Bingo, you have put into words a couple of things hovering in the back of my mind; that white music (or indeed non-white pop music music) without black influence lacks intrigue. The Beatles, The Who, The Velvet Underground, Soft Machine all started as R&B acts. Mona Evie and Jvcki Wai, my favourite recent Asian acts, are heavily influenced by trap, as are 4s4ki and Zheani. The best metal bands still have a Hendrix influence.
And then there's Olivia. Like her, grateful for her taste, but she's a dummy that's been put in place of something more real. Nice act lately Olivia, but have you heard of KatieJane Garside? Someone who could and still does do original things with the blues? And could never, ever be as careful as you are to stay within the lines?
The bigotry of low expectations sums up perfectly what's wrong when white critics drink the poptimist koolaid. For me, poptimisim is a positive thing - it means having high expectations of pop, knowing how good it can be, not pretending to find genius is what is, for the most part, just most successful.
Also, something I’ve only realized recently is that rock guitars are boring now because rock guitarists are no longer competing with jazz soloists. Eight Miles High - Coltrane, I Heard Her Call My Name - Ornette Coleman. When I started soloing properly, my goal often was to phrase it and relate it to the chords like Lester Young coming in on a Billie Holiday track (if not like Billie herself). Now, it’s as if solo is a dirty word, improvisation is a lost concept, syncopation is uncool, everything lead guitar in rock music must be blended and four-square.
a very small beef I have with this record I haven't heard that I probably won't listen to ever is the title: the word 'so' makes the phrase less poetic than
you seem pretty sad
for a girl in love
five syllables each, bang bang
the word 'so' absolutely ruins it. pedantic yes, but words and the Swiftian overuse are also kind of the point.
I can’t understand people’s deep aversion about pop. For whatever reason, it sits with a much larger audience than the elitist snobby BS music people flaunt, so it’s the more democratic and egalitarian genre; aka working folks’ music.
Let go of some that cynicism and you’ll open a new world of possibilities. You don’t even have to do that, but at least understand why some people enjoy the genre so deeply. Enjoying things at face value is still enjoyment; isn’t that what we live for ?☹️
Bingo, you have put into words a couple of things hovering in the back of my mind; that white music (or indeed non-white pop music music) without black influence lacks intrigue. The Beatles, The Who, The Velvet Underground, Soft Machine all started as R&B acts. Mona Evie and Jvcki Wai, my favourite recent Asian acts, are heavily influenced by trap, as are 4s4ki and Zheani. The best metal bands still have a Hendrix influence.
And then there's Olivia. Like her, grateful for her taste, but she's a dummy that's been put in place of something more real. Nice act lately Olivia, but have you heard of KatieJane Garside? Someone who could and still does do original things with the blues? And could never, ever be as careful as you are to stay within the lines?
The bigotry of low expectations sums up perfectly what's wrong when white critics drink the poptimist koolaid. For me, poptimisim is a positive thing - it means having high expectations of pop, knowing how good it can be, not pretending to find genius is what is, for the most part, just most successful.
Also, something I’ve only realized recently is that rock guitars are boring now because rock guitarists are no longer competing with jazz soloists. Eight Miles High - Coltrane, I Heard Her Call My Name - Ornette Coleman. When I started soloing properly, my goal often was to phrase it and relate it to the chords like Lester Young coming in on a Billie Holiday track (if not like Billie herself). Now, it’s as if solo is a dirty word, improvisation is a lost concept, syncopation is uncool, everything lead guitar in rock music must be blended and four-square.
a very small beef I have with this record I haven't heard that I probably won't listen to ever is the title: the word 'so' makes the phrase less poetic than
you seem pretty sad
for a girl in love
five syllables each, bang bang
the word 'so' absolutely ruins it. pedantic yes, but words and the Swiftian overuse are also kind of the point.
I can’t understand people’s deep aversion about pop. For whatever reason, it sits with a much larger audience than the elitist snobby BS music people flaunt, so it’s the more democratic and egalitarian genre; aka working folks’ music.
Let go of some that cynicism and you’ll open a new world of possibilities. You don’t even have to do that, but at least understand why some people enjoy the genre so deeply. Enjoying things at face value is still enjoyment; isn’t that what we live for ?☹️
counterpoint: this egalitarian music is controlled by a very small set of incredibly rich vested interests who manipulate cultural tastes
lmao