Dork Alert!
I've never thought of myself to be a big trend follower. When I was younger, I liked stuff that a good number of people liked or ended up liking, but I just went with what appealed to me.
Since then, people have accused me of deliberately trying to make the "I just like what I like," argument into a form of a trend. Unapologetic love for things that people don't like, hating things that a large group of people don't like. You name it. I've just never seen what was wrong about going with your gut.
For example, I'm a pop music lover. Not all pop music but it's not like I try to purposefully avoid it because you're seen as uncool if you like shit that's mainstream. Even back in the day when I was a left of the dial chick, rocking out with my Liz Phair and PJ Harvey, I still owned a Janet Jackson CD or two.
Today I was super excited because the new Fall Out Boy CD was getting released. I'd been looking forward to it for a long time, enduring being taunted by my 20 year old baby sister who is still in that left of the dial, Top 40 eschewing phase herself. In fact, I'm listening to it right now.
And I like it so far. It's not doing the catchy thing that the Under the Corktree disc did, but I'm digging that about it.
What's so wrong with just liking what you like? I'm actually one of the biggest hypocrites for uttering that phrase. I like to give people shit when they enjoy stuff that I think is worthless. I'm all about a live and let live mentality, but it's hard when someone keeps telling me that Mariah Carey is one of the best female singers ever.
I suppose much of my issue comes from the fact that most of the people who like shit that I don't like have never wandered outside of their safe circle. Kids who are hip-hop fans have never sat down with headphones and listened to some of the classic rock bands that their idols have lifted rifts from. They've never enjoyed a Led Zep song but think Diddy is the shit.
That's when someone needs to be made fun of. I shouldn't have to take crap from listening to and unbashedly enjoying Fall Out Boy because I've bothered to listen to everything. Growing up with a dad who was a diehard fan of some of the most out there bands as well as the most familiar ones of the late '60's and '70's as well as being a child of the '80's and early '90's myself, I've heard it all.
I've closed myself in my room and spun Carole King's Tapestry, arms wrapped around my knees, rocking back and forth, listening to the crackle and hiss as the needle didn't glide so smoothly across the vinyl. I've also spun Megadeth albums in the same manner.
There are times when I think that my ears do more drinking than my mouth. Music can drench me, complete my mood, define it. I feel hydrated by certain songs. I feel nourished by certain albums. At times when I felt entirely and painfully alone, music has been my companion.
Why is it really all that big of a deal where I get that feeling from? Am I less of a rock fan if I say that I've spent hours spinning Eminem? Am I not a true hip hop fan because I tend to prefer music from artists who aren't solely wrapped up in rapping about bitches, hos, money and how they're a badass?
Is it bad that I only like certain country artists who sound more mainstream than hick? And must I always take crap about owning and regularly playing Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," disc from people who have never even sat down and listened to the entire thing?
You tell me that you like a certain artist and I will check it out. By checking them out, I don't mean that I'll listen to one song or whatever video pops up on youtube. I mean I'll try my damnedest to find at least 6 songs so that I can get a feeling for who they are, as many dimensions as they're willing to display. I won't promise to love them like you do. In fact, if I don't like them, I'm not going to be afraid to tell you so. But I'm going to at least have a good idea why I don't like them because I took the time to actually listen to them.
I can say that there isn't a music artist that I wouldn't listen to. There are filmmakers that I try to avoid (and two flicks that I have promised myself that I am never going to watch) but as far as music goes, I've been far more surprised by a musician than I have by someone in TV or film.
All of this was a long winded way of defending myself for being a goofy dork who was so excited that the new Fall Out Boy came out today and rushed to the store to get it.
And it's pretty damn good. "Golden" and "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" are my faves so far. There are still 4 more songs to go, but I'm pleased.
Wondering... if I'm a fangirl when it comes to movies, then what am I in terms of music?
Also wondering... well, more thinking than wondering... Pete Wentz really does have a nice cock. And that's how my brain works. Cheers!
Comments
EclectiQ..
I used to wake up to muziQ - riding in the family car/van, sleeping - jumping up to tel them to blast the radio, that's my jam.
Too young to remember, this I was told.
Now-a-days I listen to any and everything. My muziQal tastes can be related to how live. Trend or not, best bet is to go with your gut.
RoQkin' out wit ma C*Qk out! Watch, your eye...
I Feel you on this one
I haven't grabbed the new Fall out boy cd yet, but I like them. And I'm 31. And I get mighty shit for it, but I really don't care. I suppose it's because, like you, I'll listen to anything once. But it means something if I listen to it twice.
But I also listen to other bands, like Devotchka and Slim Cessna's Auto Club, etc. that should at least validate that I have some taste in music.
In fact, I was a professional clarinet player -- in a symphony and everything -- so it's not like I'm musically stupid. My tastes just don't match other people's. Which is why they are MY TASTES.
I love my fiancee with a ferocity that I didn't think possible. And he is the coolest person I've ever met. And I keep telling him that I'm just too mainstream -- and I'm teasing. His taste in music is HIS. That's why we invented headphones. Or, for that matter, cars that range in color from gray to magenta. I'm not going to ask him to switch from magenta to gray -- or even appreciate gray. Just to understand that I do.
