Music of the Noughties

[jebus]

God I hate using the term 'Noughties'. Anyway has anyone else found this to be a very weird decade for music? It seems that guitar driven music has retreated to some safe ground with the likes of Snow Patrol, Coldplay etc., and emo, punk and rock have just become shameless parodys of themselves. Britrock seems to revolve around selling products and being in the Sun these days, and the singer songwirter scene has become polluted with spirit numbing drivel. Couple that with the ridiculous state of hip hop and rnb, no metal bands of note and a dance scene that seems to be getting gloomier in tone by the year and it looks pretty bleak.

The complete opposite of this though, and where the real weirdness kicks in, is that mainstream pop music has matured in sound, and now is offering up various interesting styles, from Kylie's take on Alison Goldfrapp through to Britney's latest, with Justin Timberlake, Girls Aloud and others producing different sounds on each album. It's probably more a case of pop having better producers in recent times than any other music (the Neptunes, Kanye West and Timberlake), but I do find it weird that it is now pop that is pushing the most boundaries in music.

[Wolfie]

God I hate using the term 'Noughties'. Anyway has anyone else found this to be a very weird decade for music? It seems that guitar driven music has retreated to some safe ground with the likes of Snow Patrol, Coldplay etc., and emo, punk and rock have just become shameless parodys of themselves. Britrock seems to revolve around selling products and being in the Sun these days, and the singer songwirter scene has become polluted with spirit numbing drivel. Couple that with the ridiculous state of hip hop and rnb, no metal bands of note and a dance scene that seems to be getting gloomier in tone by the year and it looks pretty bleak.

The complete opposite of this though, and where the real weirdness kicks in, is that mainstream pop music has matured in sound, and now is offering up various interesting styles, from Kylie's take on Alison Goldfrapp through to Britney's latest, with Justin Timberlake, Girls Aloud and others producing different sounds on each album. It's probably more a case of pop having better producers in recent times than any other music (the Neptunes, Kanye West and Timberlake), but I do find it weird that it is now pop that is pushing the most boundaries in music.

Britrock has certainly not pushed the agenda as much as it did in the 90's. Practically all of the major players during the 90's have either imploded or have not maintained the creative standards or outputs of that decade.

Radiohead, one of the few exceptions to the above, have re-iterated with "In Rainbows" that they are still relevant and truly original.

In this decade - I think the Arctic Monkeys have produced two great albums both musically and lyrically. I also think Doves are a quality, under-rated band and have high hopes for the new album due for release later this year.

The Strokes, Interpol and Kings of Leon all bring something to the party as well.

I agree that the singer/songwriter genre of choice - ie, bedwetting whinge fest - is played out.

A solo singer / songwriter doesn't HAVE to write within this one genre. I'm hoping people take note of the likes of Graham Coxon and Black Francis. You can be on your own with a guitar and make a fantastic racket!!!!

[jebus]

Some good points Wolfie, although I don't hold Graham Coxon's solo work as high as some do. There have been some good bands and albums produced alright, Radiohead's Kid A and In Rainbows two of them, and a few good bands have emerged like the Strokes, Interpol, Tegan and Sara, and the National, but all in all I think the number of quality bands emerging is dropping off, and the scene itself is in a bit of a tailspin. Granted all it takes is two or three bands to lift the gloom but I'm not sure that's on the cards for a while yet

[superfrank]

Arcade Fire have unquestionably been the best act of this decade with their own unique and original sound. I can't think of anyone who can compare to them in terms of style or quality from this decade.

Genre barriers seem to be breaking down. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were pop in the 90's but now they're r'n'b artists who regularly work with rappers. Timberland is doing the same having moved from hip-hop in the 90's into dance-orientated r'n'b with collaborations with One Republic, a rock band I understand. Kanye West has worked with your man from Maroon 5 whereas the Neptunes have gone from producing solely hip-hop to pop, dance and rock as well as there own mix for N.E.R.D. There's also been the advent of pop-rock acts like Busted, Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte.

The British scene seems to be churning out loads of moody, annoying rock bands like Bloc Party, The View, The Horrors, The Libertines, Kasabian, etc. I find that style very unappealing, except for The Coral, but at least they are genuine musicians.

Hip-hop has changed too, moving in a more serious direction with the whole "socially conscious" rappers now in vogue, despite the fact that Ice Cube started the style in the early 90's. Black Eyed Peas sold out themselves and cheapened hip-hop with their party pop music and the elevation of a pretty singer to the front for sales (who wasn't in the group when they were unpopular, by the way).

Dance music has degenerated to simply re-working an 80's pop, dance or funk hit and making a video with attractive girls sweating in it.

