The Rationale Quest - Philosophy and Religion latent state challenged in global economic arena

Dance music certainly earned bad rap amongst much of the population. Between disco, Britney Spears and everything else on pop radio, listeners aren't illogical when they conclude it's vapid club music for teenyboppers and easy young women.

Likewise, jazz hasn't been doing too well lately, losing the sense of intrigue and danger it had in its heyday. GQ even ran a feature article called "Why Jazz Sucks."

That's why New York's "Nublu" scene – centered around a record label of the same name – has so much going for it. Its artists typically start with a dance or jazz template and add elements of techno, trance, R&B and blues. Combining the two uninspired genres, and sprinkling in other kinds of music, might be the best way to save both.

Problem is: Many Nubluers take cues from their city's elitist fashion scene, valuing originality too far above accessibility. They often end up in John Cage territory, too boring to sit through and too distracting for background music.