Is it just me or is music and radio, especially radio, not what it used to be? In the mid/late 90’s I actually enjoyed listening to the radio. Bands like Eve 6 (I listened to “Inside Out” almost non-stop for 2 weeks), Semisonic, Creed, Everclear, The Wallflowers, Days of the New, Live, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Fastball, Tonic, Matchbox 20, Sponge, Vertical Horizon, Better Than Ezra and a long long list of other great bands were just getting started. It just seems like everything was more enjoyable then… when you could turn on MTV and actually hear music…rock music. Even through 2000-2003 there were a lot of great bands, which most people have never heard of, getting started… Socialburn, Stage, Greenwheel, Familiar 48, July for Kings, Mad at Gravity, Unwritten Law, Boxing Day and many more. ..
A few of the bands from that time are still around in one form or another, but it just doesn’t seem like the music has the same feeling to it. Maybe I’m just getting older and hearing it differently.
Radio today plays the same mainstream acts over and over and their idea of variety is mixing in music from the 70’s and 80’s. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with music from that time, but if I wanted to hear music that is 25+ years old I’d tune into the Classic Rock station. Why not play new up-and-coming bands? Bands like Deepfield, Stereoside, and Framing Hanley who don’t really have the push of a big named record label, but have great albums. Even Fuel who was huge a few years ago is not getting the airplay they once received despite having a great new album, ‘Angels and Devils’.
Good music is still being made, but labels are too involved in trying to figure out how to get people to buy CDs again and rock radio is too busy playing stuff by bands that haven’t released anything new in who knows how long to take notice. Example, 102.9 The Buzz, the new rock station in Nashville. Since 10am this morning they have played a total of 6 songs from bands that have released albums this year, or will release albums in 2008. Twenty-six songs played and only 6 of them from new artists… why? You visit their home page and you don’t see the logos of Three Days Grace, Seether, Sixx A.M. or Finger Eleven, all of which have singles in the top 10. You see Metallica, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses. Like I said before nothing wrong with those bands, I am a fan of them all… but what is wrong with playing new music?
3 Responses to “Music And Radio Today”
Yes I hear you!!! I remember when Lazer 103 in Milwaukee was still doing the “new rock” thing. yea they played some of the newer stuff, but mostly it was the big name acts from the 90’s no I love metallic, AIC, Zep, GnR, ac/dc but I do like hearing new rock from unknown artists… hence why I got Sirius…I’m always hearing new bands and then picking up the cd later in the month lol! Most of the “new rock” stations are all trying to be like each other…to that I say bleh! New rock is stuff that has recently come out or bands that are unheard of so play that lol!
There are definitely some great Active Rock stations left that play a good amount of new rock while still mixing in good old rock (WCCC in Hartford and WJJO in Madison are great examples). Too many stations are just afraid to expand their playlists and play a wide variety of good new music. I do think it is important to mix in some of the older rock. You just wont hear bands like AIC, Motley Crue, Megadeth, Judas Priest on classic rock stations, they do need to be played on Rock stations, but some stations just overdo it. There is some great new rock music out there and stations should play more of it and embrace it.
It’s unfortunate, but true. I agree w/ youliedtome, and sox, there are some great ones out there yet, but it’s getting rarer and rarer. My local station has the same complex as others. Their line is, “you heard it first here.” Well, they’re the only rock station in town w/ the exception of classic rock and a top 40 which will obviously spin the most pop friendly (nickelback, etc)…
But with my station, they are told to wait on singles before playing to see how they will do in other similar markets first. It’s ridiculous. Like, when evanescence first came out – they woudn’t touch them until they were suddenly huge. which is when they started sucking. LOL But the PD Director is a major 80’s guy, and always has to get his 80’s shit in there.
I dunno. Sometimes, I wish I could run a station for a week, I say that I would change it up and make it “cool.” But it’s hard telling.
Anyway — yea. I miss the mid-late 90’s. Great stuff came from there. I’m really excited for “The 90’s Rock Concert” coming up next month w/ Everclear, 7 Mary 3, and Eve 6. Good times.