Albums/artists you just DON'T GET.

Guybrush

Guybrush

Dittohead
Argh, not the hipster discussion again. :eek:

It is actually all very simple, the Wikipedia entry is excellent and On The Mark:

More generally, trendsetters in fashion are sometimes called hipsters, though this use is distinct from the hipster subculture, whose fashion sensibilities are specific and not usually destined for the mainstream.
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The above quote is the key, I think, because it rightly portraits hipsters as belonging to a subculture rather than being avant-garde or whatever they would like to think themselves. Additionally, most people in here would probably correspond to the ‘trendsetter’ tag above, and thus are not ‘real’ hipsters at all (as in belonging to the subculture). Most any DJ is a trendsetter in the music sphere (by which I mean that he or she is either initiating trends or very early adopters of trends) so his or her taste in music is unavoidably going to chime, at least to an extent, with what is currently fashionable among hipsters (the subculture), this because hipsterdom is all about being clued up on the latest trends (musical or otherwise).

In another matter, Justin Timberlake merits a critical assessment precisely because nobody likes him out of irony any longer, he should be judged by the same standards as Michael Jackson, James Brown, and others.
 
P

poetix

we murder to dissect
I don't get:

The Clash: Horrible shouty bollocks. Whence the adulation?
Elvis Costello: Is this meant to be "political" or something? How is it "political"?
Stevie Wonder: Just sounds incredibly bland to me. What did he do, invent a new flavour of bland?
Pretty much all Emo: I loved Sebadoh. What went wrong?
Faithless: Aaargh. How trite is this? Tricky-lite for E-heads. That "weapon of mass destruction" one was all right though.
Scissor Sisters: Oh, come on.
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
poetix said:
I don't get:

The Clash: Horrible shouty bollocks. Whence the adulation?
Elvis Costello: Is this meant to be "political" or something? How is it "political"?
Stevie Wonder: Just sounds incredibly bland to me. What did he do, invent a new flavour of bland?
Pretty much all Emo: I loved Sebadoh. What went wrong?
Faithless: Aaargh. How trite is this? Tricky-lite for E-heads. That "weapon of mass destruction" one was all right though.
Scissor Sisters: Oh, come on.
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Agree with all those bar the Clash. They are shouty, true, and they're sometimes trite, but 'Lost in the Supermarket' or 'White Man in....' are great pop songs, pure and simple.

I wasn't aware that anyone genuinely thought the Scissor Sisters were acceptable.
 
S

sam

magical drop
Various Production - dull, inoffensive tripe that would probably go down well in Toni & Guy.
The new Joanna Newsom - wince. I was into the first one though.
Burial - the album got boring fast, I'm surprised to still hear so much hype about it.
Coil - I guess I just don't get it.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
I like the Various Production album, but I think a lot of the lyrics are just bloody awful (the one with the refrain 'get me a drink' in particular), which nearly spoils it. Aside from that I don't find it dull - I agree that it's inoffensive but I wouldn't say that was just because it was bland, I'd say it just wasn't especially heavy, harsh or grating.
 
D

dubble-u-c

Dorkus Maximus
With all due respect Nomadologist

nomadologist said:
By the way: Dub-U, I read about the negative ionizer thing in the liner notes to "Early" the soul jazz compilation of A Certain Ratio's early funky stuff.

Here's what it says:

Jez: We did the Scala Cinema in London with Throbbing Gristle. That was a really strange gig. They used an Ioniser at the front of the stage, and they must have had it turned up to full.

Interviewer: What's an Ioniser?

Jez: It changes the positive ions to negative-- or negative ions to positive ions. In the air. And they must have had it on fucking override. Because it was really fucking weird in this cinema!
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Ok.
Have you tried doing a Google search on negative ionizers in conjunction with Throbbing Gristle and or separately?

Sorry to be pedantic about this stuff. I am a proponent of accuracy when it comes to historical documentation and breaking down myths.

I do not doubt they used some kind of device in their shows that created some sort of theatrical effect. I am having difficulty believing it was a negative ion creation device . Although -I could be wrong about this of course :)


Here is what my research yielded concerning negative ionizers
http://www.negativeiongenerators.com/


Negative ion rich environments are generally those closest to large bodies of water and large amounts of negative ions are generally present following thunderstorms.

The text in italics below is from the article here:
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/65/72756.htm?pagenumber=1
Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes

There's something in the air that just may boost your mood -- get a whiff of negative ions.
By Denise Mann
WebMD Feature Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
advertisement

May 6, 2002 -- There's something in the air and while it may not be love, some say it's the next best thing -- negative ions.

Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

...

Science 101

Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on," he says.
...

I found nothing to indicate that Throbbing Gristle used them in my research.
Maybe they used some other tool to create the theatrical aura you indicated earlier?
Or perhaps they did use a negative ionizer in some of their shows?
Maybe we could get in contact with Genesis P. Orridge and ask him ourselves?

