General Music Discussion II

[Bythyrona]

I think most of us have it spotty sometimes because sometime people are serious and it's shocking that they're serious.

NationStates General is a strange and frightening place. If you want to have the true horror experience, try participating in NSG while listening to the depraved dark ambient/death industrial of Brighter Death Now.

Some of the posts I read there require no accompaniment.

[Meryuma]

So I've been messing around with this thing called the Akinator, which is something that pretty much is "20 Questions" but for fictional characters and real people for you to make it guess, and it is expanded widely by the community. But...I've been honestly REALLY impressed with how well it does. unsurprisingly, it guesses Game of Thrones characters in like 15 questions or less. And it also guessed the Xenomorph Alien of, well, Alien...

Anyway, I just did it for Justin K Broadrick, and at first it guessed Steven Wilson, then the 2nd try (Which is it asking more questions kinda like 20 questions does), and it got it right...Like dayum.

Just...be warned that it is weirdly addicting to challenge it. At least for me.

Edit: it got Varg right on the first try...

I used to love that game but it isn't working for some rason.

[Corrian]

I used to love that game but it isn't working for some rason.

It's been spotty for me. I think it got really popular so it gets overloaded sometimes.

[Corrian]

It got Lorde in like 16 questions and Ariane Grande in like 9 to 10...Damn, I expected it to be quick, but dang.

[Cadonica]

It got Lorde in like 16 questions and Ariane Grande in like 9 to 10...Damn, I expected it to be quick, but dang.

The fastest I got was Ariel (dat lil mermaid) in 7. Don't really remember the fastest music related, it's been a while since I last messed with it.

[Ancient Magmia]

So I've been messing around with this thing called the Akinator, which is something that pretty much is "20 Questions" but for fictional characters and real people for you to make it guess, and it is expanded widely by the community. But...I've been honestly REALLY impressed with how well it does. unsurprisingly, it guesses Game of Thrones characters in like 15 questions or less. And it also guessed the Xenomorph Alien of, well, Alien...

Anyway, I just did it for Justin K Broadrick, and at first it guessed Steven Wilson, then the 2nd try (Which is it asking more questions kinda like 20 questions does), and it got it right...Like dayum.

Just...be warned that it is weirdly addicting to challenge it. At least for me.

Edit: it got Varg right on the first try...

It understood that I was thinking of a Naruto character in less than 10 questions...and guessed that it was an anime character in less than 5. By 16 it was asking me surprisingly specific questions that can apply only to the show. It guessed right on 19 or 20. Though it failed to guess two somewhat obscure people I was thinking of, both of them rappers (one I wasn't expecting it to get, the other it should have gotten). And even after it asked me if I was thinking of a real person (and I answered "yes"), it asked if my character was a member of the Akatsuki...which is something from Naruto.

Tried again with more recognizable people. It got Bob Marley after 19 questions, Stevie Wonder after 13 (at 11 it even asked if my character was blind ), and Miles Davis after 25 (this one surprised me because it was asking a lot of irrelevant questions...didn't think it would get it right). Going back to fictional characters, it got Jafar (Aladdin) after 25, Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh) after 24, and Remy (Ratatouille) after 18-19. I also did another Naruto character (Madara Uchiha) and it took 45 questions before it got it...

Definitely interesting. I don't know if it's better/more accurate than 20 Questions with some of the nonsensical/repetitive questions, but it's pretty good. Definitely addicting.

Apparently Logic's latest album came out today. I guess I'll listen to it when I get home.

Cool, you can let me know if it's a waste of time or not. Really not interested if it's just him biting other people's style again...

[Mavorpen]

Cool, you can let me know if it's a waste of time or not. Really not interested if it's just him biting other people's style again...

I actually just finished writing my review like 20 minutes ago, and I pissed off someone on Facebook with it.

Review of The Incredible True Story by Logic:

So, I went into this with mixed expectations based on the three singles released before the album officially came out. For each song's initial listen, Young Jesus was meh, Like Woah was absolutely horrendous, and I actually enjoyed Fade Away. I'll go into more detail about those songs, but the mixed reactions I had towards the singles overall set the expectations accordingly. So, with that being said, I'll just go through each song one by one.

