After my day off morning workout, I started thinking about all the bands I have stored in my iPod. Some of them were my "all time favorites" in high school, but now get skipped over faster than a gopher snake in my front yard. I realize it's because I've outgrown them, but I wanted to think about why. Here's why:
Bands that don't evolve
My consistently favorite artists are the Beatles, blink-182, and Jason Mraz. The ones I have yet to "get over" after all these years. The thing they have in common is a sense of evolution. The Beatles offer variety, Jason Mraz offers change, and blink stayed firmly at the core of what they started out to do while still trying new things.
All American Rejects, Simple Plan, New Found Glory, Nickelback. They have a formula and they're sticking to it. Although they pop up with an occasional gem, one song sounds exactly like the last. One album is completely interchangeable with another. I still like some songs from these bands, but I usually tend to avoid them.
Writing about the same thing
Pop punk albums seem to jump between "PARTY TIME!" and "I'm sad and I hate everything". This really concerns me about the state of their mental health. Every musician falls victim to this pattern, unintentionally writing one love song/friendship oath/youth anthem after another. The key is trying to avoid the running theme. I seriously have no desire to constantly listen to screamer music insisting that demons and darkness are taking over. Why would anyone want to constantly write that?
Seriously, Nickelback. Stop writing songs about "standing together" and "everyone caring" while making statements about only bothering with one or two takes so you don't have to pay the engineer more money. Which brings me to...
Subject matter you know nothing about
I've always enjoyed songs the Fastball's "The Way" or blink's "Adam's Song". These were inspired by articles they came across. It wasn't a personal experience, but it was a unique circumstance that touched them enough to write about it. I similarly enjoy Jason Mraz's tendency to throw in literary allegories and Heavy Metal referencing history.
Then you have repeat offenders like Nickelback who love to chant We Are the World tributes as if a group of four white men know anything about segregation and diversity.
Bands that devolve
I'm looking at you, Weezer. Also: Avril Lavigne.
Nonsense
It's frustrating how the Red Hot Chilli Peppers gave up writing anything new and continue singing about California. I get it! You love California! And gibberish, apparently.
Actual lyrical excerpt
Making whatever makes money
I get it: Here today, gone tomorrow. Gotta stay relevant. But name a hit by Sugar Ray released after 2003. Linkin Park insisted they were more mature because they'd decided to swear in their songs. Avril Lavigne gave up on teen angst to write more upbeat songs, which was great. Then this happened:
http://http://youtu.be/LiaYDPRedWQ And Nickelback, which continues to be everything wrong with music.
Not even trying on the music videos
I stopped watching the weekly countdowns. I'm tired of footage videos that look more like cheap home movies than a mainstream band being artistic. As much as I dislike Katy Perry, Maroon 5, and just about every current boy band (as people), I still enjoy listening to their music and watching the videos. The videos make up for their tendencies to fail in every other issue I've mentioned.
Nickelback
Because, seriously, fuck you, Nickelback.