The Chatterbox, Random Music Discussion

I've never heard the "no appreciation for real art" thing, but those people probably are goddamned snooty.

I've been meaning to clean up the page for jazz, particularly the early section. I never heard that Nick LaRocca tried to bribe other cornetists (it is supposed to be "cornetists") to leave New Orleans so he could be the best in the city anywhere else but here.

edited 15th Nov '14 2:19:14 PM by Aldo930

Hmm...I don't take to people who say we don't appreciate "real art". We are under no obligation to enjoy "real art", which is a subjective thing in the first place.

I meant "real art" as in the criticisms that we have more coverage of anime than classic literature. Not as in the debate over what constitutes "real art".

While I'm with these people and I think we need more coverage of things like that, they still sound snooty.

And I do wonder, what did they expect? This is the Internet.

edited 15th Nov '14 2:34:51 PM by Aldo930

I say this as a fan of both highbrow and lowbrow forms of art:

No one should feel as though they have to give lip service to certain forms of art because they are somehow "superior" to lowbrow art. You enjoy what you enjoy, and no one ought to give you shit.

That said, it would be nice to see more coverage of other things.

Personally, I often find that lowbrow stuff is more enjoyable as art than the highbrow stuff is.

It's early, pre-swing jazz vs. everything that comes after; it's pre-hippie vs. post-hippie rock. Always I find the former to be far, far, far better than the latter.

They'll say that as well about what they like. Careful with that sentence.

I only say something is better than another thing when it's within the genre or subgenre. I don't compare distinct stuff in terms of being better.

Yes, but they're WRONG.

Seriously, though, I did compare periods in genres of music, and I always generally find the earlier stages of a genre to be a hell of a lot better.

edited 15th Nov '14 3:04:16 PM by Aldo930

I say that it's pointless to compare, say, Beethoven's Ninth to pop music and declare one or the other superior. I understand that that's a bit strawmanny sounding, but I have heard some classical music snobs declare that genre's superiority to pop. The only metric you should measure pop to is other pop.

You speak the truth, mon ami.

Serious works and frivolous works, especially in music, aren't really comparable. Especially not over decades.

This is why I can compare, say, jazz from 1926 to jazz from 1956 and find the former superior and not be called on how I'm comparing apples and oranges.

edited 15th Nov '14 4:02:48 PM by Aldo930

What's your opinion on deadmau5?

I ask because I met a guy online who called it "annoying EDM crap". I dismissed him as one of those "Le music defener" types, but why do you think about it?

edited 15th Nov '14 5:07:54 PM by Jinxmenow

I don't think he's amazing but he doesn't deserve all the hate he gets. Knife Party are my go-to Electro House guys.

edited 15th Nov '14 5:09:35 PM by PhysicalStamina

I like some electro house (Electric by Pet Shop Boys was my album of the year, last year) but Deadmau5 just bores me.

Can't say I'm too big on electrohouse. I like Madeon, but that's about it.

That sounds like me alright.

I called Deadmau5 annoying EDM crap because, and let's be reasonable here, it is annoying EDM crap. I said this because I'm tired of being wishy-washy about that kind of stuff, tired of admitting "yes this is utter bullshit but the production is kind of nice" and that sort of contrived statements to appease the listeners and lull them into a gentle reassuring coo that no what they listen to is actually good music.

I'm not gonna hold anyone accountable for listening to that stuff, but don't try to make me enjoy it and certainly don't try to make me say nice things about it when all there is to say about it is that it's kind of shit. Yes there is worse stuff in the world (PC Music, people who only listen to a certain type of jazz only between 1920-1924 by a specific group of musicians, David Guetta, Wham!, the list goes on) but that still doesn't make Deadmau5 good.

Hey, I like some of PC Music!

I take offense to that remark.

Though my boundaries for jazz are between 1917 and 1935 with few exceptions.

I think going "hey the music you like sucks" as if there's something wrong with them for liking it kinda betrays that a bit.

Like, "It's fine if you like it, but it's indisputably absolute garbage." It just makes the first half of that statement seem insincere.

Also do I even wanna know what PC music is?

edited 17th Nov '14 5:54:28 AM by PhysicalStamina

It's a label making experimental pop music. I'm quite fond of it (I enjoy Felicita especially), but I can definitely see why others don't.

Examples? Searching "Felicita" on youtube just gives me some Spanish song

Try this on for size in regards to Felicita.

Or this.

Here are others. (that aren't Felicita)

edited 17th Nov '14 6:18:31 AM by ILoveDogs

Wow. Okay. Um.

I think I'll stick to Kero Kero Bonito in regards to nonstandard pop.

Yeah. As I said, I like it, but I totally see why you don't dig it. (The others are a bit more easy to listen to than Felicita, though)

edited 17th Nov '14 6:39:21 AM by ILoveDogs

@Akalabth There's a difference between saying "[artist/genre] is just not my thing" and "[artist/genre] is crap in general". The way I see it, the former case requires no explanation because it's an entirely subjective response, but in the latter case you're making a general statement about a genre's more objective quality, so you at least need to state some reasons for making that claim. Also, the latter case is much more likely to rub people the wrong way.

This guy gets it. I could easily just say that Symphonic Metal is boring crap that all sounds the same, when in truth, I just don't care for it and haven't heard a great deal of what the genre has to offer anyway.