(no subject)
Well now I've got a metric fuckton more things that I want to write about, but don't feel like putting in the effort to actually do. Country music, namely the sad, sweet heart of the rodeo, the lonesome cowboy, the sad and lonely songs that I've always thought country was supposed to be about but can't ever find. My music obsession in general and how I love reading artist descriptions in pandora and recognizing their bias, as well as the constantly evolving nature of music and how important context is to it. And finally, I want to talk about the life not lived. Specifically, how much happier I would be if I didn't go to Georgia Tech, and if I would still be the person I am if I'd stayed in Pennsylvania. But I'm getting all verklempt, talk amongst yourselves (+10 points to you if you get the reference).
Since these topics are mostly unrelated, I figure they'll have to be broken up into separate sections, possibly different posts.
Country Music
While my taste in music has changed drastically over the years there has been one single constant. Whenever I say what I like there is always a but country music at the end. As in, "I like everything but country music." This has pretty much always been true. Then sometime in high school Johnny Cash made a cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. It's awesome. Really one of the most heart wrenching songs I know that is absolutely perfect for Cash's voice and singing style. So then I listened to some other Johnny Cash stuff and some of it I like, some not so much.
That was pretty much the extent of it for a long time. Now the weird thing is, I tend to like some of the country music in movies.This is actually a bit of a generalization as a lot of it is bluegrass, folk or something similar. But there is this permeating idea in movies and culture in general of the sad cowboy song.
I think I like the idea of this better than what I've been able to actually find. A couple Johnny Cash songs, this one song from Leverage, the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? And that's about it. It just doesn't convey the sadness that I want it to. Seriously, listen to Johnny Cash - I Hung My Head.
Honestly, I think what bothers me most about country music is the accent. For the most part, people lose their accent when singing, but not so with country music. Southern accents continue to have an irritating effect for me. It doesn't really bother me on an individual basis, I guess it just always sounds exaggerated to me in country music and especially on tv/movies.
But I'm at the point now where I want to like it. Or at least be ok with it. But popular country music actively annoys me. I feel like if I saw a live band/singer it would be different, but I don't really know. I didn't really like folk or bluegrass until I saw them live accidentally. But I find it hard to dislike live music in general. If you're surrounded by people enjoying it, it's hard not to enjoy it too.
I just like the mentality of it. The lonely, blue collar qualities of it anyway. But the humor doesn't appeal to me at all (I don't give a shit where all of your exes live). Or the arrogance of it. I dislike that in rap too. Honestly the Americana nonsense is a little annoying, too. But that is pop country. Which is really just the same as regular pop music. It appeals to the lowest common denominator. Whatever it takes to appeal to that conservative fan base. I mean American music is pretty big all over the world, except country music. Well, not counting when the nation in question wants to mock Americans.
That being sad, if you know any sad country songs, let me know.
Music Obsession
Do you ever read the artist info on Pandora? I've been eating that stuff up lately. It's absolutely fascinating. I don't care so much what the people in the band did, not nearly as much as what their influences were and how they influenced others. It has led to a greater understanding of the wonderful world that is music. I've always been particularly bad at designating genres, but at least with rock music I'm getting much better. I've discovered genres I did not know existed.
Shoegazing? It's awesome. It's also over, but hey, it's similar to dream pop which a lot of artists still fit under.
It's nice to have these little categories that things fit into, but the distinctions can be pretty hazy, and the naming conventions have been known to occasionally suck balls. At least, in my opinion. Do you know what they do when a genre or subgenre goes through a revival, or even a moderate increase in popularity after a considerable decline or years of absence from "the scene"? They but a "nu" in front of it. As if somehow the deciding parameters of the old genre don't apply anymore. It's a minor annoyance, but still.
So this all really came about from me avoiding work while at work. I'll be listening and say hey this is a good song, I shall "like it." Then I notice the artist info down at the bottom and expand, and then expand some more. And then click all the links inside that info. And then go to a different website to listen to these new, possibly unheard of or under appreciated bands. Then go on wikipedia and find out more about all of it.
The last time I visited Henry, I made an unintentionally snide comment to Sonya. I said something about punk rock and then she mentioned how she was punk in high school. I say that's cool, what bands did you listen to. She says Static X and Rage Against the Machine. I kind of mumble they're not punk rock. And when questioned pronounce it more clearly. I mean Static X is industrial metal and Rage is more rap metal, or at the very least alternative, but not punk rock. I believe there was a comment about plaid pants and I may have wanted to yell "Hot Topic is not punk rock" but I held it in. The initial comment, and this writing now wasn't intended to be mean, at all. It was just a matter of correctness. It just wasn't punk rock.
This actually occurred before my genre obsession, this was something I knew. Because I was punk rock, or at least I liked to think of myself that way. And oh god did I hate the posers. The Clash, Rancid, the Misfits, the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Agent Orange, Green Day (only Dookie counts), Blink 182 (only Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch). Operation Ivy. Those are punk bands. I get touchy about it because I was there when punk rock sold out.
And so, pop punk was born.
