I'm just curious if there are any underground music fans here.

[HouseOfDialysis]

I love the underground scenes in many styles of music. From death metal to hip-hop to outlaw country. Anything as long as it's good.

I'm a huge fan of Bad Religion, a seminal punk band going on 31 years of creating great songs. I get to see them MONDAY NIGHT in Myrtle Beach, SC! Woohoo! First time seeing them live in 20 years of being a fan.

I'm also into a lot of metal bands from all over the world. Botswana, South Africa, Sweden, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan, everywhere! I have metal in my veins! I hosted a weekly metal show for four years but stepped down to concentrate more on my son and wife.

And Hank Williams III is the spitting image of his grandfather and got ALL of his talent.

[YLGuy]

Are you familiar with OFWGKTA aka Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All ?

[kristina]

Hallo HouseOfDialysis,
my feelings about modern music are as follows:

First of all the music must have melody, be harmonious and any singing should be such
that you would not mind your grandmother or your granddaughter listening to it together.

Taste is another matter, and we all have our likes and dislikes, even with classical music.

There is a certain type of modern music, which is very unnerving and one cannot concentrate
and this is especially irritating when played in a shop whilst I try to compare prices and calculate
whether or not to be able to buy something.

Equally I don't like the music to go to the other end of the scale
to what we call “Motorway-music”, which bores me very much.

I am not at all keen on the use of bad language in music,
which again I come across in shops, particularly those selling music.

I always leave a shop instantly when I hear bad language in the music,
because it sounds too violent to me.

When modern music seizes to have a melody it becomes purely a background-beat
with just a simple overlaid boring rhythm which has no melodic meaning
and it is like looking at plastic-imitation wood coming from a machine.

I do like many pieces of modern music and I loved the music that was playing
when I was going to discos dancing  as a young person (I am not an “old square” yet).

It might be interesting to mention here
that a lot of modern music has a definite drum-beat as a background,
and this gives it that foot-tapping rhythmic touch,
but if you study the music of the 18th century you will be interested to notice,
that your feet will be tapping just the same, but there will be no background drum-beat,
because the beat is actually in the complex music itself, there were no drums used then.

I also like music to develop and instruments to develop,
because if one studies music a little, one finds that many composers
were at the forefront of music development
and some were even involved in developing instruments.

I am not too familiar with all the different categories of modern music,
which seemed to flow in from the 1970's onwards.
Once upon a time it was either classical, jazz or pop
and now modern music seems to have run into a multitude of side-turnings,
but I am always open to suggestions and I give it a try
before I decide whether I keep it or whether it goes into the exit-room.

[Poppylicious]

Oooh, Bad Religion. I had a brief flirtation with bands such as BR, Shelter and the Dead Kennedys when I was a student in the mid-nineties.  In honour of the occasion I am now listening to American Jesus (it's the only BR track I have on my PC!)

WooHoo for getting to finally see them.

 

[HouseOfDialysis]

@Poppylicious: Shelter, Cause for Alarm, 7 Seconds, Crass, love it all! I was introduced to punk at 14 years old and it has always been with me, but my mainstay listening now is lots of metal and underground rap. Seeing Bad Religion after trying to for 20 years is something that I can't wait for! I'm taking my CAPD gear and hitting the road for a six hour round trip adventure!

@Kristina: I'm big on Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Wagner, myself, but there are some great symphonic metal bands, or moreso orchestral. Apocalyptica is consisted of 3 cellists and a drummer with many guest vocalists when they do have songs with lyrics. Also, Opeth marries the beautiful with the aggressive in a flawless composition. I hope you can check out their Watershed album. You might dig it!

@YLguy: I haven't but I'm about to set my YouTube sights on them.

[kristina]

Hello HouseOfDialysis, I also like Beethoven, not so keen on Stravinsky,
he is not so kind to my ears and I like some of Wagner’s orchestral works,
but I do not feel at home with many of the singers
who are put into his operas because it sounds ever so strange.

I have listened to a few pieces by the Finnish Rock Group “Apocalyptia”,
and in a way they are interesting with their element of folk-music,
but it does not appear harmonious, it sounds a little “straviskyized”.
In the piece “Rock” a touch of an instrumental Irish ballad comes through.

I also have listened to a few pieces by “Opeth” and again,
 “The Hall of the Mountain King” sounds a little “straviskyized”.