My favourite emergences have been Arcade Fire, The Coral, Hot Chip, MIA, Basement Jaxx, Jurassic 5, Nappy Roots, Lily Allen and Gorillaz. None of these acts compare to the past masters like Bowie, Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Marvin Gaye, OutKast, Nas and Ice Cube.

[Kingdom]

Arcade Fire have unquestionably been the best act of this decade with their own unique and original sound. I can't think of anyone who can compare to them in terms of style or quality from this decade.


I'd disagree strongly with that statement for starters. The Neon Bible was not good at all as far as I'm concerned.
In my opinion the Kings of Leon p*ss all over them. And will continue to do so too.

[Billsthoughts]

I'd disagree strongly with that statement for starters. The Neon Bible was not good at all as far as I'm concerned.
In my opinion the Kings of Leon p*ss all over them. And will continue to do so too.

I actually think The Shins are the only band I have heard in the noughties that seem to my ears to be doing something different and interesting. Its hard to be surprised and exited by new bands when you have already absorbed a lot of the music that is gone before. I think its called getting old.:(
But I loved The Shins when I heard them. Moreso than Arcade Fire. (altho I prefer Neon Bible, flawed as it is, to Funeral). The Shins thing is just my personal opinion as opposed to being some undisputable fact.

[jebus]

I find the overhyped press the likes of Amy Winehouse, Arcade Fire, The Shins and the rest to be the most annoying part of this decade. Even just taking those three acts, Winehouse has had one good album, and one poor one, and yet she gets comparisons to the likes of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, despite having none of the on-stage charisma of those greats. Arcade Fire have potential to be a great band, but could just as easily squander it, and the Shins first great record was Wincing the Night Away, their previous work was patchy in my eyes. And that's not even mentioning the most over-hyped band in many moons, the Libertines.

On favourite acts to emerge this decade, I'd put the Shins and Common as the two I expect great things from going into the next decade

[Billsthoughts]

I find the overhyped press the likes of Amy Winehouse, Arcade Fire, The Shins and the rest to be the most annoying part of this decade. Even just taking those three acts, Winehouse has had one good album, and one poor one, and yet she gets comparisons to the likes of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, despite having none of the on-stage charisma of those greats. Arcade Fire have potential to be a great band, but could just as easily squander it, and the Shins first great record was Wincing the Night Away, their previous work was patchy in my eyes. And that's not even mentioning the most over-hyped band in many moons, the Libertines.

On favourite acts to emerge this decade, I'd put the Shins and Common as the two I expect great things from going into the next decade

I dont read the musis press anymore or listen much to Tom Dunne et al. I heard the shins on the Garden State soundtrack which was on some DVD pirate with about 5 other films I bought in dubai a couple of years back and then checked out the albums. So I dont see how its media hype in my case. If anything I feel most people have never heard them. The first two shins album are deffo rewarding after few listens and would contain my fav songs.

[jebus]

I dont read the musis press anymore or listen much to Tom Dunne et al. I heard the shins on the Garden State soundtrack which was on some DVD pirate with about 5 other films I bought in dubai a couple of years back and then checked out the albums. So I dont see how its media hype in my case. If anything I feel most people have never heard them. The first two shins album are deffo rewarding after few listens and would contain my fav songs.

I wasn't talking sbout your case, I was on about the music press in general

[NeilMcD]

Yeah the Shins are very good. Saw them a few years ago in Whelans and a great gig, really enjoyed it.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I'm not a fan of contemporary pop music but I'd largely go along with Jebus' assessment in the opening post. The calibre of pop record being released by for example, Girls Aloud -their being odious skanky bitches notwithstanding, is undoubtedly higher than late 80's SAW dominated cack or early 90's knack-pop/knack-dance.

As someone who's "default setting" would be amongst the indie-guitar bands I frequently despair of what I'm hearing as the genre moves more and more in-field, (Snow Patrol, Coldplay,) becomes more and more homogenised or becomes more blatantly derivative.

I saw the (sluggish, art-house, coffee table porn) movie 9 Songs a couple of years back and what jumped out at me in the film was the way that, Super Furry Animals aside, ALL the bands sounded so ACME-Indie. Same intros, same tempos, same two-note riffs, same gear even. It was a damning indictment of a genre.

The derivative bent of many of the supposed Cream of the Crop is fairly depressing as well. Bloc Party (The Cure), Artic Monkeys (Buzzcocks), a veritable slew of them tearing the hole out of Joy Division (Interpol, Editors, Maxipad Carpark and to a lesser extent Arcade Fire).