1. Contact - So obviously, being that it's first, this is the song that's meant to set the stage. And it does that nicely. From the very begging with the pounding drums, the track nicely gets you pumped up for the future, and with the vocals and strings in the background, it sufficiently establishes Logic's goal to take you on some sort of journey.The mock radio transmission and the sounds of a shuttle landing upon a planet helps with that as well. And with Steve Blum's character's introduction and his discussion with the character Kai, it sets the stage for what to expect with the rest of the album. As far as an intro goes, this is a great one. 4/5

2. Fade Away - As I said above, when this was released as a single, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit, and seeing it first up made me actually a bit more excited because the implication was drawn that Logic had even better things in store later on. In any case, as for the song itself, my opinion about it hasn't really changed. I still enjoy it and think it's hands down one of the better tracks. The production gives me an "I'm Gone" vibe yet it sufficiently distances itself from that song as well with the clean vocals in the background giving an almost angelic feel to it while being contrasted to the energetic and upbeat beat underneath it as well as Logic's usual acrobatic flow. The song's premise is fairly simple: that everyone dies one day but that Logic accepts it and is interested in simply leaving a legacy with his music (this also continues the narrative laid out in the intro). Lyrically this is one of Logic's better songs, and while it's still fairly simplistic, his rhyming is what stands out the most. However, for me, the song ultimately ended up being somewhat ruined by the skit at the end. It felt incredibly out of place and entirely unnecessary -- especially seeing as it appeared to be building up to a Big Sean guest verse in Upgrade that never even happened -- which has unfortunately only further reduced my enjoyment for the song every time I listen to it. 3/5

3. Upgrade - Once again, this song from the beginning continues the space/futuristic setting and I guess it sort of provides a perspective for why the skit at the end of Fade Away was included (since the premise was the "upgrading" of Thalia), but it still didn't make me like the skit. The song starts out fairly minimalist in production with a sound that really does make you feel like you're floating in space. When the drums kick in however, I kind of wished that the minimalist production continued, as the energetic drum line style is used in pretty much all of his songs and it would have been something fresh. This doesn't mean that the production is bad by any means, though. To my surprise, the single section where he rather flawlessly switched to singing didn't bother me too much, though it was pretty random and after listening to the song a second time, I questioned it's presence when that short bit was only the time he'd done that in the whole song. What brings the song down though is the lyrics. The lyrics are not only simple, but so are the rhymes, and unfortunately, his double-time flow doesn't change that. 2.5/5

4. White People - Okay, this was the first point where I honestly began to realize the unnecessary space setting. The premise behind two individuals in the future sitting down and reminiscing upon Logic's music and it's importance is more than enough. This "scene" honestly just takes me out of the album, especially the odd decision to draw racial connotations to it. 1/5

5. Like Woah - Okay, so, I said above that this song was absolutely horrendous to me when I heard it as a single. And, well, that hasn't changed. Upgrade and Fade Away at least had some context behind them with respect to the "concept" of the album. Like Woah however, comes out of nowhere. But the worst part is that this song is just plain insulting on a fundamental level. During my VERY first listen to this song as a single, I literally paused the song a mere 25 or so seconds into the song, opened a new YouTube tab, searched up "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar, listened to it, and then proceeded to simply exclaim, "Fuck you, Logic." This song almost made me give up entirely on the album. Everything from the smooth, jazzy production to Logic's flow, inflections, etc. just screamed Kendrick. It's as though while working on this album, Logic heard "Alright,"decided to make his own version, and just stuck it randomly into the album. It would definitely explain why it feels so out of place to me. It doesn't help that there's nothing special about this song to make it stand out in a positive way. The song, lyrically, just feels like a placeholder to yet again flex his technical ability with his flow. 1/5

6. Young Jesus - While my reaction to this song as a single was simply "meh," it's actually grown on me. This is primarily because the song demonstrates what Logic SHOULD be doing as an artist: being inspired rather than biting off of his peers. The goal in this song is simple: to bring us back to the 90s. And from a narrative standpoint, it fits with the idea of the "story's" characters listening to something in the past. Not only do they get to hear an "old" artist, Logic, but they also get a flavor for the music during a decade preceding him. It goes deeper than that however, with inspiration very obviously drawn from Big Pun, from the production to, especially, the feature Big Lenbo. The combination works, however, it might work a little too much, as, honestly, Big Lendo completely outshines Logic. I mean, it's almost embarrassing how Big Lendo with his eerily-resembling-Big-Pun-voice crushes Logic on his own song. With every one of Big Lendo's bars, I found myself making a wide grin only to be forcefully pulled back to Logic while screaming in my head, "Go back to Big Lendo, dammit!" Overall though, I enjoyed this song. 3.5/5

