Honestly I think Ghost Of Hope by The Residents and Texas Rock Bottom from Rangers are the only 2017 albums that I've listened to. I haven't listened to one new dance tune, rap ditty or top 40 pop song. LPs I would have normally checked out from the likes of Gas, Shinichi Atobe, Actress, Sun Araw, Mark McGuire, IX-Tab, Children Of Alice, Lo Five, Omar Souleyman, Future, Migos, Arca, William Basinski, Second Woman etc. remain unplayed and unheard. I never listen to the radio and I no longer have a cable music channel so I don't know any new artists or pop stars. I no longer buy or read magazines. I hardly read the interweb music suff either. I've stopped reading my Boomkat (an online music shop) e-mails, I used to really like whoever wrote their copy despite it being advertising. The Feelies, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Ride, Royal Trux and St. Etienne have all reformed and recorded new records in 2017 apparently. Why don't I want to listen to any of this stuff?
This time I can't blame it on the music because I haven't heard any of it. I can't make stupid blanket statements like '2017 sucks' or 'This is the worst year in music since....' I'm afraid this disinterest is probably all about me. Is it age, depression or ennui? I don't know. Is it that the last few years in music have been so disappointing that I've had enough and am not willing to put in the effort and time for such little reward. I haven't listened to much old music either though, just what I've previously mentioned on the blog. So perhaps its choice paralysis. Has my blog become redundant? It was primarily set up to discuss music. If I'm not listening to any music is there a point? Maybe I need to start reading music magazines again.....and er....listening to music again. Both of those things are hard if you don't want. Ok I think I've disappeared up my own arse quite enough.
Ekoplekz have just released their new album Bioprodukt which I've just bought. That's a start but am I going to get the forthcoming Focus Group, Belbury Circle or Young Thug albums? Who knows? I'd like to want to but I just can't necessarily trust that I'll give a damn when these recordings are released.
It's partly age. But it's also that music is no longer where it's at anymore. Politics is about 1000 times more exciting, urgent, consequential and scary. In the U.K there was this thing Grime 4 Corbyn, but in all honesty it's Corbyn making grime look cool not the other way round. (Grime is fifteen years old, it beats me how anyone could get excited by it at this point). Appetite naturally diminishes with age as you already have a LOT under your belt, also your ability to be astonished dims. But it is also the declining status of music in the scheme of things. So much has already been done in its history, what need do any of us have for more "good" or "interesting" music in our lives? That said, I have been paying more attention than you (it's me job) and you are not missing much. Seems like a wan time.
ReplyDeleteHowever I would say the new laurel halo album is reallly worth a listen - strange vocal stuff
ReplyDeleteI checked out Dust from Laurel Halo. Thought is was really good. It feels like a progression from those woozy early recordings of Nite Jewel, Maria Minerva etc. of 6 or 7 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWow I've listened to 2 new records in a week!
I, for one, am happy to read about why you don't listen to music. Having teenage children makes me prone to sudden bursts of unsubstantiated bursts of enthusiasm about songs/artists, which just as quickly evaporate, leaving me scratching my head. Also troubled by default misogyny, especially when parroted by son. Agree with Simon, it's partly age. Is this stuff made for 'us' anyway?
ReplyDeleteDepression has played a role that I perhaps don't want to fully acknowledge. The whole 'not being able to get pleasure from things you love' thing. It's not just music - I don't follow my football team, enjoy riding my bike along the river, having a bbq etc. Anyway I'll stop my first world sulking. Some people don't own a bike or a bbq.
ReplyDeleteJump Blues, Bo Diddley, Forbidden Planet OST, Vladimimir Ussachevsky, BBC Radiophonic Music, The Shangri-Las, Something Else, Trout Mask Replica, Stand, Fly etc. weren't made for 'me' (I wasn't born) but I still love em.
So.....I dunno....