I have some friends my age still listening to the same bands they used to 20 years ago, complaining about how music today sounds all the same. However I discover something new almost every day and I’m not kidding.
It’s true that some of my discoveries are bands from decades before I was born, so they can’t be considered new, although they are new to me if that makes sense.
What about you? Still listening to the same tunes you used to listen to when you were a teenager?
Not new bands but new to me. I managed to be a mild metalhead my whole life yet never listened to Iron Maiden. I started on their music a few months ago. I can’t believe I waited until I was in my forties to pick them up. Amazing guitar work and great vocals.
I rented their Live After Death from Lovefilm about 15 years ago, and that’s what got me into them. Couldn’t believe I’d written them off as an 80s band I wouldn’t like.
I still listen to everything I did 10 years ago, but I’ve added a lot of new music too since then. The rate I’ve been finding new music at has skyrocketed since I discovered bandcamp a few years ago.
I actively seek new music (and discover older music that I previously didn’t listen to, just like you described) but also have bands that I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid that I still listen to. I exclusively listened to 60s and 70s rock when I was growing up, Zeppelin and The Beatles are still two of my favorite bands, but I have definitely expanded my palette since then. I agree that the “music these days” take is a tired one; if your only source of new music is the hits radio, of course, it will all sound the same.
I have this beef with people who say new country music sucks (or any genre for that matter) - sure there are bro-country singers that only sing about trucks and beer, but there are also insanely talented country musicians and songwriters out there right now.
Yeah! So many music available that it’s impossible to get bored. I am not the biggest Beatles fan, but I really cringe when somebody says they are not that good, they are still copied!
I have this beef with people who say new country music sucks
Aren’t the decent guys calling themselves “Americana” nowadays? Coulter Wall, Tyler Childers, etc? The pop-with-fiddles they play on Country radio is mostly terrible.
Honestly, I think most musicians don’t care about the categorization or genre labels. Country and Americana could be interchangeable for the most part, but Americana seems a little broader to me. Per your example, Childers has more of a bluegrass influence, while Wall has more of a cowboy/western country influence. Both of those genres are certainly under the country and americana umbrellas.
Fair enough. I feel like people (me) want to differentiate between “guy with a guitar on his porch” music and the highly produced big-stadium-show stuff. Bluegrass, folk, and outlaw country on one side vs top40 Country on the other.
Don’t be too hard on your friends. This is actually scientifically proven. https://neurosciencenews.com/music-youth-17765/ You love the music that you “grew up with as you were forming an identity” You can always change but it is more work to create new memories and nostalgia based on different or “new” songs.
Of course not 😅 I’m not judging them at all, I finished years ago that phase where I thought my music taste what better than theirs
now I just know it is/s
I am super into consuming new and contemporary music (mainly pop and R&B). I traditionally used a subreddit to follow all of the new releases, so I’ll have to see how to stay as current all things considered.
My listening habits usually revolve around rotating the new stuff ad nauseam until all meaning and emotion is gone, then accepting more new music as it releases.
I love looking at my yearly top 100 song playlists and shuffling them for some spice.
KEXP and BBC Radio 6 are great for pop/indie music. Have you tried them?
Both honestly. There are plenty of bands that I used to listen to as a teenager that I still listen to now, both their old stuff and new stuff. I also have found new bands making new music and old bands making new music with a great back catalogue.
I mostly still listen to the same stuff I used to. Most of my favorite bands are still coming out with albums, so every time something new drops I get to add that into the mix. Occasionally I’ll add in a new song, whether I hear it in a videogame (my husband loves videogame music, so I’ve added some great tracks as a result) or the radio or with a friend, but I haven’t had a new artist grab me the way my favorites did once upon a time. In that way, I might just be resistant to change.
I definitely don’t necessarily have the time to look for new stuff, so I usually stumble upon it. I don’t agree that all music today sounds the same - at least, not anymore “the same” than what was coming out ten years ago. Sure, some things within a genre might be similar, but I don’t think it’s any more “same-y” now than it used to be. If you’re finding new stuff you enjoy, past or present, I think that’s awesome.
Some internet radios can be great to find out new bands, but I agree with you: things can get a bit same-y if always listening to the same genre.
I used to go out and purposefully look for new music from time to time. Lately I’ve just been playing Spotify radios of artists I like and finding new artists through that. They have a new feature on the mobile app that’s kinda like TikTok. You click on tropicalia or norm core or whatever and it plays you similarly tagged songs. After 10-20 songs, it recommends new related hashtags to try out.
A good way to find new music if you’re into less popular stuff is to go by the label. If you like an artist, check out the labels they’ve released their albums on! chances are that you’ll find a few other artists you’ll like too.
