Maybe it's just pop music, but I am excited for this album.

[sunvalleylaw]

[guitartango]

Nothing wrong with Pop music and there is nothing wrong with John Mayer. Not sure if I liked the last album but this sounds quite good.

[Eric***]

Is JM pop now? I guess he's always had that side of him, huh?

Anyway, like what you like. Far better than to be one those people who say no good music is coming out these days.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, who's to say? I guess folks felt the last album was more pop oriented than the "Trio" stuff, and this album looks to me more in that vein with some countryish flavor, rather than back toward the blues oriented stuff. I don't really care that much what it is called. I just enjoy John's writing and work, and guitar playing.

[Robert****]

You are right, who cares how music is labeled. If you like it, great! We should never a need to apologize for liking any kind of artist or music.

I guess I am reacting on your "just pop music" title... we could (pointlessly) say the same for any style - it's "just"blues, or it's "just" metal, etc... right?

[Eric***]

your "just pop music" title... we could (pointlessly) say the same for any style - it's "just"blues, or it's "just" metal, etc... right?

Interesting. I don't think I'd ever use the "just" descriptor in front of "metal," but I'm not sure why not.

[t_ross33]

The Beatles were just a pop band. FWIW.

[deeaa*]

Yeah labeling music sucks. One thing that has sometimes annoyed me is why do music reviewers sometimes complain that a band is crisscrossing between genres and the next day complaining that all the songs are too much alike.

I myself like bands that have lots of variation in their songs, like Faith No More.

But I soon realized that music labels, like opinions, are like a-holes, everyone has one, and especially reviews have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Still, it can sometimes be very annoying that you've maybe done some side studio project singing some EP for some band, really with a 'left hand' and just quite mechanically almost sang the songs you haven't practiced, and then for that release get reviews saying the singer really conveys feeling and grooves with the band - and then you release another one you've really worked hard on vocals and basically sang some songs in tears putting all the feeling you have behind it, and that time the reviewer complains that the vocals are done a bit coldly and without feeling, LOL :-)

If I review a band, I'll never make guesses like 'feels like the guitarist hasn't practiced enough' or 'they play with no feeling', how the hell do they think they know what the band did to make the release. Sometimes the feeling may just not convey to a particular listener at a particular time etc.

[sunvalleylaw]

You are right, who cares how music is labeled. If you like it, great! We should never a need to apologize for liking any kind of artist or music.

I guess I am reacting on your "just pop music" title... we could (pointlessly) say the same for any style - it's "just"blues, or it's "just" metal, etc... right?

Yep, right. i guess I was just reacting to people, particularly musicians, criticizing mayer because he moved away from the Trio stuff. I really just meant to say I was excited for this new album and John's latest experiment with making music.


Dee, you make important and good points too.

[Lev]

I'm a big JM fan and a few years back he really re ignited my love for the guitar after I had virtually given up playing for a while. For me Continuum was the best record of the last 10 years. My problem with the last record was that there just wasn't enough guitar on there and from the clips I've heard so far the new record may be similar (albeit with a more folkie vibe). I'll give it some time though, it may be a grower.

[sunvalleylaw]

Lev, you and I have talked about Mayer for a while. I agree that you had to look harder for the nice guitar in the last album, though there was definitely some there. Continuum, and Try! and other live recordings of that collection of material, has been my favorite too. But I am hopeful that I will find some other things to like in this effort, such as John's take on what sounds like something Neil Young might play on one of his acoustic albums.

[Tig***]

John Mayer - Born And Raised

Just had the first listen. I didn't know what to expect, which is a good way to let something unfold. A few songs have a slight country sound. Most are acoustic guitar with just a few backing instruments. It flows well and has a nice, well produced sound to it. It verges on easy listening at times.

What he does here, he does quite well. It depends on if you like what is going on, though. I'll give it a few more spins, but I'm not connecting to it much. I like John's blues trio quite a bit, and some of his other work. He certainly is trying a new direction. I'm not sure if it will do well, but you never know.

[Commodore 64***]

There's no good music coming out these days.

[Tig***]

There's no good music coming out these days.

I hope that was a joke!

[Spudman***]

There's no good music coming out these days.

Maybe if you are stuck in main stream America, but world wide there is some incredibly good music being released.

[Eric***]

I hope that was a joke!

I feel you, but this exchange did get me thinking: what if that statement ("There's no good music coming out these days.") really meant what many people are trying to say when they talk about how current music sucks: that the style and sound of music they like isn't very common these days?

It brings up an interesting point, right? I meant, tons of people have been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles, to name a few. But who is putting out music these days that sounds like them? Even if it's just revivalists, that's worth something to someone. I'm not saying those people/bands don't exist today: I'm just asking who they are and where they can be found. Extend that question to whatever style you want, because I'm genuinely curious.

[Commodore 64***]

I was just kidding. I like to go see local live music. One of my friends does alt-country, Ohio Joe, and I like his stuff. http://www.reverbnation.com/ohiojoe

One of my other friends does delta blues and I like his stuff too. http://www.reverbnation.com/ianpenter

I found a band by accident on reverb nation called Glitter Freeze. They have a 80's vibe I like. http://www.reverbnation.com/glitterfreeze

I'm sure there's stuff I would like in every local watering hole that has live music. As for finding it, well, I don't go searching for indie music. I just listen to bands I like which tend to be classic rock (The Band, Rolling Stones, Neil Young) or 80s stuff. It's good, and I like it. Any new music I listen tends to be local and live. I don't actively try to find new music to listen to on the radio or at stores. I'm sure I'd find something.

I can without reservation say, however, that I don't like much rock post 1990, and I can't think of any rock acts from 2000 and later that I like. By this I mean any thing that gets played on classic rock stations (like nickelback, pearl jam, RHCP, 3 doors down, nirvana). It just doesn't do anything for me.

When I had sirius I liked to listen to Deep Tracks, Little Steven's Garage, Hair Nation and BB Kings bluesville. Can't really find anything like that on regular radio so I just play stuff from my phone. Through a cassette adapter, because my car predates CD Players.

[sunvalleylaw]

By this I mean any thing that gets played on classic rock stations (like nickelback, ). It just doesn't do anything for me.

When I had sirius I liked to listen to Deep Tracks, Little Steven's Garage, Hair Nation and BB Kings bluesville. Can't really find anything like that on regular radio so I just play stuff from my phone. Through a cassette adapter, because my car predates CD Players.

That first statement, limited as edited, I understand. I liked the other acts you mentioned, and do like some of the newer "rock" acts, such as newer PJ, Foo Fighters, etc. I also really like Little Steven's underground garages. What a great show! Fortunately, they play it around here on the regular radio. I notice a lot of newer stuff coming out with an 80's vibe. The Decemberists sound very much like mid 80's REM, particularly the Reckoning, Life's Rich Pageant period, and I hear some other "alternative" stuff that reminds me of Psych Furs, Tears for Fears, and etc.

I also am into more indie sounding stuff too. I like Wilco quite a bit, though they are almost not indie anymore, though i don't know what else you would call them. i can get into some of Spud's euro prog stuff, but that is more of a meal than I have attention for sometimes, unless I have a long car drive.

[Eric***]

I like Wilco quite a bit, though they are almost not indie anymore, though i don't know what else you would call them.

I heard them described as "dad rock" a couple of months ago. I love me some Wilco, but I must say that's a pretty apropos label for them over their last few albums.