The title of this entry has nothing to do with the content that follows. I just thought of it before I started writing.
I am preparing to present the most porous, hypocritical, and irrational argument this website has ever seen. There has definitely been some PHI shit on this site, but what I am about to do is paint myself in such a way that no one will ever doubt just how far into shameless, earnest hypocrisy I can go. So without further ado, I touch my brush to the canvas.
Most people listen to bad music. I am not one of these people.
My initial impressions of those I meet, and in turn my initial respect for them, is based largely on the music they listen to. I believe that a seasoned taste in music is a very good indicator of a person's uniqueness; thus, if it turns out that Yellow Card and Death Cab for Cutie are what strike the strongest chords with a person, I don't feel it is completely unreasonable to assume that this person is want for character. As will be elaborated later, devotion, let alone tolerance of such bands is indicative of "taste laziness," in other words, an unwillingness to expand the horizons's of one's preferences. If Unwritten Law is your favorite band, one can only assume you just haven't tried to see how much better it gets.
Before getting into what is so tragic about the existance of Maroon 5, I need to bemoan a few groups or genres in particular so you know what I'm talking about. I've mentioned four bands already, but most things I dismiss as trash can be described pretty discretely. At the forefront of bad taste is a band whose singer rides the upper vocal register the way people do when they yell for help from within small locked spaces. Hoobastank and their foul, juvinile opus "The Reason" is one such example. How do these singers intend to hold the attention of a discerning audience if all they do is alternate between "doleful wail" and "not-so-doleful wail?" How is it that they *do* hold people's attention?
My next point is forced upon me by the mention of Hoobastank. The second grand foul of bad music is a name for the band that makes me want to burn down toy stores. Hoobastank? The word sounds like regional slang for kittens' turds. And they share the guilt with many. Smashmouth. Death Cab for Cutie. The Goo Goo Dolls. Good Charlotte. Marcy Playground. Further seems Forever. Jimmy Eat World. Blink 182. Every mention of these names and I die a little bit inside.
To me, it isn't warrented to enumerate why certain music is bad. Some works I just find uninspired, tepid, and ephemeral. Fine. But what gets me riled enough to write an entry about it is that people not only tolerate such drivel, they embrace it. They buy posters, patches, and sweatshirts to show how much they appreciate being wimpered at by greasy rock-clowns surfing a resilient trendwave.
I fully acknowledge that faulting someone for their taste in music unreasonable. However, I stand by my assertion that if a devout fan of Autopilot Off were to just look for something else, they would be ashamed of themselves for wasting so much of their time identifying with the tormented yammering of a ficticious stage personality.
I weep for the tastes of others. I sigh as I sigh for birds that fly into closed windows because they don't know any better. I don't care what type of music a person likes or what gets their blood flowing. But I feel that many people do themselves a terrible injustice by lapping up whatever the recording industry places on the floor for them. Whatever color the dish is, it's still just lukewarm water fit only for curs.
Posted by Alchemae at March 16, 2005 09:38 PMThat was a gloriously written entry. The Hoobastank comment actually inspired a very audible snicker in the middle of my microcomputing class. However, I think you should replace Goo Goo Dolls with Dashboard Confessional because the former actually has a couple of redeeming songs. About as many as Creed.
But I agree completely. People whose favorite bands are Nickelback and Sum 41 are about as aware of good music as Americans on a diet of McDonalds are exposed to good cuisine. You don't even have to listen to a band called Taking Back Sunday to realize that it's almost certainly really shitty emo. Since when did emotion inspiring music turn into unmitigated crying?
And of course there is just categorically unacceptable music like ska.
At the same time, you can't ignore the scenesters who purposefully listen to poorly produced, likely shitty "indie" music that never made it for very good reasons, just to go against the flow. Embracing counter-culture for the sake of being different makes you an ass no matter how you try to reason it. It's like wanting to be cold with your other unhip friends because no one else is doing it. ;)
Posted by: deKaliber at March 17, 2005 02:35 PMput on some boxing gloves.. let's go!
yellowcard and autopilot off are some of the nicest musician's i've come to know and work with in the music industry. they love what they do and their hearts are in the right place. i respect them for that. however, i can't say i'm a big fan of their music.
now death cab for cutie and jimmy eat world would be in my top 20. both of these bands have been around for a very long time. jimmy eat world's album 'clarity' is a beautiful record and shows their talent. this album came out before they were so "mainstream" and regardless of that - they're latest album shows they still know how to play their instruments. and on a personal note, james (the singer) is someone i got to know and made me realize how much he really respects his fan.
death cab for cutie blew up when the postal service came around. i've been listening to these guys for years and their only fault is that they are extremely talented. the members have helped produce many other great bands that are still under the radar. do your homework before you rip on these guys!
the recording industry is what it is.. an industry that revolves around dollar signs.
if you want to die a little bit inside.. do so everytime you pay more than $10 for a CD.
and to the person below bashing dashboard confessional - chris is someone i call a friend and out of everyone i've come to know in this industry - he is by far one of the hardest working. he gets paid to do what he loves and people like his music.. so let's hate him. that's just lame!
Posted by: alexia at March 19, 2005 05:33 PMThere is certainly something to be said for your perspective, knowing the members of these bands personally. But a personal relationship with band members has little bearing on a discussion about the merits of their music. The amount of hard work a band devotes to cultivating their sound makes them respectable individuals, but it doesn't grant them immunity from criticism. What matters most is what comes out of the speakers when I press play; at that point, blood, sweat, tears, and history lose their relevance.
Posted by: Alchemae at March 19, 2005 06:09 PM