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Coldplay Is One of the Last Greats Left

Sonically, unlike so many major label "noise-war" disasters, the new Coldplay album is pretty interesting. It's a claustrophobic cocoon of newer Logic plugins used in a very insular and reverb'd way to fit with the floaty ghost theme. As for the content, eh, it's Coldplay. Criticizing them is like punching a dead puppy in the face. I mean why bother? They're inoffensive enough for a mainstream rock band, they make catchy little songs, and don't try to be anything more then comfort food.

For a truly great, somewhat challenging album, try Owen Pallett's new solo record "In Conflict", who is a member of Arcade Fire (a co-writer and string arranger). You'll truly be rewarded with an amazing record, surely deserving what will likely be an onslaught of praise (he was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for the soundtrack to Her). Since these are all groups with vague but strong Apple connections, I think it's totally worth discussing here.
 
okwhatev said:
Sonically, unlike so many major label "noise-war" disasters, the new Coldplay album is pretty interesting. It's a claustrophobic cocoon of newer Logic plugins used in a very insular and reverb'd way to fit with the floaty ghost theme. As for the content, eh, it's Coldplay. Criticizing them is like punching a dead puppy in the face. I mean why bother? They're inoffensive enough for a mainstream rock band, they make catchy little songs, and don't try to be anything more then comfort food.

For a truly great, somewhat challenging album, try Owen Pallett's new solo record "In Conflict", who is a member of Arcade Fire (a co-writer and string arranger). You'll truly be rewarded with an amazing record, surely deserving what will likely be an onslaught of praise (he was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for the soundtrack to Her). Since these are all groups with vague but strong Apple connections, I think it's totally worth discussing here.
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Terrific post ... bold added for emphasis on the funny. :)

Also, thanks for the recommendation, I will definitely check that out.
 
They were good until after Vida La Vida. Then the band crawled up Chris Martin's arse and died.
 
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barkmonster said:
It's also pretentious and relies on the kind of clueless presumptious about the ease other means of making music actually is to give it any creative credibility. There's as much awesome rock/metal with geninue musicianship and song writing that isn't the same generic fluff about relationships and the human condition as any pop garbage with a genre irrelevant backing track as there is pop with guitars dressed as something it isn't, leaching creative credibility off other artists simply by association of the standardised, decade-irrelevant combination of instruments used.

To make it clear, besides sampling and bragging over it like Retards Attempting Poetry have been doing for decades, there's nothing more "real" about using guitars, pianos, classical session musicians etc... than using racks of synths or even the software equivalent. Music doesn't make itself. There's no "talent" or "creativity" plug-in. You can hear the typical guitar obsessives view and knowlege of synth-based music perfectly by listening to "Engines of Creation" by Joe Satriani. He's one of the best guitarists in the world, yet give him a few synths to put over it and it's lift music but the "real music" blowhards think he's changed the world!

Nobody likes EDM apart from 12 year old kids and adults with equal depth. It's an embarassment to the entire dance/electronic genre and would have died a death years ago without all the guest vocals from R&B (That NEVER will be Rhythm & Blues) singers etc... It's got nothing to do with the House from Chicago, Garage from New York (not that UK, 2-step stuff) or Techno from Detroit. It's just pathetic generic noises with cheesy build ups and breakdowns designed for maximum appeal to the same idiots with a 3 minutes attention span who make the likes of Justin Beiber millionaires.
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I'm 16, I like certain EDM.

I also like hard dance, dubstep, chill step and, rarely pop. So am I an idiot with 3 minute span too? Maybe its to do with my ADHD...
 
TechGod said:
I'm 16, I like certain EDM.

I also like hard dance, dubstep, chill step and, rarely pop. So am I an idiot with 3 minute span too? Maybe its to do with my ADHD...
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You already know how to tell the difference between manufactured garbage and actual dance music though because you're mentioning some solid genres of it there.

EDM is nothing more than cliqued build up effects and a few over-used sounds here and there from underground dance music fitted into a pop package. Just listen to ANY form of manufactured pop music, it follows the same formula, just the backing music is different.

With "artists" like Will.I.Am sampling actual dance music artists like Arty and Mat Zo to rip off their sound and profit from it (Mat Zo made under $5000 from his own album) you must see the difference.

This hillarious video illustrates my point about EDM "artists".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCawU6BE8P8

And here's 16 "EDM" tunes someone mixed into 1 minute of sound-a-like shame for comedic effect that illustrates my point perfectly.

https://soundcloud.com/daleri/epic-mashleg

The damage EDM does to ALL forms of electronic music is it gives the "real music" blowhards another way to stuff it into one genre and generalise. First they hear hip hop and don't know the difference between that and dance music because it doesn't involve guitars so they call it all "rave" and claim it's just a bunch of samples, then they call it "techno" and claim it's just pushing buttons, now they call it all EDM and claim it's bashing a few computer keys.

EDM is Guetta, Avicii etc.. It's absolutely generic and no different from any boy or girl band, even down to the guest vocals from one image-based vocalist or another. You already know the difference.
 
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barkmonster said:
You already know how to tell the difference between manufactured garbage and actual dance music though because you're mentioning some solid genres of it there.

EDM is nothing more than cliqued build up effects and a few over-used sounds here and there from underground dance music fitted into a pop package. Just listen to ANY form of manufactured pop music, it follows the same formula, just the backing music is different.

With "artists" like Will.I.Am sampling actual dance music artists like Arty and Mat Zo to rip off their sound and profit from it (Mat Zo made under $5000 from his own album) you must see the difference.

