We are entering a golden age if 2015-2016 is any indication

I'm honestly not sure what is so special about the last couple of years as compared to any other period in modern music history. I could just as easily rattle off a bunch of records--some well known, some more obscure--from the early 80s or the late 90s and that claim that that too was another "golden age" in my own personal estimation. Whether or not anyone else would agree with me is another question, but while it's great that he's still finding so many new releases that tickle his fancy, the OP hasn't made a compelling case to me as to what makes these last couple of years better than any other time frame. I tend to agree with those that argue that, in order for it to be a true golden age, there needs to be more innovation and a much broader popular impact. Many of the artists he cites, though talented and enjoyable, strike me more as niche rivalist figures, not necessarily ground breaking game changers.

 

Amazing the amount of sheer naivety there is with certain people on this thread. But, if in their very colorful imagination they feel that this "age" comes even close to 1965/1966, then I suppose that's their right to feel that way.

There's also a flat-earthers group that they can join as well.

-Richard

 

Can't argue with that.

 

Today it seems to be an attempt to out-weird the other guy. I like this back-to-basics approach that music is taking, even though I haven't really latched on to much of it yet.

The one band of the past four or so years that I unabashedly love every single song by is a group called the Old Border out of London. Kind of a Springsteen-meets-Replacements deal. They're all the confirmation I need that great music is still alive... Not that there's a shortage. I still have much exploring to do.

 

True...and I see the vehicle for trying to be weird is the duo..usually guitar and drums..no bass, or a drummer who plays and sings with a guitarist.

I do ask myself, would a guitar/drums duo have been accepted or scorned 20 years ago? The White Stripes certainly had commercial success with it first..unless
I am wrong.

Thanks for the tip on Old Border.

 

I don't care if it's a golden age or not, but for me it's the best time to be a music fan. It's so easy to fine obscure music that is great, whether released now or released sometime in the last 50 years. I'm finding a lot of music I missed in the 80s and 90s because it wasn't as easy to find good, obscure music. I have no problems finding great music being released right now. Of the music in the OP, I've heard three albums, Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott and David Bowie. Of those I only really like the Christian Scott, which I haven't bought yet. The one album I did read about and promptly forget about was Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express: Junun. I'm very interested in it. I'll check out the others was well.

What I really love about music being put out now is that some one can make a list like that and I've heard of so little of it. A friend who's a DJ did a top 25 and it was similar, I'd heard of 1 album. It really is a great time for innovative music. Here's the lists I compiled of my favorite releases from last year, overall top 10 and favorites from various genres. There are a few I could add to these lists that I didn't hear about until the last month. I also still have a few new releases from last year I haven't listened to yet.

Overall top 10

1. Leon Michener - Klavikon - prepared piano and electronics. I can't find any videos from the album but this is outtakes and is as good as what was included.

2. John Zorn - Pellucidar: A Dreamers Fantabula - any Dreamers album will make my top 10 The Dreamers & John Zorn - Gormenghast, 2015. »

3. Ozo - A Kind of Zo - prepared piano and prepared drums A KIND OF ZO, by OZO - PAULO MESQUITA + PEDRO OLIVEIRA »

4. Raoul Bjorkenheim/eCsTaSy - Out Of The Blue - great Finnish guitarist Out Of The Blue, by Raoul Bjorkenheim / eCsTaSy »

5. Kaki King - The Neck Is The Bridge To The Body - one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Just her playing her guitar with loops and effects. In concert, the guitar was mounted on a stand and was video mapped. The Neck Is The Bridge To The Body, by Kaki King » This video shows short clips on the show The Neck is a Bridge to the Body. »

6. Kuniko Kato - Xenakis: IX - One percussionist playing all 6 parts of Xenakis's most accessible work. Kuniko Kato performs 'Peaux' by Xenakis »

7. Niyaz - The Fourth Light - Poetry by an 8th century, female, Sufi mysic poet set to traditional Afghan and Persian instruments and electronics. The Fourth Light, by Niyaz » NIYAZ- Sabza Ba Naz (The Triumph of Love) Official Music Video »

8. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress' (Full Album, 2015) »

9. The Necks - Vertigo - Typical The Necks album, one 45 minute track of improvised music The Necks - Vertigo [Full Album][2015] »

10. International Contemporary Ensemble - Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air - Ambient classical music from Iceland In the Light of Air: I. Luminance »



