Great Music Is Out There….It Just Isn’t Necessarily Mainstream Anymore

How listeners now need to go looking for music

Hey everyone,

This article comes off the back of a conversation I had a couple of days ago about the state of the world of music, more specifically the perceived quality of the music being released today.

What I often hear (sometimes from people above a certain age) is that music being released today is worse or somehow lesser than the music being released several decades ago. Personally? I don’t think this is true. I think more great music is being released now than at any time before. The real question now is finding it.

What I think can be said is that composition and trends within mainstream music have indeed changed. mainstream pop music tends to be less complex compositionally than it was in the 60s and 70s and one could argue that it has in some ways become a lot ‘safer’ thematically. Some of this can be attributed to changing tastes of listeners, part of it can be attributed to technological developments in the studio and part of it can (I feel) be traced to record labels not being willing to take risks and essentially only backing/putting out music that it’s sure will deliver a return.

This last point (to me at least) represents a shift, from record labels being the ‘curators’ of music to them being concerned with the bottom line above all else. Back in the 70s bands/artists would have multiple attempts to get a successful album out and they would (thinking of Rush in particular here) be given time and space (occasionally grudgingly) to allow their artistic vision to mature, something I feel has now been lost. Bands were also allowed to go for broke with a big idea (thinking of the Yes album Tales From Topographic Oceans) again, something I can’t imagine one of the larger labels doing today.

So if the legacy labels are mostly concerned with what will sell rather than artistic vision above all else, where does that leave us?

With independent labels and independent artists.

One of the biggest benefits of new musical technology has been the widespread ability to record music on home computers instead of in a studio. Thus, instead of the major labels ultimately deciding who can and can’t make a record, anyone with some basic technical know-how and some basic hardware/software can get music recorded and released via platforms such as Bandcamp. While this means that the curation/selection of music is no longer happening in the way that it used to, the barriers to entry have been all but removed; anyone with an idea no longer needs to cosy up to the labels in order to get their music recorded and released.

We just need to look a little harder to find the island music we love among the ocean of music being released.

How can we work to find it? The two sources i’ve come to rely on are bandcamp (I find that their artist recommendations are pretty well in the ballpark, for myself at least) and keeping my eyes and ears open for recommendations from musicians and friends whose word I trust. If you have musician friends, talk to them regularly about what music they are listening to…you never know what direction you might end up being pointed!

On that note, here are some fantastic records I’ve discovered relatively recently, all released independently or on small labels

---

If you enjoy the content I have here, you can support and contribute to me doing more of this for the price of a Café Nero latte (£4.10). Every single contribution is appreciated and enables me to bring more transcriptions, lessons and articles to the table!

---

Msafiri – Simon Peter King

Given that I work with Simon I didn’t have to look too hard for this one, but this is one of my favourite records thus far of 2026. Simon is an incredible musician, photographer, chef, composer….the list goes on, and while the playing on display is absolutely stellar, the thing that really caught me was the level of compositional clarity and depth. I’ll leave you to listen for yourselves :)

Favourite tracks - 07 Fleche, Navigator

Great Album – GREAT TIME

I was introduced to GREAT TIME by Jonathan Maron (who has introduced me to a LOT of great music, thank you Jonathan!) and although they are currently on hiatus (and i’d wager unlikely to reform) they have left some wonderful music behind. I’m not entirely sure where they fit within the genre spectrum and their music is all the more fun and compelling for it. Oh and if you’re a bass player…go and check out their single ‘Rushin’…Zack Hartmann came up with a KILLER line on that track.

Favourite tracks – one.thirty.seven, Fruitrip

Kintsugi – Jack Gardinier

I first became aware of Jack via his collaboration with Henrik Linder (Dirty Loops) and after watching (and loving) several of his videos on YouTube I then found that he had just released a new record, Kintsugi.

It’s unashamed instrumental guitar music but with an element of fun that I often see from Plini, where the chops involved are devastating and yet aren’t taken too seriously. Jack’s music also has lovely elements of melody and texture about it that I really enjoy (as opposed to being hit over the head with notes).

Favourite tracks – Fanboy, Moon Over Mango

Amiira – Curious Objects

It’s perhaps inevitable that a record with Bjorn Meyer on it would find its way into this list but the music Bjorn ends up playing/playing on almost always seems to hit the musical spot for me. He has a lot of room to move with Amiira and the overall space and textures of this record are something i’m enjoying more and more with instrumental music of late. Bjorn, Sam Rohrer and Klaus Gesing are all beautifully recorded here, making their artistic contributions all the more wonderful.

Favourite tracks - Garden Of Silence, Where We Go From Here

I hope you enjoy the music i’ve shared as much as I have, and remember….a lot of great music is out there.

We just need to have the patience and persistence to go find it.