I only just read about this story: Auto Tune is for Pussies (pic)

I noticed what I thought to be the near ubiquity of the use of electronic pitch correction - or 'auto-tune' - when watching a chart show thing (I rarely tune into the top forty anymore but just this once..) Loads of the vocals sounded plastic, dead and weird. Not in a "this is supposed to be a weird sounding robotic future voice" way - think Cher - but in a fake airbrushed smile way. So I decided to look it up. One blogger described it as 'plastic surgery' for the voice. And that sounds about right to me.

Well it seems that the auto-tune is turning up at concerts now too, including Country, which I assumed was a bit more err 'real'.
But there's been a recent public backlash among artists themselves. In 2009 pop diva Christina Aguilera wore the above T shirt out. And I must say she earned my respect for doing so (I've never really been a fan).

I guess I'm rather slow at picking up on the use of this kind of electronic vocal correction (mainly because I don't listen to mainstream pop) but I have to say, it's really rather depressing that it's become such a standard crutch for so many performers. And represents yet another nail in the coffin for real music, art and craft.

If the tide doesn't change and the 'backlash' fades away, it'll be rather interesting to see whether auto-tune's ubiquity in pop will spread, and indeed whether or not it will ever be used as a crutch for some performers in the folk genre too?

I would certainly hope not, but I'll be listening with interest...