I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to music. I'm always looking for the next album or artist to fall head over heels on love with. And I do! Often. What could be better than that?
I had a production professor in college tell me that I had about another 10 years tops before my musical tastes solidified. Thankfully, he was wrong, but I equate it to the gym in your 30s-40s: you gotta work harder to get what seems like a diminishing return. But not everyone's going to be a music writer/podcaster/promoter/booking agent/etc. And it's not a media/distro landscape that rewards you for doing the work, either.
I think it was Stephen King who said, specifically, about the horror and sci fi genres: there is an insurmountable amount of bad material in those genres, which makes it so much more satisfying when you find the good stuff. That's how I approach the whole "everyone can make an album and put it out so that's why today's music sucks" argument. We just have to sift more.
Bands come and go, genres wax and wane, in geological time media and marketing change how and which music reaches our ears. I’ve been an enthusiastic listener all my life. I literally remember where I was when I first heard the Beatles singing I Want To Hold Your Hand (it was in the kitchen, on the radio, in that dusty little house in Lubbock, when I was 8). For whatever reason I didn’t bond deeply with the rock music of the ‘60s or the ‘70s. I took a long detour through Texas music (what came to be called Americana) throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. For reasons, I came to love the punk and pop sounds of the ‘90s, and I was in a very good place to take advantage of Napster and the file sharing of the early ‘00s. When that dried up, I found out the SXSW music festival was dropping MP3 tracks for its showcasing artists, and from 2004 until 2020, I auditioned every track (approx. 18,000 tunes). And throughout that period there was no drop off in quality of music. But the genres changed, as new bands followed trending sounds. The music of this century has been glorious, and for the most part I curated my own feed. But COVID almost killed SXSW and their MP3 tracks stopped. I found your TikTok videos recommending music that aligns with what I have been craving. I listened to the ska bands of the ‘90s but I came at the era sideways, without much knowledge of the scene or the vibe so I only know the bands I know. Your videos have widened my view: in particular, your insight about records released in ‘94 has been a splendid addition to my research. There’s plenty of great new stuff to listen to, but I don’t stream and I do need guidance and recommendations, so your content has helped me. Keep it up!
I feel like the older I get the more expansive my music tastes become! I've always loved the thrill of discovering amazing new music and long may it last!
I like to think my pursuit of new music never really calcified, but I have changed my tactics over time. I was born in ‘65, so that would mean theoretically my tastes hardened in ‘98, but that was the year my oldest turned 13 and started really discovering new music. I went down that road with her, and then again with my other daughter 5 years later. I also taught high school so I was exposed to all kinds of cool music the kids were listening to, at least the creative, interesting kids who shared their music with me. There was, admittedly, a lull in my discovery time for a bit around age 50, mostly because of life stuff, but then a funny thing happened. I realized that a TON of “old” music was new to me, especially jazz. I got on a whole new journey of discovery with genres of music I’d overlooked. Then I joined a Facebook group reviewing albums from the early 80’s and realized there were many MORE tons of music in genres like post-punk, new wave, no wave, etc. that I’d just ignored, and the discoveries continued. Meanwhile, I was interacting with people my age who had all kinds of favorite new bands & artists, so I’d try them out. The discovery just keeps going if you let it.
The other part of it for me is that I honestly prefer listening to music to pretty much anything. I don’t watch a lot of movies, when I read I usually have music on, my living room has shelves full of records, and my office computer has some nice little monitor speakers that are constantly playing music when I’m in there. I just can’t imagine a life without music as a main focus. I guess I’m weird that way?
It would seem I'm double the calcification age, but I still find time for new music. I think being in a music journalism vein has helped tremendously in being slightly objective about what is 'good' and 'bad,' Do I get Taylor? Not really, but that doesn't mean I won't listen to what she is saying. Do I get Shaboozey? Nope, but I have to admit that "A Bar Song" is kinda kicky. Having said that, wasn't I in LOVE with David Soul's "Don't Give Up On Us" or Shaun Cassidy's "Hey Deanie" when I was a wee teen? Of course! Do I listen to those songs? Nope. Overall, I'm here for the music, whether it's Waxahatchee or Cab Calloway... hidee hidee hidee ho!
