Modnern wrock: what's "wrong?"

[hardLeft]

For the past few years, I've noticed that most of the music on the local "modern rock" station just sounds wrong to me, and I can't quite articulate why. I understand most modern commercial music is overcompressed to shit, but I'm talking about the actual harmonic content; to me, it just seems wrong, and I'm asking for some insight into this (perhaps flawed) perception.

I know a little bit of music theory, but not enough to say why the music sounds "wrong" or "off." Here in Buffalo we have WEDG, an "EDGE" station like exists in most markets now that plays the usual stuff (read: shit) like Godsmack, Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, and bands with a number in their name (excepting of course Isotope 217).

Again, there's just something wrong with the melodies and/or chord structure; they sound "boxy," and limited in a weird way, as though they're using some kind of weird arbitrary 4-note scale; it seems to me that there's nowhere to go, and I can not put my finger on it in any technically-informed way. Can anyone help?

Many thanks.

[brew]

i know what you mean. it's the music version films like The Animal.

[joeysimms]

What's up Buffalo! I'm a Tonawanda native..

That 'something wrong' with the Modern Wrock, in harmonic terms, is something I also can't put my finger on... Luckily, it goes in one ear and right out the other.

BTW, what's the name of that nice AM oldies station I heard last time I was in town? Way to the right, 14 something. They played Music Machine, the Troggs, Donavan, and the Animals right in a row!


Tom

[ahmedgarcia]

"... there's just something wrong with the melodies and/or chord structure; they sound "boxy," and limited in a weird way, as though they're using some kind of weird arbitrary 4-note scale; it seems to me that there's nowhere to go"

************************************************************

IMHO...It appears that some of the "modern rock" type bands that sound the same are useing the same chord configeration. I have been following the trend and I can figure a new song out almost instantly becase they are useing the same "drop down" technic or the same pattern system of chords. Whether in 440 or not. Helmut and Tool did alot of this stuff years agos. (talking hard/heavy rock here, not indie).

(tuned down 6th string) = (open chords of) C>CC>CD#F>CC>CD#F...over and over again. You can wail on this in a lead with a rythem that is dropped down in a tunning to like an open C choard playing a D pattern while you play a lead or vocal in a D pattern scale. Even a vocalist can have fun in this realm. Just my thought.

edit:
before mp3 dies. I joined this band a few years ago after they kicked out the guitarist. This is what happens when 30 somethings get together to start to rekindle metal after hearing nu-metal by kids:
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/171/anger_mgmt.html

[Bear]

I've always figured it was the drop-tuning that all the folks seem to like so much these days, accompanied with typical progressions and blah recording techniques. But of all the things I don't like about this kind of music, the lyrics stampede to the front. I heard a Linkin Park song yesterday that included the lines:

"I want to heal. I want to feel."

Yeah? Well, I want to pee in your butt.

[cgarges]

I love it when the bass players in those bands play flat threes and flat sevens on major chords. That shit drives me bonkers. Of course, I realize it's not just those bands, but it's prevalent there, too.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[weezie]

Uhhhh. Linkin Park. Such an angry young man who just needs a hug. He's not getting love and respect from mommy and daddy so he lashes out. Makes me want to puke.

Whats wrong with modern wrock? Dull, boring, tries to be shocking but it's so tame as to be funny. Incredibly forgetable songwriting. Every guitar amp seems to have the gain up to 10 so the guitars don't really breathe or fill up the spaces. They don't know when to leave spaces. Lack of distinctive phrasing in any of the bands - they all end up sounding like each other.

Plus none of them seem to be any fun. I'm not saying silly fun, but damnit, stop writing things to prove how serious and deep you are in every song. You are not aristotle, you are a guy in a rock band singing a song. Get over yourself. Loosen up.

Damnit, we need to bring back diamond dave!

[black mariah]

Like every whiny-ass college fratboy indie rock hero doesn't whine like a little schoolgirl when his latte shows up a bit warmer than he wanted? Please.

Dropped D down a whole step combined with a lack of talent. It's that simple.

You want some GOOD modern music? Go listen to Soilwork and In Flames. These guys are taking melodic metal to the point where it should have been after the 80's died. Instead, you had a bunch of dipshits still running around in spandex with pointy guitars (which I love dearly, BTW. The guitars, not the dipshits) trying to relive the past. These guys instead took the best elements of power metal, thrash, and even some black metal and just started throwing out some amazingly good METAL. Check them out, and ignore the radio.

[djslayerissick]

to me, the worst is when good bands suddenly become Modern Rock to make a buck. true sellouts. whats worse is, they were already making money well before they completely abandoned their talent-required music.

my best example is Staind. their 1st nationally touted album, Dysfunction, was one of the best creations ever made by a nu-metal band. right up there with Deftones' 'Around the Fur', Korn's self-titled, and Sevendust's 'Home'.

then they released 1, count em... 1 acoustic ballad. and BAM! they turned to shit. after that, EVERY single released was modern rock. there were a few nu-metal tidbits to be found on 'Break the Cycle", but with none of the true originality and songwriting sense of Dysfunction era - and NO nu-metal on their latest cd. the only thing that has remained is their uber-down-tuning from days of yore. Drop C is not a big deal. they're in low Ab, sometimes Gb when they drop tune!

i bring it up b/c i just saw Staind and Sevendust last night. THANK GOD Staind played a good handful of tunes from Dysfunction, b/c everything after that ranges from mediocre to absolutely boring shit.

