Nick
TS Member
HaydenCR said:Nick said:
Is it just me but is this decade starting to feel like a repeat of the 80's, what with electronica being a big emphasis, whether integrated in other genres or standing out on its own two feet, and a lot of British or European artists, topping the charts these days?
By the way, I don't exactly follow the charts, so I can't really comment on your reference to that, but I'll suggest what my opinion on the music I'm familiar is like.
I can see, when looking at this song, what you mean- this whole album gives off a Bruce Springsteen vibe. But, I wouldn't say that this album was in any way a carbon copy of a rip-off of Springsteen at all. The album brings in a much smoother, modern take on Springsteen, and other's, heartland rock- bringing in influence from shoegaze and ambient music. So, I would say that this was an evolution of heartland rock, really, and I would also say I much prefer it to any of Springsteen's albums I've heard.
Also, it must be said that there are a few other artists bringing in 80's VIBES- what with synth pop (especially) and post-punk artists having released several great albums so far this year- such as Eagulls, Trust and Wild Beasts. However, the 80's comparisons pretty much stop there. Looking at the current music scene, the biggest and most exciting genres are probably hip-hop and extreme metal- with hip-hop and extreme metal hardly just starting up back then. There are a few other notable genres making returns, such as shoegaze, psychedelia and emo/post-hardcore, but really hip-hop and metal are the two genres where serious change and evolution is currently happening. The indie/alternative rock scene is getting pretty stale at the moment, with hardly any indie rock albums with the calibre of some being released of those in the 00's. Just ask yourself, how many indie rock albums in the past five years have there been that have been massive? There's been nothing like Kid A, Funeral, Is This It etc. or even Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not for ages. However, in metal and hip-hop, you're seeing many quality- and original- releases recently, from artists such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Deafheaven, Gorguts, Alcest, Chance the Rapper etc. all releasing great albums in the last few years.
So, what does this say about the current music scene? Well, although there are some artists that are inspired by the 80's, there are many others that are inspired by many other genres not associated with the 80's. But this is always apparent: there's always an incredibly diverse music scene around and to look at a decade and have only a couple of genres in your mind is to be completely ignorant on other stuff going on. The same applies now. Chart music may appear to be very limited, but, outside of that, there is a massive selection of music genres to choose from. This is why I'm so irritated when people suggest that current music is poor, as there's always so much to choose from. So, even if there's a lull in popular indie music, firstly, there are many great, less-popular indie rock albums that you could enjoy and, even if there isn't, there are many other genres that, with an open-mind, you could easily as enjoy as much, or even more.
Anyway, onto my classic top-ten of the year so far list:
1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs (folk rock/heartland rock)
2. Piñata by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (hip-hop)
3. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen (indie rock/folk)
4. The Astronaut by Wax Fang (prog rock/post-rock)
5. Benji by Sun Kil Moon (folk rock)
6. Cheatahs by Cheatahs (shoegaze)
7. Cilvia Demo by Isaiah Rashad (hip-hop)
8. Readymade by Delay Trees (dream pop)
9. The Satanist by Behemoth (death metal)
10. Soft Opening by Posse (indie pop)
And I'm in the brilliant position where I can say that all these albums are absolutely fantastic, and I enjoy them fully. Which, considering it's only March, to say that there is at least 10 albums I adore is really great.
