So, it's a recession, gas crisis, a couple of really lousy presidents, American car makers struggling to downsize their fleet fast enough to meet demand for high efficiency vehicles, etc. There are a lot of things going on that make me think my era is going to resemble the 1970's. Not the least of which is an economic recession and a strong public outcry to end a foreign war that's been going on too long. It makes sense that the hobbies and interests of depressed eras will have a lot in common, and that economic recession will have americans looking back to see what others have done for fun or money when there wasn't a lot of either around. It seems like people's style starts to get a little more ornate and rich- less of the clean square lines of the 1950s, 80s, and 90s and more of the embellished edges. People start to see things like music and art in a different light- it's hard to take music seriously when you have so many people with real, serious, problems. So I expect to see a lot more dancing, and a lot more sounds of disco and folk. Probably even some "ironic" take on using an actual string section for disco strings in music.
I'm not the only one who has had this thought on my mind for awhile now, apparently. I'm seeing a total resurgence in late 1970s obsession with the 1930s. I'm also seeing things like rollerderby, silver-era stereo refurbishing, movies about the 1930's, rollerskates(not blades), and knee socks popping back up(or is that Bremerton?). I am even seeing 1970s furniture(probably the worst thing about the 1970s) start to get bought up and repainted. I assume everybody else sees the bigger picture when they start a rollerderby league- but they may not. So what I'm wondering is: what are the musical signs of this stylistic change?
I know it's still 3-5 years off, but the rumblings are here now. And if you want to make a buck from it, I'd jump on board.
 Bremerton/Seattle\'s West Sound, Washington, USA
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Electronic Music other: 1970's Resurgence
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Written July 09 2008 , Tags: genius
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this is the first I've seen of politics on em411
thought it was taboo for some reason the rollerderby thing is going strong in nashville screw it, I'm off to make some disco-tech As far as music goes, I'd guess we already squandered a punk revolution by trying to popularize Seattle grunge. The disco revival thankfully was short and relatively painless, although house and Ibizia trance still continues to live, much to my own chagrin.
But I've not seen alot of FUNK. When I was 3 years old in 1976, funk was strong, even heard on Sesame Street. Where are George Clinton, Sly Stone, Mandrill, Herbie and Headhunters, and the onslaught of one-hit funk wonders? I guess some of the breaks live-on in modern productions, but it's the wah-guitars, electric pianos, Moogy leads and that emphasis on-the-one that I miss. I'm sure most of you won't miss the prog rock and fusion, but I'd be half inclined to bring back some Berlin or Düsseldorf School electronic myself. I've been listening to DAF alot lately, not enough to be GASsing for an MS20, but to really appreciate their minimal, yet bold style.
Recent blogs: Re-amping Mic, How do you do it?
hmmm...im not sure about acoustic disco.
i predict famine, riots and pandemic superbugs. monty said: "hmmm...im not sure about acoustic disco. i predict famine, riots and pandemic superbugs." and clogs!
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dont forget the acid
ACID!!!!
YUSSSS!!!! (not the music) I just remembered DAF is mostly early 80's. I'm such an idiot. How about this for 70's music, though: Music had more Soul in the 70's. I guess that must have started in the late 60's with Woodstock and the like, and must have died somewhere about the time the punk influence took over.
I don't know what you call these diarrea of the vowels vocals in Hip-Hop influenced Soul these days, but it certainly isn't infused in popular music in the same way.
Recent blogs: Re-amping Mic, How do you do it?
I'm down for the No Wave revival.
Everything seems to be cyclical. The 70's popped up in the 90's, the 60's in the 80's, and the 80's in the 00's. Fashion, music, humor, politics, floods, etc... it's not exact (of course...), but everything seems to come and go and come back again. Slightly altered, absorbing bits and pieces of other things. It's a great thing. (Although I recently saw someone wearing and Izod shirt with their color flipped that just about killed me... that trend does not need to return!)
I've been hanging around here for a good 6 years, maybe 7 - I know I'm in the 'older' crowd - although a lot of people are in their solid 30's like I am (I was born in 1970 - so I remember some of the real 70's but not a whole lot... read about most of it in history class... ha). I definitely remember the 80's and it cracks me up whenever things from that decade pop back up. Great music comes along every day - I think it's just more fun to think things from a decade or two ago were more "cool" than they are now. The music machine - big labels - big stars (especially teeny tweenie bop stars) suck now - and well, they sucked then. I've just thankfully forgotten most of the really bad pop music from the 80's because it was bad... it was there though - and it was horrid. The 70's had a huge array of horrible bad music... but there again - it was 30+ years ago - why bother remembering the bad stuff? I'd rather have fond memories of the things that were good - and I've got some great 70's albums from people mentioned earlier - Herbie Hancock, Parliament, Zeppelin, etc... I try to ignore the bad stuff now - there's tons of fantastic music being written. The vast majority of it never gets the attention it deserves, unfortunately. Politics - I tend to avoid getting into those discussions unless it's with close friends. Historically - Vietnam vs. the current war are very different beasts. They have some simularities, sure - but in general - I think people are more receptive to the idea that the administration is making the decisions that some people don't like - rather than the Vietnam war where a lot of people had a hard time with the soldiers as well as the administration - not to mention the draft issue. For what it's worth - I can't believe the current US administration got into this mess - but I have a lot respect for the people that volunteered - some are relatives of mine. I think that in many ways music has become less important to a lot of people than it was back then. There are more things competing for peoples time than there were. Maybe I'm missing the boat and reading into things though - are there really more things or are things just "different"... for instance I spent a few hours with my nephews for a birthday party and while there they all had their mp3 players on showing each other what "great new tunes" they had gotten. One is all over classic rock - 70' and 80's stuff - the other is discovering Sigur Ros, Bjork, Sugarcubes - and a bunch of "indietronic" bands I hadn't heard of (hey, I'm old...) - heck - I wasn't even familiar with the term indietronic... yikes... So hey - there's still hope for music if the 12 - 14 year olds are still listening... it's just on their little earbuds instead of back in the 80's when we'd bring a stack of new records over to a friends house to listen. Wasn't there a bill & ted type movie about this called "Spirit of 76"?
I'm having vague flashbacks to it. in norway now there seems to soulful stuff blossoming round and about - two examples: link/lestertheband, profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=154835308
i frikking love the whole funk/soulwave of the 70s - WELCOME BACK! Well, but 70s culture already had its resurgence during the 90s as well -- it came and never went as far as I can tell. The first gulf war helped shepherd it in in the first place, IMO.
Didnt Nietzsche say something about History being the basis for the destruction of culture?
Maybe what we are witnessing is the narrowing scope of our seemingly valid lifestyles. Our individual options for expression. Our Mass cultural identities. Shortening and shortening until.... POP! Steve Reich in a tu tu doing interpretive dance for people who dont eat animal or do COKE?! I for one would rather die with my disco pants on. history is self repeating.
just to catch up wit the nietsche quote Signup to comment
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