Sevendust, however, is still amazing after 4 albums. everyone of them stays true to the style: nu-metal. when its done right, its killer. and i'm pleasently suprized the new album is what i was hoping for - heavy ass nu-metal music with lots of melodic vocals and brutal screams in the background. i hope they never turn to the Dark Side - that is, modern rock.

those who have crossed over to the Dark Side: Staind, Nickelback, Chevelle, Creed (i love their old stuff), Puddle of Mudd, Cold (i love their old stuff), Godsmack (i love their old stuff), Nothingface (i love their old stuff), LoPro (i loved Ultraspank), etc.

btw, Linkin Park is being mislabeled as nu-metal. they are influenced by it, but they are not nu-metal. they are modern rock with a rapper and dj. it seems like that would be nu-metal, doesnt it? but its not. see, first, in order to add the 'nu' to the genre, Linkin Park would first have to be 'metal'. linkin park is not metal. they may have a bridge with some screaming in it, but that doesnt make them metal. maybe they should be called nu-rock instead.

[lsn110]

It seems to me that anytime there is a band (or musical movement) that breaks into radio with a "new" sound, there's a brief period when radio is somewhat interesting. This is essentially a period of confusion for the record labels and radio programmers as they don't really know why it works, so they push anything that they believe is remotely like the "new hit sound". This is a good time because it's a window for a genuinely unique and good band to break through. The force field is down.

Time passes and the same record label people and radio programmers figure out what it was about that hit song that worked and then they either sign bands that they can push in that direction or make the hit makers repeat themselves. It's now a formula and the labels are now in a "safe" place again.

The masses eat it up for a time. Unlike most of us, the masses are passive listeners who don't really care that they're hearing the same 4 chords over and over. The predictability may even be comforting to them. At some point though (usually much later than we'd like it), they're ready for something new as well.

This is the point, at which, the whole cycle begins again. This cycle will repeat forever as long as the people making the decisions are making their choices on the basis of making huge sums of money.

My cynical view of the world...

[penelec]

Either listen to WBNY more, or go to the Old Pink on Allen, get drunk and play Wedding Present songs on the Jukebox until you pass out.

Worked for me.

[aeonrevolution]

BTW, what's the name of that nice AM oldies station I heard last time I was in town? Way to the right, 14 something. They played Music Machine, the Troggs, Donavan, and the Animals right in a row!

am 1430 I think.


And no matter how much I may not believe in the whole catholic bit Creed's first cd was amazing. The guitar tone was just great.

I'm not sure if Nonpoint fits in with sevendust but they've got a few killer riffs in their music.

I swear all the modern rock stuff today is created by kids with A.D.D. who cant really concentrate to make good music. Baa

[@?,*???&?]

For the past few years, I've noticed that most of the music on the local "modern rock" station just sounds wrong to me, and I can't quite articulate why. I understand most modern commercial music is overcompressed to shit, but I'm talking about the actual harmonic content; to me, it just seems wrong, and I'm asking for some insight into this (perhaps flawed) perception.

I know a little bit of music theory, but not enough to say why the music sounds "wrong" or "off." Here in Buffalo we have WEDG, an "EDGE" station like exists in most markets now that plays the usual stuff (read: shit) like Godsmack, Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, and bands with a number in their name (excepting of course Isotope 217).

Again, there's just something wrong with the melodies and/or chord structure; they sound "boxy," and limited in a weird way, as though they're using some kind of weird arbitrary 4-note scale; it seems to me that there's nowhere to go, and I can not put my finger on it in any technically-informed way. Can anyone help?

Many thanks.

The Edge actually reports as an 'alternative' station to Radio & Records. Since the Telecom Act of 1996 we did have a new format join the fray that does absolutely nothing to help with presenting a more broad range of music. That format is called 'Active Rock' which we all know is the new metal. If it doesn't fit in the Alternative, Active Rock or Triple A format, we don't hear it on Corporate radio. Unlikely in the realm of 'National Chain Playlists' we'd ever hear variety beyond those formats. Compliance to those format delineations and submission to the corporate way is just what we get now- and not at all what we want. Forcefed a steady diet of Slipknot, suddenly they sell records...

That harmonic thing I think could be explained in Amp electronics and the advent of dropped tunings. Add to it the grunt vocal (ala Rob Zombie) and you have formulaic new metal for the masses.

I'd rather hear a harmony and timeless melody any day. The grunt vocal is an non-musical as rap. Someone get the poor dear a laxative and play them Screaming Jay Hawkin's "Constipation Blues"- yes, my friends, Screamin Jay did the grunt vocal before anyone else!!!!!!

[stillafool]

Crappy musicianship. Nowadays, you don't even need to play your instrument to get a lucrative record deal -- just a cute haircut, a fast computer, and some slick promotion. There was a time when rock had some decent musicians -- e.g., Hendrix, Zappa, Sly Stone. That day is over. Face it, commercial music sucks dick. There's still good music out there, but if you want to find it, forget about commercial radio.

[I'm Painting Again]

Either listen to WBNY more, or go to the Old Pink on Allen, get drunk and play Wedding Present songs on the Jukebox until you pass out.

Worked for me.

awesome