So I like to think I have good taste in music. I feel like I listen to stuff all over the board,though I do have some niche’s I naturally stray to. And because of ‘natural selection’ if you will, I believe I have a good hold on the genre’s that are included in these niches.
For example, I listen to what is considered alternative hip hop. Included in this genre, I’d say is alot of Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Theophilus London, Cee-Lo, prolly Asher Roth and Outkast and others. Artists who ‘rap’ but aren’t really ‘rappers’. And honestly? I hope more head this way, cause I am personally tired of all the ‘hardcore’, ‘gangsta’, ‘trapmusik’ rap, which is very generously put under the title of ‘music’. Not to say I don’t appreciate a good club-banger every now and then, but just lookin at Gucci and Waka I’m crossin my fingers hoping that hip hop doesn’t go that route.
And this is probably the reason why G.O.O.D. Music is my favorite music production company. They have Common, Mos Def, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Hr. Hudson and the list goes on. All very respectable, very good artists; emphasis on artists. In my opinion, they are the future (and thank god for that). And in second place, I’d say Roc Nation has it. Wale, J.Cole and Jay Electronica have a big future, if not just because Jay-Z is behind them. Who doesn’t succeed when lead by Jay? I mean really.
I’m pretty positive I’ve digressed considerably the past two paragraphs, but you know what? Check that url; this thing is mine and Ima do what I want. /hatersgonhate
Back to what I want to talk about, when artists kinda switch niches or genres inbetween albums. For example,.ome of my favorite bands of all time are Kings of Leon and the Killers. Not just because they are good. But they have changed/evolved.
I got hooked on the Kings when I heard Only by the Night, right? Like so many others. Well, as I pretty much stalk their wiki page and all, I see that that WASN’T their first album. Le gasp! Their first was Youth anf Young Manhood, which let me just tell you. sounds NOTHING like them at all. I could tell they were a Nashville band, when Caleb sounded like Johnny Cash. I was blown away. And now consequently, I think I may add some Cash to my iPod. And you know thats what I like. When one artist or band leads me to another. Because I can guarantee you, I would not have picked up a Johnny Cash album if I hadn’t heard what I heard.
The Killers have done similiarly except, I think they kinda grew up into what they wanted. The first album while good, was like a precursor to P!ATD. But then Sam’s Town and Day and Age (haven’t heard Sawdust yet), were like bam! to me. And when bands grow up like that and find out what they want to do, it’s something like I imagine raising a kid is like, you know? It’s inspiring and heart-warming.
I didn’t mention this before, but what really sparked this whole commentary, was the fact that the Phoenix from ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ was not the same Phoenix from ‘Alphabetical’…..and I liked it. They are completely different sounds to me. WAP is more like Muse- more rockish, when Alphabetical is like Active Child or Jonsi, more chill. I was just….mmmm.
I’m happy with my music, and the direction music is going right now, regardless of what older generations think. So I think the next couple of posts will be about the music in my iTunes, in hopes of spreading the music around.