How little I know, How little we listen.
My friend Jane has a list on her blog of upcoming concerts in San Francisco (bottom right hand corner). I have heard of exactly 2 of these bands which I can only explain via my complete ignorance of indie rock/college radio, that entire genre which I’m probably mislabelling because, well, I don’t know the first thing about it.
This probably makes me very uncool, as Suzan delights in pointing out, because when she was in the mosh pit during a Bad Brains show in high school, I was probably pulling out onto the highway in my mom’s Volvo, windows down, and wailing along to Bob Seger’s “Feel like a Number.” As we’ve talked about until we’re both out of breath, this means her musicial history is honest, rightous, full of significance and mine is that of a droid, marching lockstep with what The MAN told me I should listen to.
Chuck Klosterman, a former editor at SPIN did an excellent analysis of this phenomenon in the annual The Lives They Led issue of the New York Times Magazine (of course you have to pay to read it online. Stupid magazine). He was eulogizing the dual deaths of Dee Dee Ramone and Robbin Crosby (from 80’s metal band Ratt) who captured the Suzan/Kevin dualism pretty nicely. We are supposed to like the Ramones and all their unpolished integrity. We supposed to despise Ratt because of their conspicious hairsprayed populism. Is one more worthwhile than the other? I suppose, but how can argue that while keeping your own cultural elitism and prejuidces in check?
I don’t think you can. I’m not saying all music is created equal but rather that there is inherent and infinite value to hearing your own story in it. If you hear it in Ladybug Transistor, good for you. If you hear it in ABBA, good for you also. Your experience is your own, far as I’m concerned. It still counts, even if a millions others have it to.
P.S. None of this was meant as a slag towards my buddy Jane, whom I love. Just my first thoughts of the morning. I was reading her site, it triggered something, blah blah blah.
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16 Replies to “How little I know, How little we listen.”
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Kevin,
I agree with the comment about music becoming important to you when you’re “hearing your own story in it.” There is a problem when folks stop listening to new music when they stop hearing thier own tales told. It’s sad when this happens. I am one of those “listen-to-anything” people, a good song is a good song. Rather than sticking to one period of music as I get older I’ve found that I’m still searching out songs that inspired the tunes I liked “back in the day” (and then the tunes that inspired those), and forward to the songs that are inspired by what I grew up on (bands like Interpol and the Strokes). I wouldn’t stop finding faavourites in new music any more than I would stop finding them in new books.
P.S. I think the reason we weren’t supposed to like Ratt was cause they sucked.
Kevin,
I agree with the comment about music becoming important to you when you’re “hearing your own story in it.” There is a problem when folks stop listening to new music when they stop hearing thier own tales told. It’s sad when this happens. I am one of those “listen-to-anything” people, a good song is a good song. Rather than sticking to one period of music as I get older I’ve found that I’m still searching out songs that inspired the tunes I liked “back in the day” (and then the tunes that inspired those), and forward to the songs that are inspired by what I grew up on (bands like Interpol and the Strokes). I wouldn’t stop finding faavourites in new music any more than I would stop finding them in new books.
P.S. I think the reason we weren’t supposed to like Ratt was cause they sucked.
Paul,
I like your approach. Music has a wonderful history and should be appreciated for that richness.
And whether Ratt sucks or not is a matter of opinion rather than emperical evidence. I may have “heard my own story” in their wailings but I certainly hear my 16 year old male fantasties of riding a Harley down Sunset Blvd. and picking up a stripper named Candy. And I’m brough back to that same beautiful sillines everytime I hear “Round and Round.”
And really, fast cars and faster women? Was exactly is Rock n’ Roll if just juvenile?
Paul,
I like your approach. Music has a wonderful history and should be appreciated for that richness.
And whether Ratt sucks or not is a matter of opinion rather than emperical evidence. I may have “heard my own story” in their wailings but I certainly hear my 16 year old male fantasties of riding a Harley down Sunset Blvd. and picking up a stripper named Candy. And I’m brough back to that same beautiful sillines everytime I hear “Round and Round.”
And really, fast cars and faster women? Was exactly is Rock n’ Roll if just juvenile?
True, my view of Ratt is pure opinion. I began to wonder what, if any, are the points that go into making R’n’R music right for one person and not another. If you think about it every band is singing about the same teen-age heart-break, fantasies, helplessness, et alia. If this is the case what makes Ratt suck for me and not for you? Could it be age difference? I’m about 8 years older than you and so my teen years were Rush, Van Halen (with D.L.Roth), Ted Nugent, Sabbath, and Zeppelin (but they essentially were singing about the same stuff so that can’t be it); how about location? You’re from the mid-west and I’m from Canada…this could be it. But reallyteen boys are teen boys. I think it comes down to peer groups, who you hung out with in the formulative years, the tastes of the group would partially dictate who listen to. You build on that as you move into your twenties and onward. I know the bands I picked up on from most of the groups I hung out with growing up. I still have all the rock mentioned above on my computer.
