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My Taste in Music is Way Better Than Your Taste in Music ________ [Main] [Reviews] [Features] [Albums] [Wanted] [Top 50] [Guestbook] tommoatuccdotasndotau________ |
How DARE You Like the Band I Like? And How DARE They Encourage It? Rubbish! I'm sick and tired of seeing bands dismissed by listeners (particularly those listeners that used to be fans), based on an overwhelming fear of tarnishing their carefully maintained indie-cred. If you like the music - if you like it, not if it conforms to a universal concept of indie-acceptable (fully endorsed by Pitchfork Media) - then you should damn well listen to it and stop being so image concsious. In all probability, people care about what music you like a whole lot less than you believe anyway. Bright Eyes have been the most harshly judged of late, due to their emo-friendly song stylings and complete acceptance by the mainstream into open and adoring arms (and the whole O.C. thing). If you've listened to some Bright Eyes, and decided that Conor Oberst isn't your cup of vocalist-tea, well then that's fine, we can still get along. I happen to think the guy is an incredible songwriter, who writes adolescent, pissed off & confused near-masterpieces that display a frightening level of talent. His whinyness and pretentious tone don't bother me, so it's all good. If, however, you've decided that Bright Eyes is bad simply because he was on that TV show, and topped that music chart, and is liked by THAT FUCKING EMO KID OVER THERE! Well, you seriously need to reorganise your priorities, and decide whether you became a music geek because you love music more than words can possibly describe, or for some other, utterly unimportant reason that makes you just as shallow as afore-mentioned emo kid, if not moreso. Modest Mouse are already getting the backlash from pissed off longtime fans, who couldn't bear to hear one more uninformed friend say "Have you heard that song 'Float On' by that new band Modest Mouse?" Sure, it rubs you the wrong way, but they're still the same great band playing the same great songs, just to a bigger audience now. They're probably delighted. And while it's always a bit painful seeing your band become every second or third person's favourite, you don't really think they had alienating you in mind, do you? Why not just keep enjoying the music, and take the occasional comfort of saying "I've known about them for ten years now!" The same thing will probably happen to The Shins next, now that Natalie Portman name dropped them to the guy from Scrubs in Garden State. Interpol and The Arcade Fire are both well into Phase 2 of Operation: Get Into the Mainstream and Lose Closed-Minded Fans. If Godspeed You Black Emperor had a vocalist and shorter songs it'd have happened to them. Same goes for The Fiery Furnaces if only they were a little less stark raving mad. I guess the important thing to remember is that you're really not that unique for liking these bands. In all honesty they're already selling quite a few albums, and if they get a bit more exposure and a handful more fans, then at least it means you're likely to start hearing better music at parties. Anyway, you and your indie kid buddies are still the only ones who have copies of Loveless and Spiderland sitting on their CD racks, and that probably won't change anytime soon. So don't worry, your indie cred remains effortlessly intact, even if you continue to like those groups that cross over into the mainstream. If you really can't stop fretting over it, you can always write them off as carefully ironic touches to your collection. If it comes to that, though, you may well be too indie for your own good - an irrationally hip lost cause. |