[kj] Top 10 and the "throwback" era

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

Leigh,

Oddly, a friend and I -- well, an online "friend," have never met him in 
person -- were discussing exactly how in the mid-1990s it seemed like 
music began to enter a period of recapitulation and reformulation that 
hasn't let up since. I've read his blog for awhile and we got the 
discussion started over this entry of hi, but via email:  
http://redstateson.blogspot.com/2007/03/doll-play.html [His blog is 
called Red State Son.]

In it, he says: "Claim that any or all art forms have stopped evolving, 
or have simply died, and dozens of people will say you're full of shit 
-- which you may well be. I certainly don't discount that possibility in 
my case. There's plenty of creative expression that I've not seen or am 
completely ignorant of, and many of you, responding to my 
"Post-Meta-Feta" post, have been kind enough to school my aging ass on 
what you consider to be cutting, or at least interesting, musical and 
comedic efforts. [...] The other day, while scrolling about, I came 
across some 15-year-old kid's complaint that he has no contemporary 
musical influences to inspire him; that everything is by-the-numbers 
safe and ready for mass consumption. The kid wished that he was born in 
the '60s so that he could've experienced the original punk and new wave 
bands in real time, and not as someone else's nostalgia." [&c.]

-Oliver





Leigh Newton wrote:

> I feel like the throwback era started around the early to mid 90s and hasn't let up yet. 

>

> Leigh

>

>

> ----- Original Message ----

> From: B. Oliver Sheppard <bigblackhair at sbcglobal.net>

> To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net>

> Sent: Sunday, April 1, 2007 11:27:31 PM

> Subject: Re: [kj] Top 10 and the "throwback" era

>

>

> For my part, I mentioned World Burns to Death in my top 10, whose latest 

> album (_Totalitarian Sodomy_) came out in November, 2006, and whose 

> debut LP was from 2002. Great stuff.

>

> I also like the current New York hardcore band Deathcycle a lot -- 

> http://www.myspace.com/deathcycleny -- but like a lot of recent bands, 

> propelling them into one's Top 10 immediately, without the 20/20 of 

> hindsight and legacy and influence, etc., can be dodgy.

>

> I happen to agree with some writers who've mentioned we're in the 

> "throwback era" of bands: many bands are popular critically or even 

> commercially nowadays mainly in terms of what they're a "throwback" to. 

> (Yes, some exceptions, as always.) I hate that kind of pitiful 

> nostalgia, but I can recognize it is true. Still, there is great music 

> being made today. If this were 1981 I might've said TSOL were in my Top 

> 10. In 1987 I wouldn't have put TSOL in my Top 1000. Now I would put hem 

> in my Top 20 or 30, etc.

>

> -Oliver

>

>   

>>     On Mar 30, 2007, at 8:34 PM, Mik Raven wrote:

>>

>>     

>>>     Much as I love a lot of the bands on most of the top ten lists

>>>     from you all, I do get the feeling that most of the stuff is 80?s

>>>     music. What about today?s bands?

>>>       

>

>