The Slow Secret Death of the Guitar

Nice clip, sparky. At the very least she’s got some melodic content and feeling. Without doubt she’s got the technical skills too.  Not just another soulless shredder. I’d be interested knowing what her listening habits and tastes are. I’m not ripping her at all but the problem for me after 50+ years of being an avid music listener is that I heard those licks somewhere else and probably many times before. Maybe not her exact composition but something much like it. On the other hand, for younger listeners only in their teens or twenties, it she’s bringing something new, fresh and great...that’s a good thing. Glad someone like Juliette is out there carrying the flag. There are others too, no doubt.

I, personally, am not distraught about the "imminent demise" of the music industry. I stopped listening to mainstream commercial radio (e.g., top 40 and Clasic Rock) a long time ago. You can only listen to "Stairway To Heaven" so many times before going stark raving mad. Not real worried if the collector market for vintage guitars collapses or if vinyl loses its "cool". Turn off, tune out and drop in. Plenty of great new music around but like arcam88 says, you have to search for it. Fortunately, things like Spotify and Tidal with their tailored "recommendations" lists make this easy and fun to do. Of course, one of the best things about A’gon is the music that gets shared....case in point, your link.

Thanks again for posting it.

No the guitar is not dead. It has been a staple in one form or another for thousands of years and will remain so.

If anything it is larger orchestral and big band that is dying - so much can be done with technology today that the expense of a multitude of musicians (and the discipline this requires) is being eschewed for one to three-person bands.

The drum set mechanically replaces three percussionists. Electronic sampling and synthesizers are replacing the drummer and entire orchestras....

@crazyeddy

Hello there Eddy...yup, as popular music became more and more predictable and formulaic and controlled by MBAs and accountants (and I am NOT one of those anti-business, "Occupy" knuckleheads), feeling and creativity tended to get squeezed out. While I regret the loss of opportunity for talented engineers, producers and studio musicians I ain’t ringing my hands over the gloomy outlook for "the music industry". Before things got all twisted around by big money (read Bdp’s post up top here) there wasn’t a guaranteed pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. People were chasing a dream out of love and madness. For the originals (talking the blues), pain and suffering informed and inspired what they did. The music came first and then the payoff...maybe. The music biz isn’t dying but it sure is and has been undergoing a transformation. The big studios don’t wield the clout they used to. That’s good and bad. But the decentralization of recording, the access to software and equipment is giving some indies a shot the big money men might never have afforded them.

crazyeddy  - spot on. I've heard many artists with much less technical ability just absolutely sound so engaging and keep you coming back. Of course, I'd like to have both technical prowess and emotional connection exhibited by the same artist, but I'd much rather have that compelling experience over some notes being connected cleanly.

ghosthouse - I agree too. There's so much great music being made and now made available through vendors like Spotify and Pandora. It makes listening to music fun again.