These can be applied to all genres at this point, i mean do you think COUNTRY fans like the fact that Taylor Swift is called "country"?? There could be so many more things on this list, like the fact, WHERE ARE REAL RB GROUPS?? does anyone play a freaking instrument anymore? and im not talking at shows, cause when artists like Janet and Mariah tour and get LIVE musicians behind them, they SUCK big time, mainly because niether is used to each other. And RB male singers, where are they? im not talking Usher or Lloyd im talking SOUL singers. U know what happend to RB, it lost its SOUL.

I disagree significantly on three of the points:

1 - the event album. I don't so much have a problem with an album becoming an event, so much as I have a problem with the writers purporting that 3-5 years needs to elapse between albums. The music business might be a business, but more than two years between albums, just because the record company wants to squeeze revenue out of it, is more responsible for "killing the state of music" than anything.

11 - specifically about the Garage Band portion. I really have an issue with this thinking, because I have essential nerve tremors in my hands, which I feel prohibit me from really being able to play the guitar or the piano properly, especially where intricate melodies are concerned. Garage Band was a Godsend to me, because of what it opened up inside me. When I picked up Garage Band, it was initially to create soundtrack music for the book I had just completed, but just like Erykah Badu, once I picked it up, and as I started learning the language and technique - the more I worked with it, the more ideas that came to me. (I can create something using programs like GB and Amadeus Pro that you wouldn't be able to tell had been created using a computer.) I dare you to tell me I shouldn't be allowed to create music/sounds, especially since it sets my heart free and more than that, it doesn't hurt anyone.

25 - teenagers. I remember my aunts and uncles referring to me in much the same way that the writer of this article refers to teens today. My elders used to say falsely claim that the only way an artist in my generation could come out with something that'd be a hit was to make a cover song, cuz music died after their generation, in their minds - funny that this was in the 80s they were saying this. There's always something the new school comes along and does that the old school is gonna get their panties in a bunch about. Again, the language and the situation changes, but people don't wanna change with it, and they ain't tryin' to hear anything else.

lastdecember said:

It's well documented that Rhythm & Blues became Rhythmless Bullshit the moment it lost its Soul by marrying Hip-Hop (becoming Hip-Hop/R&B) during the good times, but NEVER bother divorcing the bitch during the bad times (such as low albums sales of the 2000's).

#26 - George W. Bush

thedoorkeeper said:

[Edited 6/26/08 21:53pm]

A few that stood out for me...

Thugs:
Not only do we have "Studio Thugs" that use de Palma films to inform their image but there's the "Corporate Thug" (robs an artist of his publishing and signs him to a hellified contract he could never fulfill) and the questionable "R&B Thug," which happened somewhere between R. Kelly and Jodeci and continues to this day.


Crime:
Between violating probation, not paying child support, being pulled over and caught with an ounce of weed or cocaine, assaulting nail technicians, shooting people, tossing concertgoers off the stage, committing perjury, tax evasion, and urinating on minors, we have to wonder if being a good artist means being a bad citizen.


Lack of Music Programs in Schools:
Programs like GarageBand have not only made producers lazy, but undercut the importance of immersing young would-be musicians in music history as well as basic composition. Unless a popular musician was trained in the church, they probably lucked into a contract without knowing how to write, play an instrument, or worse, sing a note.


BET:
If we were to use this network as a guide (and people unfortunately do), we would believe that "drug dealer > rapper > pimp" is a logical career path, alcoholic beverages can be used as bodysplash, women of exotic or indeterminate race are the standard of beauty, darker-skinned women are only valuable if they have a big ass and a tiny waist, a person's worth can only be determined by what they drive and what they wear, you ain't sh*t if you're over 30, and a week's worth of debauchery and decadence can be undone with a Sunday marathon of religious programming.


The Radio:
Used to be, you would turn on the radio and hear a variety of artists with a variety of sounds. But due to the "Clear Channeling" of Urban Radio, you'll hear a T-Pain song followed by 15 minutes of commercials, followed by a song featuring T-Pain, some shucking and jiving by unbearable radio personalities for five minutes, then something that resembles a T-Pain song, but isn't because just about everyone sounds like T-Pain now.


