Do You Give New Music Much of a Chance?

[sloopjohnc]

The Uncut Albums of the Year made me think of this.

When I was younger and I only had enough money to buy an album or two a month, I would listen to them over and over again even if they didn't grab me with the songs over and over again. I always think of my relationship with albums when they interview women about their husbands and they sometimes say, "I turned him down three or four times before I finally went out with him."

I used to have patience with music and didn't feel I needed to have immediate gratification. Part of that was I wanted to validate my investments, but it strikes me as kinda weird, because I'm not a teenager anymore when I was more impulsive about everything, but you'd think since I'm older now, I'd have the patience to try and get to know an album's music. Granted, teenage years are a great time to learn an instrument or listen to music a lot because of all the free time one has compared to being an adult. Maybe time is at a premium these days, but I feel like if I wanted to make the time I could. I do for other stuff.

I was just listening to the new Blitzen Trapper album. I'm kinda on the fence about the new one, but I really like their previous albums so I hope this one grows on me and will cut it a little more slack.

How is your patience with new artists and albums these days?

[Tactful Cactus]

How is your patience with new artists and albums these days?

Diminishing! Albums are pretty much not happening for me anymore. About twice a week I'll look for new music, scouring different websites and finding songs I like -- if I like them I'll find them on soundcloud and playlist them so I can keep going back.

And thats it. I don't listen to the mp3 player anymore, just podcasts. My music intake has gone way down hill, which is sad but why fight it.

[Muskrat]

I haven't heard all the old music yet.


Somewhat more seriously, I occasionally find something new to me, even though I listen to mainly talk radio. I heard this the other day (her father wrote it; the album is of his compositions) and bought it immediately.

[joels344]

The 21st Century has produced some of my favorite albums of all-time. So, I’m always on the hunt for new artists/albums to explore, especially this year because I’ve made an effort to venture into many different albums and genres from 2017.

[Dr Markus]

Nope, I've started to listen to radio 2. While not perfect, it far better than the today's music that plays on my regular Irish radio station I listen to.

[sloopjohnc]

The 21st Century has produced some of my favorite albums of all-time. So, I’m always on the hunt for new artists/albums to explore, especially this year because I’ve made an effort to venture into many different albums and genres from 2017.

Great, but if something doesn't give you immediate gratification, do you keep listening if you think there might be something there but it needs to sink in a little?

[naughty boy]

Slowly over the last 15 years or so, I've been less and less interested. I look at the Uncut list - the whole 75, mind - and there's pretty much nothing that interests me there. Maybe two or three albums.

I don't care, really. For years I could tick off boxes in the critics end-of-year polls ('got that...got that...got that...'), then those same lists served more as recommendations. Now it's not even that.

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

[jimboo]

Spotify has kept my interest in new music in the past year. There is a lot of good stuff appearing in their release radar section. I give stuff a lot of time , I always have though. I am musing over a newish bands 7 inch debut single , only sticking point is the fiver for postage , eleven quid for a single is a bit steep. There really is a lot of good stuff out there , social media is often a goldmine of recommendations. I listen to music on my phone at work and usually listen to newer stuff. It's refreshing.

[Sneelock]

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

all of the above?
when I'm around the young people I tend to be more open minded.
when I'm not around them I only hear new music in TV commercials.

No, I don't give it much of a chance. If I like a track or two a lot then I'll give the others another go but I don't marinate in new music like sloop describes in his original post - not very often. only if it really grabs me or gives me that weird niggly feeling that something is going to grow on me.

[Sneelock]

Spotify has kept my interest in new music in the past year.

good point. this is one thing I miss about Spotify. I've been preferring Google Play for a while and while I prefer it for now, I don't think the playlists are nearly as good.

[Hightea]

The 21st Century has produced some of my favorite albums of all-time. So, I’m always on the hunt for new artists/albums to explore, especially this year because I’ve made an effort to venture into many different albums and genres from 2017.

Great, but if something doesn't give you immediate gratification, do you keep listening if you think there might be something there but it needs to sink in a little?

