Music WAS so much better then

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,957
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
Can't disagree!

I've been to a few of those clubs, and certainly know most of those bands and radio stations. Used to love listening to WBCN!

walrus
 

twocorgis

Venerated Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
13,923
Reaction score
6,520
Location
Lawn Guyland
Guild Total
18
I actually do disagree. Thanks to the internet and ProTools, there's more great new music being made now than there ever was, you just have to know where to find it. Where you won't find it is on commercial corporate radio, where the 300 song rotation is the norm, and even DJs are starting to become a thing of the past. Where you will find it is on college stations/NPR, and satellite stations like The Loft on Sirius/XM. Also, the club scene where I live is pretty vibrant, with a number of truly great local bands. I support them every chance I get.
 

Zelja

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
3,907
Reaction score
350
Location
Sydney, Australia
Boston bands I have seen in Australia:
Buffalo Tom (one of my favourite bands ever)
Lemonheads
Pixies
Pernice Brothers
Juliana Hatfield Three
The Breeders
probably more that I don't know are from there or I can't recall at the moment (not including other Massachusetts bands like Sebadoh)

Then there's ones I wanted to see like The Dambuilders, Galaxie 500, Modern Lovers, The Cars, Del Fuegos, The Remains (who toured with The Beatles) & more.

Good music town Boston...

I agree with Sandy in that you won't find good new music on mainstream radio. There might be a lot of music out there but harder to just come across it, you need to actively look for it. Not sure what it's like in the US but there are far less places to play over here these days than when I was a boy. Sydney used to have a thriving music scenes where some bands could play 5 or 6 times a week (even my old band played about 80 gigs in 18 months - mix of originals/covers with no records out). Different today...
 

geoguy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,519
Reaction score
1,640
Location
metrowest MA
Boston was a good live-music town, back in the day. Still not too shabby, imo.

Funny how some musicians have "grown up". I know a former keyboard player for alt-country band Scruffy the Cat, who is now a protestant minister. He uses music extensively in his ministry.

And Peter Wolf is still producing great music with his current bandmates:

 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
Agree with Sandy on this one. Also, the current musicians I like tend to be making different music than what I listened to as a younger guy. There's both a broader range of styles on tap and a greater number of outlets for it. But there are no broadly accepted tastemakers now, so you've gotta find the music in other ways. IMO the old rock & roll paradigm doesn't work so well anymore. But then, also IMO, rock & roll itself is mostly played out. For the moment anyway.

-Dave-
 

gjmalcyon

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
4,181
Reaction score
2,419
Location
Gloucester County, NJ
Guild Total
13
IWhere you will find it is on college stations/NPR, and satellite stations like The Loft on Sirius/XM.

Exactly.

If you know where to listen, you can hear some pretty good stuff. Philly's WXPN is on in the car and the office most days and thanks to that I've been introduced over the years to Courtney Barnett, The Shins, Fountains of Wayne, LCD Soundsystem, Foster the People ....

And if you're feeling a little off-center, there's always the WFMU live stream.

As Sandy says, there is more music now than ever before - just not in the traditional-to-us-of-a-certain-age channels.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
This article seems to have left out the BEST decade, i.e., the Sixties! Wasn't Boston up and running back then?

Funny you should mention that, I remember feeling like the '80's were the best thing since the '60's when Simple Minds, U2, Talking Heads, and Police were coming out with new material, just to name a few.
I do remember liking Belly, and the Breeders, hearing 'em on the local "alternative rock" station in the early '90's.
But a lot of folks believe this tune is the granddaddy of all punk and it's supposed to be about Boston.
:glee:


 
Last edited:

twocorgis

Venerated Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
13,923
Reaction score
6,520
Location
Lawn Guyland
Guild Total
18
Boston was a good live-music town, back in the day. Still not too shabby, imo.

Funny how some musicians have "grown up". I know a former keyboard player for alt-country band Scruffy the Cat, who is now a protestant minister. He uses music extensively in his ministry.

And Peter Wolf is still producing great music with his current bandmates:



I think Peter Wolf is making better music now than he made with J Geils, and his keyboard player Kenny White has some fantastic solo releases as well. I never miss him when he's around.
 

Zelja

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
3,907
Reaction score
350
Location
Sydney, Australia
Funny you should mention that, I remember feeling like the '80's were the best thing since the '60's when Simple Minds, U2, Talking Heads, and Police were coming out with new material, just to name a few.
I do remember liking Belly, and the Breeders, hearing 'em on the local "alternative rock" station in the early '90's.
But a lot of folks believe this tune is the granddaddy of all punk and it's supposed to be about Boston.
:glee:
Love the Standells & the lyrics reference Boston & "the river Charles" but I don't think the band or the songwriter are from there.

When I think of Boston 60s bands, I think of The Remains:

 

Zelja

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
3,907
Reaction score
350
Location
Sydney, Australia
^^^^
"Why Do I Cry" is great & there are so many others. Did about 5 or 6 Remains covers in an old group I was in. Seems "Why Do I Cry" on the B side of that single reviewed came from "A Session With The Remains" album. Apparently this was recorded late a night in a studio after a gig - live to 2 track. The sound & performance is great!! Lots of covers but they kick butt. Tashian was/is a great singer. Full album below:

 
Last edited:

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Love the Standells & the lyrics reference Boston & "the river Charles" but I don't think the band or the songwriter are from there.
That is correct, it was supposedly inspired by a mugging their producer Ed Cobb experienced there in the early '60's.
I've heard "Dirty Water" is still the hometown anthem at Red Sox games, though, so I figured it was a good place to start..
:friendly_wink:

And speakin' of the '80's, Cobb was also the author of "Tainted Love" in 1965, some 20 years before Soft Cell got hold of it.
I like this guy.
:biggrin-new:
 

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,957
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
Argh, the heavily played 1981 version of "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell is on my all-time "Songs I Never Want To Hear Again" list!

walrus
 

CA-35

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
2,111
Reaction score
19
Location
South Florida
Exactly.

If you know where to listen, you can hear some pretty good stuff. Philly's WXPN is on in the car and the office most days and thanks to that I've been introduced over the years to Courtney Barnett, The Shins, Fountains of Wayne, LCD Soundsystem, Foster the People ....

Amen and roger that.
WXPN is an amazing station. At 6:00 PM weekdays they have "Highs in the 70's" and on Saturdays from 7 pm to 10 pm Johnny Meister hosts "The Blues Show" On Saturdays at 5:00 PM is "The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn"
Their weekday programming is amazing you will never hear the same song in the same week.
Give it a try
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
Philly's WXPN is on in the car and the office most days and thanks to that I've been introduced over the years to Courtney Barnett…

Courtney Barnett is a gem. I've linked below to an early hot-rodded performance of Pedestrian At Best. It's on her first album though this clip predates the album's release. The lyrics are a stream-of-consciousness riot!

https://youtu.be/ZnWyum0ATo0

-Dave-
 
Top