So, listen to what you want to listen to -- we only get one shot at this shit, and we might as well take the best shot at happiness we can get. No biggie if your happiness is shared with a crowd of 10,000,000 or 10. Or 1. Because it's YOURS.
Hmm
I know how you feel. I was raised in many different forms of music, and as a dorky boy struggling to fit in, I sang the popular music. However, I eventually distanced myself from the typicals of baby-boomer favs and started enjoying Outkast, who weren't really understood in their earliest career years. I listened to people in rock, and I enjoyed listening to musicals and Orchestral pieces. Tastes are each subjective, and until we realize as people that the dominant opinion is not always the right opinion personally, we will always be unable to truly experience something that suits us perfectly.
The only reason today's Hip Hop - compared to its earliest years - is so popular is because it's like the english language: it's borrowing from the old classic styles and themes and finding ways to reinvent them. The beats, lyrics, and artistry is primarily about the same thing - those who aren't doing that are commended and acknowledged - just seen through a societal lens that is reliable. However, as is becoming evident, this constant recycling of lyrics and music - and hyperbolic sampling of old hits- is very much comparable to gene pools in a "bottleneck": it's becoming less and less diverse and even less creative. With the method they've been playing now, Hip Hop may never be equated to its original funk, ingenuity, and vibrance as it was before. Sorry it took so long. 8-)
Yep.
[I like led zeppelin... and I'm a kid ><]
In primary...Hiphop and rap was so cool and if you didnt like it you were a 'loser' So I went with the crowd... but when I started highschool and got more into rock... and all my [ former ] friends would... think i'm EMOOO....
I remember my classical phase... =____="
I really like your writing. Thanks a bunch.
Musically Co-Dependent
I too grew up in the 80'sand 90's and my musical influences take root from that particular time period. However, my tastes have naturally broadened as I've gotten older. My father was a big Pink Floyd/Little Feat/B.B. King guy and I have wonderful memories of times with my stepfather with that music playing in the background.although I didn't particularly like it at the time, I have grown into it (and much more) over the years.
After reading your comments, It seems that both you and I feel music in similar ways. I attach emotions to different groups or genres of music. It was because I felt music so intensely that I started playing guitar and got involved in various garage and college bands as I was growing up. Perhaps you too are a musician? If not, I would honestly be surprised.
For me, the "damaged" side of 80's metal always appealed to me. I had "turbulent" teenage years ( to say the least) and identified with the ethos of metal and hard rock from that period. It seemed to impact me on a different level than most of my friends.
Another reason that I love that music is because I spent a lot of time with certain songs playing in the background while I was entangled with a particular young lady. Thus, many, many songs from that period bring back those intense emotions and memories when I hear them now. Ah, the formative years...
I am still faithful to many of the groups that came up during that time period - Faster Pussycat, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Ozzy, Guns N' Roses (Velvet Revolver) and Metallica. I love that stuff because of the emotional attachment I have to it.
Does that make sense?
in response to baron von awesome
by the way... i know i might sound stupid for this... i am a bit young and cannot be blamed for being ignorant and never being exposed to certain things.... but who the hell is robert johnson? maybe some ppl listen to some things after 70 years... but im pretty sure there were artists out there 70 years ago that no one at all listens to or knows now that still produced good music that someone today might hear and actually enjoy. longevity blah blah. thats a load of crap. i think mariah carey has a great voice although i might not enjoy some of the style she uses... but there are a few songs.... and she is beautiful by the way. i'd marry her in a heartbeat lol. by the way did anyone know that soon she will actually be posing for "playboy"? yaaay i cant wait.
screw em
ppl who accuse you of making the "its just what i like" argument into a trend are just jealous because they wish they were cool enough to think for themselves and find things out there that they truly like. like yourself i like what i like whether its cool or not, a trend or not, overrated/ over played or not. and stupid fuckers dont deserve enough of your time for you to have to explain yourself to them anyway lol.
then again back in the day when spice girls were "in"..... yeah im sorry but that DESERVES to be made fun of haha. so i guess i'm a hypocrite as well :)
The soundtrack of my life...
First off I want to let you know I followed you from Myspazz because I like the way you say what needs to be said,even If I am not ready to hear it.
Secondly.. never defend your musical tastes. I too , avoid trends like the black plague,, but once the dust has settled I'll give these same artists an honest listen. If I like it I'll continue giving them the beneffit of the doubt.. if they don't live up to the hype I'll drop them like a bad habbit.
Pearl Jam, Nirvana and CandleBox are now among my favorites,, that outlived their media hype and continued to impress me with their talent for expressing themselves beyond their 15 minute window of fame. I also have Alabama, Jimi Hendrix,Pantera and Melissa Etheridge in the 75 Gigabytes of music on my pc .. and thats just a sample of my musical history,, I still have over 700 cassette tapes that I rarely listen to in a cabinet out in the garage.
My musical barometer operates on a simple principal.. if it makes me feel something , then it's music. If it doesn't then it's fluff,. My music collection is the perfect mood music for any mood I have ever been in in my life.. and I think that is as it should be.
