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Post by janna on Apr 1, 2010 17:34:08 GMT -5
OMG awesome
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Post by Pillars of Aaron on Apr 2, 2010 3:16:20 GMT -5
Seriously, "acoustic" version of Paparazzi is ridiculously good.
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Post by JoshShark on Apr 17, 2010 1:44:32 GMT -5
People who have a Facebook, search for a fan page for Stefani Germanotta. Its Gaga's real name, and the person running the page has a BUNCH of music from her demos and EPs, and photos of her before she was big. Its a great page.
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Post by JoshShark on Apr 20, 2010 10:33:13 GMT -5
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Post by Kristin Sane on May 8, 2010 10:39:59 GMT -5
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Post by dance of days on May 8, 2010 12:50:36 GMT -5
so i just discovered lady gaga last night and this shit is great. she is a goddamn powerhouse, and haters are pretentious assholes. do people really think they're too good for songwriting that is this fucking gold? a lot of it actually reminds me of newer AFI in the song structures and melodies, only this is more interesting, fearless, authentic and generally better, with an aesthetic that actually succeeds instead of falling flat on its face. also, it's pop music at its foundation, instead of labeling itself "pop" music just so the four awkward and sexually repressed middle aged ex-"punks" who created it can make themselves immune to criticism from "rock" listeners. just sayin.
the music videos are mindblowing. so in-your-face, such a violent clash of artistic styles, from nauseating high culture to the lowest of the low. and that's america in 2010. the videos are UNSETTLING. they make me uncomfortable sometimes. and backed up by absolutely golden pop songwriting and incredible choruses, they stir something in me that other recent music doesn't. and that's power. i seriously feel like this is what 2010 looks like: the gross overindulgence, the hybridity of pop cultures past and present, the appropriation and re-appropriation, the nihilism, the end of shock value, the gigantic void that has become a pop culture free-for-all. and to display it all with startling effectiveness and rock-solid songs to boot? go gaga.
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Post by katherinej on May 8, 2010 12:52:35 GMT -5
That makes me want to work for NPR.
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 8, 2010 17:30:45 GMT -5
so i just discovered lady gaga last night and this shit is great. she is a goddamn powerhouse, and haters are pretentious assholes. do people really think they're too good for songwriting that is this fucking gold? a lot of it actually reminds me of newer AFI in the song structures and melodies, only this is more interesting, fearless, authentic and generally better, with an aesthetic that actually succeeds instead of falling flat on its face. also, it's pop music at its foundation, instead of labeling itself "pop" music just so the four awkward and sexually repressed middle aged ex-"punks" who created it can make themselves immune to criticism from "rock" listeners. just sayin. the music videos are mindblowing. so in-your-face, such a violent clash of artistic styles, from nauseating high culture to the lowest of the low. and that's america in 2010. the videos are UNSETTLING. they make me uncomfortable sometimes. and backed up by absolutely golden pop songwriting and incredible choruses, they stir something in me that other recent music doesn't. and that's power. i seriously feel like this is what 2010 looks like: the gross overindulgence, the hybridity of pop cultures past and present, the appropriation and re-appropriation, the nihilism, the end of shock value, the gigantic void that has become a pop culture free-for-all. and to display it all with startling effectiveness and rock-solid songs to boot? go gaga. so it's a bunch of shit that's been done before slapped into a pop product. wowee fucking zowee.
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Post by Nick Taxidermy on May 9, 2010 10:20:21 GMT -5
sorry, Stephie. I may be a "pretentious asshole," but Gaga is product. and she knows that. she's not really doing anything special. she writes some good singles, but like I said, her albums are just filler. when she can write something as potent as her costumes/concept, then we'll talk.
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 9, 2010 15:04:19 GMT -5
A) what the fuck concept does she have? These songs have nothing behind them, no more than the average pop song, yet because its in different packaging its somehow art?
B) don't call those "her costumes", call them Alexander McQueen's designs.
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Post by Nick Taxidermy on May 9, 2010 23:31:54 GMT -5
I mean the "pop-star gone crazy" thing. she does that well...
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Post by sbr on May 9, 2010 23:39:19 GMT -5
I kind of want to write something in support of Gaga, but I'm afraid any more raging might cause Sean's head to explode.
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Post by exs on May 10, 2010 1:20:44 GMT -5
A) what the fuck concept does she have? These songs have nothing behind them, no more than the average pop song, yet because its in different packaging its somehow art? Isn't all music a form of art, regardless of how good or bad you may think it is? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and if they think that lady gaga is revolutionizing the pop scene, let them. Its not up to someone on the internet to decide whether or not she is, its up to the amount of records she sells, or will sell. And right now, shes selling a TON of records.
