A Lull

[aopps42]

I’m sure this probably isn’t as individualized as it feels, but does anyone else feel like they’re in a bit of a rut or lull in terms of music?  Between favorites not really being very active anymore and/or not finding much new music that I connect with, it just feels weird as I can’t recall another time in my life experiencing that.  I probably should be digging into stuff that I’ve missed over the years, but I don’t have a huge drive to do that either. Anyone else experience this?  What got you out of the rut?

[TheGhostOfRandySavage]

2 hours ago, aopps42 said:

I’m sure this probably isn’t as individualized as it feels, but does anyone else feel like they’re in a bit of a rut or lull in terms of music?  Between favorites not really being very active anymore and/or not finding much new music that I connect with, it just feels weird as I can’t recall another time in my life experiencing that.  I probably should be digging into stuff that I’ve missed over the years, but I don’t have a huge drive to do that either. Anyone else experience this?  What got you out of the rut?

I think we all go through this from time to time to an extent. I know I do. Sometimes it ends up with me breaking out some old stuff that I haven't listened to in a while, sometimes I find something new to love in an entirely new genre that I hadn't really looked into before. I was going through this for a little while and then recently I suddenly got way into reggae after never really listening to it in the past.

[HoneyFrosted]

Find a rabbit hole.

I had Vaporwave, I’m deep in vgm, old 60’s reggae is one. Cambodian psych rock has some compilations. It takes some digging. Light In The Attic is a great label for cultural traditional. I noticed I had no Smiths records. Surf rock?

There’s a lot of different holes to fall down so I hope you find one, sometimes it can re-invigorate your purpose.

[Rip]

I just entered the 21st century recently and got a Spotify account/subscription.  One of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m mad at myself for not doing so sooner.  Since having my first kid I don’t get as much time to sit down and just listen to records anymore so most of my music listening is done driving to/from work everyday.  It’s pretty life changing having literally everything available at your fingertips now.  Since getting it I’ve checked out so many things I never would have before and also rediscovered stuff I had forgotten about.

[dawhizz]

Not so much in music I listen to - I’m about as busy there as I’ve ever been. I have some tags I have saved on Bandcamp, so that sends me some recommendations almost every day and several blogs that I follow where I actually check pout a lot if the stuff they recommend. I follow bands on Twitter and if they mention a band it album I’ll hit it down and check it out. It’s actually a pretty low percentage I really like and end up purchasing, but that still gives me a good number I’m picking up monthly. 
 

I am in kind of a rut on the vinyl collection side of things. This probably happens to everyone eventually, but I’m definitely getting to the point where I own most everything that’s old that I want to own except for the things that are probably too rare or too expensive for me to ever own unless I really luck into something. It’s kind of frustrating - it’s more and more likely that I spend an hour looking in a local store and walk out empty handed. I guess it’s good for the bank account but takes some if the fun out of it that everything I but anymore is new stuff. 

[HoneyFrosted]

It takes a special store to entice me nowadays. I do not need new overpriced represses of arctic monkeys. The used section has to be worth it’s salt, and around here it’s not. Try estate sales, if you know any craftsmen or contractors that frequent homes and residences they can find things. FB marketplace, Craigslist if it’s good where you’re at, even eBay. Buy someone’s collection and sift through it.

unfortunately all these options DO cost money. But someone’s personal collection is a lot more interesting than the New rack at your local store.

Otherwise it’s mostly online, especially for newer bands.

I guess it depends how you feel. Maybe you’re ‘done’ with your collection.

[Derek™]

I occasionally get into a music lull though it's been a few years.  Sometimes that overlaps with a vinyl lull, other times it doesn't.  This year was off to a bit of a slow start – and honestly, it feels like new music is not getting released as fast or furiously as it was pre-Covid – but the last few years have delivered some great releases, and I suspect 2023 will end on a similar note.

For me, the biggest thing is settling into your tastes and identifying [with confidence] what you in or aren't into at the moment.  As I've gotten older, I've definitely determined which artists I'm no longer into vs. the ones that I'm just having some time apart from.  Some of my favorite albums, artists, and even genres may go months – or even a year+ – without being touched.  But that doesn't mean I'm no longer into them.  I just have a sizable collection of music and I place a pretty big value on hopping around to keep things fresh.

Few things rival the realization that you're really in a mood to listen to X artist, and then recognizing that you haven't touched anything in their discography for the better part of a year.  I sometimes go on a week-long binge where I'll revisit their stuff and revisit their discography to get it "out of my system" before moving onto the next thing.  I find real value in some bigger leaps between genres as a sort of cool-down to keep everything fresh.  So instead of listening to "aggressive", guitar-heavy genres for a month straight... I'll flip around between metal, then ambient, to post-hardcore, to some shoegaze, to electronic, then to slowcore, to some more upbeat "indie" rock / pop, back to something drone-y or mathy, etc.  Recognizing that song & dance and trusting my mood is probably the biggest saving grace when it comes to avoiding burnout.

For vinyl itself, I sort of enjoy having a "white whale" or two that I can tentatively wait to be reissued.  I feel like there's at least 1 new / unexpected preorder or reissue probably every week, maybe every 2 weeks.  It's a good pace where I'm not hunting Discogs or trying to play catch-up on a bunch of stuff I don't own.  Every now and then I'll stumble into a new artist that I've been sleeping on, and will pursue their best albums or preferred variants for fun.  It's a pretty healthy spot to be in where I'm not completely over spending money on vinyl, but also not going overboard.  It's been this way for years now, and I'm pretty content with it.

