Discuss the Musics Thread

[Derek]

Which vocal style sucks more: Metal "scary voice" or Vocoder "robot voice"? Vote now!

I will accept other submissions of vocal styles that suck.

I'll go with metal "scary voice", especially when coupled with the fashion that goes with it. Though it's not that much worse than vocoder or, apparently, autotuned.

[MadMan]

Certainly it's not. 808 relies WAAAY too much on the vocoder, which gets old and annoying really fast. I thought it was pure crap whereas Graduation showed a bit more creativity. Plus, it samples Can's "Sing Swan Song".

Well I do plan on giving Graduation one more shot. We'll see.

[Winston*]

I'll go with metal "scary voice", especially when coupled with the fashion that goes with it. Though it's not that much worse than vocoder or, apparently, autotuned.

With the scary voice I have no idea what to do with it. If a vocalist's doing actual screaming, I can work with it, it can pump me up. But when someone's trying their best to sound like a demon I don't know how to take it. Am I supposed to be scared? Am I supposed to be trying to alienate myself from my well meaning parents? Tell me, Derek, just give me a clue.

[Derek]

With the scary voice I have no idea what to do with it. If a vocalist's doing actual screaming, I can work with it, it can pump me up. But when someone's trying their best to sound like a demon I don't know how to take it. Am I supposed to be scared? Am I supposed to be trying to alienate myself from my well meaning parents? Tell me, Derek, just give me a clue.

I believe you're supposed to go to your dark place and make intense faces and gestures that let everyone around you know you're a badass, when in fact, you look as silly as the music you listen to sounds.

Like so

[Sven]

So the past 9 months have been, with maybe the exception of my requisite 10th grade Led Zeppelin phase, the most rewarding and pleasurable music experience that I can recall. 80% of it has been Morrissey and The Smiths. 5% XTC, 5% Kate Bush, 5% Thin Lizzy, 5% Mike Nesmith.

[Spaceman Spiff]

So the past 9 months have been, with maybe the exception of my requisite 10th grade Led Zeppelin phase, the most rewarding and pleasurable music experience that I can recall. 80% of it has been Morrissey and The Smiths. 5% XTC, 5% Kate Bush, 5% Thin Lizzy, 5% Mike Nesmith.

Hey, I had that phase. Get out of my life.

[Sven]

Hey, I had that phase. Get out of my life.

So the past 9 months have been, with maybe the exception of my requisite 10th grade Led Zeppelin phase, the most rewarding and pleasurable music experience that I can recall. 80% of it has been Morrissey and The Smiths. 5% XTC, 5% Kate Bush, 5% Thin Lizzy, 5% Mike Nesmith.

Everyone had it, dude.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Everyone had it, dude.

No way!

[MadMan]

I only started really listening to Led Zeppelin hardcore early on in college, although I slowly became a fan previously in high school. Only a couple albums left to get my hands on before my collection is complete.

Songs of Leonard Cohen is great, but I'm not really sure the repeat listening factor is all that high, here. I'm going to give Cold War kids another chance-the last time I gave their disc Robbers and Cowards a shot, I didn't finish listening to the whole thing.

[EvilShoe]

Songs of Leonard Cohen is great, but I'm not really sure the repeat listening factor is all that high, here.

Fuck you.

[MadMan]

Fuck you.

Um, no thanks. But I did listen to the CD at least twice.

[Henry Gale]

I really do think that if Beach House's Teen Dream had been released in '09, it would have been my favourite of last year.

As it stands though, it's what every other album has to top in 2010. It's also one of the few times in years that I've bought something just based off of a first single and great word-of mouth, not jumping into it with a leak or anything. Oh man, did that ever pay off being able to listen to it on a great system in great quality first time out. I love it so.

[Spun Lepton]

Everyone had it, dude.

I never liked Led Zeppelin. Hated whats-his-smell's screechy banshee voice.

Pink Floyd on the other hand ...

[D_Davis]

My LZ phase lasted about 2 days, before I realized that I couldn't stand them.

[bac0n]

I was pretty hardcore into Led Zep back in highschool. I even bought a song book and learned to play most of their stuff on the piano. Haven't really given a crap about them since highschool tho. Even tho, I gotta admit: Jon Bonham was one helluva drummer. A lotta the things I liked about him, I like about david steven drozd of the flaming lips.