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Post by dave on May 10, 2010 2:09:08 GMT -5
haha, really, edson? you should know way better by now than to drag record sales into a conversation like this. you defending her in that manner is like saying Nickelback is revolutionizing the rock market because OMG, look, they're selling so many records! record sales may pay the bills, but they're not a barometer for quality of music, in my mind. it's awesome when a great record sells a ton, but if it doesn't, whatever.
i can't help but feel that pretty much all of her image is just manufactured by the record company, which makes it way less interesting to me, by default. i don't care if people think differently, it just really bums me out when there's small bands doing amazing things and barely getting noticed, while another fucking pop star pops up out of nowhere and gets all of this recognition.
edit: i probably overanalyzed everything here a bit, but fuck it, it's staying.
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Post by exs on May 10, 2010 2:38:34 GMT -5
I think at this age in the digital world, how many records you sell is an important factor. Nickelback may really suck, but they're making money. Tons of people like them. To those people, the bands we like suck. Just because we like a certain group of artists doesn't mean everyone should. I think a big part in this conversation is to step back and realize that you're not the music guru that knows every tidbit of music and decides whats good and whats not. You're a teenager (or young adult) who is really into a certain style of music. Every one of us is biased.
As for Lady Gaga's image: Her image has actually stayed pretty consistent. She grew up one town over from me, and there are stories from people I know (reliable people) that used to hang out with her that say she's still exactly the same person. Maybe thats why I'm defending her, because its believable (to me) that she's always been the same person she is.
Whatever though. Her music is catchy, and better than most pop (if not all) out there right now.
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Post by Nick Taxidermy on May 10, 2010 10:41:59 GMT -5
. Just because we like a certain group of artists doesn't mean everyone should. I beg to differ.
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Post by Bang on May 10, 2010 11:47:57 GMT -5
Whatever though. Her music is catchy, and better than most pop (if not all) out there right now. Word.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2010 14:45:25 GMT -5
Whenever I get annoyed with how much hype Lady Gaga gets I think of how much I like the band Alestorm. Yes, they are cheesy, corny and basically a gimmick but they are fun to listen to and I enjoy them. I also think they pull off the whole pirate act pretty well with their music. Would I consider them amazing or one of the best bands in metal? Absolutely not but I still listen to them and think they're good compared to some other gimmick metal bands I've heard.
Not sure if this makes sense but I thought it was a good analogy.
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 10, 2010 15:10:58 GMT -5
Whenever I get annoyed with how much hype Lady Gaga gets I think of how much I like the band Alestorm. Yes, they are cheesy, corny and basically a gimmick but they are fun to listen to and I enjoy them. I also think they pull off the whole pirate act pretty well with their music. Would I consider them amazing or one of the best bands in metal? Absolutely not but I still listen to them and think they're good compared to some other gimmick metal bands I've heard. Not sure if this makes sense but I thought it was a good analogy. this, and statements about Lady Gaga writing good, catchy pop songs, would be all good and well, except that that's not all people think about her. if people recognized that she wasn't really original and was basically just another pop starlet, albeit one who writes her own catchy songs, i'd be fine with her. i wouldn't listen to her, because i don't enjoy listening to pop music, but i wouldn't have a problem. my issue with her being an "artist" (perhaps not a great term to argue over since yes, art is subjective) or a "visionary" stems from the sheer fact that her songs lack any depth or substance. if her lyrics were different than the standard pop drivel, i would, again, have no problem with her. for something to be deemed "visionary," or for a medium of art to be described as particularly artistic, i would think the subject would have to have some sort of depth to it. instead, it's the same shit over the same electro-pop beats, maybe more intricate, whatever, it's just in a different packaging. how can you call someone a brilliant artist if they didn't even do anything new? and Edson, come on.talking about numbers is just making music a product. Fugazi, as amazing as they are/were, could never dream of selling as many records as Lady Gaga. does that mean they aren't as good? or they're not as artistic?
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Post by Nick Taxidermy on May 10, 2010 15:13:00 GMT -5
art isn't subjective, Sean. the quality of art, however, is. Gaga may be art, but she's not, in my opinion, great art.
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Post by sbr on May 10, 2010 15:43:41 GMT -5
I'm mostly amused by how you're holding your opinions up as undeniable, unquestionable facts. Lady Gaga isn't an artist because I don't think she is. Lady Gaga has no depth or substance because I don't think she does. Lady Gaga is a product because I say so.
