Music

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.

I love seeking out new music, trying new genres, ever expanding my liked-songs playlists. But yeah, inevitably I always end up putting my old favourites on repeat every now and then.

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

@[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.

Is it just me or is the process of finding new music also succumbing to the forces of enshitification? Like for me the sources went like this:

1. Old forum-style/niche internet sources (userbase died out)
2. Internet radio (ate by Pandora)
3. Pandora (ate by other music streaming sites, enshitification of algorithm)
4. Spotify (enshitification of algorithm, bad treatment of music industry creators)
5. Google music (rip... But tbh wasn't ever really good at finding new music)
6. Music publications?? (Pitchfork is the best I guess??? Npr maaaybe? That's sad, and also all of these are prone to enshitification)
7. Local underground music scenes (lots died with covid, hope they come back, but now I live in a more rural place)

Like... How do we find new music now? If it's up to an algorithm, it's enshitified. If it's up to people's suggestions, idk where a userbase would even exist.

I literally used to run charting for a radio station and I STILL don't know where to find new tunes. I'm still a baby, too, so some of you that think it's harder just because you're older... I have bad news lol