Comment by crazygringo

Comment by crazygringo 3 days ago

First of all, this is super super cool. I love these cards, and how he's doing this for his son.

But it also makes me sad when people write things like:

> My 10-year-old doesn't have that. Music just sort of... happens. It's like it's infinite and invisible at the same time, playing from smart speakers, car stereos, my phone. Endless perfectly curated playlists, designed to fade into the background. The default listening experience has become both literally and figuratively formless.

That doesn't match my experience with Spotify, for example. By using things like related artists and radio stations based on an obscure track I've discovered, I've been able to become far more intentional about my listening and discover far more music than I ever could when I was younger.

And music that "happens" and "fades into the background" isn't anything new. That's what analog radio has been for as long as most of us have been alive. Only with far, far, far less choice.

So I love this project -- aesthetically it's super cool and it demonstrates a lot of love. I just wish the author wasn't trying to paint this narrative that the "default listening experience" is somehow getting worse. It's not. It's better than it's ever been.

adamors 3 days ago

I don't agree, endless music from faceless artists have made everything weightless and interchangeable, the never ending stream of recommended artists means that clicking next is more exciting than actually listening to something.

I remember 15-20 years ago, every album (even digital album) meant something, I remember trading CDs and MP3s with friends and listening to an album (or even a song) over and over again. Now we're spoiled for choice and very, very few artists produce something that will be remembered in 10 years, let alone 5.

Reply View 7 replies

crazygringo 3 days ago

I feel like you're describing some strange alternate universe. I genuinely don't understand what you're talking about.
Faceless artists? Artists have dedicated followings with fanbases where they interact more than ever before. Weightless and interchangeable? Artist's personalities are more distinct and individual than ever.
You think people don't listen to albums anymore? That they're "clicking next" rather than listening? Do you actually know anybody who likes music? I think you might not actually be in touch with today's music scene.

Reply View | 4 replies
- autoexec 3 days ago
  
  > Faceless artists? Artists have dedicated followings with fanbases where they interact more than ever before.
  Not so much these days. Especially on streaming platforms where countless tracks that get pushed on listeners are recorded by anonymous session musicians whose works are sometimes put out under an assigned name for that singe track, then they get assigned a new name for the next track they put out. Even worse, a lot of music on Spotify and Apple Music are 100% AI generated tracks. Literally faceless.
  > You think people don't listen to albums anymore? That they're "clicking next" rather than listening?
  Many aren't even "clicking next". They're just taking whatever comes next over their speakers and letting their streaming platform decide for them what they're hearing.
  
  Reply View | 3 replies
  
  crazygringo 3 days ago
  
  Of course faceless artists exist if that's what you're actively seeking. And sure some people are putting on AI-generated tracks in the background while they study or whatever.
  But that's not representative. Regular people who like regular real-life artists continue to listen to them, the same as they always have.
  And I don't know anybody who outsources their music tastes entirely to e.g. Spotify. Like, you have to actually pick a playlist or something. You have to make some choice. And like I said, people have been "just taking whatever comes next over their speakers" by listening to the radio for many, many decades.
  You're commenting as if something has changed for the worse in the past 15-20 years. It hasn't. It's only gotten better in terms of real music. And if you don't like the AI slop, don't listen to it.
  
  Reply View | 2 replies
lxgr 3 days ago

The other thing that has happened over the past 15-20 years is that you've aged as much, though.
I remember being very excited about my favorite band releasing a new record when I was a teenager. Not that I don't enjoy that today at all, but I feel like the difference can be explained by my having heard dozens of more great albums since then much better than by the shift from physical to virtual media.
Looking at today's teenagers, I am not concerned about them not appreciating individual songs and artists enough. (If anything, I'd argue the opposite!)

Reply View | 0 replies
squigz 3 days ago

> very, very few artists produce something that will be remembered in 10 years, let alone 5.
So... like most artists of any type since forever?

Reply View | 0 replies

mihaaly 3 days ago

You are right.

Children today can be as conscious music listeners as we, who collected and sought out music of our own in our youth in the 80' and 90'. Or as unfastidious as those listening to top chart hits exclusively (including both Mike Oldfield and Milli Vanilli, whichever is in the top) in our childhood.

Two, possibly related anocdote.

My goddaughter is 12. She is in a revolting phase where difficult to find way to her heart. But we are on the same wavelength and can engage in hours and hours of excited conversation (we are 40 years apart btw.) about music beacuse she listens to those I listened when I was in her age or more. "Today's music sucks", she argues, and we share playlists. Actually I am able to show her those do not suck today but rarely found because you have to broese similar atrists of a similar artist from somthing you found by accident as a background music of a movie. These kind of discovery through huge music databases is great! About the same good as being lost in a huge vinyl/cd shop. You cannot touch, but you can listen!

Another is just interesting, and a reflection to the "todays music suck" kind of oversimplification. But also to how young people can discover their own music. Once in Germany waiting for a tram a loud group of graduating high school student like figures came by shouting the refrain of '99 Luftbalons' while it was playing from an uncomfortably loud boombox. I could not stop smiling thinking of them. : )

Reply View 0 replies

nvarsj 2 days ago

You're absolutely right. As a teen, I could only really listen to what my small income could afford. And CDs were expensive! It definitely made you savour that one CD that you could afford every month, but I'm not sure that is the superior experience.

My teen daughter has an incredible range of music taste and strong opinions about her favourite bands, much more than I was a teen. And I've watched this evolve since she was much younger. She has playlists with her favourite artists and she's constantly sharing with me, and asking me to go to concerts with her. All of that is through Spotify/Youtube music.

Reply View 0 replies

7bit 2 days ago

Yeah. I would want a father that is supporting and open to the changes of modern times. Not one that romantisises the past and pities the future.

But there have always been people who think the time they lived in were superior and the youth will be a lost generation with whatever is lost to progress.