I seek it out because I want to continue to feel the magic that a key or a tempo change in a song can make me feel. Also, I do not want to be like my parents who spent the late 80s and 90s telling me new music sucked. Boy, were they wrong.
The algorithm is just going to keep feeding you stuff you already like. You need to hear new stuff. College and community radio are still going strong!
new music rulessssss. i had like two years where i got super burnt out on music and pretty much exclusively listened to podcasts. then i found my old ipod & realised i had a bunch of stuff i got but never listened to cause i was stuck listening to like the same 15 songs on repeat, so i decided to just make a massive playlist with all the stuff i never got around to & it was so much fun. then when i ran outta that i brought a bunch of related stuff on bandcamp & now i do that all the time, it's so much fun listening to new stuff! finding new songs that'll end up being classics for me down the line! now at the end of every month i make a 25 song playlist of what i've been liking skating to at the end of the month & i can't repeat songs that've been on before. it's great! music rules! don't box yourselves in with genres or old stuff! stuff rips! people make shit that rips! be happy that people are still making shit that rips and listen to it! this got away from me!
I'm in my 50s, I love finding new music, also discovering old music. So many bands I didn't listen to or hadn't heard of when I was younger, or just plain didn't like. Also being an older parent might have something to do with it, my youngest is 16. Having always had eclectic tastes in just about everything, I've never been pigeon holed with a genre. So be it k pop, death metal or bagpipes, there's usually something for me to stop and go ooooh. So many of my finds come from gigs, where the support acts are unknown. Have come across some cracking bands this way, especially when the headliners are not particularly big or well known themselves. These are the bands that usually help promote smaller bands and for this I think them
I think people have to be around a lot of different people to listen to new music. In college it was easy because you were exposed to so many different people and you could listen to the music that they were into. Sometimes against your will.
When you get older it’s more about the discovery. Music is always evolving. So you essentially have to evolve with it.
Just being on Substack these last few months I’ve discovered a lot of new music.
I also think that the “ponds” where you used to fish for new music changed, or ceased to exist completely.
My favorite record labels from the 90s, whose new releases I would religiously check out, are largely putting out anniversary reissues instead of new artists, if they are still around.
My favorite websites that I would go to for music recommendations have had to broaden their audience to meet the expectations of new parent companies or simply the realities of the publishing business.
Some of my favorite artists from the 90s, if they still put out records, may not resonate with me as much. Whatever they have to say today may simply not connect with me the same way as whatever they had to say back then to my teenage self.
Whoever says that new music sucks may just be trying to fish in the same old ponds that are just not as relevant today.
Personally, I think that the music that is being put out today is outstanding, and 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best years in the last decade.
exactly. a point I tried to make much less eloquently than you. we have to adjust our approach. it takes more effort than it used to, but the dividends really pay off
I have the benefit of having come of age in the early 80s, and most of the music in the radio then was objectively terrible (Styx, Foreigner, Journey, latter-career Chicago, Queen, etc.). I have almost zero nostalgia for those days. It wasn’t until I got to college that I was exposed to punk/post punk, and found so much more to explore. I’ve kept that sensibility with me ever since.
I’ve come to believe that it comes down to how much people actually really love music. Within that context, it’s not that people don’t have the time for music discovery it’s more that they don’t have the desire for it.
For decades now, when getting to know people, the topic of music comes up. Of the people that say they “love music” my experience has been that 80-90% of them, when asked what music they like or what they’re listening to now, will either reference music from their formative years or give a very generic answer (“I like some EDM playlists”). They do perhaps love music in a narrowly defined sense but they’re no longer active music lovers.
It’s always a joy when I meet someone who is passionately engaged and active in their love for music. We’ll often have different tastes, which is fine, but I love chatting and interacting with people who really love music. It’s one of the reasons joining Substack has been so great because there are so many true music lovers here.
