Are music standards declining?

[starrymarkb]

There are many threads on digitalspy about the selection policy of radio stations these days. Most are trying to target women at work with background because thats who the advertisers will pay big money to target. Hence the same few songs in a loop.

If driving around Exeter I tend to listen to Phonic which prides itself on playing things that the main stations don't touch but their transmitter range is limited to the city (and even then it's patchy if shielded by buildings) or online.

Music is out there - a local punk dive often has nights were you can see up to 5 bands for £5. Some are crap but others like Nengura Bunget impressed. Of course this requires the effort to go out and to avoid the flooded toilets... If you look for good music you will find it, if you rely on someone else to provide it you'll hear their taste which may not match your's...

 

[43021HST]

All you need is the ability to listen to BBC 6Music, whether on DAB or online.

The problem with radios is that you get a lot of Gabba gabba hey.
Internet radio seems to be a bit flaky my computer doesnt always pick it up.

Can anyone name the song I refered to?

 

[SS4]

The problem with radios is that you get a lot of Gabba gabba hey.
Internet radio seems to be a bit flaky my computer doesnt always pick it up.

Can anyone name the song I refered to?

Pinhead by the Ramones.
Credit must go to google for that one though

The radio is generally awful and listening to radio 1 should be outlawed

 

[sprinterguy]

The radio is generally awful and listening to radio 1 should be outlawed

Rock Radio on digitial is generally quite satisfying (and Manchesters' terrestrial Rock Radio (106.3 if you're ever in range IIRC) is good fun as well), and that's coming from me, who spends most of his time shouting in disgust and derision at my local supposed rock radio station, Kerrang, whenever it's on in the car!
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My main gripe is that the UK record charts do not have a variety of music on it. So anything decent cannot be made easily accessible to the mainstream audience.

You've got a good point there, I certainly can't argue with that.

 

[blackettstreet]

The radio is generally awful

Well, I suppose it's just what the DJ likes....

 

[lemonic]

Well, I suppose it's just what the DJ likes....

Daytime radio DJs generally have very little or no say on the music they play, whereas some specialist DJs have a lot more.

The radio is generally awful and listening to radio 1 should be outlawed

Radio 1 has some excellent specialist DJs that are on from 7pm-7am. It's a shame that many people don't know about them.

 

[yorksrob]

In depth knowledge? bit patronising surely? anyone with an internet connection has more access to new music than I did 20 years ago. The sort of sites with samples and recommendations such as amazon would've saved me buying quite a lot of sh*t, though I admit I still prefer looking through record shops (the ones left, anyway, that's another story) even knowing that the album I want's probably a few clicks away oneline - where's the fun in that?

The Charts might give an indication of what's popular in music. I expect most purchasers of music are less interested in the music for its own sake, ie; the sort of casual buyers who buy one or two albums a year but generally have other interests.

I think it can be quite heavy-going listening to pure music all the time. I used to enjoy Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Marconi on Radio 2 because they would play a reasonable amount of new music alongside banter and more well known tunes.

 

[mbonwick]

My main gripe is that the UK record charts do not have a variety of music on it. So anything decent cannot be made easily accessible to the mainstream audience. You need an existing in depth knowledge to access anything good that has been made recently.

I disagree. It depends which chart you are looking at/listening to.
Don't forget that besides the Top 40, there's also the Rock charts, RnB (you won't like that!), indie, etc etc.

 

[43021HST]

Just reading something in my Media coursework thats approprite for this thread, that the total sales of music has experienced a downward trend since 2003 despite new services like Ipod and spotify existing. Although recently we have had a brief trend of music re-surging.

I think in part this could be down to the fact that its very easy to illegally download music for free.
For the note I only have a grand total of 8 Illegal tracks but the quality on most illegally downloaded tracks is pitiful

One arguement though is that as well as the amount of free download sites, is that artists and major record labels arn't producing anything in any genres thats particularly ground breaking lately. We seem to be settling into a sitution thats similar to the two years before the punk rebelion in 1976.