Avant Garde/Experimental/Hard to classify

1. Leon Michener - Klavikon
2. John Zorn - Pellucidar: A Dreamers Fantabula
3. The Necks - Vertigo
4. James Falzone - The Room Is
5. Colin Stetson/Sarah Neufeld - Never Were The Way She Was
6. ABBILDUNG - All Demons Are Horned
7. John Zorn - Inferno
8. xu(e) - Brown Jenkin
9. Food - This Is Not a Miracle
10. Vajagic/Bates - Early Works

Avant Garde/Experimental/Hard to classify Honorable Mention

Plaistow - Titan
Troum & raison d'être - De Aeris In Sublunaria Influxu
DunningWebsterUnderwood - Bleed
Ikue Mori - Light In the Shadow
Tigue - Peaks
Slobber Puppy - Pole Axe
Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up - After All Is Sad


Classical

1. Kuniko Kato - Xenakis: IX
2. International Contemporary Ensemble - Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air
3. Nordic Affect - Clockworking
4. Roomful of Teeth - Render
5. Peter Gregson - Peter Gregson: Touch
6. Ivan Ilic - Ivan Ilic Plays Morton Feldman
7. Tom Kolor - American Masterpieces for Solo Percussion, Vol. 2
8. Various Artists - Anders Hillborg: Sirens
9. Various Artists - Sally Beamish: The Singing
10. La Reverdie - Venecie mundi splendor: Marvels of Medieval Venice


Classical Honorable Mention

Alexander Schneider - Tobias Michael: Musicalische Seelenlust
The Tallis Scholars - John Taverner: Missa Corona spinea - Dum transisset Sabbatum I and II
Duo Jatekok - Dances
Various Artists - Prestini: Labyrinth Installation Concertos
Del Sol String Quartet - Scrapyard Exotica
Dominic Seldis - Tan Dun: The Wolf (Live)
Nicholas Collon - Objects at an Exhibition: Exploring Science Inspiring Music
Noriko Ogawa - Light, Water, Rainbow...
Various Artists - Niels la Cour: Works for Choir & Organ
Various Artists - Rosing-Schow: Alliages
ZOFO - ZOFO Plays Terry Riley
John Neschling - Respighi: Metamorphoseon
Maxim Rysanov - Maxim Rysanov Plays Martinu
Sitkovesky Trio - Mendelssohn: Piano Trios
Fredrik Ullen - Sorabji: 100 Trancendental Studies Nos. 63-71
Melia Watras - Ispiare


Jazz

1. Ozo - A Kind of Zo
2. Raoul Bjorkenheim/eCsTaSy - Out Of The Blue
3. Henry Threadgill - In For a Penny, In For a Pound
4. David Torn - Only Sky
5. The Spike Orchestra - Cerberus: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 26
6. Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth - Epicenter
7. Charlie Haden/Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Tokyo Adagio
8. En trois couleurs - En trois couleurs
9. The Kandinsky Effect - Somnambulist
10. Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up - After All Is Sad

Jazz Honorable Mention

Ben Monder - Amorphae
Chris Dingman - The Subliminal and the Sublime
Nelson Veras/Airelle Besson - Prelude
Tim Berne - You've Been Watching Me
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Bird Calls
Amir ElSaffar - Crisis
Mary Halvorson - Meltframe
Mette Henriette - Mette Henriette
Vijay Iyer Trio - Break Stuff
Charles Lloyd - Wild Man Dance
Le Rex - Wild Man
Christian McBride Trio - Live at the Village Vanguard
Gary Peacock Trio - Now This
Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet - Intents & Purposes
Soule Monde - Smashed World EP
David Liebman/Marilyn Mazur/Aarhus Jazz Orchestra/Lars Møller - ReWrite of Spring
Dave Douglas - Fabliaux
JAGG - Mecure

Rock

1. Kaki King - The Neck Is The Bridge To The Body
2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress'
3. The Word - Soul Food
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss
5. SONAR - Black Light
6. Frank Zappa - Dance Me This
7. Björk - Vulnicura

King Crimson's THRAK Box is really my favorite rock release from this year, but most of it is reissued.


World

1. Niyaz - The Fourth Light
2. Klezmerson - Amon: John Zorn's Book Of Angels, Vol. 24
3. MyCale - Gomory: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 25
4. Vieux Farka Touré/Julia Easterlin - Touristes
5. Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa
6. Phurpa - Trowo Phurnag Ceremony
7. Stephan Micus - Nomad Songs
8. Céu - Live

 

Strange how people that love music can be so critical of one another when they love slightly different music. Sometimes just doesn't make sense. Seems like we should all be supportive of one another, you know, together holding off the hordes of people that are merely content to listen to whatever is popular, those that just want something that matches the colors in the dining room, but that's definitely not the way of this world, at least on music discussion boards.