I have also listened to “American Jesus” by “Bad Religion”.
I was a little surprised about the song.
It seems strange that a cross is used as a gimmick
because it would be nice if people’s believes and religions
could be respected.
I wonder, if “American Jesus” is drug-involved,
or is it meant as a political statement about America?

Kind regards from Kristina.

[HouseOfDialysis]

Greg Graffin, one of the founders of Bad Religion holds a PhD and teaches Life Sciences at Cornell University. American Jesus appears to be a look at the American Christianity segment that firmly believes in the Superman status of Jesus, as in Jesus is biased in favor "Truth, Justice, and The American Way."

One of my favorite aspects of Bad Religion is their usage of three part harmonies. You might want to look up their track, A World Without Melody. Also, check out Mediocrity, Cease, and Sorrow.

Also, Bad Religion was formed when the members were 15 and 17 years old. They did a lot of things just to piss of their parents. Their crossbuster logo is known worldwide. It's not a slam against Christianity, but it certainly gets interpreted that way. In fact, Graffin noted in his book, Anarchy Evolution, that he actually would have liked to change the lyric "Religion is just synthetic frippery" from the track, God Song. He never wanted to make it sound invalid, because he recognizes the positives religious orders do bring into their communities.

I could go on for hours about this band. They have made quite an impact on my life. When I was 14, I first heard their album, Suffer, and I was blown away by the fact that the thoughts I had in my own head were being articulated in catchy buzzsaw guitars and frenetic drums. It was the first band I actually identified with.

[kristina]

Thanks, HouseofDialysis, for your thoughts.
I have been reading your explanation with great interest.
 
You mention Greg Graffin wrote a book called “Anarchy Evolution”.

I hope you don’t mind my asking you,
but does the idea of “Anarchy” not aim for a self-rule of the people
without any authority or a governing body ?
How can there be an evolution involved?
Or does Greg Graffin describe in his book
some ideas about the path to achieve this self-rule?

I heard of Pietr Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin
as intellectual thinkers of such a “self-rule of the people”,
whereas others like Buenaventura Durruti & Augustin Souchy
worked on a rather practical side of the same idea.
Where does Anarchy Evolution come into?
Is there such a thing like evolution in the idea of Anarchy?

Does Bad Religion’s “crossbuster logo” indirectly mean
that they believe religion becomes obsolete
once people are finding their way 
as mentioned by Pietr Kropotkin & Mikhail Bakunin?
Or has “Anarchy” a completely different meaning in America?

Thanks from Kristina.

[HouseOfDialysis]

Graffin's aim of the book was to reconcile his naturalist viewpoint with his punk rock world. It's a great book to me because I come from the punk rock culture and I identify with many of his experiences. I get more than lost following him in some stretches of the book when it comes to his biology excursions, but he communicates in a very accessible language. I'd be more than happy to send my copy to you after I attempt to get it signed by the band, tomorrow night!

[kristina]

Thanks for all the information, HouseOfDialysis, it is very much appreciated.
I think I get the gist of where Greg Graffin is coming from.
 
It is so kind of you to offer to send the book,
but I must decline on this occasion.
I do hope you are fortunate to get your book signed
and I wish you very good luck.
 
In Charles Darwin’s book,
although he writes about evolution from the biological aspect,
contrary to what some people would have us believe,
he keeps an open mind about “God as the Creator”.

It is interesting when scientists "keep the door open"
with regard to the religious angle.
 
There are so many unanswered questions,
so many baffling conundrums,
that not even great scientists can attempt to explain,
and perhaps this is the reason
why they keep the door open -  just in case.

Kind regards and thanks again from Kristina.

[HouseOfDialysis]

Do yourselves a favor and check out FACT from Japan. They did a tour with Iwrestledabearonce here in the US and I love both these bands. Check the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXHF3FbJIgA

[Poppylicious]

Oooh, they're quite good.  They make me want to jiggle in my chair ...

 

[HouseOfDialysis]

That is my favorite song from them, but like Bad Religion and IWABO, there are no bad songs.

[aharris2]

There is no particular genre of music that I like or dislike (well maybe some that I do dislike), only songs and an occassional artist, usually dependent on lyrics that touch me.

Noting the passing of one such artist, RIP Gil Scott-Heron April 1, 1949 - May 27, 2011. The revolution will be live!