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Post by Pea on Oct 7, 2010 18:16:12 GMT -8
elitist music listeners are immeasurably laughable.
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 7, 2010 19:33:26 GMT -8
elitist music listeners are immeasurably laughable. You're welcome to state your opinion as emphatically as you like. This is something I spend a lot of time thinking about, and it is something I like to discuss. That's not elitist. That's point/counterpoint, unless it's you we're dealing with - then it's point/dismissive comment. Thanks for growing the conversation doucheslide. Know, thanks for engaging in the conversation like a grown-up, I'll compose my thoughts and respond when I don't have a weed brownie rattling around in my belly. |
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 8, 2010 7:05:49 GMT -8
So, Dr. Know, it's weird to me that I have to even type the words 'quantity vs quality' in this situation, but this isn't the first time you've mentioned your five hundred shows. Um, great job? That's a lot? Wanna know how many shows I'VE been too? Too bad because I lost count, a hundred years ago, because it doesn't matter. Tell me what is 'dignified' about going to every scheduled gig you can cram into your calendar, when you're going to see a bunch of shitty flash-in-the-pan bands like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (who, if not completely forgotten, will be remembered as an embarrassing example of the style of this decade's music, a Counting Crows or an Our Lady Peace of the `10's)? I saw Oingo Boingo when I was twelve, and then they broke up when I was thirteen. I don't care if that's undignified - I saw Boingo, you never will. My second show was Jethro Tull. My third show was The Cure. My fourth show was They Might Be Giants - early 90's TMBG, when they were kings. I saw the Decemberists play to an empty movie theater. I saw Daniel Johnston play in a leaky shack lit by Christmas lights. I saw of Montreal in that same shack, wearing people clothes no less. Proceed in this fashion, a show every other week maybe, for nearly twenty years. I made plenty of time to see shitty bands in the meantime - Lord, how many times did I end up watching Seven Mary Three perform. But then the most amazing thing happened! I STOPPED PAYING $24.98 TO SEE TERRIBLE PERFORMERS PLAY SHITTY MUSIC! I maintained my concert going schedule, but I only go see bands that don't suck monkey balls! In other words, I grew out of it. The novelty of being at a show wore off, and I decided I didn't have time for half-assed songwriting, half-assed performance, or dreadful fake hippies. Edward Sharpe is bad. Terrible, terrible. But that's not the argument we're having. You say that being sequestered from live music for your entire young life hasn't caused the refinement of your taste to suffer, but then you go on in great length essentially illustrating that it HAS. Capping it off with your telling alcohol analogy. Let me let you in on a secret, before the day comes that you get engaged and have to try to impress your future in-laws: Jager and Red Bull is not an indicator of refined taste. They created their songs relying on chants to pump your fist to, shout-out-loudable choruses, and clapping. There is a trumpet in the band, of course, because everyone fucking loves horns live. They are all characters in an experiment to see if this formula will actually work. Then they accidentally stumbled into a couple catchy songs, commercial (literally) success, and their experiment took off. Just like line dancing, they are not going away anytime soon.  |
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Post by know ID yuh on Oct 9, 2010 10:14:28 GMT -8
So, Dr. Know, it's weird to me that I have to even type the words 'quantity vs quality' in this situation, but this isn't the first time you've mentioned your five hundred shows. Um, great job? That's a lot? Wanna know how many shows I'VE been too? Too bad because I lost count, a hundred years ago, because it doesn't matter. Tell me what is 'dignified' about going to every scheduled gig you can cram into your calendar, when you're going to see a bunch of shitty flash-in-the-pan bands like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (who, if not completely forgotten, will be remembered as an embarrassing example of the style of this decade's music, a Counting Crows or an Our Lady Peace of the `10's)? I saw Oingo Boingo when I was twelve, and then they broke up when I was thirteen. I don't care if that's undignified - I saw Boingo, you never will. My second show was Jethro Tull. My third show was The Cure. My fourth show was They Might Be Giants - early 90's TMBG, when they were kings. I saw the Decemberists play to an empty movie theater. I saw Daniel Johnston play in a leaky shack lit by Christmas lights. I saw of Montreal in that same shack, wearing people clothes no less. Proceed in this fashion, a show every other week maybe, for nearly twenty years. I made plenty of time to see shitty bands in the meantime - Lord, how many times did I end up watching Seven Mary Three perform. But then the most amazing thing