Having said all that, finding new music can be overwhelming with all the choice and content out there. And that’s another reason I love “musicstack” because I continually find myself getting exposed to such a wide variety of new music (and new-to-me music, which is just as important). That broadening of my musical discovery horizons has introduced we to some wonderful musical gems in the last year.
I’m familiar with some of the artists on your playlist, looking forward to diving into it!
I take less issue with people who "love music" but don't have the desire to go exploring. That's different from taking it a step further into "new music sucks" territory, especially when most people who make that claim barely listen to any new music in the first place
Yeah I take no issue with people that have no desire to explore new music - we just have a different definition of “love” as it relates to music.
I don’t tend to come across the “new music sucks” crowd tbh. I agree with you that if their only exposure to new music is the radio (which is probably the case for many) then they’re really only exposing themselves to a tiny sliver of what’s out there and, to your point, probably not that interested in even trying to listen to new music in the first place.
I'm approaching the age where my tastes should "solidify" (I'm 28 at the moment). Yet, I'm still exploring different music. My listening history shows a sort of "hyperfocus" towards a particular artist or region. These fade from time to time and something new takes its place. However, I do return to them from time to time.
As for the whole "all new music is bad" argument - this is not the case - rather, it just doesn't speak to the listener (with some caveats - some music might do nothing emotionally, but it sounds good. Chappell Roan is a good example for me, as while the lyrics don't speak to me, the music itself is catchy.). One simply needs to explore stuff outside of the normal stuff you'd hear on the radio or piped into us from streaming platforms.
I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to music. I'm always looking for the next album or artist to fall head over heels on love with. And I do! Often. What could be better than that?
literally nothing
I had a production professor in college tell me that I had about another 10 years tops before my musical tastes solidified. Thankfully, he was wrong, but I equate it to the gym in your 30s-40s: you gotta work harder to get what seems like a diminishing return. But not everyone's going to be a music writer/podcaster/promoter/booking agent/etc. And it's not a media/distro landscape that rewards you for doing the work, either.
I think it was Stephen King who said, specifically, about the horror and sci fi genres: there is an insurmountable amount of bad material in those genres, which makes it so much more satisfying when you find the good stuff. That's how I approach the whole "everyone can make an album and put it out so that's why today's music sucks" argument. We just have to sift more.
two really great analogies
I still check out new music every week and I'm 61! One has to search for what they like but there is no shortage of good music out there for any age!
Bands come and go, genres wax and wane, in geological time media and marketing change how and which music reaches our ears. I’ve been an enthusiastic listener all my life. I literally remember where I was when I first heard the Beatles singing I Want To Hold Your Hand (it was in the kitchen, on the radio, in that dusty little house in Lubbock, when I was 8). For whatever reason I didn’t bond deeply with the rock music of the ‘60s or the ‘70s. I took a long detour through Texas music (what came to be called Americana) throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. For reasons, I came to love the punk and pop sounds of the ‘90s, and I was in a very good place to take advantage of Napster and the file sharing of the early ‘00s. When that dried up, I found out the SXSW music festival was dropping MP3 tracks for its showcasing artists, and from 2004 until 2020, I auditioned every track (approx. 18,000 tunes). And throughout that period there was no drop off in quality of music. But the genres changed, as new bands followed trending sounds. The music of this century has been glorious, and for the most part I curated my own feed. But COVID almost killed SXSW and their MP3 tracks stopped. I found your TikTok videos recommending music that aligns with what I have been craving. I listened to the ska bands of the ‘90s but I came at the era sideways, without much knowledge of the scene or the vibe so I only know the bands I know. Your videos have widened my view: in particular, your insight about records released in ‘94 has been a splendid addition to my research. There’s plenty of great new stuff to listen to, but I don’t stream and I do need guidance and recommendations, so your content has helped me. Keep it up!
this is the attitude of discovery that I adore so much!!!!
