artists who plausibly appear to be good people

It seems like the answer is "zero"

As far as the postwar composers go, granted, Boulez was a provocateur, but he mellowed over the years, whereas Stockhausen just sank further and further into guruism.

Boulez was more than just a provocateur, also I don't think he mellowed too much, he was still dismissing composers he didn't like as amateurs in his dotage.

I don't mind any of that though, it's quite entertaining. Stockhausen's increasing guru complex was more silly than anything else, the fact that the music wasn't as good was what was important.

There's a story in a recent book called When Rock Went To College about the Who's only appearance in Lancaster (UK) in the spring of 1970. After their show at the university, they were driven back to their hotel, where they requested coffees, teas, and plates of sandwiches. The hotel staff brought out trolleys of food, which Pete and Roger wheeled outside and down the street to an all-night antiwar vigil. They fed the protesters and stayed talking with them til dawn.

It seems plausible that Kurt Wagner is a good person.

Boulez was more than just a provocateur, also I don't think he mellowed too much, he was still dismissing composers he didn't like as amateurs in his dotage.

― Terry Micawber (Tom D.)

To me that's part and parcel of being a provocateur. But I'm sure Dutilleux would disagree if he were still among us – it is true that Boulez used his institutional leverage to prevent divergent aesthetics from developing. Yet part of me admires his bullheaded commitment to evaluative objectivity, misguided though it may be.

And, speaking of Dutilleux, Boulez's later works have far more in common with his contemporary's than he would have liked to admit, at least to these ears.

it is true that Boulez used his institutional leverage to prevent divergent aesthetics from developing.

So Xenakis claimed. Pierre you were a bad man, you are banished from this page.

MF: For most composers, Boulez is Napoleon, right?

(I respond that not everyone lives under the control of Boulez; there was also Stockhausen.)

MF: So what! Stockhausen is just Bismarck, that’s all!

http://www.musicandliterature.org/features/2015/10/28/away-from-the-big-cities-brmorton-feldman-interviewed-by-jean-yves-bosseur

Second Weird Al and Jeff Tweedy. Adding Bruce Springsteen

I've heard so many great stories about Weird Al that it makes me wish I liked his music more

do we no longer presume a person's decency?

'Someone must have slandered Josef K, for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.'

I think Morton Feldman probably belongs on the other thread

i think he quite possibly does, yeah

but i like to read him moaning about his enemies list in the same way i enjoy it when Boulez did the same

How so? Genuinely curious, I don't know much about his life.

xp

POV - Morton Feldman Recordings

scroll down to posts from 2015

Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe.

the original Italian interview with Marcus is still online, not a lot else

i wd add that there's no reference on her own website, but that means basically nothing

Thanks, sarahell. I had no idea.

Like NV said, there's surprisingly little about this online. Aside from the Italian interview, a few dead links and an article or two.

there's an EU data protection law regarding "the right to be forgotten" which has been invoked in this case to have some links removed, at least from Google. who made the request, why and when isn't clear.

John Cage belongs here, no? Intrinsically kind, curious and warm.

(now please don't prove me otherwise...)

Willie!

I'm sorry, everyone. Weird Al is the only good celebrity.

John Cage belongs here, no? Intrinsically kind, curious and warm.

He has been mentioned.

Isn't Dave Grohl supposed to be The Nicest Guy In Music (TM) ?

― StanM, Tuesday, November 14, 2017 3:54 PM (yesterday)

I've heard that...he is not.

― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, November 14, 2017 3:57 PM (yesterday)

holy shit

― jesus and figs and science and the foo fighters (unregistered), Thursday, November 16, 2017 2:15 AM (five hours ago)

Dave Grohl, former promoter of AIDS denialism

y'all should get into opera and follow Christine Goerke's career because a) she's incredibly talented, and b) she rules

best Grohl zing is still Courtney's "He’s just sub-mediocre type who does this ‘nice guy’ nonsense"

I know people who have witnessed first hand Grohl sleaze. But I'm not sure any worse than most rock stars. Or most people, for that matter. Just mundane sleaze.

grohl's gonna ride into the rock and roll HOF on being enthusiastically corny and rocking out in a hard + forgettable fashion.

Foo Fighters were at their best as a grunge Rentals

there should be a wing in the rock and roll hall of fame for dave grohl, keith urban and maybe jack white. they themselves would stand on pedestals 24 hours a day, ready to jam, on demand, with anyone who walks into the room, and to accept any and all awards offered. in between, they would do as many good deeds as possible. or bad deeds. whichever they prefer. with any remaining time beyond that, they would give speeches and make documentaries.

i feel like weird al has a slight but essential meanness at his core. like if you went in his dressing room and accidentally punctured a hole in his fat suit, he wouldn't yell or throw a tantrum or anything, but he might toss off a withering sarcastic comment that you'll remember forever.

b-but the Rentals were grunge

didn't they sound like Weezer?

founded by Weezer bassist Matt Sharp

if your point is that Weezer weren't grunge then I will fight you

Matt Sharp comes across like an egotistical knob who was known for not crediting his bandmates for songwriting contributions or indeed paying them

dolly parton seems like an amazingly wonderful person

xp a counterpoint to assessments like that is to consider some of their friends. for instance can you imagine Petra Haden consorting with assholes, I can't, but she's friends with Matt

Dr Alex Paterson and Mixmaster Morris seem nice.

― El Tomboto, Wednesday, November 15, 2017 4:11 PM (six hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dr Alex Paterson is not highly thought of by this former bandmate to say the least - https://web.archive.org/web/20140723181240/https://krisweston.com/index.php/rant/ (though who you believe on this kind of stuff I have no idea)

jonathan richman seems like a nice guy based on the ilm thread titles i have read.

REM are such dbags the only good bloke split 15 years ago

hmm Dolly is a good one, she does seem like legit good people

Grohl seems still too hung up on his high school notions of what’s cool and real, and too judgmental of those outside those parameters, for me to think of him as a mensch.

just sweet, funny, welcoming, generous, never a bad word about anybody

xp

Xp yup.

My love of Dolly presupposes her awesomeness as a human , so don’t nobody come in here and post any shit about her, y’hear now?

Yeah I didn't even want to bring up Dolly in case someone comes in and messes with my perception of the world.

Dolly is a sweetheart. One of my friends worked on the lighting for the musical version of 9 To 5 (she was around for the last few weeks as a musical consultant) and when they finished the dress rehearsal she brought out brownies she had baked for the cast and crew.

Re: Feldman, there seemed sufficient reason to reserve judgment on that one - Marcus appeared to be suffering some sort of psychotic break or something like it

Plenty of predators have been brought to light in classical music though. See Ian Pace’s blog

Isn’t Dolly constantly donating to charities? I know that only this year he gave money to almost 1000 families who lost their homes in the Tennesse fires.