quote:

Originally posted by ProfAmaretto:
This comment isn't really sacrilege, as I think most users of this forum would agree, but the '00 decade has produced very few memorable artists.

A few that I can think of off the top of my head: The Mars Volta (although their last couple albums...), Interpol, the White Stripes, the Arcade Fire... who am I missing here?

Also, this decade has failed to produce an artist who is larger than life i.e. Kurt Cobain in the '90's, MJ, Prince, Madonna in the '80's, Bowie in the '70's, etc. This makes me sad.

Mostly, though, I just wanted to resurrect this thread...

I think we lack perspective right now. Bowie, for one, was hardly a world-beater at the time, at least on this side of the Atlantic.

There's a lot more music today, and a lot more ways to discover that music. Controlled mass media (radio, MTV) is dying, and so people are funneling towards the same artists less and less, and buying fewer records on top of that.

It also depends what you're looking at. It's likely that many talented musicians today are being diverted from guitar rock to styles like electronica and hip-hop, both of which have had phenomenal decades.

quote:

Only four artists out of a whole decade are memorable? I'll throw add a few more to your three (I say three because I would definitely not include The Mars Volta.)

TV on the Radio
Wilco (reputation mostly established this decade)
Spoon (again, mostly this decade)
Animal Collective
Sufjan Stevens
Sigur Ros
My Morning Jacket

I think all of these artists are going to end with very strong reputations. This is excluding my own personal favorites like Liars, The Hold Steady, The Thermals, etc. So that makes ten artists/bands that are very well liked, popular and acclaimed: and that's only really one or two styles of music.

The following is my opinion:

TV on the Radio: are very good, I'll give you that one.

Wilco: have been around since the mid-90's with some highly acclaimed albums in that time, among them "Being There" and "Summerteeth." It's just "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" looms so large that we consider them more a part of this decade.

Spoon: Meh. Have tried to get into them numerous times. Do not see the appeal. They've also been around for about a decade.

Animal Collective: Haven't heard enough of their stuff.

Sufjan Stevens: Where's that fool been recently anyway? Not a fan of his stuff at all, but I know a lot of people are so I'll give you that.

Sigur Ros: This is a band that's certainly a matter of opinion. Very eclectic and strange, though I enjoy some of their work.

My Morning Jacket: I agree wholeheartedly.

I'd also like to add to the list, The National, who are amazing.

And Prince is a very bizarre and influential figure, who has sold millions of albums. Likewise with Cobain.

quote:

Animal Collective

I can't even concentrate to listen a whole song. I know this band is popular and critically acclaimed, but God it's boring.