Music and Getting Old

Yes, I’m about to turn into "that guy"; the one that complains about "music these days" and "those damn kids".

I realized a few days ago that, not only do I not like new music, but that this is the last year of my 20’s. Having come to that conclusion, I decided that I’m not that old yet and wanted to try to reconnect to newer music. Part of it was trying to make peace with the hipsters. I like irony, indie films/music, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and thrift stores, so why should they get all the fun things in life that I’ve enjoyed since I was 14 (except the alcohol which I enjoyed later…I plead the 5th on how much later)?

That led to researching some new, independent music (because I already know the music on the radio now sucks the big one) and, well I’m torn. Some of the groups I heard I like the sound of, but not because it’s new and different. It was okay. I see talent and promise, but I think the reason that I liked some of these new bands I heard was more because it sounds like everything I listened to growing up. It’s not new or original in the least.

For comparison, some of the bands I checked out: Low, the Dum Dum Girls, the Shins, Mogwai, Beachwood Sparks, Animal Collective, Blitzen Trapper, Jaill (not a misspelling there), and Beach House to name a few.

Now all these bands have at least one song that I can honestly say I enjoyed. However, none of them have done anything that hasn’t already been done by *deep inhale* REM, Radiohead, Blur, Miracle Legion, The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division, Medicine, The Violent Femmes, Helmet, The U-Men, Green River, Mudhoney, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Sloan, Weezer, Iggy Pop, Nirvana, Polaris, Teenage Fan Club, The Sundays, The Afghan Whigs, L7, Hole, The Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Rush, *inhale* Babes in Toyland, Beck, Bjork, the Psychedelic Furs, The Cult, The Smithereens, that dog, The Beatles, Semisonic, The Verve, The Verve Pipe, Sneaker Pimps, K’s Choice, Fugazi, Op Ivy, The Dbs, Jolene, Athaneum, Animal Bag, Oleander, Widespread Panic and newer bands such as Thursday, the Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, and, God help me, Coldplay, haven’t done before. And none of the newer bands rock anywhere near as hard as the aforementioned bands or any of the other bands I could have listed. (Such as: Tad, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Candlebox, Jawbox, Hammerbox, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, Cell, Dickless, Bikini Kill, Stone Temple Pilots, Stone Roses, For Love Not Lisa, My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, Rollins Band, Refused, Letters to Cleo, Sprung Monkey, Dovetail Joint, Gruntruck or Machines of Loving Grace or Butch Vig’s many bands. Yeah, I’m just showing off now. But the point remains: New stuff no rock-y.)

Again, let me reiterate that the new bands are good. They’re good musicians and there’s some talent there. It’s just nothing new.

So now I’m torn. Do I listen to new stuff all the while thinking, "I’d rather be listening to Miracle Legion" or do I go back to just sucking it up that there’s no new music revolution in sight and complain about these damn kids not knowing what music sounds like?

I’m going to close this out now because I keep listing more and more bands this new stuff reminds me of. If I don’t quit soon, it will never end.