I admit, I don't look all that favorably these days on music based "scenes" i.e. the "punk"; "goth" ;"rockabilly";"metal" scenes in particular even though I spent nearly three decades of my life involved in the punk scene with close ties to the goth scene in Albuquerque and the Bay Area with connections all over the country and a few overseas as well. I've played in a few bands over the years, but the most accomplished one was the most recent that I was a part of here in Albuquerque called, A.P.D. It was a male/female vocal fronted hardcore punk band, in which I played guitar and did the male vocals. We never recorded a proper record or CD but there's some decent free downloadable tracks available on the bands reverbnation page. The band's currently on "indefinite hiatus" but will likely never perform again. And thing is... I don't even care. I guess stranger things have happened though.
I really and truly hate to admit this, but I feel like I have to. It seems that lately, I seem to have a really a hard time enjoying music. This is gonna be very difficult to articulate, I can already tell, but these days when the subject is brought up as a topic of conversation, I find myself literally cringing and almost loathing the participants in said topic. It's not that I dislike or hate music, it's more like it's just not exciting, interesting or even fun anymore. In other words, it's gotten so fucking boring to me. It seems that no matter what the genre, it doesn't matter if it's rock, metal, electronica, rap/hip hop, country, industrial, whatever, etc, etc... it's all been done, before and then it's been recycled, crossed-over, cross-bred, infused with this and/or that and created into a sub-genre of this and/or that and you got something-core this and/or that...it get's really fucking hard to keep up with and ya know what? It's still boring, generic and to pit it simply, it sucks. I almost get a fucking headache just thinking about it...
I know, one could come at me, and attack me for these words in so many directions, and not only am I okay with that, I feel completely comfortable with my stance on it, as well and totally prepared to back up my words and opinions as well if need be. I also know that in everyone's defense, it's extremely difficult to be original and I can't really fault anyone for it. However, I'm not so sure that's the real issue in this case. I think it might be something bigger than all of us...
Back in the 1970's when punk happened, those that were a part of that claimed it was a reaction or response to what was going on with music at the time, what with the big decadent arena rock shit of the sixties and early seventies dominating everything, and disco ruling the airwaves, I suppose I can see how something new like punk would be a breath of fresh air, or a slap in the face and a shock to the status quo. Makes complete sense when you really think about it.
Me personally, I was six or seven years old I think when punk first came out, much too young to participate in something like that, not to mention I was living in Albuquerque, NM so yeah...
Anyway, fast forward to the decade of the 2010's. Some of those old bands are still around, sure, but thing is, some of what was punk, evolved into "hardcore", some became, "goth" or "post-punk" which is rather loosely defined, others evolved and became mainstream and a lot just faded into obscurity.
The post punk thing that birthed goth created some truly remarkable and amazing artists and bands from it's era, and the thing that sets them, and will always set them apart from the "goth" bands that came after them is those bands (Bauhaus; Sisters Of Mercy; Siouxsie & The Banshees;etc) weren't trying to be "goth", they were just musicians that came out of the original punk scene that were just trying to make a new and different style of music and managed to get the "goth" label slapped on them. Since then, there's been a "goth" genre of music with bands trying to sound "goth" and I cannot think of one since the early 80's that has achieved that kinda level of respectability in that sense. Sure one can argue Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, but to me those two acts are the what Green Day and Blink 182 are to punk. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid if you don't understand that point then you never will.
Even though I may have been born too late to catch The Ramones at CBGB's, I was still a teenager in the 1980's and a twenty-something throughout the 1990's so I got to see a lot of great shows and bands. For example, as far as punk, the first time I saw Social Distortion it was only $8, nowadays it's a $45 dollar ticket. I got to see the Descendents in 1987 at a local all ages venue that was attended by primarily the ABQ punk scene (friends and peers) with local support bands. Nowadays, the only way you're gonna see The Descendents is in a festival type environment surrounded by tens of thousands of strangers in the hot sun, for an outrageous ticket price and having to weed through a bunch of other shitty bands while waiting to see them, and paying $4 for a fucking bottle of water. I hear you can shell out an extra $10-20 for a "VIP Pass" which if I understand correctly, means you can hang out in the shade and get served alcohol. Yeah, that's real "punk rock"! It's not just The Descendents and Social D. either it's a lot of those old bands, they still sound great live, but for me, I've pretty much seen everyone I've realistically wanted to see, and I've gotten to see them when they were young and full of zeal, in smaller venues for cheaper prices surrounded by mostly friends and like minded people.
