Frownland

RE: Question One

I don't think anyone here listens to Qamar. They put on a great live performance.

https://soundcloud.com/qamarmusic/sets/qamar-tfaadpo
https://soundcloud.com/qamarmusic/ra...from-rehearsal
https://soundcloud.com/qamarmusic/fa-fa-ashara

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Blank.

Horseburner has some pretty rad tunes.





I don't think a song has ever moved me to tears.



Anything with Kurt Cobain really.

Insert SOA tracks here.

Aloysius

I should have remembered that you are on this forum, meaning that to answer question 1 correctly it has to be something pretty obscure. I'll change my choice to Adelaide (ex Canberra) band The Bedridden.

Dylstew

Nice thread.

There's likely something I've listened to no one here knows about. In fact, with the amount of music out there, there, I think any of the regulars here have a few of such bands they stumbled upon when trying to find new stuff. I doubt anyone would know "cuddlefish", just some typical pop punk but with really gritty screamy vocals, and there's only like 3 songs.
https://cuddlefish.bandcamp.com. Not the most interesting thing that would maybe qualify but whatever, I have a fetish for happy punk music with harsh vocals.

As for 2, I found a new song that brings me to tears recently, and was just listening to it. Weirdly, it's not even a properly recorded song. It's just some guy ****ing around over at youtube : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G1HOqZ21YQ8. It's a piece of twinkly emo guitar. Emo has never really hit me like that, yet somehow this piece did it for me.

As for 3, I still think Arcarsenal by At the Drive in is one of the best vocal performances ever. It may sound silly but it has given me chills. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lmTSQZjR3DE

The most boring vocals have to go to some of those indie rock bands last fm recommends me because I like post-hardcore. My god are down beat indie rock bands boring. I can't remember any of em.

MicShazam

It's always the same: If I feel like a vocal performance or musical passage is mindblowing or otherwise top-level amazing material for me, then I never feel like it seems like it's really all that special on the surface, if I think about showing it to anyone. If someone asked me: "What's a vocal performance that really sends chills down your spine?" I would have a hard time picking one, even thought there's plenty, because I would feel like they weren't really anything special more "objectively" speaking, on the face of it.

It just goes to show that what makes music so amazing is pretty much always hard to put into words and always heavily subjective. If you could be inside my mind when I hear certain things, I would feel like I could really show you what is awesome about something. Anything less than that feels like a hopeless attempts at conveying what's so great about whatever song I love.

Dylstew

I feel ya man. There's this part of me that knows how I might have felt about it given another context or taste, especially as I seem to be able to kind of turn the emotions off and look at it from a stoic perspective. It's like as you said, it ''objectively'' doesn't seem that impressive or anything compared to plenty of other songs, but it just strikes a particular chord with you. I think for most people, 95% of songs aren't going to hit them right away. Remember when you said loving music slowly creeps up on you?

While sometimes there's a song that instantly clicks, often to really get attached to music instead of just tolerating it, you need to familiarize yourself with it. And sometimes you also need to get used to something that may not be in your comfort zone. It's like getting to know a person, we often need to spend more time with them before we start caring, because otherwise we'd care too much about every little problem anyone has in the world.

We should probably be less ashamed of what we recommend as touching us just because we know the other isn't likely to be as touched, because what matters is that it was good enough to get you attached over time when you were in the right mood and mindset. Some music defenitely doesn't get better with more listening and some even just get worse. And ofcourse, it's also just a cool thing everyone has their own songs that touch them, without it having all that much logical reason. We all have preferences, but It's just a feeling that developed sometimes. That, in a way, is actually similar to loving a person.

My god that got cheesy, incoherent and overly long real quick.

MicShazam

Cheesy or not, it's pretty much true.

About the bolded line: Just earlier this evening, I showed a song I've been into a lot lately to a friend and he said that "it wasn't anything special". I pretty much agreed with it, because it's kinda true. I had it on a playlist for a long time and now I'm really appreciating it, even though it's hard to point to any specific part of it as a good "selling point".

For reference, it was this song:



By all means quite unremarkable, but I really like it

Dylstew

I can see what both of you mean. On one hand, it's quite by the numbers for modern metal and nothing unique or ambitious. You could defenitely call it generic. On the other hand, it is well executed, has hooks (when compared to certain types of music", and the different parts fit well enough/are paced well enough. On first glance, it definitely isn't going to convince anyone they have something over other artists, but because it's competently made if you familiarize yourself with it and you're in the mood I could see someone getting attached.

Unrelated to your post specifically, but Expectation has a lot to do with reactions too. If you scream something is the best thing ever, it better have something cool about it that sticks out right away that also at that moment happens to appeal to them already, or else thee other person's gonna be like "what? What's so special about this?" And like it less than they otherwise would, as otherwise they may think "Hey, this is okay" and let it grow on them.

MicShazam

Plus it's hard to explain what it is the song has that I connect with. There's just something subtly appealing to me about her voice and the melodies. It strikes a chord with me, but I can't really describe it well - especially when it's this really subtle shade to it that makes all the difference.

I think I tend to overcompensate for that to the point where I undersell things to people. I could tell a friend to see a movie because it's "pretty good. Got some good acting. Not the best from the director, but uhh.. I liked it fairly much" - while it's a movie that I actually really, really loved

Neapolitan

I remember the time I played Águas de Março in plug.dj and Roxy said Elis Regina was sexy.


(1) Is there an artist whose music you appreciate that you are convinced not a single person on MB has ever heard about?
Whenever I am tempted to think that I figure there is always a possibility that at least one person the board knows them. The age range on MB is pretty wide. It's tough getting anything pass rotasi, Goofle or Paul Smeenus. If there is an artist I know that no one else knows I rather keep them to myself as long as possible. When talking about my favorite bands I don't know what's worse, criticism or indifference.

(2) Are there any songs that nearly move you to tears every time you hear them?

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now (Live, 1970)


Gregory and the Hawk - Oats We Sow


(3) What are some songs where you feel like the singer(s) pulls off an exceptionally amazing performance? Subjectively speaking,
not necessarily in terms of technique or range, although it can also be for that exact reason.
I love the way Blind Willie McTell talks, he has a great speaking voice. When he sings everything comes through like his accent, his personality. He doesn't recite lyrics he sings a story.

Blind Willie McTell - Kill It Kid


Some people think only hip hop singer have flow,
well they probably never met Hank Snow.

Hank Snow - I've Been Everywhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kGHmIZ4IUY


I guess some people think of the B-52's not as a serious band, probably more like a party band, but Cindy Wilson sings her heart out on this song.
the B-52's - Give Me Back My Man


Elis is singing about about ordinary things like a stick, a stone, the end of a road, but does it with such emotion it becomes metaphysical.
Elis Regina, Águas de Março

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