The Truth About Music

"What's hot, what's not, and whats next in pop music"

Topic: Opinions

Opinion: Why Dubstep Sucks And How It Can Be Saved

By Harris posted April 17, 2012 at 08:30

For those of you who have been reading The Truth About Music since it began, you’ll know that my musical tastes are all over the place. I’m a fan of everything from Eminem to Gershwin. That being said, I have been on a war against the growing influence of dub step in the pop music community for about a year now. What started as a few minor bars in a few top 40 songs has turned into a music revolution within the pop world. Continue...
Shooter Jennings Verbally Bitch Slaps Nashville Peers

By Robert posted September 01, 2011 at 15:03

Shooter Jennings is pissed, and that’s a fantastic thing for the cesspool known as modern country music. On his new song, “Outlaw You” the singer/songwriter verbally bitch slaps his Nashville peers while smiling in their face the whole time, and no one in the CMT universe gets it. “Outlaw you” is a funny track. If you listen to it without pretext, it sounds like every popular country song that’s plastered all over the radio, and that’s the point. But, when you listen to the lyrics, which assuming most modern country-pop radio listeners don’t, they’re being psychologically fisted by someone who actually knows what it’s like to be an outsider, and not just him, he’s a second generation outsider. It’s a seething, transparent language “EFF YOU” to everyone who’s responsible for making one of America’s original art forms into the sad joke it is today. Continue...
Top Five Bands Ready To Make The Jump To Greatest Hits Stature

By Harris posted June 29, 2011 at 13:23

There comes a point in any artists career when the music they’ve created in the past becomes more important to their main audience, than any future albums they could release. While some older artists like Tom Plant have reinvented their careers, creating a new sound, and a new niche, others, like Billy Joel, Steve Miller and Prince are now in the greatest hits stage of their careers. Continue...
Hip Hops First Family, An Incestual Breed Of Superstars

By Harris posted April 12, 2011 at 08:00

As families go, this one might be the weirdest. Sure families are usually linked by blood, or at least marriage, but in this case, the only legal links are between the The Don and his beautiful wife. In previous decades, hip hop and the sub-genre of rap were associated with drugs and violence. Boy have things changed. The current first family of rap consists of a grouping of stars, brought together not by a hatred for each other or a wishing to outlast one another, but by past collaborations and paths to breaking into the music industry. If you had to put your finger on the man of the house, you wouldn’t have to look very hard. Jay-Z is the undisputed heavyweight of the hip hop world. An illustrious rap career which reached new heights in the last few years, he is also an expert in business and at finding [...] Continue...
Mumford & Sons and the Danger of Being Taken Seriously

By Tom posted March 04, 2011 at 08:00

First, let me set the stage a bit. Since their debut album Sigh No More was released in the U.S. a little over a year ago, the British folk rockers Mumford & Sons have shot to superstardom. It’s easy to see why, as they follow behind such bands as The Decembrists and Beirut on the current of old timey instrumentation (and old timey fashion) coupled with impassioned and yearning vocals. The reason Mumford & Sons have managed to shoot past these bands to attain a greater degree of mainstream success is most likely due to the driving force inherent in their music. This is stadium folk rock. Continue...
Opinion: Sugar Ray, Making Kids Feel Like Classy Whores Since 1995

By Harris posted February 10, 2011 at 08:00

Boy bands make us all feel like cheap used hookers. We can’t resist humming along with the perfect harmonies, incredible tales of love and hardship and starring into their huge starlit eyes. In the end, you feel used. You know that it was all a show and whether you like it or not, these were “supergroups” put together to sell records. I fully support these types of projects. In the end, you are left with a sound. A sound that is smooth, sweet, filled with perfect pitch and catchy songwriting. During this age of “boy bands,” another band was in its prime producing eerily similar sounding music without getting any flack for being a “boy band.” Continue...
Opinion: How Taylor Hicks Ruined American Idol

By Harris posted January 31, 2011 at 11:03

It has been ten years since the very first season of American Idol premiered on the Fox network. At the beginning it was a small singing competition with an unproven track record. While the show has had its hits and misses, stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and Chris Daughtry have given legitimacy to a television show aimed at music fans. While sales for the shows largest artists have been massive, there is a glaring scar on the face of the American Idol franchise. His name is Taylor Hicks. This isn’t just personal, there are clear numbers to back it up. Continue...
Opinion: Indie Music Fans Think They Are Special, Here’s Why They’re Not

By Harris posted January 17, 2011 at 08:00

I’m sure you understand this by now. I have a huge vendetta against the indie rock genre. While I’ve gone into detail in the past (see these articles: Hipsters, Indie, Selling Out, More on Selling Out), this piece targets a certain attitude these fans have. Indie music fans define themselves by listening to music that is considered off the beaten path. Gracing the Billboard Hot 100 can seem like a mortal sin and making money is seen as an infraction. Continue...
Opinion: Are Mumford & Sons This Years Modest Mouse?

By Harris posted January 06, 2011 at 10:53

Drawing comparisons between bands isn’t something I love to do. It’s too easy to say that a band sounds like Band A, mixed with Band B. It’s an overused cliche in journalism and rarely gives the insight that readers deserve. Let me state this right up front before people start having a coronary. I’m not drawing a comparison between the sounds of Mumford & Sons and Modest Mouse. This take is based solely on their place in the pop music world and the legacy they leave behind. Continue...
Opinion: Is It Important to Read the Book Before You See The Movie?

By Harris posted December 16, 2010 at 14:24

A battle rages in the realm of Twitter. A simple Tweet led to an onslaught of messages surround the above question. Here’s the original tweet: @KatyOneill: it ruffles my feathers when people don’t read the book before they see the movie. Continue...