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Enquiring Old Fart Wants To Know


crunchee

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Saw this on the Yahoo! newsfeed when I turned my computer on this morning:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/eddie-van-halens-son-defends-billie-eilish-after-she-admits-she-doesnt-know-van-halen-203456739.html

Questions:

1.  Who is Billie Eilish?  I've never heard of her.  I have heard of Van Halen, though.

2.  Where am I supposed to find her 'music'?  Without my having to ask this question first?  Will it automatically show up on a 'Top 40' (or whatever passes for it nowadays) radio station when I turn it on...which is what used to happen all the time with Van Halen's music?

3.  Am I supposed to care who Billie Eilish is?  OK, she's won a Grammy.  So did these other people:

https://bestlifeonline.com/surprising-grammy-winners/

The Beatles didn't win a Grammy until 1970...and look what happened to them afterward.

4.  Is she gonna be more famous in five years, or is she gonna be another 'flavor of the year' in music?  I don't think Van Halen is gonna be more famous in five years, but I don't think that they're gonna be less famous, either.

Now, get off my lawn!  ;)

 

 

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I guess it works both ways. I don't know who many of the newer pop artists are, and frankly, I'm not sure I care to know. Some might call that closed-minded, but to each, his own. My personal-interest-batting-average with newer musical acts is quite low, even for those considered to be in the rock genre. I'll offer no comment on hip-hop and dance pop. 

Sidebar: My wife and I have taken to skewering the artists on ACL and the Saturday music segments of CBS This Morning to the point that we make bets on whether one or more of the band members are:

  • intentionally playing a cheap/crude guitar
  • playing a guitar at all
  • wearing a fedora, bowler hat, or other antiquated headgear
  • sporting a look that appears to be an homage to the homeless
  • apparently struggling to play their instruments

It's all in good fun, of course.  Pete Yorn was quite good on CBS this past Saturday.

Now, get the hell off my lawn, you meddling kids!!!

 

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10 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

I guess it works both ways. I don't know who many of the newer pop artists are, and frankly, I'm not sure I care to know. Some might call that closed-minded, but to each, his own. My personal-interest-batting-average with newer musical acts is quite low, even for those considered to be in the rock genre. I'll offer no comment on hip-hop and dance pop. 

Sidebar: My wife and I have taken to skewering the artists on ACL and the Saturday music segments of CBS This Morning to the point that we make bets on whether one or more of the band members are:

  • intentionally playing a cheap/crude guitar
  • playing a guitar at all
  • wearing a fedora, bowler hat, or other antiquated headgear
  • sporting a look that appears to be an homage to the homeless
  • apparently struggling to play their instruments

It's all in good fun, of course.  Pete Yorn was quite good on CBS this past Saturday.

Now, get the hell off my lawn, you meddling kids!!!

 

I blame this guy for the Knit Cap in Summer in Southern California craze:

 

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It is easy to keep up with new bands.  If one of them gets your attention, you keep up with them.  It is equally easy to miss most of them. 

The big money that gets behind trying to make someone a pop star with lots of TV wants everyone to know that "star" in order to make money.  It only works on the people who keep up with the TV shows and industry events.  Some of us watch the TV talent shows.  Some do not.  It seems like no one really cares about award shows.  We moved ourselves out of that demographic. 

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Surprised Billie claimed to have never heard of VH.  Born in southern Cali, both parents in the entertainment industry (music and acting) and of proper VH fan age, and older brother (and musical partner) Finneas a multi-instrumentalist and actor who would definitely know who VH is (he was on Glee, and they played some VH on that show).

I think it was a purposeful "amnesia", perhaps aimed at generating some pub... duh.

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I classify her work as "Art Music", somewhat along the lines of people like St. Vincent/ Annie Clark.  Less guitars though.  Some of it is catchy, some is just plain annoying, but it's what the popular people are into these days.  She's just the latest "omg she's so talented and so young" person to come along.  We'll see if she's still around in a few years.  The music is, IMHO, over produced, and more about "studio magic" than anything else. I know she's done some "unplugged" stuff at radio stations, but it just doesn't hold up.

Lady Gaga holds up a lot better.

That said, I have always tried to get experience music from different time periods. As a classical music fan, I've listened to works spanning centuries. I also love Big Band era Jazz, 60s and 70s R&B, and many other things that were definitely NOT things I grew up with.

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7 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

Pete Yorn was quite good on CBS this past Saturday

Love Pete Yorn but I thought there was to much reverb on his vocals that took away the dynamics. The songs where good!! 

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Ok... I watched the video of the ? Artist. Bloody nose dripping, whisper vocals. The whole song reminded me somehow of “Luca” But Luca had a melody. I’m old and saw nothing there that impressed me except the guys with bigger bellys than mine...

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Van Halen's last album what 2012, so it's not like they haven't been around in 40 years. That said...

A kid today not knowing who Van Halen is says more about their parents than it does about them. I play all sorts of music at home. My kids know who Van Halen is and they know who Bing Crosby is and they know who Patsy Cline and Roy Rogers and Queen and Boston and etc., etc., is, and they've probably heard an equal amount of all of them because I've exposed them to all of that. So I have to wonder what these kids' parents are listening to that these kids are not exposed to anything prior to whatever is currently popular.

My sister is a university professor who asked her class what they thought of Prince's death when he passed. Not a single college-age kid in her class knew who Prince was. I was almost incredulous that someone who, along with Michael Jackson and Madonna, was one of the most popular acts of the 80's and completely unknown to those students. I mean Prince wasn't exactly a one-hit wonder or a niche star. 

In any case, regarding that video... All I can say is, if a group like the Beatles can be forgotten, I suspect the lifespan of that girl's popularity will be that of a gnat. 

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18 hours ago, svl said:

 

Admittedly a catchy tune, just as long as you don't watch the video or expect to glean anything from the vocal "narrative."
Saw one of her "unplugged" performances (I think on SNL). The scrotum required to sit there on a stool and mumble unintelligible lyrics was as impressive as it was insulting.
It actually angered me.  I've had more impressive and well-constructed farts.  Just now, in fact.

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9 hours ago, FGJ said:

All I can say is, if a group like the Beatles can be forgotten...

NEVER!

 

19 hours ago, svl said:

 

I feel like I just watched one of Thorn's rapper-devil-girl videos.

 

18 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

it's what the popular people are into these days.

Some people are into piercing their genitals these days, doesn't make it good and I ain't watching!

 

18 hours ago, crunchee said:

That's "Art Music"?  What's next, Yoko Ono tribute albums?  :blink: :ph34r:

Yoko Ono is almost talented compared to this.

 

10 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

That video sucks.

No truer words have ever been spoken.

 

I wish Jerry Garcia was here to opine.

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25 minutes ago, gtrdaddy said:

Yoko Ono is almost talented compared to this.

I don't think I'd go that far. 

25 minutes ago, gtrdaddy said:

I wish Jerry Garcia was here to opine.

I definitely wouldn't go that far!

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5 minutes ago, crunchee said:

 

I wish Beavis and Butthead would critique that POS video.

Damn it Beavis! My boner just hit the ground. 

Um, yeah hey, that’s your mom. She makes my bunghole itch.

Heh-heh you’re gonna need a ball washer after that.

Uh, can you like tell her to shut up and show us her home porn?

I am the great Cornholio! Uh...wait, Does she have a butt?

Hey Beavis, heh...we’re gonna score.

 

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