[Acapelli]

My LZ phase lasted about 2 days, before I realized that I couldn't stand them.

same. although "can't stand them" is a bit too much

i'm pretty bored by a lot of "classic" 70s rock, with the exception of a few albums here and there. just not for me

[Spun Lepton]

I was pretty hardcore into Led Zep back in highschool. I even bought a song book and learned to play most of their stuff on the piano. Haven't really given a crap about them since highschool tho. Even tho, I gotta admit: Jon Bonham was one helluva drummer. A lotta the things I liked about him, I like about david drozd of the flaming lips.

I thought you only listened to PUNK.

[Spun Lepton]

Riding the Duke Ellington wave, I purchased an album of, geez, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 popular songs from the 1930s. I'd say about 15% of the songs interest me, while the rest bore me to crap.

(Betcha didn't know you could be "bored to crap.")

While I was buying it, I had a little voice in the back of my head saying, "Get a Duke Ellington album, instead." But NOOOOO, I didn't. *sigh* Thankfully, the compilation was only $20.

[D_Davis]

A lotta the things I liked about him, I like about david drozd of the flaming lips.

It bums me out that Drozd (Steven) doesn't play drums for the Flips anymore.

[bac0n]

I thought you only listened to PUNK.

I didn't start listening to you until college.

[bac0n]

It bums me out that Drozd (Steven) doesn't play drums for the Flips anymore.

oops! I couldn't remember what his first name was, so I went with the name I always use when I can't remember: Dave.

(and yeah, it is a drag)

[bac0n]

Riding the Duke Ellington wave, I purchased an album of, geez, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 popular songs from the 1930s. I'd say about 15% of the songs interest me, while the rest bore me to crap.

(Betcha didn't know you could be "bored to crap.")

While I was buying it, I had a little voice in the back of my head saying, "Get a Duke Ellington album, instead." But NOOOOO, I didn't. *sigh* Thankfully, the compilation was only $20.

It's hard to go wrong with The Duke. He's the greatest American composer of the 20th century, probably of all time. At least in my opinion.

[bac0n]

I bought The Flaming Lips' latest, Embryonic, today. About half way through it's proving to be something of a disappointment. It seems to be going further down the same (misguided if you ask me) path started on At War With The Mystics. Namely, super-duper-over-production, distortion everywhere, trading soul for sound effects. Hell, so far I've come across only one song where Wayne Coyne's voice hasn't been run through a meat grinder of distortion effects.

I think someone needs to schedule an intervention with producer David Fridmann. Put the pro-tools down. Step away from the computer. Go outside for awhile. Get some fresh air. You don't need to add in every neato new effect you come across, sheesh. This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach grows tiresome.

Anyway - I really wish they would go back to their sound qa. The Soft Bulletin. Such a great album, that was.

[MadMan]

The Last Shadow Puppets>Arctic Monkeys. But I like both bands. I finally got my hands on the Life Aquatic soundtrack, and I'm also listening to Hello Dolly by Louie Armstrong. Good times.

[Derek]

I bought The Flaming Lips' latest, Embryonic, today. About half way through it's proving to be something of a disappointment. It seems to be going further down the same (misguided if you ask me) path started on At War With The Mystics. Namely, super-duper-over-production, distortion everywhere, trading soul for sound effects. Hell, so far I've come across only one song where Wayne Coyne's voice hasn't been run through a meat grinder of distortion effects.

I think someone needs to schedule an intervention with producer David Fridmann. Put the pro-tools down. Step away from the computer. Go outside for awhile. Get some fresh air. You don't need to add in every neato new effect you come across, sheesh. This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach grows tiresome.

Anyway - I really wish they would go back to their sound qa. The Soft Bulletin. Such a great album, that was.

Bah, why don't you and Davis get a room already! I actually thought At War with the Mystics was a misguided attempt to recreate the magic of Yoshimi, whereas this album headed in a totally different direction. If the distortion were used to cover up simplistic melodies or poor song-writing, I'd understand the complaint, but personally I love the aesthetic of the album and the endlessly creative ways they toy with their sound. I can certainly understand why some would find it exhausting, but I'd take this over Soft Bulletin.