Bloggers:
Trifle few of us are qualified to be writing about music with any authority, especially since most of the people behind blogs haven't been alive long enough to have a healthy perspective on the subject.


YouTube & MySpace:
On the Internet, everyone is a star (thank you, thank you). But while sites like MySpace and YouTube can provide mainstream and indie musicians with a means of cultivating and connecting with an audience, it becomes a chore to sort through the muck of people with a webcam and a login classifying themselves as "artists".


Money:
Even worse than artists releasing garbage because they know it sells is the audience's obsession with how much an artist makes. Unfortunately, we've given lack of artistry a pass because someone's "making that paper," which totally undermines the hard work of true creative talents that are constantly writing, recording, and performing.


People That Aren't in Any Way Associated with Music:
Why be an actual artist when you can be someone that danced in videos, screwed a bunch of rappers and got a book deal? Or, you can be a butler or Executive In Charge of Umbrella-Carrying? Or, worse, be the "Fifth Mic" guy on stage and reliable instigator? Who needs a recording studio?


...Of course many of these are broad generalizations, but the more time passes it appears that they're becoming the rule instead of the exception.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I think this is a load of crap. "It becomes a chore to sort through the muck of people"? Boo freakin hoo! It gives people all the more of a chance to be noticed, and if it takes a bit of sorting through the crap, then so be it. The diamonds always shine through the shit eventually. I don't know how many times over the past couple of years I was able to just email a link to a friend regarding a "must-hear" artist I wanted them to check out, and of course friends doing the same for me. It beats saying "you gotta keep your eye out for a video from so-and-so, they're hot." MySpace and YouTube are great marketing tools - I think industry types get pissy about them because it puts more power in the hands of the artist. Well, again: boo freakin' hoo.

Seems 2 me that the biggest thing OMITTED from this critic was the fact that todays so called producers are NOT really producers at all. They are "beat" makers at best and whom ever they are producing all pretty much sound the same. Back in the day, producers worked 2 bring out the best qualities of an artist. Today producers work to bring out their latest material regardless of the artist.

Very sad in my opinion.

I agree with a lot of this, but mentioning Will Smith as a viable candidate for someone who transitioned well into music (or acting) made me laugh.

Anxiety said:

Boo-hoo-hell!
There's tons-o-suckage on those sites.

Are they good avenues for "independent artists (those that truly are)" to promote themselves?
Without question, they're one of many that should be considered.

I will admit that it helps to have friends whose musical tastes you trust playing the role of human septic tanks for you.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Moonbeam said:

Why's that? Though as a whole he's not one of my favorites he has made some of my favorite records.


Rock the House


The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff

You could say (and I wouldn't argue) that he's not as versatile an actor as some say, but he's made some good movies: Six Degrees of Separation, I, Robot (okay, I liked it ), I Am Legend. There's a lot of crap in there, too, but it ain't all bad.

theAudience said:

i agree there's tons o suckage on youtube and the like, but thankfully many of us are gifted with a sufficient suckage filter that helps us identify and weed out such specimens of suck. plus, it's a matter of hearing about someone interesting via word of mouth and having the ability to plug their name into a site like myspace or youtube and having an opportunity to see a little bit more of what they're about. i've made several good discoveries that way.

and what would i do without my precious human septic tanks?

Anxiety said:

Its not so much that its a chore, its that most people are pretty dumb and are just as bad as people at labels when it comes to seeing "Talent", so YouTube and Myspace are nothing more than labels. The thing that no one gets is that most labels are in on the Myspace and Youtube thing, alot of artists have their own channels on YouTube and guess who sponsors it? the label.

He could have wrote that whole article about BET and it would have been enough.

Amen to all of this Article. As an Artist myself, I wonder sometimes if I even WANT to get signed. The last thing I wanna end up being is a "Ringtone Artist".