7. Innermission - This is sort of what I wanted from Upgrade. This song sports a minimalist production that's smooth, jazzy, and is overall laid-back. This song felt like one that could have easily been on Under Pressure, as Logic becomes introspective and busts out some storytelling, giving us some insight into how much he appreciates simply being alive as well as reminiscing upon his relationship with a friend from his past. It's a nice way to break up the album with an intermission while also giving meaning to said intermission.There's not much other to say about this track other than I thoroughly enjoyed it. 3.5/5

8. I Am The Greatest - This song had a great deal of hype behind it considering it was used in the trailer for the album. I expected something hard and gritty, but instead I'm disappointed by Logic's pathetic attempt at impersonating Drake. Even the production is honestly not as special as I first believed it to be from the trailer. This is just... ugh. Sorry, but I'm not interested in a rejected track from Nothing Was The Same, Logic, 2/5.

9. The Cube - Um... 0/5

10. Lord Willin' - This song is interesting because on the one hand, it's nothing particularly special. And yet, it's one of my favorite songs on the album. I find it unfortunate that I can make those two statements back to back. The production on this song stands out to me in a way that I can't really describe. "Playful" is, I suppose, the best word I can use to describe it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the beat was produced by Childish Gambino. The lyrics are simple and straightforward with some pretty witty and funny lines. Some of it is corny, but given the production, it fits. It also helps that Logic makes use of his singing well without driving himself into the "biting off Drake" territory. This is one of the few songs that I actually repeated out of sheer entertainment and not simply to gather my thoughts to settle them about the specific song at hand. 4/5

11. City of Stars - I'll be honest, I thoroughly wanted to convince myself that this was a joke. This song is just... bad. It was a pain getting through. From the terrible auto-tune singing to the production that sounded like a bootleg water-downed version of "Flashing Lights," it felt as though 808s Kanye and IYRTITL Drake combined together to create just an all around extremely obnoxious song. The sad part is that the final verse is actually pretty damn good, containing some of Logic's best bars in the whole album. It's a shame that by the time I get to it, I'm burned out by the terrible first half. 2.5/5

12. Stainless - Whereas I was laughing at City of Stars because of how bad it was, I ended up laughing at this song because during the first two listens, I couldn't even concentrate on the song itself. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had already heard this song before, and, knowing Logic's track record with biting, my suspicious were likely correct. So then I decided to listen to it a third time and this time, to help me focus, I went to rapgenius. I read the description of the song, and I shit you not, I shouted, "NO!" as I read that Stainless shares the same sample as Travis $cott’s track "Backyard" from his "Days Before Rodeo" mixtape. I then immediately started laughing my ass off. If I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn that Logic was just some random guy trying to make a remix of "Backyard." It's just.. WHY? Why Travis Scott for fuck's sake? I mean, it definitely doesn't help that both of their flows are extremely similar (a product of the Kendrick influence). With that in mind, this song is nothing special and, personally, I'll stick to "Backyard." 2.5/5

13. Babel - You ever watch a movie scene where it seems like the whole movie grinds to a halt to just regurgitate exposition at you and because of this, it seems out of place, forced, and a waste of time? Yeah. 0/5

14. Paradise - From an overall quality standpoint, I think that this is easily Logic's best song on the album. It's a smooth song that is lyrically Logic's deepest song and displays his capabilities as a rapper the best. The beat change is great, and the introduction of the strings at the end is a fantastic touch. While this isn't his catchiest song, for me, it's the most impactful. 4/5

15. Never Been - This is probably the most complex song when it comes to production. Logic attempts to channel his inner Kanye with chipmunk background vocals, an organ, a piano, a guitar, etc. all laced throughout the track and it all leading up to a powerful choir towards the end. It's a decent enough track, though the hook is rather terrible. It's a fairly introspective and inspirational track and certainly one of the better ones. 3.5/5

16. Run It - This is a minimalist production that I couldn't get behind. Rather than challenging Logic, it seemed like Logic didn't put much effort into this one. While he plays with the drums a bit, overall this track is nothing special. And for some reason Logic hypes himself up in this song for the third verse when it's the same flow he's done throughout the entire album. I'm sorry, but a mere double time flow simply isn't enough anymore. 2.5/5

