Matthew Trevithick
Get Off My Lawn You Damn Kids!
From time to time, I may utter under my breath, a sad and disappointed sigh, when thinking about what's considered popular in our day and age amongst people of my demographic. It tends to echo to others as that of a 'gloaty/boastful/cynical' tone, exposing a side of myself that shouldn't be making an appearance, until well into my senior years (it is the seniors, after all, that sigh about these types of things.) I don't do it for the sake of annoyance, or the sake of ego-boosting on my part. I do it because I genuinely want to know:
Why is whats popular now, popular?
Having never given much consideration to music that rotates on Much, MTV, and the Billboard Charts, I wouldn't have the slightest idea why songs that repeat the same lyrics over and over again (I Gotta Feeling anyone?) are appealing to my generation; aptly named "the Facebook generation" or, as I like to call it, "the NOW generation," (because everything has to be now, Now, NOW apparently.)
When I would critique the music choices of the people I used to eat lunch with, I would always feel this sense of guilt. It's their music choice, who am I to judge or complain about what they choose to listen to? It's none of my business. But I felt, as a music lover and as someone who can't stand the capitalization and repetitiveness of popular music, I had to give my opinion, no matter how harsh it sounded (or how harsh it didn't appear to sound in my head.) This would usually result in replies like "what makes indie so great?" or "who cares?" or "stop talking Matt, I'm trying to finish a project."
When hearing the first rebuttal, I could never really think of a snappy enough comeback to explain to them, just why I thought their music was lesser in stature than the music I listened to. Maybe I just didn't like the idea of how most bands who are popular (those who tend to make the most profits) are usually just in it for the money.
Because when you look at the bigger picture, it does seem that way. The mega-selling music performers don't really seem to be in it for the pleasure of making a decent album, and instead, try to produce and write it in the way that would result in the most amount of record sales. These songs usually contain the same overused hip-hop beat, feature the words "club" "club" and "girl" (in conjunction with the words "ass" "club" and "sex" in that form or another) are overproduced with layers upon layers of god-awful, ear-bleeding Auto-Tune (poor T. Pain) and all, in the end, sound alike (well, them and those screamo-emo bands. Notice every singer has the same high pitched voice?)
Indie music may not necessarily be 'better' but it, in most cases, is certainly more 'music-oriented' in the sense that they focus more about the quality, over quantity [of sales]. This is more apparent with bands who release albums that are usually non-charted, but are otherwise critically acclaimed.
Most bands who are high on the Billboard charts (like those of Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, and Demi Lovato who are all signed to Disney's "Hollywood Records" label) are usually contained and limited within their music contract. The record company usually wants the band to sound a certain way (a way that is popular at that time) which will, in turn, result in more record sales, as it is more recognizable to that demographic. (This would be why so many Disney bands sound the same. The corporation is scared of floating away from its poppy/shit sounding genre.)
It just all, in the end, makes me sad to think that bands and performers with actual talent and creativity, are never recognized like they deserve. That the recognizable faces and acts, will always be on the charts, until they fade away due to an unpopular single or album. (Maybe it was too "experimental"?)
I just have one question for the acts that are popular. Acts like Flo Rida, Lady Gaga, Soulja Boy (what a joke) and the recently garbage sounding Black Eyed Peas. Is this what you want future generations to look back on when they see what was popular now? Is this the kind of music that you want to be famous for? Is this the kind of music, that you want to implant in the history of popular culture?
If the answer is yes, then we just might all be screwed.
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Songs I Recommend
(at the moment)
Fences by Phoenix
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb/Don't You Evah/Black Like Me by Spoon (or anything by Spoon)
Brainy by The National (or anything by the National really)
Everyone is Guilty by Akron/Family
Cherry Blossom Girl/Mer du Japon/Kelly Watch the Stars by Air
Hooting and Howling by Wild Beasts
While You Wait for the Others by Grizzly Bear
Fire by Kasabian
The Whole Frickin "Manners" album by Passion Pit (hard to choose a favourite)
We Are the People/Delta Bay/Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun
With You Forever/Baby/Come Together by Pnau
Said So What/New Man by French Kicks
We've Been Had/Four Provinces by The Walkmen
The Whole Fricken "Parc Avenue" album by Plants and Animals
The Whole Fricken "Seldom Seen Kid" album by Elbow
The Whole Fricken "Fleet Foxes" album by Fleet Foxes
*whew... I think that's good for now. Seriously, check out these songs.
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