Musically, there is nothing wrong with this. I like it, actually. But when punk went mainstream it wasn't special to me anymore. When the popular talkative girl in my Spanish class was talking about how she loved a band I liked, it just ruined it for me. Emo quickly followed. It was hard to identify with music that was also identifying with people who jumped onto whatever was popular. In hindsight, I was arrogant, and (especially in the case of emo) the music really just struck chords (oo bad pun) within the teenage angst that everyone had.
So that went a bit off topic, but it's related. There's a kind of progression of music and I've always enjoyed the luxury of liking stuff before it became mainstream. This generally means better music and less crowded shows with cheaper ticket prices. To get the point here's a little graphic I found awhile ago that I love, although disagree with some of the generalizations.
Ok the image is way too big and messes up my formatting
What was my point? Genres? Generally speaking, I have not given any thought to what something sounded like or who influenced them, just whether I like any given song or not. Now, I don't care, but I like knowing. It kind of opens up some doors. I like to think of it as musical archaeology. Tracing the lines of chord structure back through time.
But these are almost nothing without context. Things change with their context. Look at it this way. Blink 182 making generic but funny pop punk music is pretty normal in the early 1990s. It's different when their music is the same and they're 30 somethings with kids. That is not to say that you can't be old and make a certain type of music. But that music has to change when you do. It can still be a catchy song, but it won't be great without any context.
Don't get me wrong, a great album is great pretty much always. But some albums get something more with context. This even varies from person to person. I've outgrown a lot of the music I have listened to over the years, but some of it will always tug the heart strings, so to speak. Turn the Radio Off by Reel Big Fish is one of my favorite albums. Technically, it's not great or anything. I think their lyrics are the best part actually. Especially when contrasted with the type of pop/upbeat ska they play. The whole album is actually just sad. Songs about being sell outs, not fitting in, being a sucky band, drinking when depressed , a song literally called "Everything Sucks", stalking, and never being happy.
My sister got me that CD and what I'm sure she had no idea was a very shitty time in my life (all of it). It was just so angry and sad with a happy face. Which happened to be how I was at the time, or at least I was trying to show a happy face.
A less personal example would be say, King Crimson. The only album I've really listened to fully is In the Court of the Crimson King. Which is awesome, and kinda famous. You may have seen the cover.
It's absolutely fantastic to listen to. But even more so when you know that there was nothing like it at all before. It's not that uncommon anymore to infuse different genres together, but they started prog rock. Infusing jazz into this space rock was just ridiculous at the time, but they made it awesome. And for reference, 21st Century Schizoid Man is from that album and is sampled on Kanye's new album. I think it sounds kinda crappy though because he cut off the great guitar part, and to me at least it sounds like you can hear the start of it, but maybe that's just because I know.
Ok, I'm tired and am going to watch some weird movie called Bitch Slap that I found on netflix. I don't know what it's about but the camera appears to focus on the main character's breasts a lot. There's also explosions. I'll get to a life unlived at some other time.
Since these topics are mostly unrelated, I figure they'll have to be broken up into separate sections, possibly different posts.
Country Music
While my taste in music has changed drastically over the years there has been one single constant. Whenever I say what I like there is always a but country music at the end. As in, "I like everything but country music." This has pretty much always been true. Then sometime in high school Johnny Cash made a cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. It's awesome. Really one of the most heart wrenching songs I know that is absolutely perfect for Cash's voice and singing style. So then I listened to some other Johnny Cash stuff and some of it I like, some not so much.
That was pretty much the extent of it for a long time. Now the weird thing is, I tend to like some of the country music in movies.This is actually a bit of a generalization as a lot of it is bluegrass, folk or something similar. But there is this permeating idea in movies and culture in general of the sad cowboy song.
I think I like the idea of this better than what I've been able to actually find. A couple Johnny Cash songs, this one song from Leverage, the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? And that's about it. It just doesn't convey the sadness that I want it to. Seriously, listen to Johnny Cash - I Hung My Head.
Honestly, I think what bothers me most about country music is the accent. For the most part, people lose their accent when singing, but not so with country music. Southern accents continue to have an irritating effect for me. It doesn't really bother me on an individual basis, I guess it just always sounds exaggerated to me in country music and especially on tv/movies.
But I'm at the point now where I want to like it. Or at least be ok with it. But popular country music actively annoys me. I feel like if I saw a live band/singer it would be different, but I don't really know. I didn't really like folk or bluegrass until I saw them live accidentally. But I find it hard to dislike live music in general. If you're surrounded by people enjoying it, it's hard not to enjoy it too.
I just like the mentality of it. The lonely, blue collar qualities of it anyway. But the humor doesn't appeal to me at all (I don't give a shit where all of your exes live). Or the arrogance of it. I dislike that in rap too. Honestly the Americana nonsense is a little annoying, too. But that is pop country. Which is really just the same as regular pop music. It appeals to the lowest common denominator. Whatever it takes to appeal to that conservative fan base. I mean American music is pretty big all over the world, except country music. Well, not counting when the nation in question wants to mock Americans.
That being sad, if you know any sad country songs, let me know.
