Why does music suck today?

[murd0c]

Dear Jammie,

As a music industry person, why does music suck so hard nowadays? Also, can you get me Mike-D's autograph?

[kelsokid18]

I work in radio, just like Jammie, and I can agree with what Jammie MIGHT say.  It's the shitbucket artists today.  Even though I work in a country outfit, even I can tell that the bands/groups/singers aren't the best.

[Raptor]

music is dead because of stuff like this


everybody is "down" with the body-popping and "windmillz" and music has gone to hell.

What happened to the days of Neil Young?

[M-26-7]

RAptor should review the music industry. That's why music sucks. The record companies have found it is fairly profitable and very easy to get bands that people will only care about for one album or two.

[rbcp]

Music does not suck anymore today than it has in the past.  You're just going through one of those angsty teenage phases.  It'll pass.

[jammie]

Dear Jammie,

As a music industry person, why does music suck so hard nowadays? Also, can you get me Mike-D's autograph?

Dear Murd0c,

I haven't been squarely in the biz for a while, but my opinion is that record labels don't put the time and money into developing artists and talent as much as they used to.  A lot of companies will just get something that is similar to the hot thing at the moment, spent a ton of money in promoter fees to get it on the radio, and make the quick buck and drop them.  Bands like Aerosmith and Metallica would have never made it today.  All that money that goes into promoting and marketing crap music could go to developing artists that have staying power... and those are really the cash cows.  Unfortunately, A&R guys are only as good as their last big artist.

Also...(and kelso can probably back me up on this) radio isn't for the people, it's for the advertisers and the money and the record labels and promoters.  I remember interning in a Promotions Dept at a record label and it was sick the thousand of thousands of dollars spent on indie promoters to get a song on the radio.

Also, the music industry right now is fighting too hard.  Instead of finding viable new revenue streams it's trying to force the rest of the world to pay for music the old fashioned way.  When I interned at another major record label it was NUTS the lengths they went to in order to prevent album leaking.  Like they (no joke) put barking noises and bird noises and whatever on all copies of the CD that they passed to the various label departments so that if anything got leaked, they'd be able to pinpoint which department the leak came from.  At a publicity company I interned at, they actually had reviewers come to the office to listen to the CD so that they wouldn't have a copy.  It's so silly.  There is a demand for music, so there must be ways to monetize it.  Music industry just needs to innovate more.  Put money where it's important.  In this day and age, companies that don't keep their businesses flexible end up going under.

As for Mike D... Did you know he went to my high school?  Also, that publicity company I mentioned earlier was the same one that represents the Beastie Boys.  I used to answer the phone and say, "Hello, Nasty?"  It was great   He called a few times, but I never met him.  I've never gotten an autograph.  Also, as a general rule, if you're working it is VERY unprofessional to act fan-like.   I am sure there are some on ebay though!

Thanks for your question!
Love,
jammie

[rbcp]

Jammie,
Do you think the current music model is doomed?  It seems like people are really starting to shift towards internet-based entertainment instead of radio.  It's sure leveling the playing field for independent artists, especially now that Ipods and other mp3 players are so commonplace.  If Apple starts allowing independent artists to sell music on Itunes, I think that'd be a major blow to the big record companies.  Sure, they've still got the airwaves on their side, but it seems like that's mattering less each day.

[hello.jpg]

Most people i know only buy CD's from live shows...

And the airwaves will always rule! Who doesn't like tuning in to hear fergelicious fifty times every day on the radio? ...so delicious

:<

[splynt0r]

I think Music sucks today because of MTV.
But I don't agree with Jammie on the development thing, they don't need development, they need good riffs and lyrics that make sense.

[kelsokid18]

The bone hard fact about it is that Jammie and me are in agreement.  Radio isn't for you sheep, it's so the advertisers have an outlet, and the record companies can get airtime for their stars, and you sheep are along for the ride.  Even working in radio isn't all that much better, we are still lambs for the slaughter.

[rbcp]

I think Music sucks today because of MTV.

Since when does MTV have anything to do with music?

[splynt0r]

I think Music sucks today because of MTV.

Since when does MTV have anything to do with music?

All I'm saying is that only sucky music gets broadcast. The good stuff usually doesn't and you have to look for it yourself.....

[brokeneckgiraffe]

good music exists
public radio is where it's at
i used to DJ on a college station called WRFL
and there were the wierdest Djs there who all turned me on to cool shit
we get cds from all kinds of cds from tiny labels, independent artists and "college rock" cd mills
but basically the DJs got play whatever they wanted, even from their personal collections or even mp3s they found on some stupid webpage.
that's a big change from regular commercial radio where the clear channel HQ has to approve all music and you have crazy computer programs that build playlists for you and all you can do at most is rearrange the next ten songs.
the coolest part about local public radio is you can call up the DJ and fuck with them pretty much whenever you want, they're usually there alone and bored as hell anyway.

speaking of... here's the number to WRFL in lexington KY

859-257-WRFL

the DJ's at night are bored as hell and you can listen to it on the net, they might even play shit you like or want them to play.

[Nod]

I think we're all just getting old. I bet the people that listened to Elvis thought Cream sucked. Except for Emo. Emo is the ugly stepchild of punk that deserves to be abused. But that's just my opinion.

Also, crap like Fergie, BEP, Dem Franchize Boys, and their ilk are ruining hip-hop. At what point did become okay to have a crappy flows, terrible metaphores and no multis? Did I miss something?



EDIT- OMG! You're from Lexington? I'm from like thirty or forty minutes north of Hendorson.

EVANSVILLE INDIANA REPRESENT!

[jammie]

Jammie,
Do you think the current music model is doomed?  It seems like people are really starting to shift towards internet-based entertainment instead of radio.  It's sure leveling the playing field for independent artists, especially now that Ipods and other mp3 players are so commonplace.  If Apple starts allowing independent artists to sell music on Itunes, I think that'd be a major blow to the big record companies.  Sure, they've still got the airwaves on their side, but it seems like that's mattering less each day.

I think good music EXISTS, I just think the tastemakers are promoting whatever the money tells them to as opposed to cultivating and branding artists that have any lasting power (MTV = tastemaker, which is what they have to do with music).  And I like Fergie's album (but it is complete tripe).

As for the old fart thing, I listen to a decent amount of current music.  Some new favorites: Gym Class Heroes, Natasha Bedingfield, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Panic! At the Disco, Under the Influence of Giants, Morningwood, Muse (not new so much tho)

As for the current model... Radio is still a multi-BILLION dollar industry.  I don't know if it will completely die, but it is dy-ING and it is dy-ING a very slow death.  It is still very powerful though.  I mean seriously, we had some station sign up with my company the other day... on average between Mon-Fri 6a-12m they have over 100,000 people listening to them.  That's huge audience reach.  The radio is still important for advertisers.  When the advertisers go, radio will die.

As for the model that record labels use... again not sure it will 100% die anytime soon, but certainly a new viable solid revenue stream needs to be found.  They can't just keep consolidating.  You don't grow by cutting costs, no matter how much more money it shows you're making once you do it.  They need to put some money into research and innovation and technology and stop spending it all on fighting it.