It takes me a long time to like new music. That's not true. What I mean is, it takes a long time for me to get used to a band that I like's new music. For example, Float is very different than Flogging Molly's other albums, and, although I enjoy listening to it, I had to get used to it at first, and I still don't always listen to it when I listen to the others. Another good example is Somewhere in the Between by Streetlight Manifesto - it has a very different sound from their other albums, and although I liked the album, I didn't like it with their others, it felt out of place. Listening to the discography on shuffle finally solved that problem, but still.
It comes down to experimentalism. I really really would rather bands not sit on their laurels and pump out the same music they did before over and over again, and almost all bands are actually incapable of doing so; some are, but they're special. I would never be able to not be affected by the growth or lack of growth, or whatever is or isn't going on around me enough to not change my music somehow album to album, much less day to day or show to show. Everytime I play my music, I think, I could do this differently, or, adding a fill here would make this better, or, this song would sound good with multiple tracks.
The best example of a band that experiments would be either: a) Sonic Youth or BBB. The former is notorious for their strangeness and experimentalism, and BBB is a band that goes from being a hardcore band in 2005 to a hardcore band with an "aeriel keyboard" as they put it in 2007, and now they're just fucking weird. I don't always like what they play, but they're trying different stuff, you know?
I've started playing guitar again, I haven't been for a couple weeks, due to the start of school, the vagaries of life, etc. There are certain things I want to get better at before I start writing music again though, just to create a variety in my work. I'd hate to listen to myself for an entire album. Or even 1 song. How do you do it?
10.2.09
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I know what you mean. Barenaked Ladies made a drastic shift from their old stuff with their album Stunt, and again with Maroon. It's... it's weird when you're used to the previous work, and get the new album.
ReplyDeleteWeezer did the same thing with their album Pinkerton. When compared to Green and Blue, it's wildly different.
I like the changes, but I agree, it's weird.
@summatusmentis the thing that really annoys me is that you only feel the change drastically if you're already familiar with their previous work. For example, I started with Weezer after Maladroit, so Pinkerton fit perfectly as a complement to the other two.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I've never finished writing a song - because once I get to the point where I'm listening to myself put the lyrics and music together, I think it sounds like shit and give up.
ReplyDeleteDon't be me. You have talent!
unsurprisingly, it always takes me a while to like a new cd by a group. i may like one or two songs instantly, but it's a growing processes.
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