This is inspired in part by the recent thread on hating music.
"Hatred" of music would seem to imply that the listener has strong
ideas about what music *should* be. That is, "Music should be songs
written by bands who can perform them live and everything else sucks"
or "Music should have a sense of humor or else it sucks." Do you have
an idea of what music should be? Wanna share?
― Mark, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Music should envoke a response, a feeling or an emotion and not just
cover the squeaky bed in the next apartment.
― zac, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
I don't know if I can provide any overarching Thing That I Ask For,
and I don't think I'd want to. It all depends on context, I think:
all I want is something that excites me and makes me think and just
seems
right, and how that gets achieved just depends on what's
going on in the world at the time.
Someone asked me last year what, specifically, I wanted to hear from
bands right now (or then, I guess) and I responded with a 4-page list
of specific details on What I Want From Music Right Now. I've
reconsidered that list and now disagree with much of it -- changing
context, and all -- but here are the points I still find most
essential:
"A realization that 'psychedelic' can refer to songwriting as well as
top-level guitar effects ... more more more major 7ths at every
turn ... a realization that "slowcore" is not a niche category, and
that it makes just as much sense to play music slowly as it does to
play it quickly ... simpler production, richer sounds, less pointless
inclusion of electronics in songs that don't call for it ... more
songs that present four or fewer sounds at any given time, and with
that maybe a renewed interest in the concept of the 4-piece un-
overdubbed pop band ... and in general more music that seems to come
from a place other than the earth on which we live, but is still
comfortably reminiscent of home."
You can guess what the other 3 3/4 pages were like. But right now, I
really want to hear solid, exciting, and forward-looking bands that
still actually sound like people in a room playing instruments. A
New Realism, I suppose, which I've decided is what's currently
creating my Life Without Buildings fixation.
― Nitsuh, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
well, it might sound a glib answer, but i just have to like it. thats
all.
sometimes, things can do
everything right, but it just
doesn't happen (Sigur Ros, Plaid, Yo La Tengo)
or i like things that i didn't expect to (Tom Waits, Kevin Ayers,
Polvo)
― gareth, Thursday, 2 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
It should be stupid, or maybe it should be like the artist has been
a camel going into the desert, then a dragon saying 'no', then a
child saying yes, or maybe it should be only performed by
illegitimate children, or maybe it should make you forget that you
ever thought you knew what the worst generalisation in the world
('genius') meant
― maryann, Thursday, 2 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Music should make the listener think about what LISTENERS should
be.
perhaps you're right. really good music makes me want to make music
instead of just taking it in.
― Lyra, Thursday, 2 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
i don't even think it's about making musik yrself, but reimagining
yrself altogether.
― junichiro, Thursday, 2 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
It should surprise me, even if the surprise is not being surprised.
― X. Y. Zedd, Thursday, 2 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)