This article was so dead on point it was scary. I've spoken to many people about the state of music, especially urban music since at least 2000 and it's amazing how things have not only stayed the same since then but it's gotten worse. I'm scared to think of where music will be in the year 2018.
[Edited 6/27/08 13:44pm]

lastdecember said:

i don't think i'm dumb, at least not about recognizing music i think is unique and challenging to me. i guess that's my point - i get to be my own talent scout and when i make my discovery, i get to support the artist directly and "hype" them via word of mouth. i'm a big believer in viral marketing. it may not be as useful as having WB backing you, but i think people listen when other people they know say "hey, you've GOT to hear this person", perhaps even moreso than some hack press release regurgitated in Maxim.

i also think you can tell the difference between a myspace/facebook page created by an artist or by a close associate of the artist, and a similar page created by a label for an artist. the one with the more personal touch tends to be way more effective.

Anxiety said:

No i understand what you are saying and agree, and by no means saying you are dumb, im saying that there really is just as much coming through labels as there is through myspace and youtube, and percentage wise its about the same amount of crap to cool shit. As for word of mouth i totally agree, great points Norah Jones "come away with me" no one was even paying her any mind till the club goers in NYC broke her, and the same would go for Elton John, had it not been a Gig at the troubador in 1970 he might have been at all.

The thing with labels is that even artists who say they are "indie" really arent, its a cool thing to say, but if you trace it, its some sub division of a sub division of Universal or Capitol etc..

RipHer2Shreds said:

Will Smith is a permanent fixture in both my bottom 10 musical "artists" list and my bottom 10 actors list.

Moonbeam said:

And no rationale will ever change that I'm sure so I'll leave me input at that.

Here’s my take…

First: R&B not embracing rap throughout the 80’s kept both musical styles – each derived from the same group – from pushing the artistic envelope in new directions. This open unwillingness to share creatively may have been the beginning of the current problem.

Second: Straight Outta Compton. Excellent album, but in some ways it was bad for hip hop. After this album blew up, way too many rappers attempted to be gangsta like NWA, yet ignored the high production value of this album when making their own music.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Well, nothing can justify his music. I can see more of an argument for him as an actor, but I can't see him as anything other than the annoying, wise-cracking, smart alec idiot that he often portrays, even in other roles, so I just tend to avoid his movies. I know he's branched away from that (and props to him for it), but my image of him is so ingrained that I don't think anything can change it.

Nice article, although most of the things listed are symptoms, not causes. The writer also makes the mistake of suggesting that 3-4 year gaps between albums are a good thing. A pretty dumb thing to say. In the '60s, artists were releasing albums every 6 months. As long as the artists are inspired, it's not a problem. The real problem now is a general lack of inspiration. How frequently they release albums is irrelevant. Rihanna would not suddenly become Roberta Flack if she just took her time.

I love his comments on Neo Soul though. I've been saying it for years. "Neo-soul" is elevator music for black people. Exactly when did the word "organic" become a euphamism for "boring"?

The merging of hip-hop with R&B is one reason why much of today's R&B is crap.I can't listen to artists like Mariah Carey,Beyonce and Keyshia Cole for this very reason.They're not making "soul music",they're making watered-down,shit hop-sounding R&B.....basically,just singing on top of instrumental tracks that would have otherwise been given to some rapper.

First rule for making good music: try not to be embarrassing
Second rule for making good music: if you still come off as embarrassing, try to cover it up with irony (seems like people who make "urban" music forgot all about that part)
Third rule for making good music (and might be the most important one): if you can't sing don't aspire to be a singer, make instrumental music instead
Fourth rule for making good music (optional): if you're spending more money on cars and other luxury items than instruments or on the recording costs of your albums it's time to consider whether YOU'VE FUCKED IT ALL UP
Fifth rule for making good music (also sort of optional): Once you hit 30 and you're still making music that no 30-year-old would seriously listen to, a style change would be preferred.

RipHer2Shreds said:

JAZZY JEFF WAX DESTROYER
CUTTIN' UP RECORDS LIKE A SAMURAI WARRIOR
IF YOU'RE DJ DON'T KNOW WHO I'M TALKIN' TO-
"I'm talkin' to you"--Roland Orzabal
SO-
"C'mon/mon/mon"--Roland Orzabal

RipHer2Shreds said:

You posted a couple serious rap classics too!

"Brand New Funk (live at Nassau Coliseum)"

LittleAmy said:

SoulAlive said:

Truth. And to top it off, instead of rebelling and becoming more creative, R&B artists just fell in line.