Music for old(ish) people?

[Fungus]

One of life's great joys has always been listening to a new album for the first time.

When I was younger (in the 70s), I heard about all new bands and new releases on the radio. When I got older, and the radio didn't play stuff I was interested in, I got recommendations from Q magazine. When Q mag went downhill, I lost touch altogether. (Saga mag don't help much...)

But I'm sure there's still new stuff out there for people in their 50s, probably being produced by people of the same age. Even Neil Young's still going!

How do the many oldies on here find out about new releases? What web sites or magazines do you get your info from? I've got a big music collection, but something new would be good!

 

[Dave the OAP]

I tend to find the older I have got, the more I have tried to get into new music...certainly my daughter's boyfriends band, Lazy Habits are bloody good in a genre I do not like normally.

I also like local ska bands and you are right, trying to find out if they have albums and where you buy them from is a challenge

 

[Bold Seagull]

One of life's great joys has always been listening to a new album for the first time.

When I was younger (in the 70s), I heard about all new bands and new releases on the radio. When I got older, and the radio didn't play stuff I was interested in, I got recommendations from Q magazine. When Q mag went downhill, I lost touch altogether. (Saga mag don't help much...)

But I'm sure there's still new stuff out there for people in their 50s, probably being produced by people of the same age. Even Neil Young's still going!

How do the many oldies on here find out about new releases? What web sites or magazines do you get your info from? I've got a big music collection, but something new would be good!

Spotify is a great tool for discovering music. It's free if you don't mind the occasional ad (like commercial radio), and say you selected Neil Young, it has a related artists selection that will come up with similar artists whether old or new. I've often spent time digging through the related links finding something I've not heard before.

SPOTIFY

 

[Albumen]

You could sign up to Resident or Rounders emailing to find out whats released each week.

As for records, it's not as good as their previous two albums imo but you'll probably like the new Walkmen album.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Depending on your musical preference, Classic Rock magazine is worth a look. You get a CD with it each month that can give you new ideas for things to listen to. For example, I have recently started listening to Foxy Shazam who are a band in the style of Queen who I'm unlikely to have found without reading the magazine.

 

[supaseagull]

I've started to listening to radio 1 again because juice and heart do my head in with the same songs played over and over.

I like cheesy pop and dance so it's perfect!

 

[Diego Napier]

"Later" with Jools Holland is a good source for new music from old and new (to me!) bands

 

[Fungus]

Some good suggestions folks. Trouble with Spotify is that I can't use it at work, though I do like the idea of finding similar / related artists and music.

Any websites that do full album reviews, rather than just list releases?

Most of what I listen to is fairly mainstream - rock and folk, singer-songwriters, no dance. Will check out Classic Rock mag, but there's no point listening to Radio 1 - talk, talk, talk, talk, with the odd track that leaves me cold!

 

[somerset]

The Vh1 channel on mtv is a goodun.... try this http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1

 

[Kent Seagull]

I tend to just keep following links on YouTube till I find stuff I like. I came across the amazing Dualers like that, if you like ska check them out. So much more talent than anything on XFactor!

 

[Gary Gurr]

You could sign up to Resident or Rounders emailing to find out whats released each week.

As for records, it's not as good as their previous two albums imo but you'll probably like the new Walkmen album.

Great idea, I am on the Rounder list and always look at what's new. You need to find a local independent store and pop in and see what they are pushing. Do people still buy 'records'

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Weirdly, I find myself liking quite a lot of stuff my kids like - sometimes even end up recommending bands to them!
My main routes for discovering new music are as follows:
1 eMusic.com - plenty of mainstream artists as well as left field stuff. I subscribed early on so pay special rate of just over £6 a month for 40 downloads - around 3-4 albums worth. Great value. Bit more expensive now but you can get a free trial offering 25 downloads.
2 Specialist shows on Radio 2: Paul Jones on Monday evening for blues, Mike Harding on Wednesdays for folk/roots
3 Spotify, we7 and iTunes - browse around, look at recommendations
4 Record Collector mag as I'm a bit of a vinylhead, and sometimes things like Classic Rock. Also the Sunday Times Culture section's reviews - quite often find one or two there that interest me
5 Wander in to a record shop and listen out for what they're playing

 

[Fungus]

Great idea, I am on the Rounder list and always look at what's new. You need to find a local independent store and pop in and see what they are pushing. Do people still buy 'records'

Most of my music comes from Amazon - on CD. My Wish List is about 100 strong, but mostly the same old stuff. I don't buy vinyl, and have been replacing my LPs. I do like to browse the cheap / second-hand CD racks, though. I am signed up to the Badlands record shop, so get news of Springsteen and similar artists.