 

I sure like music I'm discovering today more than almost any non jazz from 65/66. And I own quite a bit of music from 65/66.

 

I'm not sure what loving music has to do with believing erroneously that there is currently a blossoming "golden age". But continue on your strawman path if you want to, however irrelevant it is.

-Richard

 

I don't even care about innovation. Pretend that 2015 is 1965, then go backwards all the way to pretending that '65 is today. I'm just hoping for innovation that will clean up all the stuff that let's people think they can contribute to music when they really shouldn't. Maybe bad albums are more influential than good albums. Fans have allowed potential artists to spread mediocre music for reasons that are more about relating to each other. Artists today that are about the music would still need to rely on others, but that is also something that gets in their way. Even if you bring back great artists that died young back then, they would more likely become a part of what's going on today. Too much getting in the way. Another thing I've thought about is that today's artists with good influences from the past, are likely to be conscious of it & it affects them in a negative way (not well made like the influence). If they don't have good influences, then that can explain why they aren't good. It's ideal to have good influences, then step out of them to create stuff from yourself.
Music is dealing with many innovating viruses.

 

My favorite album so far this year is Daniel Wohl: Holographic



Holographic, by Daniel Wohl »

 

I just thought the "loving music" part would lead to more respect for others that also love music, but you seem to prove that wrong, no problem from me, it wasn't an attempt to draw out a strawman, just an observation. I'll concede it may be irrelevant.

 

But with that logic, there will never be another "golden age". Clear Channel changed everything. Music is much more about demographics than it was 25+ years ago. If you can't neatly fit into a little checkbox for what the advertisers want to market to, then you're outta luck.

 

Well that ends that then. So what's the problem?

 

Early nineties are up there with the 60's, IMO.

 

Because good music still exists even if you believe 1969 or 1973 or 1978 or some random year well in the rear view mirror was when music lost its relevance?

Clear Channel killed radio in the 90s and has only gotten worse with time. Expecting to rely on radio formats who consider Maroon 5 to be "America's favorite rock band" to introduce you to anything worthwhile is wasting time. The Arctic Monkeys album was actually really popular and had a very successful chart run (spent over 2 years on Billboard despite the biggest single peaking at #77) but US radio never touched it outside of alternative formats and NPR formats that people who write off all modern music obviously never stumbled upon, simply because CC and their demographics were never going to allow stations to spin "Do I Wanna Know" next to some Katy Perry song.

 

The 1890's?

-Richard

 

No.

 

Thanks for taking the time! Impressive list.

You totally had me when you mentioned:

. International Contemporary Ensemble - Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air

It is the only "DXD" recording I own. Love it on a dark, quiet night.

 

On the subject of NPR, how many check those stations out? If you want to dip your toes into modern music but like a safety net where you'll hear old standbys, that format is the best. They're stations for music lovers curated by music lovers. The demographics BS that mainstream stations don't exist here.

A great example to me is The Current from Minnesota Public Radio ». They are very forward minded, stays on the pulse with what is going on right now musically, but also mixes in great music from all eras. You'll hear plenty of Beatles from the 60s, Bowie from the 70s, U2 from the 80s, Nirvana from the 90s, White Stripes from ten years ago, and tons of others mixed in. It's free form at its best and shows what we have to be excited for in music in 2016 but also doesn't ignore the great music behind us as well. Just look at the "played" lists... a great mixture of old and modern... where else can hear Savages, Pink Floyd, Prince and Ty Seagall in the same block?

From Louisville, 91.9 WFPK Radio Louisville » is the local go to one... a little more into roots-rock and the sort, but again, a great mixture of music back 50 years and still into the present.

 

Don't you have a Beatles' picture to post in that other thread?

 

Thread just keeps on giving. Now we're told that having an appreciation for music too far away from the '65~'66 era is "sheer naivety [sic]".

Ignorance = wisdom.

 

I love that they think that all of us who enjoy new music are just like the millennial Katy Perry fans who think The Stones are "primitive". Can't box us all in... unless you want to be all considered those Monkees fans who booed Jimi Hendrix off the stage in 1967

Any serious music lover of 2016 music still likes or at least has a measure of respect for the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Who, Hendrix, Aretha, Motown and everything else great that came out of the 60s. It's just that we didn't close our window off to music after those years came to a stop.

 

Where exactly did he say that? my freind. All he said/implied was that comparison itself was naive. Please though, keep spouting your nonsense, it makes you look real great.

 

How strange that you think we're "naive" because we like new music as well as older music. Could you explain why you think that is? What makes us naive in your mind?