happened! I STOPPED PAYING $24.98 TO SEE TERRIBLE PERFORMERS PLAY SHITTY MUSIC! I maintained my concert going schedule, but I only go see bands that don't suck monkey balls! In other words, I grew out of it. The novelty of being at a show wore off, and I decided I didn't have time for half-assed songwriting, half-assed performance, or dreadful fake hippies. Edward Sharpe is bad. Terrible, terrible. But that's not the argument we're having. You say that being sequestered from live music for your entire young life hasn't caused the refinement of your taste to suffer, but then you go on in great length essentially illustrating that it HAS. Capping it off with your telling alcohol analogy. Let me let you in on a secret, before the day comes that you get engaged and have to try to impress your future in-laws: Jager and Red Bull is not an indicator of refined taste. Someone with zero knowledge of you and I can tell by reading this thread that you grew up watching live shows, and I didn't. The, "I saw this and this and this, and you never will," is proving a point that is not being disputed. Put your stick away man, that horse is dead. I have not been to 500 shows, I never said I did. It was a made up number to show that 500 is 500, regardless of if you are multiplying 5 x 100 or 10 x 50. I don't know how many shows I've been to, but it's less than 500. I've kept the stubs for most shows, and have thought about counting them before, but not being a douchebag always seems to win. My point earlier was that I don't need live music to refine my taste. I could live in Nebraska, spend 16 hours a day staring at the wall listening to music, never see a live show, and have more refined taste than I do now. I'm not sure how I went through great lengths to dispute this point, as you say. The refinition (yes, I made that up) of my musical taste is not about perfection, it's about comprehension. It's like I'm arguing the merits of the movie Naked Gun with a film critic who replies, "that movie is awful, terrible acting, terrible plot, plus it's a rip-off of Airplane." So? I like it, and I like Airplane. It makes me laugh. Sometimes I don't feel like thinking. To quote Sheryl Crow, "If it makes you happy....." So go sit in your cozy chair in a dark room, smoke your tweed, listen to Deerhunter, and think about how much your father-in-law likes you. I'll be out taking shots of Red Bull and Yager, pumping my fist to the Zeros, and working on meeting my future father-in-law's lucky daughter. |
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Post by Whoopsie Goldberg on Oct 9, 2010 15:27:51 GMT -8
woah, I can't believe how heated this thread is getting... and all over edward sharpe? haha. I guess I can agree, its just another extremely commercial type of sound we've all heard before a million times. They are bearable at best. All these personal attacks are really cracking me up
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 10, 2010 10:02:05 GMT -8
I acknowledge that in this instance, I abandoned objective reasoning for cultural chest-thumping. I get carried away sometimes. Asperger's.
Know, I like and respect you. Peatrick, you're still a choad. Sorry bro.
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Post by Pea on Oct 10, 2010 10:25:36 GMT -8
aw you're breaking my heart
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Post by know ID yuh on Oct 10, 2010 20:19:00 GMT -8
Know, I like and respect you. I respect you as well, and respect your writing abilities and taste in music. However, I can't yet commit to "liking you." |
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 11, 2010 6:42:16 GMT -8
Yeah, that's closer to the mark.
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 11, 2010 11:16:53 GMT -8
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Post by interstateeight on Oct 12, 2010 8:03:37 GMT -8
Man for the longest time I hated that "Home" song. I think I just got painful douchechills every time I heard the opening "Alabama, Arkansas," but eventually I got into it.
Also, quick question for hornedgramma, did a member of the Arcade Fire fuck your girlfriend or what?
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 12, 2010 9:24:04 GMT -8
Arcade Fire is lowest common denominator shit. They're the Steven Spielberg of "indie rock": they manipulate people's emotions through a sense of nostalgia, but it is completely hollow. It frustrates me that something so desperately milquetoast is, like, the biggest thing in the world right now, although I'd wager every cent I have on them going the U2 route as opposed to the Radiohead route: forever sanding the edges down further, broadening the nature of their appeal until they break the perimeter and become another Top 40 Adult Contemporary behemoth. 'Scrubs' montage. Super Bowl Halftime. Poignant scene at end of new Ron Howard film. Mark my words.
Interesting footnote, however: one of my girlfriends once fucked Henry Rollins. THANKS FOR BRINGING IT UP.
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Post by interstateeight on Oct 12, 2010 10:05:02 GMT -8
Wow. I disagree entirely, but I can't pretend not to love that takedown.