This hillarious video illustrates my point about EDM "artists".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCawU6BE8P8

And here's 16 "EDM" tunes someone mixed into 1 minute of sound-a-like shame for comedic effect that illustrates my point perfectly.

https://soundcloud.com/daleri/epic-mashleg

The damage EDM does to ALL forms of electronic music is it gives the "real music" blowhards another way to stuff it into one genre and generalise. First they hear hip hop and don't know the difference between that and dance music because it doesn't involve guitars so they call it all "rave" and claim it's just a bunch of samples, then they call it "techno" and claim it's just pushing buttons, now they call it all EDM and claim it's bashing a few computer keys.

EDM is Guetta, Avicii etc.. It's absolutely generic and no different from any boy or girl band, even down to the guest vocals from one image-based vocalist or another. You already know the difference.
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Oh I agree. People calling EDM dub step(Which I have heard way WAY too many times) irks me off. They also think Skrillix dub step is what all dub step must sound like:roll eyes:

BTW have you heard of PegBoard Nerds?

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barkmonster said:
You already know how to tell the difference between manufactured garbage and actual dance music though because you're mentioning some solid genres of it there.

EDM is nothing more than cliqued build up effects and a few over-used sounds here and there from underground dance music fitted into a pop package. Just listen to ANY form of manufactured pop music, it follows the same formula, just the backing music is different.

With "artists" like Will.I.Am sampling actual dance music artists like Arty and Mat Zo to rip off their sound and profit from it (Mat Zo made under $5000 from his own album) you must see the difference.

This hillarious video illustrates my point about EDM "artists".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCawU6BE8P8

And here's 16 "EDM" tunes someone mixed into 1 minute of sound-a-like shame for comedic effect that illustrates my point perfectly.

https://soundcloud.com/daleri/epic-mashleg

The damage EDM does to ALL forms of electronic music is it gives the "real music" blowhards another way to stuff it into one genre and generalise. First they hear hip hop and don't know the difference between that and dance music because it doesn't involve guitars so they call it all "rave" and claim it's just a bunch of samples, then they call it "techno" and claim it's just pushing buttons, now they call it all EDM and claim it's bashing a few computer keys.

EDM is Guetta, Avicii etc.. It's absolutely generic and no different from any boy or girl band, even down to the guest vocals from one image-based vocalist or another. You already know the difference.
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Holy crap that first song was absolute ****. Why did you do that to my ears?:(
 
TechGod said:
Oh I agree. People calling EDM dub step(Which I have heard way WAY too many times) irks me off. They also think Skrillix dub step is what all dub step must sound like:roll eyes:

BTW have you heard of PegBoard Nerds?

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Holy crap that first song was absolute ****. Why did you do that to my ears?:(
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That's the point. Terrible isn't it :)

PegBoard Nerds are the perfect example of the generic ear rape EDM I was complaining about.
 
barkmonster said:
That's the point. Terrible isn't it :)

PegBoard Nerds are the perfect example of the generic ear rape EDM I was complaining about.
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Ah. Actually Hero is the only song I like from them.

Got any you listen to? Would love to listen to one of your recommendations:)
 
TechGod said:
Ah. Actually Hero is the only song I like from them.

Got any you listen to? Would love to listen to one of your recommendations:)
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I'd recommend downloading tons of DJ Sets from here and then picking through the tracklistings. It's pretty much a guide to the what's out at any given time in the Deep House, Progressive (actual not Beatport top 40), Breaks and Ambient scene. There's some excellent dubstep in places too and not the Daleks raping R2D2 kind.

Some are artists from the UK who've been around for decades such as Nick Warren and Jody Wistenoff from Way Out West or Hybrid, others are more recent but they have a policy of no DJs who aren't producers too so everything on there is from artist/DJs, not just people who beat match, then take creative credit for their taste in music:

http://www.hybridized.org/
 
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MacNut said:
Coldplay could fit into a new category, New Age Emo.
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Adult contemporary emo.

I will echo another poster's sentiment in that Parachutes wasn't too shabby. But yeah, they've only gotten worse and worse as they've gotten more and more popular.
 
TalonFlyer said:
I made the mistake of attending on of their concerts.

Coldplay is tone deaf, pure and simple. They can't sing on key.

To call them great is like calling oatmeal gourmet food.
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barkmonster said:
I love the spat between them and Oasis years ago. It was like a sentient dog turd arguing with a sentient cowpat.
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Reminds me of The Bravery and Killers feud, back when each accused the other of being a mere copycat fashion band. Meanwhile both with their glitter and eyeliner and whatever. Insanity!

I have to say that Martin was pretty off key in Coldplay Live from Austin City Limits. Some of the set went ok but imo "Talk" and "Fix You" were beyond embarrassing. A lot of performers today don't seem to able to hang onto the pitch. All comes out fixed up in studio releases nowadays, of course. Can be a huge surprise when they play live.
 
D.T. said:
Terrific post ... bold added for emphasis on the funny. :)

Also, thanks for the recommendation, I will definitely check that out.
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Owen's solo work used to be called "Final Fantasy" in his younger days. Really great stuff, but his new album is easily his best yet. Highly recommended.
 
So for haha's I pulled up the new Coldplay single on Spotify. Man is that awful. How can people listen to this ****. So I went down the list and found the second one. Not much better. Way too electronic. Take away their rock star card.
 
AustinIllini said:
YouTube: video

this song is better than any coldplay song
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I've heard of the Avett Brothers for a while, but didn't listen to their music until yesterday while I was laying out a local performing arts catalog where the Avetts will be one of next year's acts.

I listened to a number of the samples on iTunes and came away depressed after listening to a string of slow, sad songs.

:(

I'll take Weezer any day.
 
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