P.S. missed you over the last month on the CB boards, glad to see you back. – dogspawn
True, my view of Ratt is pure opinion. I began to wonder what, if any, are the points that go into making R’n’R music right for one person and not another. If you think about it every band is singing about the same teen-age heart-break, fantasies, helplessness, et alia. If this is the case what makes Ratt suck for me and not for you? Could it be age difference? I’m about 8 years older than you and so my teen years were Rush, Van Halen (with D.L.Roth), Ted Nugent, Sabbath, and Zeppelin (but they essentially were singing about the same stuff so that can’t be it); how about location? You’re from the mid-west and I’m from Canada…this could be it. But reallyteen boys are teen boys. I think it comes down to peer groups, who you hung out with in the formulative years, the tastes of the group would partially dictate who listen to. You build on that as you move into your twenties and onward. I know the bands I picked up on from most of the groups I hung out with growing up. I still have all the rock mentioned above on my computer.
P.S. missed you over the last month on the CB boards, glad to see you back. – dogspawn
In Chicago we’re spoiled enough to have 2 quality college radio stations (3 if you’re into both indie rock and religious programming). Although most of my musical tastes are in the rock family, I thoroughly enjoy the Loyola and Northwestern stations. They both pride themselves on ‘community programming’, meaning they’re not just out to please the cool kids. Almost anything interesting happening in the non-Classical music world will turn up. A welcome antidote to stations who believed Mariah Carey and Celine Dion would usher in the next musical revolution.
It also reminds you that ‘indie rock’ covers a wealth of styles, sounds, and attitudes. Look beyond the typical IR fan– a disaffected recent college graduate with thick rimmed glasses, a bad haircut, and ironically themed, calculatedly haggard clothing– and you’ll be challenged by sounds and perspectives that Infinity/Clear Channel can’t conveniently package.
In Chicago we’re spoiled enough to have 2 quality college radio stations (3 if you’re into both indie rock and religious programming). Although most of my musical tastes are in the rock family, I thoroughly enjoy the Loyola and Northwestern stations. They both pride themselves on ‘community programming’, meaning they’re not just out to please the cool kids. Almost anything interesting happening in the non-Classical music world will turn up. A welcome antidote to stations who believed Mariah Carey and Celine Dion would usher in the next musical revolution.
It also reminds you that ‘indie rock’ covers a wealth of styles, sounds, and attitudes. Look beyond the typical IR fan– a disaffected recent college graduate with thick rimmed glasses, a bad haircut, and ironically themed, calculatedly haggard clothing– and you’ll be challenged by sounds and perspectives that Infinity/Clear Channel can’t conveniently package.
True dat Justin. Let’s also throw in that race is a factor too. Most of my black and latino friends don’t know the first thing about the white pop metal I listened to and I didn’t know much about The Whispers or Earth Wind and Fire until I met them.
True dat Justin. Let’s also throw in that race is a factor too. Most of my black and latino friends don’t know the first thing about the white pop metal I listened to and I didn’t know much about The Whispers or Earth Wind and Fire until I met them.
Kevin, I still don’t understand how you could go so long without hearing Earth Wind and Fire. They were everywhere back in the early 80s…
Kevin, I still don’t understand how you could go so long without hearing Earth Wind and Fire. They were everywhere back in the early 80s…
Guys,
Earth Wind and Fire has been around since the early 1970’s. I loved Shining Star when it first came out. It seems to me though, Kevin, that you have had all sorts of chances to pick up on new music. You have friends like Jane and Suzan presenting musical possibilities but you are not bellying up and partaking of the goods. Rather than being saddened at your lack of music savvy-ness, you should ask your friends to each contribute one band (or one song) for you to check out (even if it’s just a link to amazon listen to sample tracks). This way you can widen your musical tastes. It won’t matter if you retain the band names or the songs, because I’m definate you will find some new gems that will give you blossoming brain-boogie. Selah.
Guys,
Earth Wind and Fire has been around since the early 1970’s. I loved Shining Star when it first came out. It seems to me though, Kevin, that you have had all sorts of chances to pick up on new music. You have friends like Jane and Suzan presenting musical possibilities but you are not bellying up and partaking of the goods. Rather than being saddened at your lack of music savvy-ness, you should ask your friends to each contribute one band (or one song) for you to check out (even if it’s just a link to amazon listen to sample tracks). This way you can widen your musical tastes. It won’t matter if you retain the band names or the songs, because I’m definate you will find some new gems that will give you blossoming brain-boogie. Selah.
Paul,
I should have been clearer. I was only saddened really as a way of introducing the topic. And in fact, when Joe Strummer died, Suzan and I spent an evening immersed in her punk rock memories, and I spent it downloading. The Dead Kennedys are my new favorite band.
Paul,
I should have been clearer. I was only saddened really as a way of introducing the topic. And in fact, when Joe Strummer died, Suzan and I spent an evening immersed in her punk rock memories, and I spent it downloading. The Dead Kennedys are my new favorite band.