Photo Credit: Oyster Haus, Is There No Good Music Anymore?
By Martine Ehrenclou
You’ve heard that 70 percent of music streamed/purchased today is older music with bands like The Police and Creedence Clearwater being some of the most popular.
Just this morning a guy in his 20’s shared with me that he and his girlfriend went to a hip-hop show in Los Angeles last weekend and in the middle of it, she turned to him and said, “Do you want to go see a rock band, like with real musicians?” As he reviewed my exercises to rehab my fractured ankle, I asked him how old she was. He shared, “25.”
I found it interesting that a couple in their mid-twenties were bored with hip hop and the lack of musicians present on stage and opted instead to go to a club where real musicians played rock.
In two recent articles about the demise of great modern music Forget the Apocalypse, Let’s Talk About What Happened to Music by Umair Haque and Why Music Has Lost Its Charms by Howard Tullman, both writers claim that older music is far superior to anything new. Not just because the sound of analogue is better than compressed digital, but because (they say) today’s music doesn’t have the soul of the 60s and 70s.
Haque writes that “Modern music sucks.” He’s talking about pop music. Tell us something we don’t know. Mechanical and soulless, pop and hip-hop are largely created by computers rather than real musicians and real instruments. The articles mentioned above wax on about the richness of the 60s and 70s music, claiming that Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding and the Eagles still have the corner market on storytelling/songwriting in music.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all of those artists and bands, but these two article writers are missing the point.
There’s an overwhelming amount of outstanding new music that doesn’t suck. You just have to know where to look.
Just because commercial radio is pandering to fans of pop, hip-hop and pop-country, it doesn’t mean there’s a dearth of great music that rivals the greats of the 60s and 70s. There’s plenty of it with insightful and top-quality songwriting, exquisite musicianship and vocals, and music that’s created and performed by real musicians.
Are most people just not aware of Blackberry Smoke, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Samantha Fish, Marcus King, Beth Hart, Eric Gales, Rival Sons, Dirty Honey, Gary Clark Jr, Keb’ Mo’, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd? Or are they not bothering to try something new, perhaps unfamiliar, prioritizing their music libraries that feature James Taylor, Carol King, Joni Mitchel, The Who, Jethro Tull, The Beatles and others, over the discovery of new music?
It’s really not fair to the newer rock, blues and roots musicians of today. And I’m not talking about rehashings of Robert Johnson or Van Halen. I’m talking about innovative, soulful, young artists and bands who are releasing a truckload of music on their own without the backing of major record labels. Some have their own labels and others are on indie labels. Some go it alone.
The major record labels no longer have imagination or foresight and instead focus on what’s already working now for pop, hip-hop, rap, and certain pop-country artists. They’re all looking for the new Taylor Swift, the new whatever, because they’re out to make money and are mostly concerned with streaming numbers, algorithms and money made from anything but the music itself.
Give me a break.
To the 70 percent of music consumers who’d rather listen to The Police or Creedence Clearwater than trying out some of the newer bands, you must be in the dark about blues/rock, rock and roots music that’s currently being released by highly talented artists. If you weren’t, you’d be flocking to their concerts, diving into their new releases, singles, videos, and buying their merch.
Take Larkin Poe for example. Two young roots/rock multi-instrumentalists, vocalists and songwriters who have created a unique sound and have followed their vision, stayed committed to it. This sister duo, in my opinion, goes neck and neck with most popular rock or roots/rock artists/bands of the 60s or 70s. Talk about soulful. Have a listen here and tell me you aren’t captivated by their vocals, talents on guitars, lap steel and their song.
There’s hundreds of outstanding current blues/blues-rock, rock and roots musicians releasing music today that have the soul, songwriting talents, and musical gifts of those who rose to fame in previous decades. They’re just different. And your music libraries should be packed with their music, right alongside some of your favorites from the past.
Take 22-year-old Grammy winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. He’s not just blues but a blend of blues-rock, roots, jazz, and funky grooves. His superb guitar cops are blended with some of the richest, most soulful vocals you’ll hear today. Just because you didn’t see him perform on the 2022 Grammy Awards TV broadcast on CBS doesn’t mean sh*t. Listen Here
And you don’t have to be ancient to love and appreciate his music. Or for that matter the music of Eric Gales , Joanne Shaw Taylor , Marcus King , Davy Knowles , Shemekia Copeland, Carolyn Wonderland , Tinsley Ellis , Naked Gypsy Queens and Dirty Honey . You just have to be willing to take the risk and listen. And of course, know where to look.
