Henry Rollins has this bit called Future Parents, where he talks about this generation of parents as the first to be more [musically] intense than both their own parents and their own kids.…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
music lessons - Comments Page 2
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26 - pink floyd
feh, its pointless to make any statments againts the current music industry untill andrew w.k. is dead. Seriously, we should all focus our hatred in the music industry at andrew wk, after he is dead, then we can go back to fixing the crappy music industry. As they say, go for the queen bee first.
27 - iannau
I agree that most popular bands of today are not particularly musical, only barely innovative of proven forms (example: A-B-A-B-C-bridge-A. Punk did elevate this to satire at first, but then even that became simply established form).
However, go to this link for some encouraging thoughts: http://slate.msn.com/?id=2069732
Maybe part of our problem is not teaching kids to look under the media surface. So much crap is repeated ad nauseum through convenient channels that maybe they've begun to adapt to it.
Or maybe it's the fact that we DON'T get into their music that makes it more attractive. It has been discussed in statistics that over the last several generations, many different cultural traits have swung like a pendulum. One generation attends church; their children don't once they're grown, but the children they raise grow up to return to church in large numbers. It becomes almost a way to define yourself as unique from what you're used to, and it seems to happen subconsciously.
Anyway, random thoughts are my specialty, but to return to my first statement, I have thought of a band that has become pretty popular and is totally comprised of very talented musicians: TOOL. I listen to Lateralus in awe, after nearly a year of hearing it on average more than once a day. Even earlier albums show much consideration for musicality and craftsmanship.
(And they were friends of Bill Hicks, too!)
28 - ryan p
champ. you ever sat and listened to that ramones album of yours. Every bit as pure pop crap as any boy band too day. The ramones are nothing but 4 ugly guys how can't play instruments. They sound like with down syndrome trying to sound like a bad beatles cover band.
29 - Beerman
I worte an essay for a college English class on a similar subject just a few weeks ago. You know what? I totally agree with everything that this article has to say.
The Essay I Wrote
30 - Bat Boy
You guys are so full of yourselves. Dont you realise that every generation thought their music was better than the next.
Music changed, and the labels used to define music such as pop punk and metal werent dropped. Sure it doesnt sound THE SAME as it did, but that doesnt mean its any worse.
Forget about labels of musicality and youll all be better off. Besides its all opinionated anyway, If you dont think it sounds like punk than dont call it that. But dont try and pingeon hole a band into a genre just becasue you dont want them fouling up your favorite one. drop the steriotypes and concentrate on whats important. The music.
31 - uglyamerican
My 4 1/2 week old auditioned for the bass slot in Hatebreed, got the gig, then turned them down because they're too poppy. He then punched them in the groin, stole their wallets, and started his own death/grind/hatecore group with ex-members of Agorophobic Nosebleed, Nunslaughter, and Mortician. Now that's hardcore.
32 - michele
Ugly American wins.
33 - peat
It's not a "Punk Rock Show" unless there is a fight between girls with mohawks dyed green and one of them nearly loses her nose and ear at the same time by having the chain that is connected to them both yanked from her head. I saw that at the Exploited once in Denver. Now that is hardcore.
And I couldn't agree more with your first example of vintage punk Michele...The Misfits were truly a gift to our youth.
Other favs of mine: DRI, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, Corrosion of Conformity, Exciter, The Accused, Suicidal Tendencies, Helmet, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, The Cramps, Circle Jerks, Nirvana and yes even the Beastie Boys who started as a punk band, I believe only to be told they didn't have the skills (ha).
Now that your kids are familiar with the gentle art of stage diving...you should teach them about how to deal with the skinheads that stand unmoveable in the middle of the pit. You haven't been to a punk gig until a skin head has worked you over for bumping into him (or her) in a mosh pit or for pulling on their suspenders so that they snap against their bare back. Good times. Good times.
Oh and by the way you know your 4 week old is hardcore when you see that an order for a Manson Youth album has arrived to their attention. What will it be today, I wonder, Mr. Rogers or Manson Youth Genocide? Either beats the heck out of Barney.
34 - CJ
We're not ALL soft. I'm 18 and grew up on the soft stuff. Somewhere in there something happened (I'll call it puberty) and for the past 5 years I've listened to pretty much all the bands you've been talking about lately.
You can rest assured that if I ever have children, they'll be tough as nails. If it kills me.
35 - markbrandt
I'm 18 and rock harder then most everyone I know. Avril is a waste of time...she wouldn't be bad, but people think she is punk and I hate that (*spits in someones face*), loud in your face...that's what everyone needs.
36 - Magnuslord
For a small minority, this is not the case. I listen to Death Metal/Black Metal/Gothic Metal and Cannibal corpse,Avulsed,Dark Tranquility/Emperor,Dark Funeral,Veneficum/Tristania,sirenia,The sins of Thy Beloved are much heavier than motown, ie the tops or choir music or deep purple. But, I realize that I am a small minority. Oh well metal, real metal on the radio is truely dead.
37 - Hawk
Well have my own version of this story every year. I am a highschool history teacher. And my students think that Lamebiskit is metal?? Well, I soon change their minds when I let them hear the second album of soilwork, the latest Arch Enemy, Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Nevermore!! 99% of the time their taste changes within a few month's. When were at the end of the school year I have a few metal freak among my students!!
38 - CinnamonStix
Hell yeah hawk. I like to hear of an older heavy-listener. Rock on
39 - infragreen
I've been going around saying that rock is dead or dying for the last 3 years. I'll be 33 in one month. I grew up in rock/metal fantasyland and have been playing guitar in bands since I was 17. I kept making these crazy claims about rock's demise until about 4 months ago. I saw some very young girl in her small car blasting some hip hop. I really don't get hip hop. This girl, however, did. She was doing all the moves and I could hear her sing/chanting/yelling as loud as she could right along to the music. Now how often do you see someone over 30 doing that? Personally it's been years since I remember slamming my fist or banging my head along to my deafening stereo. All the above posts and articles DO have merit, but maybe we should just let the youth of today decide what "rocks" and what doesn't. We had our time, and our baby boomer parents had theirs. Such is the circle of life. I've stopped judging and making assumptions. Can we admit we're getting old and aren't to be trusted? I think I have.