This newer generation and younger batch of fans really has no idea. What really gets me, is you can't mention any of this to them because they get mad and act like you're lying or laugh it off like you're just some "old stick in the mud" that doesn't know how or like to have fun, but hey, I'm not the stick in the mud that's paying $50-$70 a ticket to see bands that are even older than me! Even more so if you're into attending those lame-ass festivals! What bugs me the most is when the younger generation tries to take credit for inventing this shit too, but I admit, it's funny watching them get their panties in a wad when evidence is shown to them otherwise.
I guess these days I just don't really see or hear anything really new that can possibly stir anything in me and make me excited when it comes to music. Admittedly the last time that happened, as far as something truly "new" for me, was when Eminem first came out to be completely honest. At that time, I didn't even like rap, and the irony of that, was the person that turned me on to his music was my friend Lizard, who was this pretty goth chick! Go figure... Anyway, I thought that was some of the most creative, original, not to mention funniest, music I'd heard in a long time! I couldn't get enough of it. I enjoyed his follow up LP just as much too, after that, I lost interest though.
It was kinda cool at the time though to have something different and new in my musical repertoire, I was so used to listening to mostly mostly hardcore punk and goth, I guess I had all but forgotten there was a whole world of music out there to explore which actually inspired me to check out what was out there when it came to rap and hip hop and I actually found some stuff that I actually really liked (There's also a lot of narcissistic, posturing bullshit out there too though). It also reminded me there was other stuff out there that I used to love as well, which since then I've reacquainted myself with, and in the process I discovered some really rare, "old timey" gems, particularly the kinda stuff that's become more and more obscure with each passing year. Actually, that's the stuff I still find pleasing, unfortunately, there seems to be very few that know who or what the fuck I'm talking about whenever it's brought up.
Briefly, I'm gonna touch on a few genres and scenes that I simply just do not like and I don't give a flying fuck what kind of argument or selling point you come at me with when it comes to them.
With VERY few exceptions, I don't like metal. I'm cool with metalheads for the most part, but the music, post-1987-88 pretty much sucks. I love Slayer, Venom, Metallica back when they were circa early mid 80's but don't acknowledge them much past that. Basically I got bored with metal around '85 and pretty much stopped listening to it completely after '86
I cannot stand rockabilly or psychobilly and I hate those fucking scenes! The music all pretty much sounds the exactly the same and all the bands are basically carbon copies of one another. The guys are all a bunch of douches and the girls are a bunch of catty bitches and that whole scene in general is the the epitome of cliche, for example, go to any rockabilly show and you stand a more than 50% chance of hearing a generic cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". It's truly mind boggling disgusting how people really take that scene so seriously, particularly the 1950's nostalgic aspect of it. Fuck the "billy scenes" Often referred to as the scene where old punks, skins and goths go to die...
And I just can't get in to the "noise" genre" I've never been able to be around that crowd or that music for an extended amount of time. They have a tendency to be an odd kind of pretentious and the music pretty much sucks. Their gatherings and night spots tend to be rather boring as well.
Now this is the funniest part of this blog... To walk into my room, you would be lead to believe that I'm absolutely obsessed with music! I mean every wall, including my ceiling, is covered with posters and flyers from punk shows and music events, I have an electric guitar on a stand and a small practice amp in one corner of my room and to my immediate right (where I'm currently typing this) that I can literally touch with my elbow is a 120 watt amp head resting atop of a 4X12 slant cab speaker cabinet (although I've been trying to sell it on craigslist for a couple weeks, I've had few offers), plus a few other stickers and knick-knacks here and there that suggest that "hey, this guy's a music fan!". Actually, I've been thinking about redecorating for a while, I do have an idea in mind, but I don't have all the materials on hand to make it happen so I'm procrastinating and now because of these words now living in a room full of contradiction... See how I am!
BTW, in case any possible readers of this blog out there are wondering why there was no mention of the Justin Beiber's, Katy Perry's, U2's, Linkin Parks and never ending list of "mainstream" music business garbage and nonsense that is spoonfed to the masses and swallowed whole... Well c'mon, lets get real, that would be just too fucking easy! :D
No comments:
Post a Comment