Okay, the old saying “horses for courses” comes to mind…
Yes, I actively search out new and wonderful music, and listen to it, and like it. Problem is that a lot of current music just sounds bad, either over- or under-produced, and i’m going deaf.
Last new music I really loved was Christine and the Queens, and that’s almost ten years ago!!!
But, and here’s the rub, when I want to sit here on a lovely summers evening drinking some cider with my spouse, I’ll mostly put on music from 30+ years ago. Frank and Walters, New Order, Biggie, The Cure, MC Solaar…
Mostly? its because I know it, and as sounds become ever more remote to me and my brain, I can rely on my memories to fill in the bits I can’t hear any more.
@[email protected] @[email protected] Why can’t it be both? Classic albums are classic for a reason, and there is a ton of new music to get into. I hope I don’t get into the rut of a fixed playlist, though most of my new music comes from online discovery, whereas it used to mates / social.
Also nothing wrong with exploring the long tail of music history.
Yeah both options are the best, I am not even able to pick one or the other. Actually, why would you do that? So many great music that’s it’s impossible to pick just one.
I was opening the question due to some people saying music “it’s not the same anymore”, when they actually mean “I still listen to the same music I used to”. Nothing wrong with that either, but my point is there is still good music to be discovered.
I try to always listen to new stuff. 1001albumsgenerator.com is a great project for getting out of your comfort zone and discovering some missed gems. It can be a slog at times though.
I linked it somewhere else in the thread. I’m finding there a lot of “new” stuff really interesting, even some of my favourites album are included here!
I’ve been meeting up with some friends for five years going through the 1001 albums book. You’d be surprised How much to can identify items in modern music that trace back decades. I love finding albums I overlooked or some that I thought I knew better but never really sat down with the entire album. I also set up and /c/[email protected] if anyone what’s to discuss albums.
Cool, I’ve got the generator running as a small group with a group chat alongside. Most weeks someone will also suggest an album outside of the generator for everyone to listen to and rate.
If I can work out how to I’ll add that community!
I’m a mix. I really enjoy finding new bands, even if they’re not new bands. Recently I’ve gotten EXTREMELY into Lorna Shore (Deathcore/extreme metal band). I’d never heard them, they’ve been around about a decade, but they’re new to me! Last year was the year of Bad Omens (Heavy Rock with some metal core tendencies). I’ve also been liking this synthy band The Midnight lately (like 80s electro pop complete with saxophone solos).
The way I find most of new bands is usually by either listening to bands I already like or have been into forever and using like “radio” feature on Spotify (Lorna) OR by searching out the openers for bands I like and checking out their music Bad Omens/The Midnight). It’s so fun to come across an artist you’ve never heard and dog into their catalogue and realize they’ve got multiple albums filled with bangers.
Lorna Shore might as well be new. They sort of rebuilt around their new singer, who’s and amazingly talented vocalist.
They’ve also been blowing up like crazy. They’re sort of doing to deathcore what Turnstile is doing to hardcore, and its exciting to be a part of that
Even if their music isn’t for everyone (it’s ABSOLUTELY not, 99+% of people probably would hate it), what they’re doing from an approachability standpoint is maybe the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. If you go to their YouTube right now, you can find one-take vocal performances of 3-4 of their songs. You’ll also find high quality drum, guitar and bass playthroughs. Like, as a drummer and singer, being able to watch Will Ramos and Austin Archey play their songs in 4K and observe their techniques up close is AMAZING. I wish more artists did things like that.
Ive struggled a lot with getting into new music. Its just too easy to be in a comfortable loop of what you know and are used to, I guess.
This year I’ve started a personal project where i listen to at least one unique album a day, normally 2 or 3. I’ve discovered so much music, both old stuff thats ‘new to me’, and recent releases. Its got me into a few genres that i never listened too, as well.
Plus, theres so many bands that I ‘liked’ but had actually really only known the hits, like AC/DC for example, and its fun to actually listen through an album for once and get to know them better!
So yeah thats for sure something I’d recommend if you have the time for it
I’m doing something similar following this project https://1001albumsgenerator.com you don’t need to register with an email, although it helps. A new album is suggested everyday, and even if they are not they kind of music you usually like, I am sure you will be able to appreciate why it was included in the list.
Yooo thanks for posting that link, I’ll be using that for sure!
It’s very hard for me to find new music these days. I can’t pin it down to any one thing, lots of things have changed over the last 10 years that make it harder.
Adulting is hard, less time to explore new music. What do you like?
eh, various kinds of rock, jazz, some pop and singer/songwriters. you?
I can’t pick one! From Black Sabbath to Bjork, adding names like Mark Lanegan, Ulver or The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
I am constantly on the lookout for new metal/metalcore/deathcore bands! As I have gotten older, I am enjoying more and more genres of music
