Thursday, January 31, 2013

Welcome To Youtube's Underground Music Scene


Sometimes I find myself buying into the myth that music has gone downhill nowadays. It's hard not to buy into it when it surrounds you every day. Walk into a club or a bar, turn on the radio, turn on MTV and the majority of what you hear is over-produced, under-inspired music. And for a good deal people, that music is enough because they take what they're given. I guess growing up I became a music addict and can't get high on the stuff the media is pushing on me today. 



I became enchanted by the romantic music of Beethoven as a child and fought the system by turning against my piano teacher and teaching myself to play piano. I then heard Elvis' voice and went through his massive body of work in the matter of a year. I discovered a CD collection called 'Putumayo' that promoted ethnic music and bought nearly the whole collection at the time. I was introduced to the pop world with the very best, Michael Jackson. Jackson's music took me back to the Motown collection. The artists on the label drew me to the disco era that ended in the creation of the hip hop scene that became so strong in the early 90's. I had a change of heart in my teens and heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" blasting through the speakers of my stereo. I soaked myself in the emotions of the Seattle sound of the early 90's and discovered a load of other 90's rock bands that seriously rocked! And next thing I knew I was going back in time to listen to bands that changed the face of music. Aerosmith, Led Zep., The Who, Cream, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and countless others. And as anyone who knows music knows, I was on a train headed straight for the blues. All the way to the Robert Johnson collection and Leadbelly's timeless songs.


But did the major record labels ever give us what we wanted to listen to? They didn't give the world grunge until the world screamed for it, they didn't give the world classic rock until it demanded it. The truth is, a lot of people don't really know what "the next thing" is. Even I don't. But I do know what music is good and I don't feel that the majority of today's music (that you hear on the radio, the tv, clubs/bars etc.) is fair to the audience. The trouble is people don't know what they're missing out on. If you don't know better, of course the drum machine will move you. But for those who want something more, there's definitely good music out there. 

The reason I made this blog is to direct you to today's worldwide "underground" music scene, that is Youtube. It's true that Justin Bieber started out there. For some that is a plus, for others its completely negative. Well, all I can say is that there is so much original talent on Youtube. From acoustic acts such as the wonderfully talented Orla Gartland, who released her single 'Devil On My Shoulder' on iTunes in 2012, to Kelly Rosenthal, who is one of the most well-rounded guitarists I've seen on Youtube. They both do a bunch of covers, but I suggest that you listen to the original stuff, since you're the one complaining that there's no good original music out there today. It's there, you just gotta look it up. And I'm doing my best to direct you to it! If you find any fantastic artists around the underground Youtube scene send them my way at infinite_freedom@live.com and I'll share them in my future blog posts! Here's the new era of great music!


© Alex Hamel.