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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"2011 And Beyond" |
12.29.10 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
Music can't be done evolving, can it? I know it's hard to imagine, but it feels as if the art that is music has become stagnant. For years through world experience, evolution, advancement in technology, and expansion of culture has made music something magical. If you didn't keep up on music, you missed out. New faces, new eras, new genres, new sounds, and new music would come out of nowhere and rock the world. Arenas would be filled and music was life.
Then it happened.
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
The art of music is dying and according to some could already be dead. The advancement and freshness just isn't there anymore. The old saying goes "everything's been done" used to be something even someone with the littlest of imagination could laugh off. Any more, I'm just not sure. I'm trying to hold on for dear life here. Could it be I'm turning into a jaded old man at 27? Or is it, as I expect, just not that good? Regardless, I have some remedies to what music needs in 2011 and beyond to evolve. There are a million more ideas, probably a lot of them better than mine, but I'd like to do my part to get the ball rolling. Music sucks these days. Let's save it together.
THOUGHT OUT ALBUMS
This is something the younger bands should pay more attention to. It feels like some bands and artists will put out a new album at least once a year. They put out the album, get a single or two out of it, tour, make their money, and rinse and repeat. It's a well oiled shit machine. What I'm talking about are those old school stories about how bands would do a lot of drugs and have some big spiritual experience. I'm not saying overdose or dance on a ledge of a sky scraper. I'm just saying more bands should turn their recording process into an experience. It's historically proven that a lot of the great albums of the past have a crazy back story that adds to its myth.
3D
I don't literally mean "3D Music". That's ridiculous. What I mean is that music needs it's 3D. Hollywood was on its head because people just weren't going to the movies as much as they used to. They'd get it on DVD or Blu-Ray and watch it on insanely detailed modern home theatre systems at their own leisure. Also there was the other option that many have gone with…. Illegal downloads. Hollywood got smart and thought of a way to make sure people still came out to watch a movie in a theatre. They brought the 3D experience back to life. Once you get the glasses on for about ten minutes it loses its luster, but the thought of it gets your ass in the seat. That's what's crazy about it. People were illegally downloading and trading music files long before movie files. Yet, Hollywood did at least SOMETHING to gain a little ground. I'm not sure what route music could go with to make sure a person's CD is still a must buy. If I did, I'd be a very rich man. If someone comes up with this, they'll be on to a million dollar idea. I want my cut though….
A NEW PHYSICAL MEDIUM
This could be it. In the past it was records. The big ol' vinyl circle with the cool ass sleeve and the often very creative artwork. Then it was cassette tapes. Same concept but smaller and in the form of a tape. Then it was CDs. CDs had bigger artwork than a cassette but essentially smaller. Now in 2010 people buy a lot of mp3 files. That's no fun. Part of being a music fan is the investment. If you buy an mp3 you don't physically own anything. You own some computer bytes that make sound. A real investment is something you physically have to go into a store, hand someone money, and take home. You get something to hold, something to look at, and something to physically represent the ear art. Diehard fans collect their vinyl, but it's too far in between. I don't care if this new medium is the size of a match book. Physical property or bust!
MORE TOURING FESTIVALS
I know there are summer tours going all the time. A lot of them call themselves festivals, but they're just big corporate concerts with a lot of co-headliners. Festivals like Lollapalooza, Boneroo, Voodoo Fest, and other big ones get it right. They do a multiple day festival in some big open space. Imagine if these were touring festivals. The first thing we'd all notice is we wouldn't have the same dozen bands headlining the same festivals every year. It seems if one band headlines one festival during the summer then they headline them all. What I'm projecting is turning these festivals into touring ones like 3 days in a few random and major cities. Promoters would be surprised how many people would show up for these things if they were closer to them. I can't even think of how many festivals I've heard or read about that were just too far away for me to attend. I know the money situations are really what hold back this kind of thing, but it's worth the gamble in the name of rock and roll.
NO MORE DISNEY
Disney is rotting the brains of potential rock stars of tomorrow. The drivel they're convincing young children is music is pretty horrible. It's not just Disney too. The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and all this safe music currently out there isn't doing much for the future of rock. They're pushing style over substance, image over passion, and lunchboxes over headbanging. I know pop music is and always will be around as long as there are unhip middle aged white guys who want to impress their spoiled daughter. And I do know Disney has had a grasp on pop music for awhile. The Mickey Mouse Club of old gave us Brit, Christina, Justin, and more. Ups and downs for all of them, but these current people are like Stepford Stars. How did music go from cock-ring to chastity ring in so little time?
SOMETHING TO REBEL AGAINST
The overindulgence of technology and gluttonous behavior has turned us all weak. In the day people indulged on drugs and partying and now it's the Jersey Shore life style and twitter feeds. We have the first black president in office, wars are coming to an end, and things are looking up. We got it pretty good, folks. The sensitivity, security, and safety of school kids are at an all time high. What in the hell do we have to complain about? How do we rebel against? We need to find someone, something, or some people to point at and focus our rage at. We need something to protest, something to take a real stand against, and something to rebel against. A few ideas I have include old people, Republicans, Canadians, cat people, the tea party, Sarah Palin, Ron Artest, or even trees. Let's all just find something, hate it, and sing about!
A NEW ERA
The Hippies had the 60's. Grunge had the 90's. There was the gangsta rap era. The Elvis period. The Beatles. Michael Jackson owning the 80's. There have been plenty eras in music history. My problem is what about now… what do WE get? Emo? Indie Hipster stuff? Disney-no-condoms-needed-"music"? There are some huge acts out there. We have The White Stripes, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Kanye, and other legends in the making stars out there. There's U2, Pearl Jam, , Jay Z, and other living legends out there too. Still none of them are powerful enough on their own to launch a whole new era. It needs to be something to encompass today's youth. I think this may directly tie in with the "something to rebel against" situation. It's just today's music has no real identity. There is nothing for grandmas to complain about outside of "that crazy tranny who wears meat dresses". These "eras" came when a group of people had something they needed to say. Things have to get somewhat serious and they aren't right now. Music is at that early 90's phase. We're between eras, nothing cool is going on, and grunge is right around the corner. I'm open and ready for this. As long as this new era doesn't involve dudes in tight jeans then we could be on to something.
What would YOU do to save music?
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