We all know that it's often one of the most important criteria used to evaluate new music by the typical indie hipster rock critic (of course, not all of them know how to judge originality, or just don't have the experience to recognize what is and isn't original, but that's a different sunbject ).....but how important is it to you in enjoying music or finding music you like? I was just thinking a little about it yesterday when PopMatters posted their review of the Autolux Future Perfect album. The reviewer liked the sound of the album, but dismissed it as being 10 years too late for listeners already familiar with Jesus & Mary Chain and MBV and Ride and Spiritualized and all the rest. And I don't necessarily disagree with her overall assessment of the originality, but I love all those bands and still love the new Autolux too. Is something wrong with me? Not picky enough? Too easy to please?

Yeah, I guess I'm kind of a pushover for the type of music I like, especially when it's done as well as this Autolux album is. What about you (in general, not just Autolux)?

http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/a ... ture.shtml

There are a lot of bands I like that are near rip-offs of other bands - as long as they bring some new twists and have good songs it doesn't bother me much. Hardly anything is truly original - maybe nothing really is.

Just because a band isn't original, doesn't mean i can't enjoy their songs. Stellastarr* for example, has a couple of good songs, but they don't have an original bone in their collective body.

That said, if a band does have a unique sound it's an added bonus and increases my enjoyment.

I like the Autolux disc too.

I don't know if it's because I value "originality" necessarily, but pretty much every artist that's ever stuck with me for very long has been pretty distinctive.

Generally the more overtly derivative stuff just doesn't have a lot of staying power.

I agree with Drinky Cow, while music that might not be super original is fine, origniality goes a long way in keeping a band in my heavy rotation list.

What's cool though, is hearing a band who clearly may be ripping off/channeling the sound of a previous band, but doing it in such a way that it makes their own unique sound. For example, with Bauhaus you hear bits of Pink Floyd, bits of Bowie, bits of Eno, interpreted in an entirely different manner that makes it unique.

As for originality holding my interest, well, sure I want to listen to bands who sound different or don't rehash the same sound year after year. But at the same time, if I feel it in my gut, that this is something I like, it doesn't really matter if it's original or not.

Recently 'someone' lambasted a band I like as "derivitive". I thought that marked that person out as near retarded. And I'll tell him that the next time I'm in the office.

But the point I'm making is that you could, if you wished, say that about any band. It's a completely worthless criticism.

Popular music is enterting it's 6th decade. Virtually ever style possible has been attempted somewhere by someone.

Good bands have lineages of influence but add their own twist or slant. Bad bands are just crap. It's as simple as that. But if you think originality is still possible in music you must be either a) ignorant of masses of pre-existing artists, groups and albums or b) waiting for the Martians to touch down in Times Square. Either way you cut a rather ridiculous figure.

FF?

Yeah. And it was Perkele. I'm holding one of his Nick Cave CD's hostage until he recants. A hinge off the jewel case will be sent through the mail to let him know I mean business!

Just remember kids, The Beatles thought they would be called out for openly copying Motown and Elvis. Keep this in mind. You gotta bring a new twist, but shit everyone steals everything.

Amateurs borrow. Pros steal.

It's true to varying degrees. Some bands wear a few influences on their sleave while others mix some really diverse and disparate stuff into their sound to the point where it's really difficult to say that they sound like anyone else. It's debatable whether or not that constitutes "originality".

Anyway... I don't think calling something "derivative" is a useless criticism. It's all a matter of degrees. Something can certainly be too deritvative to the point where it isn't interesting and pales in comparison to it's obvious influences.

Or a close favorite: Talent borrows. Genius steals.

Originality is all well and good, but that's not the determining factor for me. It may be ambiguous, but if the shit complements the mood I'm feeling at the time, then it's the way to go. Being smart is a plus, but not necessary. Funny is welcome, but doesn't always work. Having a bad attitude a la Rolling Stones or The Mats is always good, but sometimes trying to hard doesn't serve too well, e.g. Limp Bizkit.

It ain't a scientific judging process, but it works from Leadbelly to Motown to T. Rex to Soundgarden to Wu-Tang Clan and all parts in between.

I used to think that this pretty accurately reflected my tastes, as well. But I think I analyse too much. Basically, I like good music -- some of it is derivative, some of it less so. When something is original, it gives me something to latch on to, to point a finger at and say, 'yeah, I like that about them.' But really, it's all malarky. I'm listening to some very derivative synthpop right now (Neuroactive, for those keeping track), and am totally digging it as much as anything which is original.

You know my tastes well enough to know that I do value originality -- but I think it's a misplaced value. What I like about Neubauten, for example, is their songwriting skills, not the fact that they do it with huge spinning barrels of plastic and metal and airblowers and devices more likely to show up in a Sears catalog than in a Musician's Friend catalog. The fact that they do gives me more material to talk about -- 'dancing about architecture' -- but really, it's just 'copy' to get the excitement level up.

It depends, how is that for vague? I think my ear is very pop and so I gravitate to more English bands than almost anyone else on this board outside Aural or Dalan. When most in the indie community hated the whole Travis/Coldplay thing, I loved it. Though I think I listened to better versions of these types of bands at times Unbelievable Truth, Lowgold or Embrace. Things do change and this board is helping me discover even better things. Than I do my own research and have people on slsk as other sources as well. Original all the time? No, but exact copies never seem to last.




No, no and no for the last three questions. As I alluded to with the last paragraph, sometimes it just doesn’t work. Didn’t like Travis last two albums. Starsailor did nothing. Embrace made a huge comeback in 2004 and Stylus has it ranked 13th overall with three writers naming it number one. I don’t hear it and doesn’t hold a candle to 2000’s Drawn From Memory, IMO. Good for them though and US album in a few months with a tour. I hope that Coldplay album is great and still look forward to it.

When writer start to write like he did, though I loved that first paragraph, they need to go and do something else. Is he ever going to like something new again? Or is it all I have heard this all before so I turned it off and put on the Beatles.

As far as Autolux is concerned I’m not feeling it yet. Several people on this board love it Aural, Chase, and yourself. I haven’t played it yet enough so I can’t really say but hasn’t really done anything. I don’t hear Mary Chain or SY yet but can live with Slowdive and Ride. To me, though I can’t quite put a finger on it, Lush come to mind over and over again. I’m a HUGE shoegazer fan and never tire of the sound, you should see my CDs. For me it’s the Boo Radleys and than everyone else. I love the fact that he brings up Pavement on a day like today. The Garbage piece sound like Curve to me but could be way off. An album that is doing for me what Autolux is doing for everyone else and has the same description is Radio Dept and I adore it with it making my top 10.


http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/10664.html


np: Frausdots – Couture, Couture, Couture

I've been calling them derivitive from the beginning on this board. It's just overproduced Strokes with dance beats, taking few rhythmic cues and a lot of inspiration from the talking heads.