What do you hate about [insert genre/subgenre here] and how can we change your mind?
 

I know Urban hates these "clone threads", but the original was mine and this widens the scope much further.

What genres/types of music can you not stand, not get into? What stops you? Do you want to try? What would you like to hear, or be told?

I'd ask everyone who wants to participate to be polite and tolerant, and mindful that not everyone likes their music, no matter how much they love it. So no "How can you not like genre X?" or "Genre Y rocks: you're stupid!" types of posts please.

Also, try to take on board what it is someone does not like about your genre and focus on other aspects they may enjoy. For instance, someone saying "I hate prog cos of long keyboard solos" is unlikely to want to hear ELP, Yes or Genesis, whereas maybe something like maybe King Crimsons or Lunatic Soul may be more to their liking. Similarly, someone who hates long songs is not going to be very responsive to, say, "Supper's ready" or "A plague of lighthouse keepers", but they might find something in "Horizons" or "A passage to Bangkok". Try to help, not force someone to enjoy your music.

Personally, hip-hop (formerly rap) has always been a big turn-off for me. As a youth I used to think "What's so great about speaking to music?" A very young and uninformed position, yes, and I've learned over the years that there's far more to it than just talking: there's a fluidity, a flow and a rhythm to how the words are spoken, often almost sung or like recited poetry, and I certainly accept and allow that most rappers are great artistes who are very talented and well respected, and that not everyone can do what they do. In fact, I've seen people try to rap who haven't a clue, and it's painful, so that when you hear a proper rapper the difference is worlds apart.

So what do I still not like about hip-hop? Well, there's the general misogyny in many of the lyrics, the use of expletives, the focus on gang culture, rape and other violent metaphors. There's the fact it seems always to be angry or judgemental (probably with good cause in fairness) and I'm also not a fan of what seems to me to be unimaginative use of keyboards in the music. Also, the fact there is seldom if ever guitar (is there?) in the songs, the overuse of samples, the dearth of ballads (that I know of) and I guess also the general idea that it's hard to understand what they're singing about or put myself in their shoes, since I have no clue about their lives and lifestyles, never even having visited America.

That's probably an oversimplification, but I've listened to one Kanye album and thought it was ok, hated another. I didn't like Kendrick Lamar but could listen to Ce-Lo Green. So maybe there is something in there, some middle ground I'm not aware of, that could work for me.

Personally, I'd prefer if you're going to try to convince me that you use single songs, as my in-tray is very full and I have no time to listen to full albums in the hope I may like them.

Obviously, any number of attempts to convince members can be run at once; if someone want to try to turn me on to hip-hop and someone else is anxious to get into darkwave, for instance, there's no reason these two efforts (or more) can't run concurrently.

So, who wants to try? Or who has issues with what music?

I'm not really a fan of modern R&B. By "modern" I mean 80s through the present. Generally I find the instrumentation to be cheesy, the vocals overwrought, the production bland, and the songwriting flat and boring. I do like some things that modern R&B is related to—such as 50s/60s/70s R&B, hip hop, and acid jazz—so that's a possible inroad for me I guess.

Which Kendrick album did you listen to? Because To Pimp A Butterfly was imo an excellent album much better than anything else he has put out.

For me I can't really get into new age music at all. Something about the production style and clean playing makes me bored when litstening to it. Everything about it just makes me stand more adamantly on my position. Besides that I don't really hate any other genres I've tried exploring.

I agree that a lot of new age has a really cheesy component to it. You might want to check out some early William Ackerman though. This is from the 70s, so it was a little before new age had the scented candle identity it has now. It's simple, just guitar, and feels a little like classical guitar but with a folk sensibility.

I'll check this out for sure, I've always wanted to find some good in the genre.

I hate it when people say there's misogyny in hip-hop, I just think that's such an uninformed opinion though. Spoken word and other hip-hop/rap with a positive message was common, although not entirely as popular as the grittier more violent stuff that hit in the late 80's and early 90's. If you want stuff with a positive message go listen to Main Source or De La Soul. Lupe Fiasco just released an album dealing with social problems in it's entirety. The whole bling era that the genre is associated with is dying out anyway. A lot of hip hop also has decidedly a rather neutral stance in it's lyrics.

To answer your question though, a lot of rock for me is not really my taste. I can't stand metal or anything too noisy, just as you said in another thread you posted. Funk is mainly what I enjoy, for it's melody and infectious groove that isn't too hard on the ears.

I get what you mean though, new age has a bit of an old people stigma against it. But actually Kitaro makes some pretty awesome stuff.

That one
Or you could try some Tom Newman

Admittedly I don't know enough hip-hop to make that assertion, but even the little I've heard has nothing but titties, bitch, ass and that sort of stuff. Certainly sounds misogynist, at least to my inexperienced ear. I mean, you could not say the same about AOR, prog or even funk, but I think if one genre is in the firing line about this it is certainly hip-hop.

Says the guy who listens to metal :laughing:

TH, what do you think of these older rap songs?



^^ My fav.



I never seek rap/hip-hop out, but have come across some of them from time to time. I remember liking some Master P as well when he was popular.

Yeah but when we do it it's classy! ;)
Actually yeah, it's a good point: there's a lot of misogyny in metal. But then you have tracks like this:

https://hhbrady.files.wordpress.com/...eral-cover.jpg

classy indeed

An example. Not the most definitive track on the album, but has a good message nonetheless. All I'm trying to say is, that positive hip-hop is certainly not uncommon at all.

Yeah the whole mysoginistic thing is kind if dying out and you have people like Shabazz Palaces becoming more of the norm. It's still there, but not nearly as much relavancy.

There's not a single genre that doesn't have brilliance mixed in with complete ****e. The ratio varies though.

