The Clown's pretentious music thread. (music that only really smart people like)
- Thread starter HymanKaplan
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Ok man. We all agree that you are on point. Bruce Springstein is the greatest artist across any medium ever.
Moving on…
Moving on…
I like this thread.
But, just to be Devil's Advocate for a second, I heard Keith Richard say that writing a GOOD, 3-minute simple song is EXTREMELY difficult. Just because a song is creative and innovative sure as hell doesn't make it good or listenable (as many of the songs in this thread prove). How many Chuck Berry songs have basically the same intro lick as Johnny B Goode but you can't stop your feet tapping whichever song it happens to be? I mean 'Start Me Up' (to name one) is a very simple, 3-chord song. But 80k people jump out of their seats when that first chord is struck every single night it's played. If it were me, I'd MUCH rather be the songwriter of 'Start Me Up' vs pretty much every song in this thread. And, according to Keef, it's harder to write than a more difficult/innovative song.
Just sayin'. Now, you can add me to the list of Philistines with no musical taste. I can take it.
Boy do I love this topic. Prepare yourselves.
Let's start where it all began for me, Frances the Mute. The Mars Volta's first two albums were concept albums and it's obvious they were using drugs heavily. Frances the Mute was their second album and might as well have been an hour long song.
I watch a lot of music theory on Youtube. Adam Neely was kind of the jumping point for this obsession. His band, Sungazer, isn't my favorite by any stretch, but it certainly scratches an itch I didn't know I had.
As a drummer, I'm always drawn to creative and innovative drummers and you could make the argument that Larnell Lewis is a bit of a modern pioneer on that front. He sits in with Snarky Puppy quite a bit. This rendition of Lingus set the internet on fire. It's worth 10 minutes of your time for Cory's keys solo alone.
The next three songs are all metal and I gotta say, progressive metal is kind of pushing the envelope on what my brain can handle with music right now.
I have 100 more examples, but I'll just start with this for now.
Great topic Clown!
Let's start where it all began for me, Frances the Mute. The Mars Volta's first two albums were concept albums and it's obvious they were using drugs heavily. Frances the Mute was their second album and might as well have been an hour long song.
I watch a lot of music theory on Youtube. Adam Neely was kind of the jumping point for this obsession. His band, Sungazer, isn't my favorite by any stretch, but it certainly scratches an itch I didn't know I had.
As a drummer, I'm always drawn to creative and innovative drummers and you could make the argument that Larnell Lewis is a bit of a modern pioneer on that front. He sits in with Snarky Puppy quite a bit. This rendition of Lingus set the internet on fire. It's worth 10 minutes of your time for Cory's keys solo alone.
The next three songs are all metal and I gotta say, progressive metal is kind of pushing the envelope on what my brain can handle with music right now.
I have 100 more examples, but I'll just start with this for now.
Great topic Clown!
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I think there's a pretty solid argument that you can both enjoy a simple tune that allows you to sink into the beat and melody and drift away while also enjoying a 12 minute 7/4 piece from a 9 piece band. They aren't mutually exclusive. I'd also argue that what Keith is saying is that it's harder to make a POPULAR 3-minute song that is both catchy and "good". But, it's pretty easy to see that once you do it a few times, your fanbase will easily see that you are kind of dredging up old tropes every time you come out with a "new album" unless you experiment, which most fanbases hate.
There's too much good music in the world to hate any one kind of music, in my opinion. This thread just happens to be about more complex music.
RE : Springsteen
I think it's pretty evident he had a lasting impact on an entire generation and has some pretty amazing hits in his catalog, but I don't think you'd find a single person that would label his music either pretentious or complex (unless it was an absolute fanboy looking to be a contrarian).
His drummer is amazing though, if not constrained by the music he is playing.
I think it's pretty evident he had a lasting impact on an entire generation and has some pretty amazing hits in his catalog, but I don't think you'd find a single person that would label his music either pretentious or complex (unless it was an absolute fanboy looking to be a contrarian).
His drummer is amazing though, if not constrained by the music he is playing.
Well I modified it as I thought you just wanted music that only smart people listened to.
Ever listen to Intronaut?
Or if you really want to listen to an hour long song, Sleep:
Into Thrash metal? Vektor is blistering prog space thrash:
Not sure if Tame Impala is considered too mainstream but my next suggestion.
