So I think about ressurecting the old Point-of-discussion threads, where we had a certain general topic and were often semi-successful in having a civilized conversation (if JMan wasn't involved), but I guess now going to be focused on topics perhaps more relevant to the elder BEA statesmen (or statespeople, sorry don't @me) which in BEA terms ofc means if you're pushing 30, but unlike all the alleged democracies of the world everyone is encouraged to contribute.
So to kick off this re-boot I'm choosing perhaps the most obvious topic for us old farts: Keeping engaged with new releases. Now I guess from a personal standpoint it's not really an issue of it being harder to find or keep up with new music, especially going on here you can find so many different outlets for whatever tickles your fancy, but really more so keeping engaged with the actual releases. I mean I guess from a personal standpoint it may be any number of other factors, from the growing generation gap as I realize I'm now at least a decade older than almost every hyped new artist these days, to being increasingly busy and distracted by other things even in these pandemic times, to what used to be unbridled enthusiasm for new favorite albums being replaced by "that's nice" observation, maybe just not connecting with a certain energy or the usual younger angst which I may have felt at a younger age, now being replaced with a general content bitterness. Donno, what are other's thoughts about keeping current, and how has your listening habits changed over time, if at all.
This seems sooooo silly in retrospect, but for a hot minute last year I was adamant that Tiktok was one of the best new ways to discover music. It’s sorta like Billboard, but with an emphasis on memeyness instead of payola. Looking back, though, almost more than Billboard, so many of the singles have aged like milk (as have so many of the Tiktoks themselves).
I try to listen to new music in genres I love (hyperpop, trendy disco revival, Singeli, DJ mixes, a teensy bit of Wandelweiser, etc.) along with some BNM and Wire picks, but for years I’ve felt sorta jaded by the idea of listening to albums just because they were from that current year, especially since so much of the time I hardly remember them just a couple years later. That’s why, at the risk of falling down to the road to grandma’s house, I’ve learned to prefer spending time on albums already canonized in some way, even if they’re in genres I’m seemingly uninterested in (I never realized Sparklehorse could be so beautiful until last night.)
Of course, as far as these “zeitgeists” actually exist in reality, I don’t actually know what scenes are the future of music. I obviously adore hyperpop and Singeli, but what else is essential? The Drain Gang stuff Suedeswede won’t shut up about? That “Hex’d” hip hop like RCB? Conventional emo rap? This new “tread” thing that I still don’t understand at all? Moreover, what critics are the equivalent of Simon Reynolds and Jonathan Rosenbaum in the nineties, contextualizing these seemingly-fringe sounds into a universal narrative of progress and deconstruction? OR, as certain users have claimed, is all that really matters in a mythology just the biggest names like WAP and Doja Cat?
Last edited by Applerill on 01/08/2021 14:17; edited 2 times in total
I'd certainly be interested, turning 30 quite soon and I've also come to realize that I'm enjoying music written and produced by people a decade younger than I am (which is a good thing!)
Also idk what that poll is all about but it gave me a good chuckle _________________ 51 Washington, D.C. albums!
It's not hard to keep up with music if you care about it. The tricky thing going into (and past) your 30s is continuing to have the agency, interest, and awareness to care.
With so many streaming outlets and websites like BEA it’s far too easy to ignore the original way to hear new music...radio. I would say I have picked up 90% of new artists via 6music here in the U.K. over the past 10 years or so. Brilliant shows most days from Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, Gideon Coe and Tom Ravenscroft. Craig Charles has a great funk & soul spot and I really enjoy Iggy Pop when he’s on.
With so many streaming outlets and websites like BEA it’s far too easy to ignore the original way to hear new music...radio. I would say I have picked up 90% of new artists via 6music here in the U.K. over the past 10 years or so. Brilliant shows most days from Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, Gideon Coe and Tom Ravenscroft. Craig Charles has a great funk & soul spot and I really enjoy Iggy Pop when he’s on.
You should check out NTS Radio. I made the switch from BBC6 a couple years ago and haven't looked back. They're great. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
It's not hard to keep up with music if you care about it. The tricky thing going into (and past) your 30s is continuing to have the agency, interest, and awareness to care.
I definitely agree in a lot of respects, but I also wonder what counts as “keeping up with” “new music”. For instance, one reason it’s hard for me to give things like emo rap a chance these days is because it very clearly is not made for 27-year-olds (except for Blackbear). Moreover, I don’t know if someone who ONLY listens to top 40 radio is fitting this definition either, even if all the music they’re hearing on their long commute is technically new. That’s why I feel like our idea of what the “musical zeitgeist” entails is at least tangentially related to this question.
interesting topic. i guess my enthusiasm for new music comes and goes and nowadays mostly goes. the last new release that really got me insanely hyped with TPAB, but i wasn't unique in that obvi.
recently almost all the great up and coming or emerging musicians are indeed 21-28 and I realized recently with a jolt that i am, for the first time in my life, listening to people younger than i. it was a weird thought indeed. i had a similar realization with sports a couple years ago when Pat Mahomes blew up in the american football and i was waxing poetic about how great he is then it hit me "this mofo is 7 years younger than me. i'm 30 and i am 'looking up' to people with ages that would give me pause asking on a date due to age difference". anyway, weird way of saying nothing in particular.
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