What sparked this was a review (in Saga or The Oldie) of the forthcoming "Americana" album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, which includes a version of God Save the Queen. (See also BBC News - Neil Young claims God Save the Queen as American folk song). I think what I really want is some similar intelligent reviews of new albums by artists I know, and new artists that may be carrying the torch. Most of what I listen to is American, but I'm open to most stuff. I'm not really after online radio/ video, as I want to have a sneaky read in the quiet moments at work.

 

[Fungus]

Weirdly, I find myself liking quite a lot of stuff my kids like - sometimes even end up recommending bands to them!
My main routes for discovering new music are as follows:
2 Specialist shows on Radio 2: Paul Jones on Monday evening for blues, Mike Harding on Wednesdays for folk/roots

I think if I had kids, that would have been a prime route - I wouldn't have got out of touch in the first place!

Mike Harding is a good shout, I used to have a soft spot for him, will try to check that out (despite my previous statement that I don't want online radio!).

 

[Super Steve Earle]

One of life's great joys has always been listening to a new album for the first time.

When I was younger (in the 70s), I heard about all new bands and new releases on the radio. When I got older, and the radio didn't play stuff I was interested in, I got recommendations from Q magazine. When Q mag went downhill, I lost touch altogether. (Saga mag don't help much...)

But I'm sure there's still new stuff out there for people in their 50s, probably being produced by people of the same age. Even Neil Young's still going!

How do the many oldies on here find out about new releases? What web sites or magazines do you get your info from? I've got a big music collection, but something new would be good!

I read Uncut magazine monthly which include a CD, often of newer stuff. When I go on hols I often take Mojo too. I've done all shedloads of music over the years, and Uncut always focusses on an older artist or two. The last Uncut CD included a terrific track by a band called Dawes. YouTube is free, so if you like the sound of a band or a review you can always check them out there, alternatively look around Amazon. I tend to drift in to the Alt Country/Americana/Country categories having grown up listening to all the biggest bands over the 60's to date. You can always listen to the samplers.

Here's a few artists and a decent album for starters:

Mary Chapin Carpenter: The new one sounds brilliant: Ashes & Roses
Steve Earle:I'll never get out of the World Alive or I really like Sidetracks
Dixie Chicks: Taking the Long Way
Los Lobos: Tin Can Trust
Bonnie Raitt: Again, try the new one, Slipstream
Lyle Lovett: Natural Forces
Sheryl Crow: Detours
Mariachi el Bronx: Mariachi el Bronx (2)
Brad Paisley: This is Country Music, American Saturday Night or Play
Nickel Creek: Why should the Fire die? After their previous albums this was like some kind of Sgt Pepper.

Hopefully something there might tickle your musical fancy.
P.S. Try Bob Harris Country on Radio 2

 

[Fungus]

Hopefully something there might tickle your musical fancy.

My fancy has been tickled, thanks! The Amazon clips are usually enough to tell if it's worth spending a few quid. On holiday soon, so may take a few of the suggested magazines.

 

[wadhurstseagull]

6Music backed up by Spotify

 

[rcf0712]

Neil Young & Crazyhorse have just released a mental album of trad US folk music, all fuzzed up Crazyhores style - includes Clemantine (as in oh me darling....) and God save the Queen!! Just listed to it on the way into work, it's a keeper.....

 

[Gwylan]

I actually find it's easier to find new music these days. Spotify is fantastic, I use eMusic a lot and Last.FM is pretty useful too. Then there are recommendations from Facebook friends, from Twitter and these can lead to other areas.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This is a good question. I'm 44 and have spent my life listening to music and at various stages like you I have felt a little out-of-the-loop but I have always managed to find a way back in. I'm currently finding I'm not as connected to the electronic music scene as I used to be/want to be, so I'm pursuing ways to get more exposure to this. I span a lot of genres but my current armoury consists of being in the Rounder Records album club (I find this a truly excellent way of listening to new music and Steve seems to have very similar tastes to me), I subscribe to Fabric and get a CD every month (3 years ago this was fantastic as one month it was minimal techno and the next electro....then I received nothing but dubstep and recently considered cancelling my subscription only for a CD by the rather excellent Guy Gerber to arrive on my door mat yesterday), Radio 6 is very good and also this very website as [MENTION=12101]Mellotron[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION] have mentioned stuff I have gone out and purchased and liked. Oh, and get some younger musically minded friends

It might be an idea to get connected to a suitable local record store...I can assure you that they like nothing more than blathering on about new music.