View Single Post
Old 11.06.2012, 12:10 AM   #46
Chris Lawrence
Moderator
 
Chris Lawrence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: southwest canada
Posts: 1,881
Chris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's assesChris Lawrence kicks all y'all's asses
The first time I remember being aware of music as a trend suddenly shifting was as a (pre-death) Nirvana fan circa 1996 when dance music & hip hop became the popular thing to listen to, and I was mocked for still listening to Nirvana (etc) by the very same people who had just months earlier been listening to it too. What perplexed me is that I legitimately enjoyed that music, which is why I listened to it - I hadn't realized so many people had just become "fans" in the aftermath of Kurt's death, and abandoned it for the next big trend to (I guess) stay popular in high school.

Now, I enjoyed Nirvana and Sonic Youth. I was ridiculed for it. I have to consider that these kids may have actually liked that dance/hiphop regardless of whether it was the current trend. I barely gave it a chance, so in many ways I was no better. I remember music being a BIG identifier in my teenage years, whether positive or negative (I always felt I was born about 5 years too late and was basically acting like a kid trying to fit in with the ghost of a peer group that had long passed).

Nowadays, I appreciate music based on whether I listen to it and enjoy it, and that's all. I'm not actively seeking out any of the current popular music, but I can't deny that people enjoy it - and there's nothing wrong with that. Recently Lou Barlow posted a link to the newest Taylor Swift video on Facebook, singing its praises, so I listened & watched and it was actually really good! In my opinion, and apparently Lou Barlow's (and a few million others?). I can see how that would be a big argument in high school, but now it just doesn't matter (although it can be fun to debate musical tastes in a civil manner, I suppose...).

I think I may have had a point when I started, maybe how it's just funny to think back on how much music could drive rivalry in high school. No, I guess what intrigued me more was the idea that people could just change to accommodate a trend, and how that never seemed natural to me...I'm not saying good or bad either way (too late now!), I just find it interesting.

Oh, I remember my actual point. That for some people, music is just a background accessory and not something that defines them, so they will naturally listen to what's popular (and usually what's popular is popular for a reason). People who have a different sort of connection with music are obviously going to seek out things beneath the "popular" surface and listen to things that really excite them. Again, not saying good or bad (I certainly wish I wasn't as obsessive...), just interesting. I can't imagine not being totally fucking obsessed with music.
__________________
http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang // original folk blues ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i'm the boy that can enjoy invisibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chris Lawrence is offline   |QUOTE AND REPLY|