Good question and for the past 15 years I would say yes to the sink in part. However, the past 3 or 4 years I've stopped buying albums except for a few loves. Otherwise its listening to spotify, sirius, a local radio station who my friend dj's on ( I trust her opinion) or youtube. I tend to catchup in December with a lot of new music so we will see what this year brings but last year I added a few to my long list of preferred albums. However, I've lost patience in really trying something by a brand new band unless it catches me quickly.

I do look at what friends are listening to on spotify. I've got a bunch of friends in the music industry (hell one is now working for spotify) so they tend to be up on the new music.

[pcqgod]

I still actively seek out new music, although it seems harder to find much that really satisfies these days. And yes, I have far less time to "date" an album these days. If I'm borderline I'll probably keep it for future listening.

[Rayge]

For years I could tick off boxes in the critics end-of-year polls ('got that...got that...got that...'), then those same lists served more as recommendations. Now it's not even that.

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

Welcome to my world

[Goat Boy]

Slowly over the last 15 years or so, I've been less and less interested. I look at the Uncut list - the whole 75, mind - and there's pretty much nothing that interests me there. Maybe two or three albums.

I don't care, really. For years I could tick off boxes in the critics end-of-year polls ('got that...got that...got that...'), then those same lists served more as recommendations. Now it's not even that.

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

You know what's also a problem I think? Music critics aren't critical enough so it's harder to filter through new releases.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

I get interested in new music when it becomes old music. If people still care about it a few years down the line, I get curious.

[naughty boy]

Slowly over the last 15 years or so, I've been less and less interested. I look at the Uncut list - the whole 75, mind - and there's pretty much nothing that interests me there. Maybe two or three albums.

I don't care, really. For years I could tick off boxes in the critics end-of-year polls ('got that...got that...got that...'), then those same lists served more as recommendations. Now it's not even that.

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

You know what's also a problem I think? Music critics aren't critical enough so it's harder to filter through new releases.

Yeah, I think so.

Now and again somebody here or on Fb will point me in the direction of something I wouldn't have heard otherwise (that Ex Hex album a couple of years ago, for example) but it's tough to find the 5% you'll like.

[naughty boy]

I get interested in new music when it becomes old music. If people still care about it a few years down the line, I get curious.

That too.

[George P. Smackers]

I listen to a pretty bland "indie rock" satellite station in the car that plays just about all the acts listed in the Uncut top 10 from that other thread.

The station believes in the concept of heavy rotation. They play the same handful of songs over and over, then move on to a new handful. So I get a good sense of what the new LCD Soundsystem record, the National record, etc. sound like.

I would never buy the stuff they play (at least nothing I've yet heard). But I do get pleasure from it. I like the category "new song on the radio." Nothing I have to commit to, but it's there.

I like knowing that I enjoy LCD Soundsystem, more or less, and do not like the National at all. It's mildly stimulating to my musical taste.

[Moleskin]

Slowly over the last 15 years or so, I've been less and less interested. I look at the Uncut list - the whole 75, mind - and there's pretty much nothing that interests me there. Maybe two or three albums.

I don't care, really. For years I could tick off boxes in the critics end-of-year polls ('got that...got that...got that...'), then those same lists served more as recommendations. Now it's not even that.

I'm old now, out of touch. Or rock is dead, the medium is exhausted, whatever it is.

You know what's also a problem I think? Music critics aren't critical enough so it's harder to filter through new releases.

Yeah, I think so.

Now and again somebody here or on Fb will point me in the direction of something I wouldn't have heard otherwise (that Ex Hex album a couple of years ago, for example) but it's tough to find the 5% you'll like.

Music writing in general isn't as good as it could be at its best. Perhaps because popular music is just a small part of the entertainment world it doesn't get the analysis it used to. Perhaps it doesn't deserve to.

[joels344]

The 21st Century has produced some of my favorite albums of all-time. So, I’m always on the hunt for new artists/albums to explore, especially this year because I’ve made an effort to venture into many different albums and genres from 2017.

Great, but if something doesn't give you immediate gratification, do you keep listening if you think there might be something there but it needs to sink in a little?

If I notice certain redeemable qualities to an album, I’ll most likely return to it, even if it initially wasn’t something I absolutely loved. You should never force yourself to like an album.