Maybe we heading for a brand spanking new genre rebelion soon I certainly hope so. A new genre of rock thats a break away from Pop punk, indie and metal. That would be nice.
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Radio 1 has some excellent specialist DJs that are on from 7pm-7am. It's a shame that many people don't know about them.

I wish I was up that late to enjoy the musical treat to behold on late night radio. I can only listen to radio as far as 10.00pm.

 

[EM2]

Amazing Radio plays only new and emerging music. If you're bored with the charts, give them a try:
http://www.amazingradio.co.uk/

 

[SS4]

Just reading something in my Media coursework thats approprite for this thread, that the total sales of music has experienced a downward trend since 2003 despite new services like Ipod and spotify existing. Although recently we have had a brief trend of music re-surging.

Interesting. I'd be quite interested to see what happened once DRM was lifted.

I think in part this could be down to the fact that its very easy to illegally download music for free.

Unquestionably. Tie into that the small chance of being caught and the even smaller chance of being prosecuted (being an ordinary downloader) and it's not surprising.

but the quality on most illegally downloaded tracks is pitiful

I disagree. I find that the quality of illegally downloaded tracks is often better than their legal equivalents. Most ones I've seen are 320kbps MP3 where you'd be lucky to get half that elsewhere, this is not withstanding the vastly higher quality flac files. Only 7digital are doing flac atm and their collection is small

One arguement though is that as well as the amount of free download sites, is that artists and major record labels arn't producing anything in any genres thats particularly ground breaking lately. We seem to be settling into a sitution thats similar to the two years before the punk rebelion in 1976.

Interesting point. I agree that there is a lack of material available nowadays and that music has followed films and computer games down the lack of originality path. Since it costs a decent amount to get someone on board they do not want to take chances and so the artist is almost forced to become someone they didn't necessarily sound like.
Reality TV can also be blamed here.

Maybe we heading for a brand spanking new genre rebelion soon I certainly hope so. A new genre of rock thats a break away from Pop punk, indie and metal. That would be nice.

Sounds good but I don't see it happening because the industry is too cautious.

I wish I was up that late to enjoy the musical treat to behold on late night radio. I can only listen to radio as far as 10.00pm.

Therein lies another problem, new music is no longer showcased at accessible times. Sure there is the internet but I don't imagine many people use it to find new stuff, especially of a genre they don't know.

 

[SS4]

The radio is generally awful and listening to radio 1 should be outlawed

Rock Radio on digitial is generally quite satisfying (and Manchesters' terrestrial Rock Radio (106.3 if you're ever in range IIRC) is good fun as well), and that's coming from me, who spends most of his time shouting in disgust and derision at my local supposed rock radio station, Kerrang, whenever it's on in the car!
[

The former is now on dab as real radio xs. Not sure if its nationwide but it is in the west midlands. Just hope they don't go crap like kerrap did

 

[starrymarkb]

For the note I only have a grand total of 8 Illegal tracks but the quality on most illegally downloaded tracks is pitiful

I prefer CDs over legal download due to the higher bit rate. My music is ripped at 320kB/s The illegal downloads that I have are almost always a similar quality (most of my illegals are of stuff that isn't obtainable in the UK, like Dirty Sanchez's EP which Amazon wanted £45 for and German industrial music - which I will be bringing back some when I'm next on the continent in May)

 

[SteveP29]

Of course this requires the effort to go out and to avoid the flooded toilets... If you look for good music you will find it

That's exactly the problem, people are too lazy to go out and find their own taste in music, so will sit back and wait for the record companies or S**** C***** to tell them what they should/ need to be listening to.

All but the biggest bands are losing money in music sales. Their livelihoods are made by merchandise sold at gigs (that's when people can be ars*d to goto gigs)

Why do we need a new x factor star or a britain's got (no) talent winner every year? If the one the previous year is no good 6 months later, then what's the point of having them?
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if you rely on someone else to provide it you'll hear their taste which may not match your's...

Never a truer word said!!!