How about Fantastic Negrito, an innovator if I ever saw one. He’s a multi Grammy winner too.
Speaking of risk, it seems to be challenging for a lot of people to try new rock, blues-rock and roots music. Perhaps they can’t get beyond their love and appreciation for music from the 60s and 70s. Maybe some grew up in that time period and the music is familiar and brings back good memories. But according to the stats, 46 percent of listeners of older music are between 35 and 44, 62 percent are between 45 and 54. And I get the love of Hendrix, The Who, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, and more.
But there’s more to love.
For many, it seems, it’s difficult to disengage from revering the past greats when you’re looking for new, soulful, beautifully done modern rock, blues and roots music. There’s similar musical elements in the newer music as in the older and maybe they’re compared.
Regardless of what side of the fence you’re on regarding Joe Bonamassa, his music isn’t just about virtuoso guitar playing at top speed. He’s a highly talented songwriter but you have to listen to an album like Redemption or his latest release Time Clocks to find out.
I can tell you from personal experience from running Rock & Blues Muse and an associated online group of 9,000 that many people come to us to discover new, great music with heart and soul, with similar qualities of older music but with a fresh, individual spin.
Spotify’s algorithms cannot replace a respected friend or family member’s enthusiasm for a new single or album that makes you feel something.
It can’t share music with information about the artist/band and doesn’t come with a real human being’s personal recommendation.
Tell me where I’m wrong here.
Perhaps part of why certain music fans are stuck in the trenches of older music and its magical quality, is the nature of the time it was released and the personal associations with the decade’s sense of freedom and breaking of norms and rules that went along with it. Maybe good values too.
I’ve got good news for you. That culture of soulful, new music is alive and well today. Right now. At your fingertips. It’s a much smaller culture, a narrower market, but it’s there. And it’s not just on SiriusXM Bluesville either.
The artists and bands who are creating this music are touring, performing, recording, putting on thrilling live shows, albeit in smaller venues than in previous times. But they’re there.
You just have to look and have an open mind. These artists are not retreads either of artists like The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Joni Mitchell, CSNY and more.
My opinions don’t mean that articles mentioned above are wrong. They have viable and credible information about what’s happening in the music industry, valid views about the soullessness of pop, hip-hop and rap with inane lyrics about booties, guns, and videos featuring female artists humping the floors and dancing as if on stripper poles.
I’m suggesting that they’re missing something–the new modern blues, blues-rock, rock and roots music revolution with real music and real musicians. Maybe revolution is too strong of a word but there’s no secret door to which only a select few have the key. It’s right under your nose. And it’s fresh. This isn’t the blues of yesteryear. There’s a whole new world of blues, blues/rock and roots music that embodies several genres.
If you disagree, I want to hear from you and your reasons. If you agree, share your thoughts. All thoughts are welcome.
The two articles referenced in this article.
Forget the Apocalypse, Let’s Talk About What Happened to Music by Umair Haque See Here
Why Music Has Lost Its Charms by Howard Tullman See Here
Rock & Blues Muse Playlist: Is There No Good New Music Anymore?
Vanessa Collier
Very well said. I’ve wanting to write my own piece on this exact subject. It’s not that good music is not out there, it just not mainstream anymore. But as long as musicians are still making the type of music you like, it’s not dead no matter what anyone says. I was watching a video several months back with Tinsley Ellis, where the comment was made that it’s never been better for the listener these days. So true. You just have to find a few artists you like and the resources today are so much better. I find just as much frustration with the older generations (including mine) that refuse to listen to new music. But I digress, Anyway, great comments and site. In addition to the artists listed, shouts out to When Rivers Meet, Blacktop Mojo (actually turned a younger person onto this band), Dan Patlansky, Phillip Sayce, Eric Steckel, and The Steepwater Band. So many new bands in other favorite genres too, but I’ll keep it to ones I found here.
The Treatment.
I agree with you. Most of contemporaries who grew up in the 70’s dont know any new bands/ music. I try my best to turn them on
to alot of the blues rock found here and more.
Its hard to understand from my perspective. The old music is great but by now I would be bored out of my mind without continuous new music.
Liked your article, new music is hard to find but it is out there. When I was in high school there were dance places with bands that coveted groups like the blues project among others that didn’t get radio play. That no longer exists in smaller cities. College towns are good places to hear indie bands live. Check out Dawson Hollow, indie pop/folk band from SW Missouri.
