I have some friends my age still listening to the same bands they used to 20 years ago, complaining about how music today sounds all the same. However I discover something new almost every day and I’m not kidding.
It’s true that some of my discoveries are bands from decades before I was born, so they can’t be considered new, although they are new to me if that makes sense.
What about you? Still listening to the same tunes you used to listen to when you were a teenager?
I actively seek new music (and discover older music that I previously didn’t listen to, just like you described) but also have bands that I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid that I still listen to. I exclusively listened to 60s and 70s rock when I was growing up, Zeppelin and The Beatles are still two of my favorite bands, but I have definitely expanded my palette since then. I agree that the “music these days” take is a tired one; if your only source of new music is the hits radio, of course, it will all sound the same.
I have this beef with people who say new country music sucks (or any genre for that matter) - sure there are bro-country singers that only sing about trucks and beer, but there are also insanely talented country musicians and songwriters out there right now.
I have this beef with people who say new country music sucks
Aren’t the decent guys calling themselves “Americana” nowadays? Coulter Wall, Tyler Childers, etc? The pop-with-fiddles they play on the radio is mostly terrible.
Honestly, I think most musicians don’t care about the categorization or genre labels. Country and Americana could be interchangeable for the most part, but Americana seems a little broader to me. Per your example, Childers has more of a bluegrass influence, while Wall has more of a cowboy/western country influence. Both of those genres are certainly under the country and americana umbrellas.
Fair enough. I feel like people (me) want to differentiate between “guy with a guitar on his porch” music and the highly produced big-stadium-show stuff. Bluegrass, folk, and outlaw country on one side vs top40 Country on the other.
Yeah! So many music available that it’s impossible to get bored. I am not the biggest Beatles fan, but I really cringe when somebody says they are not that good, they are still copied!
Yes I definitely try and seek out new bands and sub-genres. Just the act of searching is fun.
Also, Reign in Blood on repeat for 35 years
Reign in Blood
I see you are a man of culture. I’m not really into the thrash metal scene beyond some albums from Testament or Machine Head, but that album is amazing. What Rick Rubin achieved there was wonderful.
This is actually scientifically proven. https://neurosciencenews.com/music-youth-17765/ You love the music that you “grew up with as you were forming an identity” You can always change but it is more work to create new memories and nostalgia based on different or “new” songs.
Of course not 😅 I’m not judging them at all, I finished years ago that phase where I thought my music taste what better than theirs
now I just know it is/s
I’m a mix. I really enjoy finding new bands, even if they’re not new bands. Recently I’ve gotten EXTREMELY into Lorna Shore (Deathcore/extreme metal band). I’d never heard them, they’ve been around about a decade, but they’re new to me! Last year was the year of Bad Omens (Heavy Rock with some metal core tendencies). I’ve also been liking this synthy band The Midnight lately (like 80s electro pop complete with saxophone solos).
The way I find most of new bands is usually by either listening to bands I already like or have been into forever and using like “radio” feature on Spotify (Lorna) OR by searching out the openers for bands I like and checking out their music Bad Omens/The Midnight). It’s so fun to come across an artist you’ve never heard and dog into their catalogue and realize they’ve got multiple albums filled with bangers.
Lorna Shore might as well be new. They sort of rebuilt around their new singer, who’s and amazingly talented vocalist.
They’ve also been blowing up like crazy. They’re sort of doing to deathcore what Turnstile is doing to hardcore, and its exciting to be a part of that
Even if their music isn’t for everyone (it’s ABSOLUTELY not, 99+% of people probably would hate it), what they’re doing from an approachability standpoint is maybe the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. If you go to their YouTube right now, you can find one-take vocal performances of 3-4 of their songs. You’ll also find high quality drum, guitar and bass playthroughs. Like, as a drummer and singer, being able to watch Will Ramos and Austin Archey play their songs in 4K and observe their techniques up close is AMAZING. I wish more artists did things like that.
Both honestly. There are plenty of bands that I used to listen to as a teenager that I still listen to now, both their old stuff and new stuff. I also have found new bands making new music and old bands making new music with a great back catalogue.
I actively seek out new bands or releases in my favorite genres, but I still absolutely listen to the same things as I did 10, or even 20, years ago.
Of course! Both things are still compatible. The main point here is to keep enjoying music.
I mostly still listen to the same stuff I used to. Most of my favorite bands are still coming out with albums, so every time something new drops I get to add that into the mix. Occasionally I’ll add in a new song, whether I hear it in a videogame (my husband loves videogame music, so I’ve added some great tracks as a result) or the radio or with a friend, but I haven’t had a new artist grab me the way my favorites did once upon a time. In that way, I might just be resistant to change.
I definitely don’t necessarily have the time to look for new stuff, so I usually stumble upon it. I don’t agree that all music today sounds the same - at least, not anymore “the same” than what was coming out ten years ago. Sure, some things within a genre might be similar, but I don’t think it’s any more “same-y” now than it used to be. If you’re finding new stuff you enjoy, past or present, I think that’s awesome.