I've never heard anyone describe St. Germaine as R&B before.

Oh I'm sure it's there. I'm just saying the prevalent view of hip-hop is, or has been, putting women down for the most part. It's one of the things that drives me away from exploring it. I don't really want to hear six songs about how big a guy's dick is or how many women he has on the go at the same time, y'know?
Well that's good if the trend is to move away from it. That can only help.

To semi-address Urban's point about metal (supposedly Batty will jump in if he happens to wander by and sees the words "titties" and "metal"... :laughing:) I feel that, for the most part, metal tends to use a sort of tongue-in-cheek version, the same way blues did and some other genres. I could very well be wrong, but in general, hip-hop (what I've heard) seems to be more in earnest, more angry.

Then of course, there's Slayer and that wonderful lyric, dedicated to his fiance I think? "Why don't you just **** off and die?" ;)

Oh, I should mention you can also use this thread to get people into, or express your aversion to, certain artistes rather than just genres.

I was referring more to how you wanted some Acid Jazz. I would of thought that was pretty obvious since I used a quote of yours.

Sounds like you misunderstood my post. I was talking about how I have a hard time getting into modern R&B. I was also saying, however, that I'm a fan of some music which is related to modern R&B, such as acid jazz, so that might be helpful for a direction of approach for anyone who wanted to try to sell me on modern R&B.

One genre I've attempted to listen to but haven't really been able to get into is Grindcore. As far as full albums go, I've only really listened to Napalm Death's Scum and Apex Predator,but whenever I see a grindcore song linked on this forum, I make an effort to at least listen to it once. Although I haven't been too crazy about the few songs I've heard, I definitely can feel the aggression and feel like there has to be at least a few bands of the sort that I'd enjoy. Any suggestions that might allow me to get into the genre a bit?

ohhh right ok.

I have a few recs for you Trollheart. Hope you can find the time to listen to them, curious to hear what ya think, even if you don't like em. I think they do a pretty good job of avoiding the things you dislike about rap:

I've included lyrics in the spoilers so you can follow along if you have trouble.

I've been finding myself listening to more electronic-esque type music, but if you had asked me a year ago if I liked the genre, I would've said I don't like it. As for genres I don't like? I'd have to go with country and rap. Those have been two genres I can never seem to get into, even though I know a few songs that I like from those genres. However, as a genre on it's own, I just wouldn't say I like them.

cant really say I "hate" genres, but I certainly don't listen to rock n roll or country very much. I can tolerate them but neither are music that I listen to in my spare time.

actually add indie folk into that mix as well. indie rock too maybe but I do really love some indie bands, but that's getting less and less common.

Not a lot I hate... I mean there are certain sub genres within metal that I just think sound rediculous... but from what I've seen metal is a weird genre with a billion sub genres that don't really sound all that alike. Like I have a friend who's a metal head and pretty much listens to nothing but metal and he once showed me a band called messhugga and I just went "ugh no"

But I'd have to say one thing that really annoys me in country music is all of the songs that sound extremely similar. Not just musically but lyrically, it's always a break up or some relationship thing, getting drunk with friends, working on the farm or something along those lines, or at least most of the country I've heard is like that.

Okay, so I hate power metal that's super obnoxious, cheesy, nerdy as all holyfwckmyanus, and all the other stereotypical reasons to hate power metal. These are stereotypes that are in place because they are an example of an opinion being incredibly popular because it's right you ****ing idiot.

So show me some dank ass power metal and I'll only insult 95% of the genre from now on.

Maybe the aversion to Power Metal you seemed to express was somewhat made in hyperbole? Otherwise, I'm unsure if I could actually ever recommend something from the genre to you with success.

I don't see much of an issue with general 'nerdiness' in the music, depending on what you mean by that. If you could express it to a more precise point, maybe made with some examples that could help in letting me narrow down selections. I get that a lot of it's at least a bit cheesy, though that's not something exclusive to Power Metal I understand the sub-genre seems to cultivate it a fair bit more than others. I've just found that there's a decent bit of PM out there which's really worth tolerating some cheese (in lyrics) for the underlying songwriting. If it's also how sometimes the songwriting can be somewhat over-the-top in trying to convey a sense of epicness, (which I figure is also the case) then that would be good to really know since I could try to narrow things down further, though I'm doubtful if I could find anything in the genre which is 100% free of cheese or 'nerdiness.'

Some years ago I had also been quite averse to how I had seen much Power Metal at a time as very cheesy, however given some time I gave some more of it a chance and found an ability to enjoy more of it for other reasons which were worth tolerating the cheese of it, for the enjoyable aspects. I still don't care for a pretty big portion of the genre, but if you're so repelled by any bit of cheesiness in bands from the genre then most of it will probably remain unappealing. To me, sometimes the 'nerdiness,' and epic/fantasy related stuff is enjoyable when executed well, which may have been the key component in myself being able to grow my taste in the genre and learn to tolerate stuff I found cheesier. If the idea of fantasy/epic lyrics and general 'nerdiness' is automatically repulsive under any normal circumstance, then it might just not be something you could get into.


Here are some recommendations (some of which aren't really pure Power Metal, but holds enough resemblance to be included.)

Persuader - When Eden Burns

Demons & Wizards - Heaven Denies

Demons & Wizards - Fiddler on the Green

Angra - Winds of Destination

Lost Horizon - Think Not Forever

Blind Guardian - Age of False Innocence

Visigoth - Blood Sacrifice

Ascension - The Time Machine (This one I'm most doubtful of you enjoying, but posted for the sake of gauging what you thought of it compared to the other selections, to get an idea on what you prefer if you happen to like any of these.)

And don't forget Manowar! :laughing: