To answer CajunBlues original question as to why there is such a difference after Nirvana, I say there are two things:
The Internet and Home Recording
Before the mid-1990's, if a new band came out or a new trend was starting, you only heard it on the radio or MTV. You might have read about a group in a music magazine, but you really didn't know what they sounded like until you bought or borrowed their record (if they got no airplay).
Related to that, there were a number of independent labels, but distribution was iffy at best, so you might have had to go to the ends of the earth to get the record in person or send off for it, sight unseen (or sound unheard, whichever the case may be).
When the Internet came along, you could conceivably hear all or most of an artists' output (especially after higher download speeds became available) with much less muss & fuss.
Basically, before the Internet, you were at the mercy of radio stations, MTV, music magazines and your own geography to discover new music.

Likewise, outside of the occasional guy who had a Tascam multi-track cassette recorder (which at best sounded like poo) or an old reel-to-reel recorder and a lot of patience, home recording was for the rich and famous (Jimmy Page, the Stones).
In the early '00s, multitrack digital recorders became reasonably priced and started sounding good as well (early digital was sterile and brittle). My drummer & I bought a incomplete and refurbished Korg 16-track digital console in 2005, added the necessary parts, and we were the Cat's Meow...nobody amongst our friends had anything in the neighborhood of such a machine--we have recorded many things on it, but now our machine and our technology is old hat and archaic. Everything we have could be done with a mid-priced computer and some free software.
The availability of good home recording devices is good and bad. The good news is, Anybody can record their band.
The bad news is, Anybody can record their band.
The record labels didn't get things right all the time, and there were great bands who never "made it" before good home recordings were possible, but nowadays there's a lot of crap that should never have made it onto any type of musical medium--CD, digital, or otherwise. Little Johnny and Janie's band immediately records and streams their latest "creation" onto YouTube or some other file sharing medium and dear Lord, we're all subjected to something that should never have seen the light of day...

Thus, since every good and bad song, every sub-sub-sub-genre and every artist-good or bad--has their own method of exposure, the entire music scene has become fractured and sub-divided to the point that there are very few artists or genres that have cross-generational, cross-genre appeal...unless it's so innocuous and watered down that no one can find fault with it.

One other thing...hip-hop has taken over pop. When a genre/lifestyle/movement as divisive as hip-hop is in control, there's going to be even more stuff that many of us--myself included--that just turn it off and search elsewhere.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Yea, I kind of want the internet to be shut down, or restricted to the point of actually having to play gigs to get notoriety. Honestly, I want a time machine, and the ability to take my friends to the earliest punk scenes possible. Because that's where we feel we belong.

Unrelated post: My friend just told me he wants to buy a short bus so he can hotbox it.

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Considering the shortage of venues paying for live music, that would be a terrible idea. The bands and individuals who are willing to play for nothing or even pay to play would end up crowding out a lot of legitimate bands and players...and most of those free/paying bands would be lousy.

You belong on a short bus if you are hotboxing.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

A lot of the local bands have turned into wannabe metal and overall crap. Still better than going to a venue for "Battle of the DJs" (a local special...)

The reason he told me about it is because he needed a price on one because he knows I know this stuff cause my mom drives em. I gave it to him straight, 100k for a brand new one.

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

This should make the Armidillo roll up screaming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYgOlqin ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwWPadF ... re=related

I'd like to add a couple more to that sacharin nausea of pop muzak.

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, ( last time I heard it I was in an elevator with nowhere to go but Up and Down...

The Final Countdown...By Europe...( I think Greece is playing that as a theme )

BTW....Yummi..YUm... was done by the Ohio Express and written by who else but....
Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine........I feel ill...

_________________
"C'est parti mon Kiki "

WOAOW !!
Just impressed by SA 's writing skills -and his engagement . And I think he has got it right, I can agree with most of his points. Except I cannot share his taste for about 10 % of the mentioned artists Luckily there are some differences in taste.
And that is what it's all about ! Well , really , not all. Here are some of mine thoughts about this : As I am getting older , I have understood that there are not so many 'inventors' amongst us human beings - most of us are 'followers'.
That means most people just follow trends. Also musical trends , without giving it a second thought. These days I can not see that ROCK is a trend . Pop music nowadays is HipHop , R'n'B and some electronica-inspired things , IMO.(and country )
I still feel strongly related to rock music , and will always love it,play it.... But I can also enjoy several other styles of music , even experimenting w crossover genres myself - and love doing it. Getting inspired by the young and 'furious' fearless musicians out there.
And I think it is a good thing that anyone can publish their music . We can still choose to turn it off , or look elsewhere .
Earlier it was necessary to get a record deal to be heard. And the Record company would support their artists also in bad times ( for a while , at least!) And they were putting out albums . Today the same companies throw their artists away if they cannot get a second hit , because the HIT is the only thing that matters. So the artists earlier got some more time to mature , and that's an advantage!
But I agree that there has always been really bad music. I guess , most of it is forgotten . Maybe that is why we look back to 'the old days' - and think everything seemed more pure and good! But the bad music was always there. Time is like a sanitizing filter !
It also looks that we for a long time have been in a period where the RHYTM is the most in focus
-as it earlier was more focus to the melody . I think that is going to change again.
But we have to let the music evolve , as we still enjoy and let us inspire by the past masters !
As time goes by , we will find that it was made plenty good music , also in 2012 ( but we also were exposed to a lot more of the bad stuff , tan ever )

LONG LIVE ROCK'n ROLL!
(-and I love Nirvana !)

_________________
A-man

Is coldplay supposed to be rock music ? I don't really relate to them either...

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

No, Coldplay is just trash.

_________________
Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Coldplay were good until Chris Martin stopped writing songs and started just covering himself and his band mates in fluorescent paint instead.

_________________
Rated "M" for meaty.

I'm really diggin' the Reggae scene these days. There are so many good bands emerging with a nice creativity. It's not exactly a guitar driven genre. But does everything have to be? Here are a few U.S. bands that are making some great music. I'm glad to be a part of the scene. We're friends with the first 3 bands. We'll be playing with Soja next weekend. Can't wait to meet them and hang out. It's gonna be awesome!!


Fortunate youth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSqIdu-jlso

Stranger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDZOHSLo698

Tribal seeds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoON3jwUioY

Soja
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X572Mp_r46E

_________________

I think it's worth considering that The Beatles, considered one of the greatest bands of all time, released 6 albums in 3 years and toured throughout.

If a band is musically prolific, I don't see the problem with multiple albums.

Tommy Bolin was a perfect example. In 6 years time his contribution was Zephyr, Billy Cobham's Spectrum, James Gang ( replaced Joe Walsh ), Deep Purple ( replaced Richie Blackmore ) and two incredible solo albums, just a look at who is playing on those solo albums is impressive.
In both band instances it was unquestionably a different sound for both bands, which took them in a separate musical direction instead of having a guitarist come in and play everything note for note ( a clone ) This is actually why I often stop listening to some bands who have personel changes. From a personel change I want to hear a fresh new direction, not some clone robotic playing. It is after all music, not a Memorex experiment.

I wish I had the time to be able to be in a band...

_________________
"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I don't even listen to new music nowadays,we just play live music and do what we like and forget the rest,the newest songs we do are "Jeremy" and "Evenflow" by Pearl Jam,and just a couple others of the same era.
...we don't need any other musician's influence except the guys we're playing with,who are pros of the highest order,I'm probably the least talented guy onstage ...we're not touring but we stay busy...someday if my son hooks up with a touring band I'm going to play the blues.
There comes a time when as a musician,you become a music snob as somebody said and scoff at the mainstream people who can't find their azz with both hands....while you still find other musicians who are very talented and are impressed but most people don't even know who they are.
Then you do your own style even when covering other's material,and put your stamp on it...then you are somewhat fulfilled.

No, it really doesn't.

_________________
Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Lots of reasons for the perception that music in general is going down the tubes:

1) Yes, I think some of it has to do with simply getting older. There are only so many different combiations of chords and melodies. Even when I hear new artists that I like (like Gotye) I tend to think, "wow, that's great, but it kind of sounds like someone else I've aleady heard," (in the case of Gotye -- Sting or Peter Gabriel). I am grateful when I find a new song or artist that I like because it just doesn't happen nearly as often as it did when I was 13 or 14. The music we get into in our formative years tends to shape the music that we like the rest of our lives, I think.

2) Terrestrial radio is utter garbage. Today's radio stations play only horrible top 40 or the same ol' songs from 25, 35 or 45 years ago. There is absolutely no risk taking on the part of the program directors. Since getting sattelite radio in my car, I've completely stopped listening to the local stations (except for the AM news and sports stations).

3) Good music is harder to find. I believe there are lots of great new artists out there, but you have to work harder to seek them out (because, once again, FM radio is utter garbage). This generally means going onto Youtube, bringing up an artist that you like and then clicking on a recommended video on the right-hand side of the screen. Or regularly going onto sites like Pitchfork.com. You're simply less likely to stumble onto a great song by accident these days.

4) The destruction of the album. I don't know too many people these days who buy entire albums, or even sit down and listen to a complete album from beginning to end. We simply cherrypick the songs we like and download them onto our iPods. Music has become background noise, something we have on while we're working out or washing the dishes. In such an environment, it is increasingly difficult to find artists who even bother putting together a collection of good songs for a solid album.

5) The rise of electronic music and Protools. Don't get me wrong: I love a lot of electronic music. When it's done well, it can be pretty awesome. But because it's relatively easy to loop a drumbeat and a baseline onto a computer and then slap some samples over it, there are a lot of people who fancy themselves as 'eletronic musicians' simpy because they own a computer and a Yamaha keyboard. I think there's something to be said for all the discipline and hard work that is required to learn an actual instrument like a guitar or a piano.