^
Wife loves Tame Impala, so I have listened to their stuff. Tbh, some of it is pretty good.
I will add SuperTramp to the thread. Another group that I literally never heard one song I liked, yet they still seem to occupy corporate classic radio playlists, for no apparent reason that I can see.
Wife loves Tame Impala, so I have listened to their stuff. Tbh, some of it is pretty good.
I will add SuperTramp to the thread. Another group that I literally never heard one song I liked, yet they still seem to occupy corporate classic radio playlists, for no apparent reason that I can see.
Massive Primus fan and anything Claypool is a part of. Probably my favorite Primus song and that was HARD to choose from
I agree. There is a lot of pop music I like. I just thought it would be fun to poke a little fun at ourselves, and have folks post some stuff that maybe some of us haven't heard before. I thought the self-deprecation (high horse and what not, made obvious that we weren't taking ourselves too seriously)
Apparentley I was wrong.
That Snarky Puppy was worth this thread. The keyboard solo was awesome, but the drum support of that solo was beautiful.
For pretentious pop with wonderful drums:
Snarky Puppy played Cosmic Charlie’s in Lexington twice. I was very lucky to have seen both shows. They were great. There were less than 100 people in attendance for each show.
^the first band "squirrel bait" is a Louisville, KY band. Peter Searcy is a solid guy/old friend...was in bands called Big Wheel and Starbilly with an old roommate of mine post squirrel bait.
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Both of those are Squirrel Bait songs. Saw iterations of that band over a decade at Tewligans in Louisville. Big Wheel, Fancy Pants, Johnny Quest Band, and others. Those guys were talented. That was a good music scene time for Louisville.
I won’t post any here, because it’s a popular band, but I always thought there was a kitschy pretentiousness to Radiohead.
I like Radiohead. Just saying.
I like Radiohead. Just saying.
Conception was a very good band from Louisville in the late 60’s. They opened shows for The Grateful Dead and The Amboy Dukes at Freedom Hall.
Here is a very good cover of a Blue Cheer classic.
Here is a very good cover of a Blue Cheer classic.
If I mention a cantata that I like, you will immediately brand it as pretentious. After all, what is more pretentious than Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana?" But then you hear it, and realize you've heard it dozens of times, and just didn't realize it.
How we feeling about a six and a half hour study piece on the effects of alzheimers/dementia? The Caretaker is a british ambient musician who created this "song" in several parts. It's made up of mostly samples. There are several youtube videos of people attempting to make it through the whole piece. The change in their demeanor as they work through several of the later "dead noise" sections is intense.
The introductory song haunts me for some reason. The ending as well.
The introductory song haunts me for some reason. The ending as well.
Speaking of touching scary, the album Caligula by Lingua Ignota (she has since retired the project) is perhaps the most beautifully terrifying thing I've ever heard.
If you enjoy this song, you are some kind of twisted (as am I).
If you enjoy this song, you are some kind of twisted (as am I).
When I hear this music I think of the movie Excalibur. That was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Lot of recognizeable actors in that one. Hellen Mirren was pretty fine looking.
To all music-lovers here … The California Guitar Trio will be at B-side at Decade in Louisville on March 9th. Highly-intimate listening space (75-80 folks) for their show … 32 years/21 albums … highly-professional and talented guitarists !! This could be one of those "special" shows, for acoustic guitar lovers !!
For reference and more details, I posted links in the “What Are You Listening To” thread …
If you go, ENJOY THE SHOW !!
California Guitar Trio - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
If you go, ENJOY THE SHOW !!
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Damn... any of you Louisville scene guys know any of the dudes from Slint?
Spiderland is a gd masterpiece, and they made it when they were practically kids. There is a guitar effect in the middle of this one that sounds like an anchor being lowered. Just an incredibly gloomy, creative song, man.
Spiderland is a gd masterpiece, and they made it when they were practically kids. There is a guitar effect in the middle of this one that sounds like an anchor being lowered. Just an incredibly gloomy, creative song, man.
XTC is pretentious pop, sounding as if some Icelandic tribe somehow got a hold of a Beatle’s greatest hits album.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. A little more “jazzy” than what I typically go for. But he’s a phenomenal guitarist. And his band is super tight. Great stuff for a laid back Sunday morning as I sip coffee and read the interwebz.
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