^^^ relevant dn.
― pomenitul, Monday, 28 September 2020 21:46 (three years ago) link
This is a tricky one. When I was a teenager, maybe into my early 20's, I think the idea of a band was more important to me than the actual collusion of musical personalities. Give me a cute, non-descriptive name, or a studio construction that emulates (or at least refers to) the sound of an ensemble... and that might even have been preferable to an actual band if that makes sense. Ultimately, I think *real* ensembles were regarded a little suspect, then. If they we're actually playing together in a room, it was old-timey music. I wanted to sense that I was listening to a construction and not a real-time performance. Call it "Arthur Russell" and you would have lost me. If the name is colorless and boring, the music might be too...
I'm far removed from that now, of course. If anything, calling it the guy's real name makes me think "this might be serious music" and calling it something cute makes me think "this might be more for kids." I value the organic collusion of musicians playing together in a room- the drummer is often my favorite player. I also really love solo performers in the true sense of being unaccompanied etc. Would say I gravitate more to one-off "projects", whether solo or collaborative, over artists or bands
― Deflatormouse, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 03:53 (three years ago) link
I VOTED
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 29 September 2020 04:12 (three years ago) link
Dang, I would have initially thought solo artists because I don't really care about rock bands, but when instruments are played it turns out bands are the way to go. Even in jazz, it usually works out better when there's a working band with an identity and a lifespan longer than the studio date (like the Jazz Messengers, various Miles bands, the Bad Plus, Robert Glasper Trio, Ellington, brass bands, even John Zorn groups where he's the auteur but the personnel are consistent {even if it's only a studio band}).
Electronic music is the solo human's domain though, there's a definite divide there and that's the great thing about it. I'm abstaining.
― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:20 (three years ago) link
Electronic music is the solo human's domain
I thought the same thing at first but how could I ever do without Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Autechre, Underworld, Boards of Canada, Orbital, etc.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:25 (three years ago) link
Multiple instruments are better than one instrument. Bands win.
― emil.y, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:31 (three years ago) link
Bands underneath the iron unbending will of a demonic, single-minded bastard of a leader
― imago, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:33 (three years ago) link
I'll take that as a confession.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:34 (three years ago) link
Sometimes one of the other members gets to write a song and we all tolerate it
― imago, Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:34 (three years ago) link
Sometimes a song comes about through natural collaboration and consensus and sometimes that song is even half-decent
Even with my favorite solo artists, the stuff that I treasure the most as their best/my favorite work usually still involves a key band or group of musical collaborators. Hard to think of a solo artist whose work I love regardless of who theyre working with. So, bands I guess.
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Tuesday, 29 September 2020 15:43 (three years ago) link
The best solo artists, the real "demonic, single-minded bastards", are their own band, and operate as such. Todd Rundgren is his own band. Haruomi Hosono is a band. Scott Walker is a band. So, bands.
― Ilxor in the streets, Scampo in the sheets (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 15 October 2020 07:32 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 30 October 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 31 October 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link