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If Destiny's Child just sounded like good Shirelles songs from the 60's, should one be upset at them even if they like 60s girl groups? I think there is this unshakable thing where we demand newness from new groups for the sake of relevance despite our possible enjoyment of the sound they are all nostalgiac about. Plenty of the Strokes ambivalence I've seen has to do with this.

My younger self would kick my ass for saying so, but I think the real problem is when people conflate "sounding new" with "being good." I'm no fuddy-duddy, and I get sick of music that blatantly imitates other (usually better) older music. But that doesn't mean that if something is revolutionary that it is automatically great music. Alex is right: everyone draws their own line between "cool influence!" and "blatant rip-off!"

imagine this post in a sterl voice

retroism is vulturism - and it's lazy too, capitalizing on what history currently says has passed the 'test of time' in order to sound good rather than coming up with a NEW good sound.

there's nothing wrong with retro shit that's enjoyable. in a purely artistic sense, music that doesn't do a single new thing is a copout. obviously all that matters is what people really enjoy and blah blah. but i'd argue that anyone with a pretty strong affinity for art will always ultimately "enjoy" something that pushes boundaries more than something that doesn't try.

and i don't really see how Blackalicious are retro just because they make a more straightforward type of soul. their production and Gab's lyrical style, especially the latter, are absolutely modern. there's a difference between updating old music and just retreating back to it.

Nothing.

Josh has the voice dead on but not quite the content. I'd argue that formal innovation (sometimes involving introduction of "retro" elements) is a necessary componant of creating music which addresses the "now" for purely psychosocial reasons. Music which refuses to innovate is tied to a firm desire to reject the present in favor of nothing.

yeah I knew it :(

Sterling are you saying formal innovation has to be sonic? Or can it be lyrical? Contextual?

I feel like arguing that (a hypothetical) music which strains against formal innovation addresses itself to now every bit as much as innovative stuff. I'm not sure, though, what music you're talking about as non-innovative, maybe an example pls?