Some internet radios can be great to find out new bands, but I agree with you: things can get a bit same-y if always listening to the same genre.
@randomnick@beehaw.org @music@beehaw.org 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.
Yeah both options are the best, I am not even able to pick one or the other. Actually, why would you do that? So many great music that’s it’s impossible to pick just one.
I was opening the question due to some people saying music “it’s not the same anymore”, when they actually mean “I still listen to the same music I used to”. Nothing wrong with that either, but my point is there is still good music to be discovered.
I try to always listen to new stuff. 1001albumsgenerator.com is a great project for getting out of your comfort zone and discovering some missed gems. It can be a slog at times though.
I linked it somewhere else in the thread. I’m finding there a lot of “new” stuff really interesting, even some of my favourites album are included here!
I’ve been meeting up with some friends for five years going through the 1001 albums book. You’d be surprised How much to can identify items in modern music that trace back decades. I love finding albums I overlooked or some that I thought I knew better but never really sat down with the entire album. I also set up and /c/albums@lemmy.world if anyone what’s to discuss albums.
I’ve always listened to new music. I still keep up with bands I’ve always liked and occasionally listen to my old favorites, but there’s SO MUCH GREAT MUSIC coming out all the time I suffer from major FOMO. So I’m always trying to check out new stuff.
I am constantly on the lookout for new metal/metalcore/deathcore bands! As I have gotten older, I am enjoying more and more genres of music.
Personally I have found that Pandora’s algorithm for suggesting new music is the best when I am on the hunt.
It’s very hard for me to find new music these days. I can’t pin it down to any one thing, lots of things have changed over the last 10 years that make it harder.
Adulting is hard, less time to explore new music. What do you like?
eh, various kinds of rock, jazz, some pop and singer/songwriters. you?
I can’t pick one! From Black Sabbath to Bjork, adding names like Mark Lanegan, Ulver or The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Not new bands but new to me. I managed to be a mild metalhead my whole life yet never listened to Iron Maiden. I started on their music a few months ago. I can’t believe I waited until I was in my forties to pick them up. Amazing guitar work and great vocals.
I rented their Live After Death from Lovefilm about 15 years ago, and that’s what got me into them. Couldn’t believe I’d written them off as an 80s band I wouldn’t like.
Youtube has put me onto a lot of Australian stuff lately, such as Smoko (The Chats) and Hertz (Amyl and the Sniffers) as well as some more indie stuff like Wet Leg. I might just be old but these bands are all new to me and I love it.
Check out IDLES if you’re not already familiar.
I love IDLES, don’t know how they didn’t make the list. Never Fight a Man with a Perm was playing on my commute.
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:
- Old forum-style/niche internet sources (userbase died out)
- Internet radio (ate by Pandora)
- Pandora (ate by other music streaming sites, enshitification of algorithm)
- Spotify (enshitification of algorithm, bad treatment of music industry creators)
- Google music (rip… But tbh wasn’t ever really good at finding new music)
- Music publications?? (Pitchfork is the best I guess??? Npr maaaybe? That’s sad, and also all of these are prone to enshitification)
- 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
I’ve been finding most of my new music on rateyourmusic.com. Basically I rate/review stuff I like, then I spot some other users that like stuff I like, and I go through their other ratings looking for things I don’t know. It’s an algorithm free, 100% human process!
I still use last.fm, scrobbling pretty much everything I listen to from different platforms. The suggestions are usually spot on. Otherwise, the spotify radios related to specific groups or record labels help a lot too.
Well until yesterday my answer would have been “use reddit”.
But there’s still plenty of online forums (we’re in one right now) where I’ve found amazing suggestions. I also share a lot of music with my friends in real life which helps me expand my taste.
Also I’d argue that Spotify’s enshitification hasn’t really affected the ability to find new music on there. I still ocassionaly throw on the “radio” for an artist I like and I usually find some great new stuff
I think bandcamp is a pretty good way to find new music. I’ve gone down some lengthy rabbitholes finding a band I like then clicking various tags or links to other bands supported by their fans. You can stream a lot of the music, and if you buy something more of the money goes to the artists.
We probably need soemthing like r/listentothis here too.
I hade some success by using youtube in private browsing (avoid your bubble), and click on obscure music recommendations. 90% will be crap, but i found a few nice artists through that. To share a bit:
Props for the nod to enshitification though personally I’ve found a lot of bands from Spotify recommendations. I also like to just go find random bands on Bandcamp by genre and have found a few gems that way.
KEXP.org is free streaming and has a huge variety of music. It’s indy, run by human DJs, and has an app. They play just about every music type and publish their playlist live. Try that for new music. I find new stuff to listen to every week ( I find stuff to like in every genre, but if you’re more particular, then you might have to scope out the schedule to see when the genres you like get play)