[aopps42]

On 4/2/2023 at 8:05 AM, Rip said:

I just entered the 21st century recently and got a Spotify account/subscription.  One of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m mad at myself for not doing so sooner.  Since having my first kid I don’t get as much time to sit down and just listen to records anymore so most of my music listening is done driving to/from work everyday.  It’s pretty life changing having literally everything available at your fingertips now.  Since getting it I’ve checked out so many things I never would have before and also rediscovered stuff I had forgotten about.

This has saved me a lot of money from cutting way back on blind buying

 

15 hours ago, Derek™ said:

I occasionally get into a music lull though it's been a few years.  Sometimes that overlaps with a vinyl lull, other times it doesn't.  This year was off to a bit of a slow start – and honestly, it feels like new music is not getting released as fast or furiously as it was pre-Covid – but the last few years have delivered some great releases, and I suspect 2023 will end on a similar note.

For me, the biggest thing is settling into your tastes and identifying [with confidence] what you in or aren't into at the moment.  As I've gotten older, I've definitely determined which artists I'm no longer into vs. the ones that I'm just having some time apart from.  Some of my favorite albums, artists, and even genres may go months – or even a year+ – without being touched.  But that doesn't mean I'm no longer into them.  I just have a sizable collection of music and I place a pretty big value on hopping around to keep things fresh.

Few things rival the realization that you're really in a mood to listen to X artist, and then recognizing that you haven't touched anything in their discography for the better part of a year.  I sometimes go on a week-long binge where I'll revisit their stuff and revisit their discography to get it "out of my system" before moving onto the next thing.  I find real value in some bigger leaps between genres as a sort of cool-down to keep everything fresh.  So instead of listening to "aggressive", guitar-heavy genres for a month straight... I'll flip around between metal, then ambient, to post-hardcore, to some shoegaze, to electronic, then to slowcore, to some more upbeat "indie" rock / pop, back to something drone-y or mathy, etc.  Recognizing that song & dance and trusting my mood is probably the biggest saving grace when it comes to avoiding burnout.

For vinyl itself, I sort of enjoy having a "white whale" or two that I can tentatively wait to be reissued.  I feel like there's at least 1 new / unexpected preorder or reissue probably every week, maybe every 2 weeks.  It's a good pace where I'm not hunting Discogs or trying to play catch-up on a bunch of stuff I don't own.  Every now and then I'll stumble into a new artist that I've been sleeping on, and will pursue their best albums or preferred variants for fun.  It's a pretty healthy spot to be in where I'm not completely over spending money on vinyl, but also not going overboard.  It's been this way for years now, and I'm pretty content with it.

I agree with everything you said, and I tend to have listening patterns similar to yours in terms of surfing genres. I was really loving the psych revival that was occurring from late oughts until I guess a few years ago, but feels like that has sort of dissipated. I probably just need to spend more time in terms of discovering new/unfamiliar artists, but it’s been a real struggle of late it seems. 

[Shitty Rambo]

I've been listening to a lot more music lately, but I've also been digging into different genres and letting YouTube Music's Radio feature do whatever the hell it wants. Feels like genres that were more popular here over the last decade have all become stagnant, I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from more poppy/hipper/jammy bands like PALACE and Khruangbin.

With LPs costing $40 a pop these days, digital music has become more prevalent in my listening habits, and although it's not ideal it's more practical. I'm almost reverting back into late-90's piracy brain where I'd dive into a ton of new music because paying $25 for a CD is absurd and the risk/reward is non-existent.

 

 

[One Hundred Fifty-Two]

On 4/1/2023 at 2:47 PM, aopps42 said:

I’m sure this probably isn’t as individualized as it feels, but does anyone else feel like they’re in a bit of a rut or lull in terms of music?  Between favorites not really being very active anymore and/or not finding much new music that I connect with, it just feels weird as I can’t recall another time in my life experiencing that.  I probably should be digging into stuff that I’ve missed over the years, but I don’t have a huge drive to do that either. Anyone else experience this?  What got you out of the rut?

This might sound weird but try getting into phish. They are probably the most rewarding band to be a fan of. There is so much content out there for them (albums, live shows, xm station, books, podcasts, YouTube accounts, movies, posters). You could spend the rest of your life just going through what is already available. But the best part is they refuse to rest on what they have done in the past. They are constantly moving forward. The members are active on their own as well. Mike Gordon (bass) just released new solo music, trey (guitar) release a solo album, and trey and page (piano) released a collaboration. Each live show is an experience in its self. 
 

Even if you aren’t into the music at first continue digging and I think you’ll connect with some aspect since all of the members individually are immensely talented. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Tidal Wave

[mameeshkamowskwoz]

Ween is the best rabbit hole in my opinion. Soooooo much music and they're incredible live. I just wish they'd write some new stuff.

[One Hundred Fifty-Two]

On 4/30/2023 at 6:22 PM, mameeshkamowskwoz said:

Ween is the best rabbit hole in my opinion. Soooooo much music and they're incredible live. I just wish they'd write some new stuff.

Yeah that’s another great option

[mameeshkamowskwoz]

Another idea is to find a music venue or two in your area and just make yourself go out on occasion and take some chances on bands even if you haven't ever heard of them. They won't all be amazing, but you never know who you're seeing figure shit out in front of your eyes.

 

The first time I ever saw King Buffalo I was just looking for something to do after a Duke/UNC basketball game in Chapel Hill and listened to a song or two from the bands playing the local clubs that night. They caught my ear the most and five of my friends and I were among the 50 or so people that night and we were all blown the fuck away.