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I just felt the need to record my thoughts about an incident today where someone saw me writing TylerDFC over my shoulder at work about how although I was listening to Radiohead at that moment, I am not really a fan.
I have one of those music subscription services (see my post below for a little insight on that) and one of the great things about it is it allows me to have access to countless artists whose albums I'd never dream of buying but I can at least expose myself to the material and appreciate it.
Oh, I appreciate Radiohead and respect them as artists, I just can't stand that genre of music. You know, that navel gazing emo piffle with all the jangling guitars and gobs of reverb. Radiohead fans hate it when people call them an emo band but look me in the eye and tell me the following equation is not accurate:
Isn't it funny how emo fans love emo but hate it when you use the term? Everyone's favorite emo band is never an emo band. Oh no, My Chemical Romance is not an emo band, their black eyeliner-wearing fans will tell you.
But back to Radiohead. The person who excoriated me for my point of view was one of those people who owns six thousand albums and can tell you what the band was having for breakfast when each one was recorded, but has never actually picked up a musical instrument in his life.
He just thinks that owning a shitload of albums and having opinions on them all is the same as actually being a musician. These are the sorts of people who like Radiohead, much the way half the people who listen to Jethro Tull are tone deaf English majors who have every J.R.R. Tolkein novel committed to memory and insist they don't own a television.
Hey it's nothing personal. They're just not my cup of tea. No, seriously. No, I don't need to hear you tell me about how they're one of the most influential bands ever. Please tell me who they influence other than music critics (meaning people who always wanted to be musicians but can't play so they write stories about people who can) and beatniks sitting around in college coffee shops arguing about the pros and cons of ethanol, the meaning of Donnie Darko and whether it's still ok to like Dave Matthews Band after the Toilet Incident.
Good thing I didn't tell him I don't like The Beatles, either. I'd have had to call up my CPR training. Let's see, is that 15 compressions to two breaths or two compressions to 15 breaths?
Never mind, you don't deserve to live you pretentious snob.
Ok, I am being harsh. I'm just sick of music snobs and social lemmings telling me what I am supposed to like and treating me like a pariah if I don't agree. No, I never liked Nirvana. The only good Nirvana ever did was give the world Dave Grohl and made the planet safe for real bands like Soundgarden.
So no, I don't like Radiohead. I am not against them, and I don't mind if you love them. Just stop looking at me like that. Can we at least agree that the whole emo thing is just a weak kneed, watered down ripoff of the whole Goth thing?
No? Okay, okay...just finish up your soy latte and go have a good cry, emo-boy.
2 comments:
Christ, you're on a roll this week. Well done.
I am also not a Radiohead fan. Nor am I a Coldplay fan but I must admit I dig the shit out of "Vida la Vida" to the point I'm interested in the new album. So maybe people CAN change.
I think you woke up on the wrong side of the bed the day of writing this...
...where, when and who told you that Radiohead was an "Emo" band? Your equation sucks!
Radiohead was creating incredible music well before you ever decided to place them in the category of an "emo" band.
You did a good job of covering your bases when it comes to being flamed for disliking them, however, you really never explain why it is you trully dislike them. You only dislike them because you falsely place them in the genre of "emo."
Thom Yorke is one of the greatest musicians of our generation. He has the ability to create the music "HE" wants to produce. If you don't like it, fine...but give me a credible reason why it is "emo."
I own a SHIT TON of music, however I would never tell YOU what to like.
If you don't like a band and their sound, why would you waste your time blogging about them...maybe you wanted a response like mine?
BTW, it's still OK to like Dave Matthews. Obviously you have a dislike for GOOD music.
I'll see you during the Motley Crue tour...I am sure you think they are great!
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