Thats just my long winded thoughts,, your results may vary,.
You Laugh because I'm differen't. I laugh because you are all the same.
Sparky.
you went back from diddy to zep, what about...
Well, you went back to zep from diddy, but did you go back to Elmore James and the delta blues crowd to appreciate where zep came from? Standing on the shoulders of giants, rock and roll made what was old seem new again. Don't get me wrong, I loves me some classic rock, but hitting up the electric bluesmen, that's where it's at. Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters et al. go to the source babygirl, go to the source. Here it is, 70 years later and we're still listening to songs written by Robert Johnson. Let's see Mariah Carey have that kind of longevity.
Music Love
I have loved music as long as I can remember. I used to make up songs on my gram's piano and also sit with my ear close to her stereo speakers and listen to all kinds of music. I love this line in your post Zara:
"There are times when I think that my ears do more drinking than my mouth. Music can drench me, complete my mood, define it. I feel hydrated by certain songs. I feel nourished by certain albums. At times when I felt entirely and painfully alone, music has been my companion."
I use music like a drug. I use it to heighten moods, to help me sort out emotions, to put an anthem to a present situation. The emotions that music evokes are universal and irrepressible, and I love that.
My most recent pop obssession? The Fray's entire "How to Save a Life" album. It's gotten me through a lot of mental processing lately. But I have a special place in my heart for techno and love Juno Reactor's "Shango" album too.
I'm going to check out Fall Out Boy now, I never really did before.
i would suggest gilbert
i would suggest gilbert o'sullivan david ruffin and amerie "all i have" is a pretty song i dont listen to anything that is recomended to me though i would rather discover new bands on my own to i may claim ownership so to speak of said band -dan
I guess this dosen't suprise
I guess this dosen't suprise many people, since you are vocal about doing your own thing and fuck someone if they don't like it. If it's dosen't effect them anyway. I have to agree about Mariah though.
unsigned artist
I know of an unsigned artist who is extremely popular in Indiana as well as here in Chicago. His name is Michael Kelsey. I've known of him for about 8 years and his following is getting bigger and bigger every year. Check him out if you're interested @ www.michaelkelsey.com
later zara,
ms. leen
I think if you are truly a
I think if you are truly a music lover you can't stick to one genre, it would be absurd. I listen to everything from Slipknot to Billie Holiday, dependant on my mood.
At the moment I'm kinda melancholy......Jose Gonzales and Rise Against are doing it for me right now. If you've never heard Jose Gonzales check out his song 'Heartbeats' it totally gave me the chills.
I am right there with you!
I am very ecclectic (sp?). And I try to play all types of music in our home for the kids. One afternoon it will be Vivaldi's Four Seasons, another it will be Eminem or some old L.L. and yet another it will be some Metallica and Nirvana. I love it all and in highschool it was so hard to fit into one specific group because I did listen to it all. Hell, I have old LP's of Chicago and The Carpenters! :)
I am waiting until Friday (payday) to buy the new Fall Out Boys - but I have heard good things! Glad to hear some more good things from you about it - now if only Friday would hurry up and come!
-- Lesley
Try it, you'll like it!
Like my mother always said, you never know what you're going to like unless you try it. This applys to more than just green veggies.
We should all strive to be "goofy dorks" (grin)!
With the vast array of artists, music and styles available out there we would ALL be missing out on some great stuff if we were not "goofy dorks"! I agree with one of the previous comments ... we should ALL try things (music or otherwise) at least once and a second time if the first time did not harm us. Hell, if we ALL followed that line of thinking the world might become a little less closed minded.
Dorks are taking over
I'm not sure if you have noticed but dorks are taking over. I used to think that I was the only one with such an open mind about music. I don't care what is playing, if it catches my ear I will listen. I will get lost in an album (most recently Mos Def caught my ear) and disappear into it for a good hour. Everything from eminem to sevendust to alabama to death cab for cutie to stan rogers (great folk singer, if you haven't heard of him check him out). Don't know where i am going with all this, but there you have it..... blew my load in the first line, oh well.
Always late....
I always find myself listening to stuff that was popular 3 to 8 years ago. I was born on rock. Raised on rock. I have tried to get into hip hop and it will just not work. Country pisses me off. It's not anybody's fault. Some people just don't like spinach. I love it.
Hug the midget.
Luvyabye.
A Flock of Seagulls to AC/DC
A Flock of Seagulls to AC/DC to Enrique Igesias to YMSB to Frank Sinatra to Slipknot. Yeah, I have the ipod of a serial killer and I like it. Try it all once and if you like it, try it again. It doesnt hurt and you just might broaden your horizons. How could that be bad....?
More LZ
Another mention of Led Zeppelin!!
I agree with you totally here. I work at a high school, you would be surprised at the vast majority of students who have no clue who Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Guns N Roses or even The Beatles are. They make fun of me for listening to all of my 'old' music while they bump their mainstream crap on their I-Pods.
Another thing I've grown to hate (thanks to the high school) is Hollister. I have no clue what it is about Hollister that appeals to everyone but I hate it.