Ah, music.  The artistic expression of our culture.  With just a few notes and a short arrangement of words, one can compose a melody that expresses their innermost feelings on anything their heart desires.  If they possess a longing desire to be in a romantic relationship, we’re looking at a love song.  Inversely, the song can be about breaking up.   And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Music has been around for a very long time.  There is much to say about it, and even more to be said on its influence on culture throughout the decades and the hundreds of years before the turn of the century.  There has been many songs, pertaining to every single matter under the sun.  And there has been many different instruments to illustrate each song’s mood.

I am not going to give you a history lesson on music, but I’ll only say that it’s been around for quite a while.  More specifically, I have seen how fast music has changed in my lifetime.

Being a product of the 80’s, I grew up to my parent’s music.  As a kid, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley were my lullibies.  I have grown up with bands like David Bowie, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, the B-52’s, U2, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Talking Heads, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Santana and the list goes on.

As I got older, I started to notice the songs that they played on the radio.  In junior high, the airwaves played Sugar Ray, Brittney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Matchbox Twenty, Hootie and the Blowfish, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Smashmouth, Madonna, Alanis Morrissette, Blondie, Next, Shania Twain, K-Ci & JoJo, Usher, Will Smith, Mariah Carey, Savage Garden, Marcy Playground, Robyn, Natalie Imbruglia, The Cranberries, Sheryl Crow and several other artists.

Over the course of 15 or so years, the information age has really expanded in so many ways.  This has effected the format of music, and how we listen to it.  Instead of just having radio and CD’s as an option, you can listen to your music online or on your phone or iPod.  The ease of access has allowed us an unlimited selection of music, where we can listen to whatever we want.

Getting back to the radio, popular music has suffered a terrible decline.  The lack of originality has resulted in stale songs, almost sounding the same.  At some point in time, composers just stopped trying.  The effort now isn’t about making a good song, but a profitable one.  Every song must make a million, no matter how it sounds. And you don’t have to sing well, either, since we can auto-tune your voice.

Another trend that I have noticed in recent music is how almost every song is a dance song.  What if I didn’t want to dance to my music?  What if I wanted a slower one?  But no.  Every song MUST be techno, or have some kind of beat.  And if you don’t use auto-tune, you might as well forget it.  Well, what are you waiting for?  I want you to dance!  NOW!

Well, did you dance?  Because you know it’s a requirement now!  Dance some more!  Come on!  Come on!  Dance until your joints are hurting!

Dropping the sarcasm, I just find it sad how the popular music industry is so homogeneous.  There is no time spent writing the song.  Just a bunch of cheap, dumbed down “feel good” words and a contagious beat.  Make it loud, make it cheap, and make a million, right?  If artists spent more time writing the song, it would be better right?  Now, come on.  We know that the artists don’t write their own songs.  Dr. Luke Gottwald and Mr. Martin have been writing them all, so yay for originality!

But there are, however, some exceptions.  Let’s take, Gotye, for example.  His song “Somebody that I used to know” doesn’t sound too bad.  Another example is “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson.  If you hate these songs, too bad.  Familiarity breeds contempt.  In my case, it’s content, not contempt.  I have no problems with these songs.  I’m content with them.

Getting back to my statement, there are some artists that I hate listening to so much that I don’t even call them by their actual name.  These are artists like Ke$hup and Stupana.  I don’t care that she feels like the “only girl in the world”.

Familiarity breeds contempt.  A while back, there was this “la la la la la” song that played on the radio that I just couldn’t stand.  I think it’s by….Cobra Starship.  I’ve never heard of that band but some aliens should come and shoot their starship of snakes down, and spare our planet of their awful noise.  The “la’s” are the worst part of the song, and I want to bash my head with a brick every time I hear it! Ahhh!  It’s so terrible!!!

Now I could go on and on about how there are songs that I don’t like on the radio today.  How the popular music industry has crashed and burned with their pursuit to create as many cheap “feel good” number one songs as possible.  How popular music has placed profitability ahead of quality.  But let’s drop the subject, shall we?

On the flip side, there are many other options in music than just popular music.  The alternative music scene is still going strong, but you just have to look around for it.  These are the kinds of artists that you would’ve heard 10 or so years ago on the radio.  But now, you can listen to them now, thanks to technology.  Yay for technology!

 

Muse:  Yay!!!!

It’s about time!  You’ve been quiet lately.  What are you up to?

Muse:  Quiet!  This is a really good song!

May I ask who it is?

Muse:  Hee!  I just found it!  It’s a band named after myself.  They’re called Muse, and THIS is a good song!

It is.  I totally agree!  I like that band!

Muse:  What?

I said, I LIKE THAT BAND!

Muse:  Sorry.  I couldn’t hear you with my earphones in.

Muse is one of those bands that sound like Coldplay, U2 and The Killers.  The songs are written well and the music is amazing.  Something that Dr. Luke and Mr. Martin can never touch.

Muse: It could be wrong, could be wrong but it should have been right!

Still enjoying that song?  I’ll have to listen to that myself!

Muse:  Love is our resistance!!!!!!

Yes!  Sing it!  Nothing can shatter love, can it?

Muse:  You’ll wake the thought police!  We can’t hide the truth inside….OOOOH!  This is such a good song!

Now there are plenty of other artists out there that still make good music.  If I didn’t mention yours, chances are it’s out there.   There’s a song for every person and a band for every person.  For me, it’s about quality lyrics and awesome melodies.

Muse:  Protect us from further harm….Resistance….

 

Looking at the weather today, it’s going to be pretty nice.  The silver lining for me is having the day off.  To add to this, I may get some more progress done on editing my story.  The chapter that I’m on is pretty long, so I might only get some of it done.

Having expressed my opinions on music, both good and bad, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  I wonder if I can get their autographs?