It all leads me to conclude that the audiences are becoming even more conservative and this is putting something of a squeeze on Mavericks. (That is ...maverick artists ...not The Mavericks -who suck ass more than anyone mentioned on the thread so far:) )

[NeilMcD]

White Stripes are class in my view.

[GavinZac]

White Stripes are class in my view.

Band of the decade I suppose. They and the Artic Monkeys would have been my most enjoyable listens from the "new/breaking" bands this decade.

I'm glad to say that I think the run-away train of poor "white people party" hip hop has derailed but I'm afraid that is all this decade will be remembered for, musically. Mind you, that might be a bit ambitious, saying that it is on the wane, given the look of the current US singles/radio chart http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=The+Billboard+Hot+100 bland hiphop and r&b from wall to wall. Is Alicia Key's a product of this decade? I'll be glad when shes gone.

[NeilMcD]

Oh can I add in Spiritualised too. What a performance at Electric Picnic last year.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Oh can I add in Spiritualised too. What a performance at Electric Picnic last year.

Hardly a noughties band mind? I agree with you in relation to the White Stripes. I'm not a fan as such but saw them in Barcelona last year and hats off to them they were superb.

[NeilMcD]

Yeah you are right, probably just cause I only got into them at the start of the decade.

[kingdom hoop]

The upturn in quality of pop is to a large extent attributable to it getting more dance-y, I feel. Just better beats really I think. Jacques Lu Cont (Les Rythmes Digitales, etc.) pretty much single-handedly making Madonna's wildly successful Confessions on a Dancefloor is a good example.

I think that indicates the wider trend of what's happening: the (very welcome from my point of view) proliferation of electronic-ish music. And with the likes of Cascada proving very popular with the tweenagers I'd expect that to continue for quite a while. :D

But seriously, if this decade is noteworthy for any reason then it is probably for heralding the emergence of commercially mainstream yet electronic music like Mylo, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture, and, hell, that nu-rave shyte The Klaxons represent.

To borrow Lionel's phrase, my "default setting" is anything electronic. While I've really liked the Shins, the Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Interpol, Arcade Fire, etc, they wouldn't really come close to registering on my favourite albums/artists of this new century. Superfrank says "Dance music has degenerated to simply re-working an 80's pop, dance or funk hit and making a video with attractive girls sweating in it," but to be honest, denouncing such a splintered branch of the music tree after watching MTV Dance for ten minutes is just plain silly. :) The dance branch is flourishing, and, weed-like, is beginning to exert its influence in other habitats.

[Marked Man]

What counts as an 00's band? If Spiritualized don't count, it's clearly not a matter of being active during the decade. So does it mean something like "an act that was formed in this decade"? Or does it require achieving regular chart success this decade?
You get different answers depending on which you choose (Modest Mouse count according to regular chart success, but they weren't formed this decade. The converse applies to, say, The Rolling Stones).

[Kingdom]

The upturn in quality of pop is to a large extent attributable to it getting more dance-y, I feel. Just better beats really I think. Jacques Lu Cont (Les Rythmes Digitales, etc.) pretty much single-handedly making Madonna's wildly successful Confessions on a Dancefloor is a good example.

I think that indicates the wider trend of what's happening: the (very welcome from my point of view) proliferation of electronic-ish music. And with the likes of Cascada proving very popular with the tweenagers I'd expect that to continue for quite a while. :D

But seriously, if this decade is noteworthy for any reason then it is probably for heralding the emergence of commercially mainstream yet electronic music like Mylo, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture, and, hell, that nu-rave shyte The Klaxons represent.

To borrow Lionel's phrase, my "default setting" is anything electronic. While I've really liked the Shins, the Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Interpol, Arcade Fire, etc, they wouldn't really come close to registering on my favourite albums/artists of this new century. Superfrank says "Dance music has degenerated to simply re-working an 80's pop, dance or funk hit and making a video with attractive girls sweating in it," but to be honest, denouncing such a splintered branch of the music tree after watching MTV Dance for ten minutes is just plain silly. :) The dance branch is flourishing, and, weed-like, is beginning to exert its influence in other habitats.

Can I go to your party please? Me likee! :D

Seriously though, good post and sums up exactly how I feel about music at the mo. I feel dirty liking some Madonna songs and GA songs, but your post has made me feel ok again.
Ps Jacques le Cont is a genius.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I think that indicates the wider trend of what's happening: the (very welcome from my point of view) proliferation of electronic-ish music. And with the likes of Cascada proving very popular with the tweenagers I'd expect that to continue for quite a while. :D
.

