find meaning in music again (remember hippies and punks?)

[Johnisfaster]

I'll try to keep this short but it's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. I've been watching stuff on the music of the 60's and 70's and how much passion they had about the war and stuff like that. Also been watching stuff on the early Punk movement. I've always felt that music to me was supposed to be ABOUT something and this day n' age there is no meaning anymore and not only that but it feels like all my "rocker" friends have completely lost purpose in life. The weird thing is there is plenty in the political and economical and social climate for us to have something to say but for some reason music is more about how awesome my hair is than the music. Being aware of that situation isn't necessarily enough to overcome it though, how do you inject that kind of meaning into music? I feel like my generation has lost that ability entirely but I want it back.

Part of the problem is that messages feel cliche now, it's been said. "Love your neighbor" ? thats gay. "stop the war" ? What are you a f**king hippie? It honestly seems to me like we started disliking all the messages that our government initially disliked (coincidence?)

I feel this urge to get all violent with music again, but don't even know where to start.

[hurlingdervish]

start with massive speakers blaring sub bass frequencies

you are forced to dance.


and the punk movement was not much of a movement really anymore than nihilism could be a religion


live electronic music is the budding scene thats beyond genres

rock has been played out to the max

anything new in rock sounds like puddle of mudd, or grindcore crazy double bass pedals

something new has to come

a mix of all perhaps?

[Tone Deft]

I feel this urge to get all violent with music again, but don't even know where to start.

how about taking it out on people using the word 'gay' in completely juvenile and condescending contexts?

f-ing grow up.

grrrrrrr.



can't go wrong with 3 angry chords and a doubletime kick drum.

[stringtapper]

I feel this urge to get all violent with music again, but don't even know where to start.

Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_weaponry

[Johnisfaster]

something new has to come

a mix of all perhaps?

thats part of the problem, the focus stopped being on the WHY and started being on the WHAT. Not "why are we doing this music" which is what it should be about, but now it's "what are we gonna do NOW with this music" which is the beginning of where the purpose got lost. Progress and new musics are a great thing but we've become obsessed with finding new things and completely lost our sense of purpose.

[hurlingdervish]

meh i dont think its lost its purpose

music is to be enjoyed not enforced

the problem with having a social scene attached to the music, is the music never changes and gets stale unless the scene itself embraces the change IE:

the hippies would let anyone get on stage as long as they would jam out

but the punks were so tightly wound its no wonder it turned to shit

[Johnisfaster]

I feel this urge to get all violent with music again, but don't even know where to start.

how about taking it out on people using the word 'gay' in completely juvenile and condescending contexts?

f-ing grow up.

grrrrrrr.



can't go wrong with 3 angry chords and a doubletime kick drum.

you realize I would never say "that's gay" I was mocking the type of person who would say something like that.

[Angstrom]

Songs with overt current socio-political themes are fine if you are 18, but beyond that you realise that life is too nuanced to be reflected well in a agit-prop song. Also, they tend to date incredibly badly.

Most mature music that lasts well is not about a certain political situation of the time, but about the human condition.
"stop this war" is simply a weak theme, whereas "why do we fight" is more general and lasting.

Most punk that anyone remembers was not 'about' an issue, but embodied a frame of mind.
Same with any decent 'rock' music, or any decent music.

If the music doesn't embody/evoke a frame of mind then it's just crappy.
Make evocative music, don't make it about something though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntpXJziyGk&fmt=18

[Johnisfaster]

music is to be enjoyed not enforced

music IS an artistic expression of what people think and feel. So if people are living a life filled with purpose and something to say then the music will come across that way. If a person is living a life filled with "how do I get my hair to look good?" then the music will come across that way. Both are entertaining I suppose.. but what I'm proposing is that the latter is a very sad state to be in.

[Johnisfaster]

Most punk that anyone remembers was not 'about' an issue, but embodied a frame of mind.

If the music doesn't embody/evoke a frame of mind then it's just crappy.
Make evocative music, don't make it about something though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntpXJziyGk&fmt=18

I can get behind that, but then my question would be "what happened to evocative music?"

[hurlingdervish]

"i make money bout bitches and hos, you gay flamer punk-emo-hippy shit."

-Music Industry as of 2009


"I make music about not making music about making money bout bitches and hos, you ignorant fuck"

-Music Industry as of 2010

"I make music about not making music about not making music about...."

-Music industry as of 2011

I heard you like political music dawwggg so we put messages in your messages in your music, so you can feel political while feeling political.


sorry

[gjm]

... but then my question would be "what happened to evocative music?"

or is a better question 'What happened to your ability to be moved by music?'

[stringtapper]

Part of the problem with this question is that you're talking about such a narrow scope of musical experience in the first place. Classical musicians have been talking about this kind of stuff since long before the 1960s.

Proponents of formalism and "absolute music" would counter your question with the question "Why does the music have to have a 'message?'"

This is why I love instrumental music best: I don't have to endure "messages" from other humans. In fact I can almost forget that humans exist entirely when listening to music written for music's sake.

[nowtime]

Most punk that anyone remembers was not 'about' an issue, but embodied a frame of mind.

If the music doesn't embody/evoke a frame of mind then it's just crappy.
Make evocative music, don't make it about something though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntpXJziyGk&fmt=18

I can get behind that, but then my question would be "what happened to evocative music?"

Chem-trails and flouride?

[hurlingdervish]

This is why I love instrumental music best: I don't have to endure "messages" from other humans. In fact I can almost forget that humans exist entirely when listening to music written for music's sake.

EXACTLY

actually i think singing on top of music, which is already a form of communication, its like writing on a picture of a house "this is a house"

its redundant and rarely necessary

and Dub came about out of turmoil....one of the most uplifting forms of music came about from NOT pushing messages down peoples throats