Imagine... - Music - Forums : Best Ever Albums

Kiki

Imagine someone who writes and records music as their job... a job they hated. One they only dragged themselves out of bed to do it because they had to pay the bills some how. They had no passion for what they were doing and felt like they had been stuck in this job for over 4 years with no possibilities for the future. They have to record an album in the next six months or they will be fired, become unemployed and die of starvation.

I reckon the said person would record something which sounded very similar/completely identical to the album xx by The xx.

Am I alone on this? Confused

Applerill

Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female

Age: 31

Location: Chicago

Is that supposed to be an insult towards them?

Now, I have to say that I haven't listened to the whole album from them (just 3-4 tracks), but the music video does indeed show that they aren't very enthusiastic.

Also, I'd hate to ask a dumb question, but in the music video for "Crystalized", my nine-year-old cousin pointed out that one guy is "pressing buttons on a box" as an instrument. Is that supposed to be some sort of synthesizer?

1234567890

Location: Hollow tree.

Reminds me of In Utero. The timing is right and everything, 4 years.

Kiki

Not an insult, an observation. I don't know the people who recorded it personally.

Boogn1sh

Gender: Male

Age: 39

Location: Chicago

Applerill wrote:

Is that supposed to be some sort of synthesizer?

That's a drum machine they're using in the video.

Interesting theory outlaw, but def not the case. For one thing they're all like 19, which is what makes it pretty remarkable to me. I can't think of another album by people that young that's that mature.

maxperenchio

Location: Chicago

I mean, I personally think its a boring listen- but who knows, maybe they do it on purpose? Their Crystalized video certainly suggests that. I think it will appeal to a lot of white suburban-to-urban transplants with nothing to do on a saturday afternoon. I don't think theres anything wrong with sounding extremely bored and lethargic, its a "rock pose" just like all the rest. My biggest problem with The xx is that they are just another band that compiles the very safe predictable indie notion "common good taste" in a boring blender. Hushed girl-boy vocals, sparse guitars, post-new-order beats... ZZZZZzzzz.......

Norman Bates

Gender: Male

Age: 52

Location: Paris, France

I'm definitely with you on that one Outlaw. I listened to the whole album, and I really don't like the "19 but already jaded" pose. As Max pointed out, the songs are simply boring. That and Girls are the most overrated hype toys I've seen in years.

Mr. Shankly

Gender: Male

Age: 53

Location: Auburn, Washington

I haven't heard the album, but this discussion raises a question I've started to wonder in recent years. Is the indie aesthetic no longer interesting / innovative? Has indie rock become as boring and predictable as any mainstream genre, now that much of it has entered the mainstream?

It reminds me a bit of grunge. We had Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden at first and then four years later had the likes of Creed and Staind. Perhaps the same thing has happened to indie rock?

Last edited by Mr. Shankly on 01/29/2010 02:54; edited 1 time in total

maxperenchio

Location: Chicago

Mr. Shankly wrote:

I haven't heard the album, but this discussion raises a question I've started to wonder in recent years. Is the indie aesthetic no longer interesting / innovative? Has indie rock become as boring and predictable as any mainstream genre, now that much have it has entered the mainstream?

Shankly, YES....A resounding yes. I've written about this a few times on this forum, but indie rock hasn't been innovative in a decade. (Note I'm referring to indie rock, say what you will about the Animal Collectives and Grizzly Bears of the world...) As far as I'm concerned, the paradigm of indie rock has turned into one of the greatest jokes of modern music. The joke isn't so much the music itself, but the very notion of indie rock as the original, honest, and pure alternative to evil corporate mainstream rock (and believe it or not, there are still plenty of outlets that will have you believe that.) Sure, this might have been true at one point years ago, but now that the internet commands so much cultural influence, a template/formula for successful and acceptable indie rock has emerged just like in mainstream rock. The difference, thus the joke, is that indie still holds onto these pure ideals.

Whereas mainstream rock lives and dies by a "radio formula" of set tempos, big obvious copied and pasted choruses, superfluous harmonies, the ubiquitous post-bridge quiet chorus back into the loud twice repeating final chorus, etc etc etc, indie rock is obsessed with their idols, the flagships of "good taste". The pantheon of indie rock, and everyone knows what I'm talking about- Sonic Youth, Joy Division/New Order, Talking Heads, blah blah blah- is what controls the current indie rock bands by their limp dicks. Whats funny to me is that bands like Arcade Fire and Franz Ferdinand could have almost been accused of this in their day, but now those bands are in the pantheon themselves! This phenomenon was described in a more articulate fashion in the Pitchfork review of "The Airborne Toxic Event" here: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/121...xic-event/

It ends with this rather inspired line: In a way, The Airborne Toxic Event is something of a landmark record: This represents a tipping point where you almost wish Funeral or Turn on the Bright Lights or Is This It? never happened as long as it spared you from horrible imitations like this one, often sounding more inspired by market research than actual inspiration. Congrats, Pitchfork reader-- the Airborne Toxic Event thinks you're a demographic..

But this is what I see everywhere! My personal tastes are skewed towards songs... great big rock songs that last forever. Indie rock in general these days has subverted the idea of the song, so as not to appear mainstream in the slightest- instead obsessed with recapturing the various moods of their precious hip record collections. Sure maybe they'll throw in a world beat here or there, or try to play a toy xylophone for fucking singing saw, but good grief, it has completely spoiled a genre that I grew up on and used to love! I'd rather listen to fucking top 40 than the "effervescent Brooklyn indie scene" whatever that means anymore.

40footwolf

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Mr. Shankly wrote:

I haven't heard the album, but this discussion raises a question I've started to wonder in recent years. Is the indie aesthetic no longer interesting / innovative? Has indie rock become as boring and predictable as any mainstream genre, now that much have it has entered the mainstream?

Absolutely. It's not even a question. Indie is the new hair metal.
_________________
I love all music. It makes you feel like living. Silence is death.

-John Cassavettes