Posted by MPB:
I have an ongoing struggle with the indie-rock genre. Sometimes I think I just don't have the patience for it. For a long time most of my listening was devoted to punk and twangy alt-country exclusively. Somewhere along the line I started listening to more indie rock. Since then, I have amassed a relatively diverse and geeky music collection. Problem is, I'm not sure I really like any of it anymore. For example, I recently obtained a slew of new cd's from the Denver Public Library. The list is as follows (you're allowed to check out 7 at a time):
1. Broken Social Scene - Self Titled
2. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it In People
3. Broken Social Scene - Bee Hives
4. The Rosebuds - Night of the Furies
5. The Twighlight Sad - Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
6. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
7. I forgot the last one. because it was just. that. good.
Now, the reason I went and checked all these out is two-fold: 1. I am a rampant music pirater (At least I admit it, don't act so high and mighty!), 2. I read that each was the greatest cd ever, or of the first half of 2007, or out of Canada, or some such thing.
Aside: the DPL is the music pirater's best friend
Anyway, getting to the point (is there one?).... I listened to each of these cds and I can say that I pretty much dislike each and every one. Of the lot, only 2 have remotely grown on me so far. I think a big part of this is timing, some are ok in the morning on a long drive by myself. When I listen to them in the afternoon, no dice. And when I listen to them in the presence of my wife or carpool friend, that get turned off almost immediately (by the passenger).
Yet, according to an army of hipsters, each of these is brilliant, magical, or at the very least very good. I just don't get the connection. Maybe someone can explain it to me? Are there vast insights into the nature of life and humanity awaiting me with further listens, or can I just give up on this genre as a whole? I'm starting to lose patience....
Comments (4)
the indie music scene is a vast wasteland of copycats and tired ideas. finding the needle in the haystack can be daunting. websites like Pitchfork Media purport to steer your attention away from the lame bands and towards more deserving ones.
in the process, however, they come off sounding like holier-than-thou music critics who clearly know better than you do.* and they often miss the point. call it the "lost the forest for the trees" mistake.
get thee to "the hype machine" and save yourself a trip to the library.
http://hypem.com/
also try "75 or less," an album review site where the reviews must be in 75 words or less. we can all agree that while album reviews are kind of annoying, the really long ones are really annoying. better to keep them short. i have actually discovered a few good records from this site.
http://www.75orless.com/
* i mean, a search on google reveals that their motto is, "Pitchfork is a website dedicated to music and the discussion thereof. And we rule." ugh. go away.
Posted by particleman | June 14, 2007 6:18 PM
Posted on June 14, 2007 18:18
thats all I'm sayin'. vast wasteland indeed. much of the critically acclaimed indie stuff I hear lately is just music geek approved 80's rehash. the rosebuds album fits that description. i guess you can't really trust anyone's opinion but your own, and its just so time consuming to filter through it all.
what can i say? i'm a sucker for catchy hooks i guess.....
Posted by MPB | June 15, 2007 9:16 AM
Posted on June 15, 2007 09:16
catchy hooks is the name of the game. and lately, so is 80s rehash. couldn't tell you why though. i think the best such band so far is The Kaiser Chiefs. instead of going for the melancholic sound of Joy Division and its progeny (which Interpol has done), they go for the quirkier 80s brit rock sound, like XTC. i do like joy division (and their progeny) but the latest KC album is really good.
Posted by particleman | June 17, 2007 9:52 PM
Posted on June 17, 2007 21:52
I too use the library to "borrow" music and I love it! I've found the staff recommendations page to be very helpful.
http://denverlibrary.org/booksmedia/recommend.cfm?media=Music
The staff at the Denver Public Library has fantastic taste and have done a great job weeding out the undesirable. The greatest thing about that page is not only that the title links directly to the catalog record but if you like a particular staff reviewer, you can easily see all of their reviews and keep checking back with them for more. If you like their music, you'll probably also like their taste in movies and books too. Believe me, these sweet little bun heads got it goin' on!
Posted by library lover | June 22, 2007 1:33 PM
Posted on June 22, 2007 13:33