I just want to make sure that some unfounded myth about these machines and their usage by TG is not being unwittingly propagated.

Now if you want to talk about Psychic TV and Dream Machines that would be fun!

http://brainwashed.com/axis/burroughs/academy.htm


I don't really get this stuff though ;)
 
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swears

swears

preppy-kei
I don't like the vocals on the Various tracks 'cause they have that Beth Gibbons-copyist smoky/southern twang thing going on which I find annoying and contrived.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
swears said:
I don't like the vocals on the Various tracks 'cause they have that Beth Gibbons-copyist smoky/southern twang thing going on which I find annoying and contrived.
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I don't mind that in and of itself - I agree that more often than not it is a misguided attempt to add some kind of earnest 'ethereal' quality to otherwise bland music, or to make tired singer-songwriter material sound knowing, jaded and up-to-date, but I think it works quite well on this album.

It's the bloke's voice that gets on my nerves a bit.

I'm afraid it sounds like I'm damning the album with faint praise; I do really enjoy it, despite my reservations.
 
swears

swears

preppy-kei
Why can't vocalists sing in in really plummy English accents again? Imagine someone doing vocal-gynastic over the top R'n'B in a totally posh voice, that would be sweet.
 
D

dubble-u-c

Dorkus Maximus
swears said:
Why can't vocalists sing in in really plummy English accents again? Imagine someone doing vocal-gynastic over the top R'n'B in a totally posh voice, that would be sweet.
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lol
that would be interesting. perhaps you could do some searching swears? maybe you could make it happen?
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
dubble-u-c said:
Ok.
Have you tried doing a Google search on negative ionizers in conjunction with Throbbing Gristle and or separately?

Sorry to be pedantic about this stuff. I am a proponent of accuracy when it comes to historical documentation and breaking down myths.

I do not doubt they used some kind of device in their shows that created some sort of theatrical effect. I am having difficulty believing it was a negative ion creation device . Although -I could be wrong about this of course :)
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Uh. I just quoted you what the guys from A Certain Ratio said. They opened for them, after all. I do know this guy who is roommates with someone from Psychic TV. Maybe he could find out for me...
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
In keeping to the topic, I go back and forth with the Clash myself. I went for years loving them, then hated them, then recently I got back into Combat Rock because I love "Straight to Hell" and "Sean Whatsitcalled" and even "Overpowered by Funk" for some reason. I think with them I like the natural reverb on that album, and I like their "sound" in a general way more than I like their music if I analyze it more literally or listen too hard to the vocals. They kind of remind me of Radiohead in their politics. Sort of misplaced in their energies, if well-intentioned.
 
D

dubble-u-c

Dorkus Maximus
nomadologist said:
Uh. I just quoted you what the guys from A Certain Ratio said. They opened for them, after all. I do know this guy who is roommates with someone from Psychic TV. Maybe he could find out for me...
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Not to make this into a petty argument but you made the claim yourself originally.

It would be interesting to hear it from the horses mouth however.


So anyhow -sorry for the diversion.
I will return to lurking and reading the comments about musical artists that some dissensians don't get.

Nomadologist I am enjoying your comments fwiw.




bye :)
 
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Guybrush

Guybrush

Dittohead
I am surprised Stevie Wonder has got so many mentions; I agree with the unsympatheticness, so somebody else will have to make the case for him.

baboon2004: Scissor Sisters have been getting way more praise than is humanely acceptable, especially the first album. Here are the two AMG reviews (4½ and 4 out of 5, respectively).
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Guybrush said:
I am surprised Stevie Wonder has got so many mentions; I agree with the unsympatheticness, so somebody else will have to make the case for him.

baboon2004: Scissor Sisters have been getting way more praise than is humanely acceptable, especially the first album. Here are the two AMG reviews (4½ and 4 out of 5, respectively).
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I'm very gratified about the frequency with which Stevie's coming up here. He has been allowed to get away with being 'tastefully' bland for too long.

Re the Scissor Sisters: this cannot be allowed to continue. It's morally repugnant. As are they.
 
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nomadologist

Guest
dubble-u-c said:
Not to make this into a petty argument but you made the claim yourself originally.

It would be interesting to hear it from the horses mouth however.


So anyhow -sorry for the diversion.
I will return to lurking and reading the comments about musical artists that some dissensians don't get.

Nomadologist I am enjoying your comments fwiw.




bye :)
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aw that is kind of you to say. I enjoy yours as well. I sometimes confuse people unless they have a picture by their name, because I'm not a very experienced message board user i guess, but your name is unforgettable.

I will certainly try to get info signed and sealed by Mr. P'Orridge...just consulted my boyfriend to see if he knew anything else, and he told me this guy imentioned also lives in a building owned by "Breyer P'Orridge"-- so Genesis is presumably his landlord. I should make him withhold rent till Genesis gives us a notarized statement clearing all of this up ;)
 
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