Does anyone use soundcloud to find new music?

[Bitflakes]

I'm finding more and more lately that the mainstream music outlet from big record companies like Universal and Sony is lacking any exciting or surprising new acts. The mainstream music industry has always had some pretty shoddy bands and pop-stars in it's rosta.

When Cliff Richard emerged fronting the Shadows in the late fifties he was actually 'marketed' laughably as a British Elvis, we know now how little an impact he really had on rock n roll music. Not to mention terrible manufactured acts such as Westlife or The Back Street Boys in the nineties, no doubt these flash-in-the-pan money making schemes passed off as actual music will be forgotten in due time.

Throughout these years there has obviously been some absolutely great bands and acts marketed and spread through the help of major record companies; The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Prince, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Nirvana, Radiohead, The Chemical Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Nas, The Sex Pistols, The Clash etc...

But are we coming to a new time where the consensus is less broad? I've tried to name bands above that are pretty much universally praised in mainstream music but I find it harder and harder to name acts from the past ten years or so that I can mention in the same way. Sure, there are bands that I think are just as great but I couldn't confidently say that most other people will agree.

So what's the difference? Is it that the industry are so defensive from torrents and free music streaming that they no longer take the necessary risks to find original and exciting music?

Or is it that popular music, which we recognise today as emerging from the 1950s, has become so fragmented from splitting into different categories and sub-categories that the people listening can no longer agree on what they like?

Or is it something entirely different? Maybe it's simply because we can't recognise the really good stuff until we're a few years down the line and no one really knows what people will think of today's music until... tomorrow.

[RoundTheBend]

Very interesting topic.

I agree. I have similar problems finding "great" artists that have debuted past 2010. It seems that either there aren't any or, like you say there might be a few, but there's less "consensus" because of the billion methods to release music these days.

The only consensus we have is what we might hear on the radio still, but even the "alternative" stations sound like terrible pop stations now... at least where I live. X96, used to be respected for it's independent alternative radio, but I find too many walk the moon types are on that station now.

Another thing I've noticed is that the album doesn't have as much weight as it used to. We are more ok with having a one hit wonder, cause who's listening to albums anymore anyway? Will there be a dark side of the mooon, OK computer, Sgt. Pepper again (meaning the holistic experience of the album is more important than the individual songs it makes up)?

To attempt an answer at some of your questions:

I don't think it is too early to tell what this "generation" (think last 10 years) sounds like. I could be wrong, but the explosion of alternative rock in the early 90s was immediately obvious, the summer of love movement was immediately obvious, Early motown sound was immediately obvious, metal became almost immediately obvious.

I do think that the genre-subgenre and search to do something new and different has been a bit exhausted almost to the point where some music is lumped into larger sub genre's like indie (insert useless noun here), and in some ways I feel like those don't really identify well. Kind of like how alternative rock fizzled out and 3 doors down could be called alternative rock, when it sounded and felt nothing like the late 80s/early 90s alternative rock. It sounded like record labels wanting to capitalize on something and therefore took a movement and perverted it. I think that perversion (in a way) has lead to the unclear mess sometimes I find new music to be in... it doesn't stand for something, if that makes any sense. It's "message" isn't clear... it feels like hipsters with too much time and money in their hands, yet they don't know what "real" music is and they are to pretentious to really write anything to relate to true humanity.

I do think also that the internet has made, for better or worse - I guess time will be the judge, music so much more available. Theres 96819516549841651698498749 new artists that post music daily and there's just so much music to sort through. And because of this... there won't be a band like The Rolling Stones again (in my opinion). Having said that, I do feel bands like The Black Keys, The White Stripes, and heaven forbid I say Coldplay or Muse maybe are the last "big" bands? Yet they made it in this era... so does that mean we are not giving credit where credit is due? Also, having said that, they debuted before 2010... WAY before... haha.

While there is a pro to having so much diverse music, I do miss having a community of "big" band fans... fans that are familiar with the music and you can talk to them about the lyrics/music, etc.... just that sense of community and identity...

[Norman Bates]

[dihansse]

[RoundTheBend]

[RoundTheBend]

[Jimmy Dread]

[craola]

i use soundcloud all the time to find music. there are tons of artists out there that don't have record label support and/or proper releases, but a lot of folks wind up on soundcloud one way or another.

also, you should check out my abs right now if you haven't yet.
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follow me on the bandcamp.

[alelsupreme]

[RoundTheBend]