17. Lucidity - Enough. 0/10

18. The Incredible True Story - Well, the title track provides the closure for the album. Logic clearly intended to go out with a bang judging from the production, but honestly, it sort of fell flat. The song came and went, barely holding my interest and after the first listen, the only thing that stood out to me was the quote by Alan Watts. 2.5/5

So, overall thoughts? To be frank, as an overall project, it's pretty forgettable. I don't really see myself remembering this album even next year, at least until Logic inevitably releases another album around this time next year. Save for a few songs, I really have no incentive to replay the album. Which, I find odd because overall the production isn't bad. A vast majority of the songs are pretty catchy, and yet, I can't help but feel like I've heard it all before.

It also doesn't help that I was continuously pulled out of the experience by the obnoxious skits. Ultimately Logic fell prey to the very same problem he had in the last album, where it seems as though he felt that he HAD to make a concept album, as concept albums have made a resurgence primarily with the success of GKMC. The space gimmick felt like just that, a gimmick, and, the annoying part is that just last year we already had a space-themed concept album, but done far better *cough*Cadillac lac lac lac*cough*.

For me, the question is not whether this is a great album. It simply isn't for me. Hell, the question isn't whether I like this album because truth be told, I don't. That's not to say the album is bad. My reaction to the album is much like my reaction to Under Pressure: meh. I suppose the better question is whether I prefer it over Under Pressure or vice versa. Under Pressure felt more personal, as it was Logic trying to make his own GKMC and introduce us to who he is as a person, whereas TITS, while certainly introspective in certain tracks, primarily focuses on Logic trying to create a legacy and find a way to define himself further from his past self. Overall though, I have to say I prefer Under Pressure slightly more, though this could potentially change with more listens.

For the record, final Under Pressure score: 6.5/10
The Incredible True Story: 6/10

[Ancient Magmia]

Nice. I'll have to give that a read later.

Funny, I gave Under Pressure the same exact score.

[Corrian]

It understood that I was thinking of a Naruto character in less than 10 questions...and guessed that it was an anime character in less than 5. By 16 it was asking me surprisingly specific questions that can apply only to the show. It guessed right on 19 or 20. Though it failed to guess two somewhat obscure people I was thinking of, both of them rappers (one I wasn't expecting it to get, the other it should have gotten). And even after it asked me if I was thinking of a real person (and I answered "yes"), it asked if my character was a member of the Akatsuki...which is something from Naruto.

Tried again with more recognizable people. It got Bob Marley after 19 questions, Stevie Wonder after 13 (at 11 it even asked if my character was blind ), and Miles Davis after 25 (this one surprised me because it was asking a lot of irrelevant questions...didn't think it would get it right). Going back to fictional characters, it got Jafar (Aladdin) after 25, Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh) after 24, and Remy (Ratatouille) after 18-19. I also did another Naruto character (Madara Uchiha) and it took 45 questions before it got it...

Definitely interesting. I don't know if it's better/more accurate than 20 Questions with some of the nonsensical/repetitive questions, but it's pretty good. Definitely addicting.

Yeah, it does get a bit redundant sometimes, asking me questions it already asked, but it's still pretty impressive. it definitely helps that it is heavily player evolved.

I've had a few characters and actress' it refused to pick up, but still overall impressive.

[Corrian]

Also, rest in peace for all of those people that were senselessly murdered at a concert today

[Ancient Magmia]

R.I.P.

Yeah, it does get a bit redundant sometimes, asking me questions it already asked, but it's still pretty impressive. it definitely helps that it is heavily player evolved.

I've had a few characters and actress' it refused to pick up, but still overall impressive.

Yeah, that really sets it apart from the typical "20 Questions" type of game.

Tried it again (several times actually ). I was thinking of "Deez Nuts" (the actual "word"/joke, not the presidential candidate )just for shits and giggles, and it guessed "Something I don't know because it's not a character."

[Tokuopolis]

I sure hope rock music makes a come back. I love music from the 2000s pop punk era.

[Rikatan]

I might try to explore RYM soon. It seems to be a very interesting website. Although, with all your screenshots/graphs earlier, sorted by decade, mine would basically only include the 2000s and 2010s. I just realized this as I was catching up on the thread, and now I feed ashamed.

[Corrian]

Heard the odd Grimes song I just heard at home on the radio (KEXP of course), and I'm pretty sure after that I heard Atoms For Peace but I'm not certain.

