i'm not saying they don't, i just remember back in my heyday (message boards, myspace, soulseek, irc) my indie music passion was stoked so hard, steeped in all sorts of deep discussions and camaraderie

i never gave up that passion for music, i'm always checking out new bands and going to a lot of shows. i used to meet so many fellow fanatics and talk and get to know people at shows, now everyone scrambles for the exit before the encore is over. i find new bands with sizable followings, but there's NOWHERE to discuss the music. you have to go to super niche subreddits and hope there's enough genre crossover to hint at a discussion. no one buys albums anymore, it's all singles and streaming

are we just atomized and consumed by the spur of the moment, or am i just suffering from a case of the olds?

edit: btw i'm down for more recommendations, i listen to a little bit of everything

  • Mitski [she/her,they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    which means that it's a lot harder to get yourself noticed. something like, say, the strokes was innovative 20 years ago but now there is an over saturation of that same sound and you're only likely to make it big if you're an industry plant/have connections.

    • Perplexiglass [they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      very true. killer username btw, saw a dope show with her and japanese breakfast

      • duck [he/him,they/them]
        1·
        4 years ago

        Some good music, great live performance, but seems like an unpleasant person, she complained to the audience that we weren't as energetic or as many as the people at the other stages at the festival. That was weird, pretty awkward. She said something like "there seems to be a party over there", not the worst thing, but she barely said anything the whole time, just did her thing and left, saying thank you for coming once monotonously, not what you'd expect. Just my impression, but maybe I don't get her style or she had a bad day

        • thethirdgracchi [he/him, they/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Some people are just sort of awkward on stage. I've seen Mitski three times and each time she kills her set while not really saying much at all. Strikes me as a quiet person in front of a large audience, and that's not such a bad thing.

          • duck [he/him,they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Yeah for sure, in this case I think it would be better if she didn't say anything because she seemed cold and indifferent, but my reaction is also a consequence of expecting artists to put on an act and be super grateful

            • thethirdgracchi [he/him, they/them]
              ·
              4 years ago

              Yeah I think our brains are broken to expect everybody to act like the cashiers at Chick-fil-A where they thank us for existing with a smile because the Customer is Always Right.

              • duck [he/him,they/them]
                ·
                4 years ago

                That's kinda it, but then in this case it's an artist's fans, I can't imagine not at least being polite towards those who appreciate your creative work.

        • Mitski [she/her,they/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          i've seen her twice. she's not the one for stage banter and that seems to be a consistent thing over the years. she's addressed the criticism before and if you're interested in her response i found an article about it. personally i don't mind the lack of stage banter. seen her by herself with only a guitar and i've seen her with a full-backing band, dancing on a table and maybe she's gotten better with addressing the audience over the years. a few years ago, in a bar that doesn't exist anymore, she sung in a room with only a few hundred people and hardly addressed the audience outside of her songs. in the last show i saw her in 2019 (her last tour before her hiatus) in front of thousands of people she made some funny quip to the kids in audience regarding the presence of the f word in her songs. and also to all of the audience: "I love you."

          • duck [he/him,they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Thanks for the link, I was trying to find some article about her personality on stage. I saw the one with the table and band too in 2019

      • Mitski [she/her,they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        thanks! i have been listening to her over the years and it's wonderful to see her become more widely recognized. i hope she's doing well right now with her current hiatus. she tweeted once, when people were inquiring about how her skin had gotten clear, that she was now "able to pay for health care, a proper diagnosis, + medication, +… able to afford to turn down tours/work to make time for the doctor". maybe i don't notice when other artists do this but she's been quite frank about her experiences working as a touring artist and it's given me more perspective about capitalism and the music industry. like i think she once tweeted about how she never had a place to call home because she was constantly touring all the time. her last tour did remarkably well and i hate the idea that she'd have to come out of hiatus because the money made for merch sales and streaming is nowhere near enough to live comfortably on. i do miss her music very dearly but i sure as hell would stay retired, especially now, if had the means to!