(.
As for a next big thing in music, I would place my bets on the pop-emo scene. Assuming you can even call it a scene. Bands like Jimmy Eat World, Saves the Day, and Dashboard Confessional. All are right on the verge of becoming huge. I think they all get real late night play on MTV (keep in mind I loathe that station, but it’s what makes bands popular).
The only other cool thing that might happen but I really doubt would be a cool rock revolution, where all the produced corprate rock out now would fade away, giving way to bands with real talent. That’d be cool, but I doubt it would happen.
FTR I started geezing about the crappy music kids are listening to these days around the time I turned 17…and that was several years before grunge (shivers). IMO pop music went over a cliff in the mid to late '80s and has yet to recover. And today everything is hip-hop…does anyone else agree with me that we are way overdue for a “Hip-Hop Sucks” movement?
A few characteristics that will help define “the next big thing”.
It will be made by musicians who have little interest in commercial success. It will however end up with major commercial success.
It will be made by musicians who have genuine talent. It will end up being imitated by lesser talents looking for a buck.
It will not be immediately successful in mainstream media. It will end being overexposed by the same media.
It will have some controversial aspect that will lead many older listeners to reject it. It will end up being embraced by many younger listeners who are seeking their own musical identity.
Little Nemo, see that’s what I fear. The “Next Generation tm” may have come up with this concept that all the bands we think are shyte are representing THEM, so when we complain about it they say, “Aw you bunch of codgers! You’re not KEWL anymore.”
The international music industry is so huge…
“how huge IS it?”
It’s so huge that record companies really don’t HAVE to find groups that will annoy the least amount of people (a lot like presidential candidates), and still make a lot of money.
Support your independent label.
And spread the word when you find a good band that you don’t think is getting enough press!
Now is the time when the average 25 year old decries the state of popular music today, pining for the decade before, when they were playing real music - that same music that the 25 year olds of that era were decrying, and pining for the decade before, when they were playing real music - that same music that the 25 year olds of that era were decrying…
And so it goes.
We all like the music we grew up with as a teenager, and hate the music that the ‘younger’ crowd seem to like. So it shall ever be.
GuanoLad - maybe, but I’m going on 27 and still like quite a bit of stuff that is considered “cutting edge” today - the quirkly little bands on indie labels, this downtempo jazzy electronica that seems to be everywhere on “Chill-out” compilations, But i take your point. What would be the point of the music beloved by today’s youth if it didn’t piss off old gits? The music of my youth was Drum n Bass, and old gits and house purists loathed that.
Uke - you’ve got me there. I had never heard of Fabian, but from what i can find on the net, he appeared to be very handsome, well groomed, with all the innate musical ability of a horny tomcat. So yes, i guess.
Javaman - you want more musical rap? Try MC Solaar, The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Jazzmatazz, Lethal Injection by Ice Cube. More on request.
i’m kinda coming round to the idea that it will be emo/indie. it’s already started - jimmy eat world are fairly big for an emo band and new found glory are heading that way too i think.
it’ll start when the get up kids release their next album. just my little prediction. the get up kdis are huge in an underground way, and typify the genre. if their next album is good and has a single that mtv will be able to latch on to, they will kick off the next musical revolution.
it kinda saddens me. while i love emo and wish more people could share in its virtues, i think about the mess that grunge became (ughh - creed) and hope it will never happen to my favourite form of music.
and people will say that the bands have sold out - indie music sitepitchfork already call emo an overused industry term and pour shit on bands like tguk and jimmy eat world.
and no, nu-metal is no more the new thing of this decade than hair metal was of the late '80s. nirvana replaced guns n roses and bon jovi, just like something else is going to replace limp bizkit and linkin park.
(btw - i’m eighteen - this is meant to be my music :rolleyes: )
Personally, I don’t consider the likes of Britany Spears and N’Sync part of the “New Rock,” maybe because I listen more to the harder, less popier stuff…you know, the type that gets played on “New Rock” stations, or “Alternative Rock” stations. The patern there over the past year has been Canadian bands. I don’t really care for any of them to remember their names, but I’m sure someone out there knows a few (I want to say Lifehouse is one, but I’m not sure). Also, really depressing music. I liked Staind a lot when “Mudshovel” came out, but now all the songs they release are “I suck, the world sucks…did I mention I suck?” and it seems a LOT of bands have followed suit to that. I stoped listening to the radio months ago, because everytime I turn it on, it’s the same fucking songs. But that’s just here in good ol’ Austin, TX, so who can really say.
Heh, I almost mentioned the Get Up Kids in my last post, but decided not to, for whatever reasons. I’m only a little bit of an emo fan, my favorite bands being jets to brazil and Jimmy Eat World. I definetely think it will be pretty big, pretty soon.
Regarding grunge, I actually enjoy post grunge stuff more than actual grunge. The Verve Pipe, Weezer, etc., I like more than the whiney come as you are crap.