That term alone bothers me so much. You're taking a person and completely stripping them of their humanity because you don't like their music. You've decided to completely invalidate their existence, their personality, and their entire life by simply writing it off as something artificially manufactured despite having no actual evidence of the fact. Hell, the fact that you're so eager to do that to any pop star is kind of gross to me, because these are still people. The fact that they are famous or rich doesn't make them less so. The rest of the condescension is ultimately just hilarious to me, but the goal of turning people into nothing more than objects is just bothersome.
Also, the quality of art is absolutely subjective. If it weren't, there would be an actual, non-wavering standard, by which all artists are judged. There isn't. That's why there is great variety in the realm of "great art." Because it is unbelievably fucking subjective. If it weren't, we'd have a concrete definition of "great art" and every piece of "great art" would meet it. As it currently stands, we have nothing of the sort. Quality is still just your opinion, and ultimately still has no bearing on whether or not something is or isn't actually "great art".
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 10, 2010 15:45:53 GMT -5
you're always more than welcome to show me where the depth and substance is.
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Post by sbr on May 10, 2010 15:48:33 GMT -5
What is "depth" for you, Sean? What is "substance"? I'm completely and totally dying to know what you think qualifies and why things not fitting inside your bubble don't quality.
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 10, 2010 15:52:37 GMT -5
are you serious here? or are you just fucking with me? i really can't tell. you know what the fuck i mean, so just tell me.
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Post by sbr on May 10, 2010 15:56:39 GMT -5
No, Sean, I really don't know. If I'm going to tailor this argument directly to you then I actually want to know what legitimately qualifies as "depth" and "substance" in your eyes.
Am I just fucking with you? Only to a degree, and only because I find it hilarious how bothered you are by the idea of people not only liking, but respecting, a "pop star" that you don't see as worthy of the admiration or adulation. If it didn't bother you so much and you weren't so condescending about it, I wouldn't give a shit. Because it does, and because you are, I legitimately want to both fuck with you and logically address some of your ridiculous claims.
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Post by hiddenwheel on May 10, 2010 15:58:54 GMT -5
i guess it would basically have to be something that either makes you think, or actually tries to be something new.
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Post by dave on May 10, 2010 16:21:52 GMT -5
i've written out this post a couple times, but fuck it, here we go. I think at this age in the digital world, how many records you sell is an important factor. Nickelback may really suck, but they're making money. Tons of people like them. To those people, the bands we like suck. Just because we like a certain group of artists doesn't mean everyone should. I think a big part in this conversation is to step back and realize that you're not the music guru that knows every tidbit of music and decides whats good and whats not. You're a teenager (or young adult) who is really into a certain style of music. Every one of us is biased. I'm still gonna disagree with you there. Record sales are more about marketing a product, rather than assessing the quality of that product. sean hit the nail on the head with the Fugazi example. they're considered one of the best bands ever, but their entire catalog has sold less than Lady Gaga's only album. and haven't you done basically the same thing in this thread by coming in and telling me that i need to step back? it's not like i listen to the same five bands over and over again. i'm constantly searching for new things to listen to. i'm not trying to decide what's good or not, i decide what i think is good to me. Lady Gaga just draws my fire based on the way some people treat her. hell, I even enjoyed Pokerface and Just Dance for what they were, fun dance tracks. As for Lady Gaga's image: Her image has actually stayed pretty consistent. She grew up one town over from me, and there are stories from people I know (reliable people) that used to hang out with her that say she's still exactly the same person. Maybe thats why I'm defending her, because its believable (to me) that she's always been the same person she is. that may be the case, but if you're really going to tell me that traveling the world and playing in huge arenas didn't change her at all, then you have got to be joking me. i know smaller bands go home all the time and just hang out around the town, but for some reason i can't see Gaga doing that in her spare time. and obviously her image did change as a result of everything, you think she could afford a ton of the stuff she wears on stage? i just think pop superstars like this obviously have changed some from their younger selves. Whatever though. Her music is catchy, and better than most pop (if not all) out there right now. and honestly, if everyone thought that, i'd be fine. the moment people start putting her on some pedestal is when i get annoyed. sorry for anyone that read this whole rambling post. i tried to make my point clearer and shorter, but it wasn't happening. i'm putting way too much thought into goddamn Lady Gaga, but oh well, there needs to be two sides of every coin.
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Post by Lauren on May 10, 2010 16:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Arial on May 10, 2010 16:34:31 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2010 16:39:00 GMT -5
i i'm putting way too much thought into goddamn Lady Gaga, but oh well, there needs to be two sides of every coin. Yeah, I was doing this for awhile too. I don't really care anymore despite her annoying as shit fanbase. Like I said, I could probably say the same thing about Four Year Strong, Dragonforce, Alestorm and other bands I just listen to for fun.
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