I feel like the older I get the more expansive my music tastes become! I've always loved the thrill of discovering amazing new music and long may it last!
same here, but I think we are a very specific kind of person
I like to think my pursuit of new music never really calcified, but I have changed my tactics over time. I was born in ‘65, so that would mean theoretically my tastes hardened in ‘98, but that was the year my oldest turned 13 and started really discovering new music. I went down that road with her, and then again with my other daughter 5 years later. I also taught high school so I was exposed to all kinds of cool music the kids were listening to, at least the creative, interesting kids who shared their music with me. There was, admittedly, a lull in my discovery time for a bit around age 50, mostly because of life stuff, but then a funny thing happened. I realized that a TON of “old” music was new to me, especially jazz. I got on a whole new journey of discovery with genres of music I’d overlooked. Then I joined a Facebook group reviewing albums from the early 80’s and realized there were many MORE tons of music in genres like post-punk, new wave, no wave, etc. that I’d just ignored, and the discoveries continued. Meanwhile, I was interacting with people my age who had all kinds of favorite new bands & artists, so I’d try them out. The discovery just keeps going if you let it.
The other part of it for me is that I honestly prefer listening to music to pretty much anything. I don’t watch a lot of movies, when I read I usually have music on, my living room has shelves full of records, and my office computer has some nice little monitor speakers that are constantly playing music when I’m in there. I just can’t imagine a life without music as a main focus. I guess I’m weird that way?
I think people who use their kids as a music discovery tool really know what's up
It would seem I'm double the calcification age, but I still find time for new music. I think being in a music journalism vein has helped tremendously in being slightly objective about what is 'good' and 'bad,' Do I get Taylor? Not really, but that doesn't mean I won't listen to what she is saying. Do I get Shaboozey? Nope, but I have to admit that "A Bar Song" is kinda kicky. Having said that, wasn't I in LOVE with David Soul's "Don't Give Up On Us" or Shaun Cassidy's "Hey Deanie" when I was a wee teen? Of course! Do I listen to those songs? Nope. Overall, I'm here for the music, whether it's Waxahatchee or Cab Calloway... hidee hidee hidee ho!
hidee hidee hidee ho!
I seek it out because I want to continue to feel the magic that a key or a tempo change in a song can make me feel. Also, I do not want to be like my parents who spent the late 80s and 90s telling me new music sucked. Boy, were they wrong.
those are bummer parents!
For that yes. I spent a lot of my early teens pretending not to like music I actually did like. Just to keep the peace.
The algorithm is just going to keep feeding you stuff you already like. You need to hear new stuff. College and community radio are still going strong!
new music rulessssss. i had like two years where i got super burnt out on music and pretty much exclusively listened to podcasts. then i found my old ipod & realised i had a bunch of stuff i got but never listened to cause i was stuck listening to like the same 15 songs on repeat, so i decided to just make a massive playlist with all the stuff i never got around to & it was so much fun. then when i ran outta that i brought a bunch of related stuff on bandcamp & now i do that all the time, it's so much fun listening to new stuff! finding new songs that'll end up being classics for me down the line! now at the end of every month i make a 25 song playlist of what i've been liking skating to at the end of the month & i can't repeat songs that've been on before. it's great! music rules! don't box yourselves in with genres or old stuff! stuff rips! people make shit that rips! be happy that people are still making shit that rips and listen to it! this got away from me!
STUFF RIPS!!!
I'm in my 50s, I love finding new music, also discovering old music. So many bands I didn't listen to or hadn't heard of when I was younger, or just plain didn't like. Also being an older parent might have something to do with it, my youngest is 16. Having always had eclectic tastes in just about everything, I've never been pigeon holed with a genre. So be it k pop, death metal or bagpipes, there's usually something for me to stop and go ooooh. So many of my finds come from gigs, where the support acts are unknown. Have come across some cracking bands this way, especially when the headliners are not particularly big or well known themselves. These are the bands that usually help promote smaller bands and for this I think them
you've nailed a lot of my music discovery 101 points! I swear it's a fountain of youth
I think people have to be around a lot of different people to listen to new music. In college it was easy because you were exposed to so many different people and you could listen to the music that they were into. Sometimes against your will.