Unless that laugh-smilie means your kidding -You're nothing else if not optimistic if you believe Cascada is going to lead anyone to explore quality Electronic-based music. A throw-back to the mindless knacker-dancepop that polluted the airwaves through in the early to mid-90's.

[BohsPartisan]

Seasick Steve is a class act.

[paul_oshea]

this is a good thread, i find myself reverting further and further back. All the music produced nowadays is pure drivel, bands come and go as often as a hoor changes her knickers. I think its hard to be original almost everything has been done already, and sounds are more and more a like. I think its a case of certain types of music getting bigger and bigger and pushing the boundaries of that type i.e. r n b and all that stuff.

[jebus]

A lot of the problem is in the quality of sound put out on albums these days I think. I know the music itself isn't as good, but I was talking to a producer friend of mine and he was explaining how they compress things into one basic wall of sound these days to save on time and cost, but it's to the detreiment of the actual quality of the music.

Certainly if you stick on a recently pressed best of Ramones (say) and stick the same tracks on your record player you will notice a considerable decline in quality. Tom Dunne was doing something on his show recently enough where he only played vinyl on his radio show to show the difference in quality and it really was very obvious.

[Wolfie]

A lot of the problem is in the quality of sound put out on albums these days I think. I know the music itself isn't as good, but I was talking to a producer friend of mine and he was explaining how they compress things into one basic wall of sound these days to save on time and cost, but it's to the detreiment of the actual quality of the music.

Certainly if you stick on a recently pressed best of Ramones (say) and stick the same tracks on your record player you will notice a considerable decline in quality. Tom Dunne was doing something on his show recently enough where he only played vinyl on his radio show to show the difference in quality and it really was very obvious.

Former Oasis producer Owen Morris claims he introduced this method to the mainstream with Definitely Maybe. Everything is turned up high in the mix.

The band and their management were unhappy with the original production on the album and Owen Morris was hired to have a shot at it.

Check the graphic sound levels on your stereo when you play that album - none of them drop below the highest level for the duration of the album. To para-phrase Spinal Tap - "Everything was turned up to eleven".

[paul_oshea]

not quite wolfie:

"These all go to 11!"

[beautifulrock]

not quite wolfie:

"These all go to 11!"

Not quite Paul, check the meaning of paraphrase.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Former Oasis producer Owen Morris claims he introduced this method to the mainstream with Definitely Maybe. Everything is turned up high in the mix.

The band and their management were unhappy with the original production on the album and Owen Morris was hired to have a shot at it.

Check the graphic sound levels on your stereo when you play that album - none of them drop below the highest level for the duration of the album. To para-phrase Spinal Tap - "Everything was turned up to eleven".

Sounds more like something that'd be done at the Mastering stage rather than the Mixing stage. I don't have any Oasis stuff but I remember being at a mastering session of an LP back in the mid 90's and the engineer mentioned the high level settings on Oasis records. You'd set them one way for the LP, another for singles -slightly lower level as they may end up being used in public (clubs, pubs etc) and lower again for promo CDs for airplay or you'll have trouble getting rotation.

[paul_oshea]

Not quite Paul, check the meaning of paraphrase.

he edited, it after i had done that. Tets told me before i should quote the exact post, i should start doing that, ye cute little pup ye wolfie :D

rock ye love to catch me out dont ye?! :)

and in case yer wondering of the timestamp I read it first but posted about an hour later

[jebus]

I've heard of the Oasis wall of sound alright, but I think my friend was more talking about the way they compress all soundwaves to the same level and so what we hear today is akin to varying forms of muzaic in the background. He obviously explained this a lot better :)

[Wolfie]

he edited, it after i had done that. Tets told me before i should quote the exact post, i should start doing that, ye cute little pup ye wolfie :D

rock ye love to catch me out dont ye?! :)

and in case yer wondering of the timestamp I read it first but posted about an hour later

Yeah Yeah Paul - we believe ye!!!! :D

[noby]

That's it Paul, just keep digging. Shouldn't you be at the Mahon Tribunal?

[Neish]

Seasick Steve is a class act.

100%

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qMf-em-56Mc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUzmZvwMNsw

[Lionel Ritchie]

100%

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qMf-em-56Mc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUzmZvwMNsw

Might I be so bold as to suggest to BP and Neish that if you like Seasick Steve you'll probably like Jawbone (http://www.myspace.com/jawboneblues) as well.

Both men are giving a refreshing boot up the ass to an aged and maybe even somewhat jaded genre. Proper! :cool:

[Neish]

Might I be so bold as to suggest to BP and Neish that if you like Seasick Steve you'll probably like Jawbone (http://www.myspace.com/jawboneblues) as well.