Music Obsession
Do you ever read the artist info on Pandora? I've been eating that stuff up lately. It's absolutely fascinating. I don't care so much what the people in the band did, not nearly as much as what their influences were and how they influenced others. It has led to a greater understanding of the wonderful world that is music. I've always been particularly bad at designating genres, but at least with rock music I'm getting much better. I've discovered genres I did not know existed.
Shoegazing? It's awesome. It's also over, but hey, it's similar to dream pop which a lot of artists still fit under.
It's nice to have these little categories that things fit into, but the distinctions can be pretty hazy, and the naming conventions have been known to occasionally suck balls. At least, in my opinion. Do you know what they do when a genre or subgenre goes through a revival, or even a moderate increase in popularity after a considerable decline or years of absence from "the scene"? They but a "nu" in front of it. As if somehow the deciding parameters of the old genre don't apply anymore. It's a minor annoyance, but still.
So this all really came about from me avoiding work while at work. I'll be listening and say hey this is a good song, I shall "like it." Then I notice the artist info down at the bottom and expand, and then expand some more. And then click all the links inside that info. And then go to a different website to listen to these new, possibly unheard of or under appreciated bands. Then go on wikipedia and find out more about all of it.
The last time I visited Henry, I made an unintentionally snide comment to Sonya. I said something about punk rock and then she mentioned how she was punk in high school. I say that's cool, what bands did you listen to. She says Static X and Rage Against the Machine. I kind of mumble they're not punk rock. And when questioned pronounce it more clearly. I mean Static X is industrial metal and Rage is more rap metal, or at the very least alternative, but not punk rock. I believe there was a comment about plaid pants and I may have wanted to yell "Hot Topic is not punk rock" but I held it in. The initial comment, and this writing now wasn't intended to be mean, at all. It was just a matter of correctness. It just wasn't punk rock.
This actually occurred before my genre obsession, this was something I knew. Because I was punk rock, or at least I liked to think of myself that way. And oh god did I hate the posers. The Clash, Rancid, the Misfits, the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Agent Orange, Green Day (only Dookie counts), Blink 182 (only Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch). Operation Ivy. Those are punk bands. I get touchy about it because I was there when punk rock sold out.
And so, pop punk was born.
Musically, there is nothing wrong with this. I like it, actually. But when punk went mainstream it wasn't special to me anymore. When the popular talkative girl in my Spanish class was talking about how she loved a band I liked, it just ruined it for me. Emo quickly followed. It was hard to identify with music that was also identifying with people who jumped onto whatever was popular. In hindsight, I was arrogant, and (especially in the case of emo) the music really just struck chords (oo bad pun) within the teenage angst that everyone had.
So that went a bit off topic, but it's related. There's a kind of progression of music and I've always enjoyed the luxury of liking stuff before it became mainstream. This generally means better music and less crowded shows with cheaper ticket prices. To get the point here's a little graphic I found awhile ago that I love, although disagree with some of the generalizations.
Ok the image is way too big and messes up my formatting
What was my point? Genres? Generally speaking, I have not given any thought to what something sounded like or who influenced them, just whether I like any given song or not. Now, I don't care, but I like knowing. It kind of opens up some doors. I like to think of it as musical archaeology. Tracing the lines of chord structure back through time.
But these are almost nothing without context. Things change with their context. Look at it this way. Blink 182 making generic but funny pop punk music is pretty normal in the early 1990s. It's different when their music is the same and they're 30 somethings with kids. That is not to say that you can't be old and make a certain type of music. But that music has to change when you do. It can still be a catchy song, but it won't be great without any context.
Don't get me wrong, a great album is great pretty much always. But some albums get something more with context. This even varies from person to person. I've outgrown a lot of the music I have listened to over the years, but some of it will always tug the heart strings, so to speak. Turn the Radio Off by Reel Big Fish is one of my favorite albums. Technically, it's not great or anything. I think their lyrics are the best part actually. Especially when contrasted with the type of pop/upbeat ska they play. The whole album is actually just sad. Songs about being sell outs, not fitting in, being a sucky band, drinking when depressed , a song literally called "Everything Sucks", stalking, and never being happy.
My sister got me that CD and what I'm sure she had no idea was a very shitty time in my life (all of it). It was just so angry and sad with a happy face. Which happened to be how I was at the time, or at least I was trying to show a happy face.
A less personal example would be say, King Crimson. The only album I've really listened to fully is In the Court of the Crimson King. Which is awesome, and kinda famous. You may have seen the cover.
It's absolutely fantastic to listen to. But even more so when you know that there was nothing like it at all before. It's not that uncommon anymore to infuse different genres together, but they started prog rock. Infusing jazz into this space rock was just ridiculous at the time, but they made it awesome. And for reference, 21st Century Schizoid Man is from that album and is sampled on Kanye's new album. I think it sounds kinda crappy though because he cut off the great guitar part, and to me at least it sounds like you can hear the start of it, but maybe that's just because I know.
Ok, I'm tired and am going to watch some weird movie called Bitch Slap that I found on netflix. I don't know what it's about but the camera appears to focus on the main character's breasts a lot. There's also explosions. I'll get to a life unlived at some other time.