Thanks for being a long time champion of real music Martine! I am of the classic era age but I don’t live in the past, there is so much exciting new music. Music genre’s are meaningless to me as long as it creative and heartfelt. I have recently gone through a vinyl pre-order flurry of music buying. New music by Jocelyn & Chris, Larkin Poe, Lissie, Lera Lynn, The Cult, Jessie Baylin, and Arielle. Some of this music is streaming right now!
What a great piece. I plan to check out all of those artists and fall in love all over again. Keep up the good fight!
Neil Young, Lou Reed, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, etc. made music that hadn’t been heard before.
None of these new people you’ve mentioned are doing that, and also, for the most part, the lyrics suck.
Martine, excellent article and couldn’t agree more. You have to look to find good new music but it is out there. I’m a bit of a dinosaur (61) and do not use streaming services. I use an I-Pod and load all of my own music. An interesting observation – on my first I-Pod, over 70% of the music was from the 70’s. I recently updated (now at 3400+) songs and the percentage from the 70’s is down to 35% with most of the growth coming from music in the 2000’s. Thanks for the newsletter, it is a good source of new music. Keep up the good work.
Gotta say, I was pretty excited reading your article. Being 60ish, I really struggle to find anything new to add to the library. In fact, except for maybe a couple of songs, I’d say the last “new” bands I really like is Kings of Leon, Manchester Orchestra, and some Jack White (they’re not that new). Seeing your list of artists, I hopefully went through it and sampled them all. I was disappointed. Not because they were bad. But most were just blues. Sure, nicely done, but none that distinctive. Naked Gypsy Queens- decent rock, but honestly, the one I sampled (Down to the Devil- their most viewed YT vid), could’ve been an Aerosmith cover. Decent rock, but nothing really new or exciting there.
What made the bands of the classic era great was the fact that the great, memorable ones brought something completely unique. Remember the first time you heard Black Sabbath? I’m pretty confident you didn’t think “oh, this is great- they sound a lot like _______.” Pink Floyd? No peers there. Hendrix? Sure he played some blues, but he made his mark with sounds we’d NEVER heard before. Led Zeppelin? Yep, playing blues songs, but nobody playing blues ever sounded like THAT. Chicago? Nobody had mixed horns with a rock guitar and pop styling. You mentioned the Police- again, they made their mark because you could recognize their style in seconds. Yes, Genesis? Both prog, but seriously distinct from each other, and anything else out there.
The list could go on (and on), but in my opinion, what made the great bands great is that they pretty much invented their category. It wasn’t that they played better, sang better, or wrote better songs than their contemporaries. It was their uniqueness – that they invented their own sound, and none of their contemporaries resembled them.
I absolutely agree with your comments on how the industry today affects this. I know people didn’t quit being creative. There HAS to be really good, unique new artists out there worth listening to. But it seems in today’s streaming world, none of those creatives that I might like get enough traction to find their way to people like me. Sad, because I’d like to find them.
Very nice input fully agree with you
Well as a person who represents one of these talented hardworking artists you speak of I have to agree.
Prof. Jp or aka John-Paul Jones Group, has an opinion that “even “back in the day” the artists folks grow to love were many times… “NOT in the mainstream” – Jp
Today an artist can have 5,000 followers or a 5,000,000 subscribers…
The fact is back in 1960, 70, 80, 90 to have 5,000,000 people interestes in you ans your music required the racket called “The Music Industry”
Now a days as you can do this all on your own. Restriction of access was how the income levels were driven up. Prior to 1950 there even fewer artist in greater consciousness of the people of that decade.
But nonetheless there were still quite a large number of independents writing, recording and performing.
The same as today… Artists like @johnpauljonesgroup or Melody Angel or Annie Mack exist in almost every corner of every country.
WE just need but use the super-computer in our hands to find them.
If you would take the time to discover one new artist a week do what we old folks used to do on every Tuesday… TAKE THE RISK, BUY THE MUSIC.
or every Tues – Saturday. TAKE THE RISK, show up and buy a ticket… life for musicians would be so much better.
Popularity used to equal Profits…
Now it does not.
Go out an discover some one new. I am partial to heavy blues artist John-Paul Jones Group
The new Eiles Bailey album is great .If you’re a fan of haunting Mississippi Delta Rock N Blues check out the last five albums by Rob Jungklas. Amazing stuff.Check out the songs Diggers, Crawl, Ghost, Medicine ,Engine of vengeance, Singing in your blood. Hard to label but really outstanding stuff.