Always nice when KEXP at least plays something slightly more interesting (Grimes is still pretty hit or miss for me but I like her okay)

[Mavorpen]

Nice. I'll have to give that a read later.

Funny, I gave Under Pressure the same exact score.

Right now there's about four songs that I've actually kept on my phone to continue to listen to.

[Bythyrona]

I sure hope rock music makes a come back. I love music from the 2000s pop punk era.

I consider that period and type of music to be a sign of the dying of the genre, tbqh.

[Adab]

I sure hope rock music makes a come back. I love music from the 2000s pop punk era.

Yeah, I hope for that too, although I hold nothing against the current pop-dominated world. Besides, there's still a lot of great rock music around, be it on the radio or TV or the Internet or whatever; they just don't appear on the charts as often and as high as they used to be.

[Rikatan]

Rock music 'making a comeback'? There are plenty of rock artists in existence, plenty of genres thriving, and most importantly, millions (if not billions) of fans. Rock music is very much still alive.
Not only that, but on the other side of the balance, EDM is being turned entirely into pop music in front of my eyes. You don't want to experience the hell I'm going through musically. Everyone listens to what I do, with a twist: they listen to a simplification of a simplification of a simplification of it. I'm listening to my music cut into pieces on the radio.

[Tokuopolis]

I sure hope rock music makes a come back. I love music from the 2000s pop punk era.

I consider that period and type of music to be a sign of the dying of the genre, tbqh.

I guess I can see what you mean, it was the start of rock music becoming more like pop to make it more palatable to mainstream audiences, but IMHO, it was still very much rock music. I still like music from that time though.

---

I sure hope rock music makes a come back. I love music from the 2000s pop punk era.

Yeah, I hope for that too, although I hold nothing against the current pop-dominated world. Besides, there's still a lot of great rock music around, be it on the radio or TV or the Internet or whatever; they just don't appear on the charts as often and as high as they used to be.

Rock music 'making a comeback'? There are plenty of rock artists in existence, plenty of genres thriving, and most importantly, millions (if not billions) of fans. Rock music is very much still alive.
Not only that, but on the other side of the balance, EDM is being turned entirely into pop music in front of my eyes. You don't want to experience the hell I'm going through musically. Everyone listens to what I do, with a twist: they listen to a simplification of a simplification of a simplification of it. I'm listening to my music cut into pieces on the radio.

Thanks Adab! I just said what I said because TVtropes says that Rock isn't so much a mainstream thing anymore. I guess it being a bit more obscure is okay.

[Rikatan]

Thanks Adab! I just said what I said because TVtropes says that Rock isn't so much a mainstream thing anymore. I guess it being a bit more obscure is okay.

What's the use for 'TVTropes' saying something if they're talking about a subject that we all know about and can see every day?

[Adab]

Thanks Adab! I just said what I said because TVtropes says that Rock isn't so much a mainstream thing anymore. I guess it being a bit more obscure is okay.

Being a bit obscure is not a necessarily bad thing. As long the music still has good quality, I'll take it.

[Hurdegaryp]

Thanks Adab! I just said what I said because TVtropes says that Rock isn't so much a mainstream thing anymore. I guess it being a bit more obscure is okay.

Being a bit obscure is not a necessarily bad thing. As long the music still has good quality, I'll take it.

Indeed, the underground provides dedicated music lovers with a neverending stream of interesting acts.

[Ancient Magmia]

-snip-

Damn, that was a great review.

Yeah...I think I'll skip this one. Doesn't sound like it's any better than Under Pressure.

[Mavorpen]

-snip-

Damn, that was a great review.

Yeah...I think I'll skip this one. Doesn't sound like it's any better than Under Pressure.

In my opinion it's quite a bit more forgettable. It doesn't help that his lyrics are really simplistic and straightforward which doesn't lend itself to replayability for the sake of discovering things you may have missed during the first listen. So, ultimately replayability falls back upon the production, and unfortunately, for me, there's only a few standout tracks when it comes to production for the sake of replayability.

[Anollasia]

I might try to explore RYM soon. It seems to be a very interesting website. Although, with all your screenshots/graphs earlier, sorted by decade, mine would basically only include the 2000s and 2010s. I just realized this as I was catching up on the thread, and now I feed ashamed.

It's ok, I don't have a lot of stuff from the 21st century.