Both men are giving a refreshing boot up the ass to an aged and maybe even somewhat jaded genre. Proper! :cool:

Not bad, not bad at all

[paul_oshea]

i did not have.....i still beleive the word paraphrase in there :) :D

I have no shovel ;)

[rebs23]

So called indie/alternative music is the new MOR/AOR ie crap, rubbish, repetitive drivel.
For someone who used to take pride in the fact that I saw Nirvana support Sonic Youth in Henrys way back in the day the so called indie scene is just patethic now. I mean MBV reforming and playing 15 years after they were at their best is just like a sham. The Sultans and others reforming and gigging is equally patethic. Its like a showband reunion or something.
Whats worse all these indie/so called alternative types who think they are into something different are really just the conservative boring kids from our youth who thought Dire Straits were cool.
Electronic music is the only shining light. Even some of the so called pop music like Timbaland, Timberlake and others are using new technologies and creating great new sounds.
New stuff like LCD, Sam Sparro, CSS, Felix, Jay-Z, T2 etc are great. Theres something different about their music and the fact that they are not obsessed with some of the self important and conceited ****e with bands from the indie scene.
My biggest regret now in musical terms is that I spent too many Friday nights in Henrys rather than Saturday nights and that it wasn't until I went to London in the early 90's that I fully appreciated the rave/house scene.
The only stuff I listen to now that I did back in the late 80's/early 90's are Depeche Mode, New Order, Nine Inch Nails and one or two others.
For once Jebus is right.

[Lev Yashin]

i agree that maybe music now isn't at the standards that is was and that there needs to be a bit of quality control applied....but there is a fear here that we are turning into the old man in the corner of the oub where "everything was better in his day", there have been some great acts in "the noughties" and most have been mentioned here already i.e. interpol-good band ya their albums have got steadily worse but bloody great live act.
modest mouse-consistanly release good albums
Bright eyes- in a world saturated with singer songwriters he stands out because to put it simply...he writes good tunes
Doves-THE most underrated band.
and ill end on the artic monkeys- two good albums and a front man who it seems cant help but write good songs....whether its with the monkeys or last of the shadow puppets.

but the joy of music is its all about opinions

[Lionel Ritchie]

So called indie/alternative music is the new MOR/AOR ie crap, rubbish, repetitive drivel.
. I have a high degree of empathy for this sentiment. However I can't agree with the conclusions you draw from it. Read on...


I mean MBV reforming and playing 15 years after they were at their best is just like a sham. The Sultans and others reforming and gigging is equally patethic. Its like a showband reunion or something. A chap said the very same thing to me recently about Whipping Boy and I'll say the same thing to you now as I said to him ...bands do not exist to fill a tidy compartmentalised niche in the memory banks and music collections of their erstwhile fans. I'll not only support them for reforming and touring (in so far as anyone can tour these days) I'll applaud them for doing so. These songs deserve a dusting down and a re-airing and if that places them in the realm of cabaret then it's only to the same extent as bands of their era who've consistently released stuff in the interim. That in itself raises an interesting point -there is something possibly more honourable about MBV, Sultans, or whoever going away for years rather than continuing to release stuff in dubious guises. For example it's arguable that Smashing Pumpkins have been releasing Billy Corgan solo LPs for some time now under the SP brandname. Likewise with Miles Hunt and The Wonderstuff.



Whats worse all these indie/so called alternative types who think they are into something different are really just the conservative boring kids from our youth who thought Dire Straits were cool. There is much truth and wisdom here. Plus any of them who get that haircut where they're trying to look like Weller in 1978 but are actually looking more like Slades bass player in 1974 truly deserve a slap.:D


.
Electronic music is the only shining light. Even some of the so called pop music like Timbaland, Timberlake and others are using new technologies and creating great new sounds.
New stuff like LCD, Sam Sparro, CSS, Felix, Jay-Z, T2 etc are great. Theres something different about their music and the fact that they are not obsessed with some of the self important and conceited ****e with bands from the indie scene.
My biggest regret now in musical terms is that I spent too many Friday nights in Henrys rather than Saturday nights and that it wasn't until I went to London in the early 90's that I fully appreciated the rave/house scene. This is where I particularily diverged with your conclusions. It's scarcely the fault of the Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur Jnr, Belly, or whoever else that guitar-based indie pop turned up it's own hole a decade later. Other factors were and are at play -including the changing market, access to exposure apparently increasing due to new media but actually decreasing due to saturation... Degraded and dried up live music circuits and the onward and upward rise of the music festival...

You were better off in Freakscene. The era we're talking about was a high water mark in a glut of appallingly poor dance records riding on the coat tails of a handful of really good ones.