Day 234-- what is HAPPENING to me? (music edition!)
Friday, April 27, 2007
I think I built up this reputation in college as Mr. Hip. I twisted arms and was eager to get people to listen to what I wanted them to listen to--especially the poor, poor Cabinet audience that had to endure what I dished out for four years. I amassed this ridiculous collection of CDs that neared 700 at one point. I reveled in the hipster image, the elitist mindset.
I'd like to think I don't do that now. My taste has grown pretty eclectic, but in an inclusive way--I listen to lots of '60s pop music ("oldies"--will they still be oldies 30 years from now, when Smash Mouth is an oldies band?), lots of country, lots '80s radio rock (Tom Petty! Bruce Springsteen! Eddie Money!). I still like a few bands that many haven't heard of, but they're--literally--two bands that I've been listening to over and over for the past four months.
And I'm serious about the country; sure, there are songs I don't like on modern country radio, but an overwhelming number that I do like (I think I watched the cheesy-cute music video to Brad Paisley's "the World" at least 15 times in a row one day). And it's gotten to the point that when I do break away from listening to those two bands hyperlinked bands, I put on something heavily country-influenced. Vigilantes of Love, for instance, or the Jayhawks or Richard Buckner. I like steel guitars, fiddles and twangy vocals.
If anything, I've felt uncomfortable around the "indie rock" scene. I'm actually trying to distance myself from it. There are certain things I value in music, and I've decided not to let artificial boundaries stop me from enjoying or being challenged or humbled by something that isn't "hip."
posted, with grace and poise, by Jason @ 4/27/2007 06:24:00 PM,
