D.S.,
You said " . . . Metallica is now old school and almost nothing seems to get on the airwaves without a bit of hip hop in it. Not that this is a bad thing . . . "
Well, hmmm . . .
I've seen this trend, and I certainly don't think it's a good thing, although I do admire your tactfulness.
I suspect that many musicians think a lot of today's music is a step backwards . . . and, maybe more primitive . . .
That is, 'primitive,' in the sense of rudimentary.
.
If one is in college, one doesn't want to be forced to sit through grade-school lessons . . .
If you're studying light-refraction indexes between semi-transparent materials, you don't need someone to point at the sun and say, "Look! bright light in sky!"
.
Aww, I don't mean to be cruel. Those guys are making a lot of dough, and I am not, so - ok, I admit it: I'm not very financially enlightened.
.
But, it almost seems that metal, rap, and country are the top-3 styles of music, now. That's the new 'cool music, the stuff we're supposed to admire.
.
I don't know about others, but I'm getting bored of hearing the same-old same-old, repeated endlessly.
.
re: ". . .There are some cool experiments going on with different instrument combos and musical structures . . ."
Yeah . . .
THIS is what music needs, now, in order to grow. And, it's what we all need, to grow as a culture.
Maybe people like having their familiar musical "security blanket," but . . .
.
Well, think of it this way. If you were walking in the woods, and you were thirsty, you'd look for water. Would you drink from the stagnent pool, or the fresh stream?
.
To the TV executives, producers, music-industry 'movers n shakers: Don't force bland music on us.
.
Find something new and pleasant, and let us hear it, eh?
.
Ok, I hope I didn't offend anyone, and if I did, let me apologize right now. Time for me to sit down, shut-up, and listen . . .