Also, you have by way of extension fucked Henry Rollins. That... rules so hard.
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Post by know ID yuh on Oct 12, 2010 10:14:06 GMT -8
I hate it when music appeals to my emotions. I like ska.
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Post by Horned Gramma on Oct 12, 2010 10:17:35 GMT -8
manipulate ≠ appeal
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Post by bradberad12 on Oct 12, 2010 20:53:25 GMT -8
they manipulate people's emotions through a sense of nostalgia, but it is completely hollow. Although I respect the opinion, it's very difficult for me to agree with this comment - not that Arcade Fire themselves are being disingenuous, but moreso that invoking nostalgia in music is somehow a negative thing, and that it's use compensates for a lack of quality. Nostalgia obviously plays a large role in what we many of us perceive as enjoyable music, because so often it's become popular music (i.e. Arcade Fire). And yes, it's been done time and time again. But have I been manipulated into liking Tom Petty because 'Free Fallin' and 'american girl' are nostalgic? Should I avoid Paul Simon because 'Train in the Distance' so obviously tears at my longing for yesteryears? And more importantly - are they poorer quality songs, and should I really care? Or, are you saying that Nostalgia has far too often been overused, and current artists should be finding other methods to latch onto fans? LIsten, if you are saying that arcade fire lacks originalty or even quality in their recent music - I can see where you are coming from. I can;t say I have been particularly moved by anything since Funeral. But to say nostalgia + music = hollow, I have to disagree with. Or that I should be ashamed at my taste of music because I would prefer to listen to Damien Rice over, say, Woody Guthrie. |
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Post by know ID yuh on Oct 12, 2010 21:46:13 GMT -8
We might have to rename this thread shortly, but for the sake of understanding... Music being "emotionally manipulative" is new to me, you might have to explain this. I also have a few questions, gramma.
1. Do you like any mainstream music, or is being mainstream the nail in the coffin?
2. Have you ever hated a band without listening to them, then liked them after?
3. Have you ever hated a band the first time you heard them, then had them grow on you?
4. How much time have you spent listening to Arcade Fire?
With your twenty years of refinement, I know you have several examples of each of the first three questions, so I'm not trying to prove a point here (flatter me). However, it does seem as though your recent attempts at mustering up the strength to listen to certain bands include, "What can I find to hate about this band." There's nothing wrong with that, you hate Arcade Fire, I like them, we've already established that doesn't matter.
However, I'm still picturing your Arcade Fire listening experience going something like this...
[hornedgramma settling in for an evening of music listening]
"Why is EVERYONE SO FUCKING OBSESSED WITH THIS BAND?" I suppose I should listen to this crap to gather enough information to argue why people on the internets are idiots."
[gramma presses play, Arcade Fire's Funeral, "Neighborhood #1" blaring through headphones]
"Well, see, I already hate this guys whiny indie voice, mental note."
[song continues]
"I also hate...ah, it's snowing, I'm digging a tunnel, I'm running away..."
[song continues]
"ahhhh, I used to grow my hair long."
[hornedgramma slowly strums air guitar]
"ahhhhhhhhhh, I remember my friend's bedroom from second grade sleep overs. Such memories, so soooooothing.
[hornedgramma with Whoville Grinch sized grin on face sings along to Regine's chants]
"I think I love you Arcade Fire, I think I really do."
[As the song ends, gramma notices his clinched fist is raised above his head].
"Ahem"
[Sniffle]
"Wait, what just happened?
[Stop button pushed]
Those mutherfuckers just used nostalgia to emotionally manipulate me! Shitfuck, goddamn, I'm never listening to these assholes again."
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Post by Pea on Oct 12, 2010 22:40:12 GMT -8
Twenty years of refinement? I hope that isn't a quote from him because he's only 29...
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Post by know ID yuh on Oct 12, 2010 23:11:49 GMT -8
Twenty years of refinement? I hope that isn't a quote from him because he's only 29... Settle down Coheed. Gramma stated he was 13 when Oingo Boingo broke up, which was 1995. I know addition and subtraction, just like I know square roots, imaginary numbers, derivatives, and integrals. Drink another beer and repeat to yourself, "Sometimes Things Get Complicated," while tapping your foot, and we're cool. |
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Post by Pea on Oct 13, 2010 6:04:43 GMT -8
That wasn't a dig against you dude haha. I was just asking if you were quoting something he once said.
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