Symphonies, Silicon Ghosts & Songs That Don’t Suck
Welcome back, friend! Mark here — your curator of all things human-made, emotionally resonant, and unapologetically not generated by a server farm running hotter than a drummer on Red Bull.
This week’s episode swings hard between the sublime beauty of classical music and the unnerving rise of AI-generated tracks flooding modern streaming platforms. But don’t worry — we’re ending with four incredible human-created songs that absolutely do not suck.
Let’s dive in. 🎶
🎻 Awe in the Concert Hall: Dvořák’s Symphony for the New World
Mark kicks things off on a celestial note after catching The Cleveland Orchestra perform Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) live — one of the greatest symphonic achievements ever written by a single human being.
Think about it:
- Violins, violas, cellos, bass
- A woodwind arsenal
- Brass that could summon gods
- Timpani that rattles your bones
…all woven into four movements of interconnected themes, melodies, counter-melodies, and emotional storytelling.
If you’ve never seen a symphony orchestra IRL? Do it. Even a film-score performance — Harry Potter, Star Wars, take your pick — will blow your mind in ways streaming audio simply can’t.
The AI Music Flood
Here’s where the mood shifts.
A recent Deezer study revealed something… troubling:
97% of listeners couldn’t tell AI-generated “music” from human-made music.
Only 3% could distinguish the two after listening to multiple songs.
As a Gen-Xer, Mark’s seen plenty of “music is dying” panics — drum machines, Auto-Tune, Napster. But this one? This hits different.
Why?
Because it isn’t just about sound.
It’s about meaning.
It’s about creation.
Musicians are slow on purpose.
They need time, emotion, experience, frustration, joy, limitation.
AI needs none of that — and pumps out 50,000 synthetic tracks a day on Deezer alone.
Let that sink in:
- 350,000 tracks a week
- 1.5 million tracks a month
- 18+ million tracks a year
- 130+ years worth of “music” uploaded annually
Nobody asked for this.
Nobody wants this.
And yet here it is — a tidal wave of sonic sludge.
The hopeful part?
- 80% want AI content labeled clearly.
- 73% want to know if AI tracks are being recommended.
- 65% oppose training AI on copyrighted material.
- 69% believe AI tracks should earn less (or nothing).
Still, half of listeners admitted they’d trade discernment for convenience.
That’s the scary part.
If you want songs that don’t suck, start paying attention. Look at the credits. Support real humans.
Preach. 🙌
🎧 This Week’s Human-Made Songs That Do Matter
1) Juno Pearl – “100 Days”
Our Swedish friends return after their earlier feature “Elephant,” but this time with a more laid-back indie-rock atmosphere. The vocals brush up against Bono-esque baritone moments with just enough grit to set them apart.
This track sounds like driving through unfamiliar roads late at night — cinematic, moody, spacious.
A perfect opener.
2) Spanish Love Songs ft. The Wonder Years – “Lifers Too”
Mark admits he’s not an emo traditionalist, but Spanish Love Songs keep pulling him in — this is their fourth feature on the show.
From the synthy keyboard lines to the energetic collaborative performance with The Wonder Years and Dan Campbell, “Lifers Too” is addictive.
It’s part of their collaboration-heavy EP A Brief Intermission in the Flattening of Time, and it absolutely slaps.
3) Searows – “Photograph of a Cyclone”
This one took time to click — but once it did, it stayed.
Haunting vocal delivery, beautifully structured instrumentation, and a chorus that hums its way into your bones.
Sometimes you don’t need a reason to love a song.
Sometimes the feeling is the reason.
4) The Rooks – “Noise & Confusion”
Longtime listeners will remember The Rooks from earlier seasons, and they’re back with a fuller, richer sound.
Possibly self-produced, this track places the vocals inside the mix rather than on top — almost like another instrument — creating a golden, immersive wall of sound.
A strong evolution from their previous work like “Lay Me Down.”
🌐 Wrap-Up: Protecting the Human Spark
Want more episodes, playlists, the live music archive, or sweet merch?
Head to Songsthatdontsuck.net — your HQ for everything STDS.
Don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe.
Tell your friends. Tell your band. Tell your mom.
And above all:
Support real artists.
Because the machines may be writing choruses…
…but they don’t know what it means to feel one. 🎶❤️
