"Artists, especially new ones trying to break through, actually started changing how they composed to play better in the algorithmically driven streaming era. Songs got shorter, albums got longer, and intros went away. The hook got pushed to the front of the song to try to grab listeners’ attention immediately, and things like guitar solos all but disappeared from pop music. "
IDK; I was an indiehead basically forever, and i mean that in the truest sense of the word: not a specific style but music that is independent of big industry, big algorithm, big platform.
This used to involve reading that one indie magazine, listening to late night radio shows & going to gigs in small venues.
Now it’s still about listening to certain niche (internet) radio stations, going on Bandcamp, or checking out what other fediversists recommend.
Still going to local gigs.
Keeping your ears open.
My point? There’s plenty great current music in my life, and the mainstream - that was always going to the dogs 🤷
The mainstream was never where the real action was at.
Here, here! Too often I listen to people complain: “There’s no good music anymore.”/“They don’t make music like they used to.” Yes they do and yes there is. You just have to look for it. It’s quite easy if you’re actually interested. Read comments of posts and music clips. Local gigs and see the support acts. Search like bands and use Wikipedia to search bands/acts in certain genre… Your options are nearly endless.
I also don’t need constant discovery. I have plenty of music that I listen to, and if it’s good music I actually want to listen to it many times over.
it used to be that listening to the radio was our constant discovery. That used to be the easy part.
I still listen to college music stations all of the time. They aren’t selling anything, just playing the stuff they like.
Hmmm. Building on what I said earlier, it was a certain once a week late night programme geared towards people like me.
But internet radio has changed all that of course - made it easier.
Podcasts still exist for this kind of thing, which is a comfort.