What Happened to Music?

When you turn on the radio these days, you’re bombarded with an obnoxious, headache inducing, auto-tuned song made up of repetitive words that don’t even make sense. Artists like Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, and Lady Gaga pollute the press with news of some new stunt they have pulled, or their ever increasing shenanigans that demonstrate an effort to ditch the sweetheart image and rebel against all society norms. Not to mention their music is absolutely terrible.

Miley Cyrus has received a lot of criticism for her recent behavior – and rightly so. While it is her choice to behave how she wants, she is a public figure. She is someone young girls, and even the occasional young boy, look up to. She appears in magazines and TV, and sends an image and message to youth that it is ok to act the way she has been, when really, it’s not.

But while her actions are her choice, she could at least produce some worthy music. I mean what happened to artists like Bruce Springsteen, The Who, and The Police, who made amazing music and kept up a (somewhat) respectable image? It seems like the tunes you hear on the radio are famous for what shocking move the artist pulled the previous week, or whatever their baffling outfit of the week is, not their music. And let’s be honest, if the success of these songs was based solely on how good they were, and not how infamous their singer is, we’d have music actually worth listening to playing on the radio.

Record companies continually churn out songs where you barely even hear the true voice of the artist, but instead, hear the not-so-lovely voice of auto-tune. Singers hit notes that don’t seem humanly possible, and definitely make it impossible to actually understand what they’re saying. They change pitch at a dizzying rate, yet again making it impossible to understand what they’re saying. Not that they’re saying anything actually worth hearing.

It’s amazing how almost every song that comes out is about either falling in love or how some pop-star had their heart broken. They get to be just a little repetitive. I’m no artist myself, but I can’t help thinking there must be something more to write about than love. If you think about how many artists have albums that solely talk about love, it makes artists with diversity look like absolute geniuses.

I’m not saying all music that comes out these days is bad. And of course, everyone has their own taste. But the majority of the new pop music, or what comes on the radio every fifteen minutes, is pretty bad. It’s definitely time songs stopped becoming famous for whatever shocking stunt the singer pulled and actually had a little diversity for a change.

Timeflies

I recently came across a musical group called Timeflies.

I was drawn in by a rap that I found while studying for finals called “Adderall and Redbull,” that raps about staying up late studying for finals.

I thought that the vocalist Cal had extreme talent in his vocals and his ability to rap.

The song featured above was a freestyle on a track previously made by another artist.

To have the ability to freestyle is something I wish I had, but it is extremely difficult and takes great talent.

He shows his great freestyle ability in a cover of Ke$ha‘s “Die Young.”

In this song he has his friends write down random topics on which to rap about.

He gets the basket while in the booth and makes great music out of it.

Cal and Rez have only been around as Timeflies since 2010 but are growing in fame with the great music they are producing.

Most of the songs feature an electronic track with great vocals and raw raps.

The song “Turn it Up” features a more electric/dubstep ish style.

The groups ability to merge genres is something that they have been credited with since performing in high school and college bands.

His album “The Scotch Tape” can be found by clicking on the link.

Hope you enjoy the music

On a better note,

And I’m being literal here; I have found a new music obsession. Call me girly, crazy, dumfounded, but I love John Mayer.

More often than not I have found my roommate and I, fellow OVS blogger Paloma, listening to him. His songs really just calm you down and his voice is incredibly smooth. And hey, I’m not afraid to say that.

I’m sick of seeing blogs in general bashing artists. If the artist well-known enough for the general population to recognize their song or name, there must be something appealing about their music.

Even other genres of music are being picked on. I know that shredicusmaximus is a fan of older, classic rock and our own ex blogger, and my best friend, chuckscherza is a big fan of techno. Is it necessary to completely put down a genre and not even bother to listen to another’s opinion of it because you think that yours is better?

It really isn’t. I’ve come out and said that I love John Mayer. Call me a woman, tell me I have an awful taste in music, make fun of me; but I can promise you that it won’t be retaliated.

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