When you get older it’s more about the discovery. Music is always evolving. So you essentially have to evolve with it.
Just being on Substack these last few months I’ve discovered a lot of new music.
same. you just have to push outside of your comfort zone. and some people don't want to, which is fine, but the music isn't to blame for that
I also think that the “ponds” where you used to fish for new music changed, or ceased to exist completely.
My favorite record labels from the 90s, whose new releases I would religiously check out, are largely putting out anniversary reissues instead of new artists, if they are still around.
My favorite websites that I would go to for music recommendations have had to broaden their audience to meet the expectations of new parent companies or simply the realities of the publishing business.
Some of my favorite artists from the 90s, if they still put out records, may not resonate with me as much. Whatever they have to say today may simply not connect with me the same way as whatever they had to say back then to my teenage self.
Whoever says that new music sucks may just be trying to fish in the same old ponds that are just not as relevant today.
Personally, I think that the music that is being put out today is outstanding, and 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best years in the last decade.
exactly. a point I tried to make much less eloquently than you. we have to adjust our approach. it takes more effort than it used to, but the dividends really pay off
I have the benefit of having come of age in the early 80s, and most of the music in the radio then was objectively terrible (Styx, Foreigner, Journey, latter-career Chicago, Queen, etc.). I have almost zero nostalgia for those days. It wasn’t until I got to college that I was exposed to punk/post punk, and found so much more to explore. I’ve kept that sensibility with me ever since.
I’ve come to believe that it comes down to how much people actually really love music. Within that context, it’s not that people don’t have the time for music discovery it’s more that they don’t have the desire for it.
For decades now, when getting to know people, the topic of music comes up. Of the people that say they “love music” my experience has been that 80-90% of them, when asked what music they like or what they’re listening to now, will either reference music from their formative years or give a very generic answer (“I like some EDM playlists”). They do perhaps love music in a narrowly defined sense but they’re no longer active music lovers.
It’s always a joy when I meet someone who is passionately engaged and active in their love for music. We’ll often have different tastes, which is fine, but I love chatting and interacting with people who really love music. It’s one of the reasons joining Substack has been so great because there are so many true music lovers here.
Having said all that, finding new music can be overwhelming with all the choice and content out there. And that’s another reason I love “musicstack” because I continually find myself getting exposed to such a wide variety of new music (and new-to-me music, which is just as important). That broadening of my musical discovery horizons has introduced we to some wonderful musical gems in the last year.
I’m familiar with some of the artists on your playlist, looking forward to diving into it!
I take less issue with people who "love music" but don't have the desire to go exploring. That's different from taking it a step further into "new music sucks" territory, especially when most people who make that claim barely listen to any new music in the first place
Yeah I take no issue with people that have no desire to explore new music - we just have a different definition of “love” as it relates to music.
I don’t tend to come across the “new music sucks” crowd tbh. I agree with you that if their only exposure to new music is the radio (which is probably the case for many) then they’re really only exposing themselves to a tiny sliver of what’s out there and, to your point, probably not that interested in even trying to listen to new music in the first place.
I probably wouldn't come across them so much if I didn't do what I do
I'm approaching the age where my tastes should "solidify" (I'm 28 at the moment). Yet, I'm still exploring different music. My listening history shows a sort of "hyperfocus" towards a particular artist or region. These fade from time to time and something new takes its place. However, I do return to them from time to time.
As for the whole "all new music is bad" argument - this is not the case - rather, it just doesn't speak to the listener (with some caveats - some music might do nothing emotionally, but it sounds good. Chappell Roan is a good example for me, as while the lyrics don't speak to me, the music itself is catchy.). One simply needs to explore stuff outside of the normal stuff you'd hear on the radio or piped into us from streaming platforms.
sometimes we don't evolve with the music. that doesn't make the music itself bad.