I worry sometimes, that as I get older my love of music will wane. For example, I think about these books I used to read; Animorphs. Oh yeah, you know the ones. With the kids who turned into animals and saved the world from slug aliens. Those books.... Man, I loved those books. Those books were my life. And then, I don't know, I just drifted away from them. I've never even read the last handful. So, if my love for those books (and seriously, I loved those books) faded, then, well.
I worry, you see. I mean, obviously I'll always enjoy music, who doesn't like music? But it's like fellow Volume Knobber Jess once said to me, this music, indie music, the kind of music you dig if you're reading this blog, it takes effort man. You don't hear Neutral Milk Hotel on the radio (at least not if you live in Generic Small Town, Middle of Nowhere, Australia like I do). You don't see 'If You're Feeling Sinister' all on display with posters and shit at the local cd shop. Its takes effort. It takes a decision not to sit back and let the tv or the radio or the god-awful I mean seriously just god-awful top 40 charts tells you what to buy. You have to read blogs and independant zines and sometimes buy a cd because the cover looks cool and the glockenspeil is listed as one of the instruments used. You have to listen to a lot, and make up your own damn mind whats good and whats not.
And I'm worry. Because lately? I haven't been doing it. The last year... God. If you told me this time last year what I was going to have to live through- Just. Seriously. Fuck that shit. And it's just become so much easier to listen to the Kinks and The Beatles even almost don't want to admit it, but, Fall Out Boy. Fucking Fall Out Boy. I'm not even kidding. I haven't heard Andrew Bird's new album, but I can sing the chorus to Fall Out Boy's latest single. I didn't even use up all my eMusic downloads last month. I haven't blogged here in how long? Did you even know there were bloggers aside from June and Jess? I've become passive in my music listening. And I won't stand for it any longer.
Because you know what? Animorphs got bad. I didn't stop loving those ridicoulus books because I got old, I stopped reading because the other dumped them on ghostwriters and they starting sucking. And I'm damn well not going to stop finding music because my life got a little difficult. This is my manifesto people. This is my intent. This is what I mean to do. I mean to stop listening to Fall Out Boy. To stop relying one safe music, on music I know I love. I will buy cds because the cover is cool and the lead singer plays a theremin. I will track down albums recomended by some guy ad some blog. I will buy the support act's ep. I will make mix tapes purely for the joy of making mix tapes.
And I'm going to go back and re-read all my old Animorphs books. Because Tobias was the hottest boy trapped in the body of a hawk around.
and because there's everything wrong with fall out boy but nothing at all wrong with the kinks and the beatles:
The Kinks - Victoria
The Beatles - Norwedgian Wood (this bird has flown)
19 March 2009
And what the hell was up with the way the tracklisting was upside down on the back of Folie À Deux? Seriously, what was that?
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5 comments:
i know exactly how you feel. your animorphs love was equivalent to my love for dragonball z. it scares me too -- will i just resort to celine dion and bruce springsteen like my mom? i hope not.
megan, i adore this post. i totally know that feeling of passive music consumption - like i went through this period last december where i was convinced britney spears' 'womanizer' was the greatest thing ever and listened to nothing else. i mean it's catchy, right? but um now its back to indie for me. :)
Great post. It's easy to get stuck in ruts like the one you're describing; I know. Thankfully, 2009 is going to be (and already is) a phenomenal year in music. The A. Bird album is fantastic, the new Beirut is also great; releases from Grizzly Bear and the Decemberists are fast approaching and cool bands/artists like Here We Go Magic and DM Stith are cropping up left and right. Heck, the "Dark Was the Night" compilation is proof enough that we're in the midst of an explosion of indie goodness right now. Hang on tight. There's something for everyone.
I'm glad to read this post... I recently picked up an old animorphs book in my house and read it cover to cover, ignoring my girlfriend on our vacation for a whole day to find out what happened when Rachel was cut in half and de-morphed to find herself cloned, split into good Rachel and bad Rachel.
The fact of all pop-culture is that it demonstrates (when it's good) impeccable craft. Sometimes you need a fix that doesn't take work--nothing to be ashamed of--and only notice in hindsight that you're slightly less satisfied.
This, then, I can offer: knowledge that our former loves will always, at the very least, provide a window to our former selves. Someday you'll look back on this post and realize that the aforementioned-fall-out-boy-hook was, in actuality, unassailably cool.
love you, megan
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