Gees, I thought it just me and the fact that I’m 72, Love Larkin Poe (Fan club member) and just about all the artists in the article. I’m so glad my music selection is just full of, basically, all of the above. I do six hours a week on a Community station, in Australia, we receive great comments from the listenership regarding the music which is hard to source down here. Gonna let Joe Bonamassa, seen him twice in concert, rip on Monday night. Love you work!
The great new music is out here. The mission is discovering it, finding it, trusting the source, listening. It’s easy for me as I’ve been a music curator for many years. And I get 100s of submissions to play (and report) a month. My fifteen year out Grandaughter was a 5th Dimension song. I played her more of there catalogue along with some Chicago! She found the sound. A hit is a hit. Everybody can agree on that. But classic, that something else. Can there be too much music? Is there enough time? Nice article. Much needed discussion.
The great new music is out here. The mission is discovering it, finding it, trusting the source, listening. It’s easy for me as I’ve been a music curator for many years. And I get 100s of submissions to play (and report) a month. My fifteen year out Grandaughter was listening to a 5th Dimension song. I played her more of there catalogue along with some Chicago! She found the sound. A hit is a hit. Everybody can agree on that. But classic, that something else. Can there be too much music? Is there enough time? Nice article. Much needed discussion.
I love your article, Martine. I grew up with the older music you mention but I always love finding great new music/artists. It is harder to find non-mainstream music today. We no longer have terrestrial radio stations on everyone’s radios that include some of it on their playlists. One has to work harder to find it, which some people are unwilling to do, You can find the music on some streaming stations and college stations. I have a radio show, Rock Under the Radar, for which I seek out new music to play. I have regular listeners who love hearing new stuff! Though I’ve done the show on other streaming and college stations. it is currently on the streaming station, Mark Skin Radio, a freeform station with DJs playing different genres of music. My show is mainly rock, particularly hard rock, and blues (including many of the bands you mentioned)..
Danielle Nicole
Simple Statement, get informed why I am on this site. You want new music get up of your $&@ and follow this site ! So grateful to Marie for helping to make my music life more fulfilling !
Another great piece Martine.Culture has changed ,do people have the depth of feeling to search for an artist that represents continuum of emotional references produced by craft and work. Or is it just about the search for dry hump music or the conditioned reflex of pressing the you tube button.
To find gold one had to mine and it was hard work,candyfloss could be bought on any street corner from a panhandler. I like the Dig and I like the dirt,more should, one might find gold but it’s better than iron pyrite!
(That is fools gold)
I was a professional musician for decades. First live band I ever saw was the Beatles. Back then, music spoke to me, and it spoke for me. It doesn’t do that anymore. –But that’s just me and I get it; I don’t mind. I listened to Larkin Poe, and yes, it was very good, but as I listened, what I heard most was Bonnie Raitt, and she was (to my ear) simply better. On top of that, there’s still a great deal of music from decades ago that I still have not ingested, and in that regard and for the most part, I am inclined to go with the old instead of seeking the new. Yes, without question, there is great new stuff out there, but finding it is no longer a priority for me. If I stumble across something that transcends yesterday and today, I feel both damn grateful and lucky. For instance, finding Billy Strings was a godsend. It happens; I’m just not caught up in the pursuit.
You hit it perfectly with this article.
I spend most of my “music research” time identifying artists off the beaten path………there have been hundreds and probably thousands. Note I said identified and not found……..they are out there, I just like them, listen to them, go to their shows, buy merchandise, and help them out on social media. That’s my contribution to the health of the music world. You mentioned a few of them in your article and others appear on the Playlist, but there are so many more……..If anyone is interested, I’ll post my “NEXT” list of artists online and make the link available ……. let me know
Let’s see it. Wasn’t really interested in the blues bands mentioned so far, but anything else you’ve got…..worth a try, since you’ve done the research.
The best thing about your article, Martine, is that it stimulated many to check out the artists you mentioned, and many more to think about their current music choices – and the choices made for them by the streaming services!
I enjoy the newsletter and do watch the videos. I frequently pass on the new artists to others, from teenagers to older people like myself. Rarely is the reaction a negative one!
There is a lot of blues-based and blues-rock stuff in the newsletter, but nothing wrong with that! I would say, though, that a lot of the new, young jazz, psychedelic and indie-rock artists are outstanding, too. I won’t bore anyone with a long list……
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the input…not many originals….siphoning off what has already been done.
Don’t see any Laura Nyro’s in our future….