Aural Pleasures: Putting the Indie in Independent Music

I am a supercilious audiophile. I admit it. When it comes to music, I am an out and out snob. I find comfort in the characters from the movie High Fidelity. While you are careening through the crowds at Target to purchase the latest offering from an ex-American Idol loser, I am busy downloading rare b-sides from the band East River Pipe. What? Never heard of East River Pipe? How bout’ Say Hi to Your Mom? No! Ambulance LTD? NO!!! This is my problem with you. This is my problem with society. I realize you do not care, and that I sound like a pretentious geek ‚Äì which I am. But at least I am a geek with a good music pedigree.
For years I have lamented the state of music in our fine country. We live in an age where the song ‚ÄúMacarena‚Äù spent 14 weeks at number one; where boy bands keep returning like a bad case of herpes; where nonsensical mind-numbing lyrics like ‚Äú makes me want to La La ‚Äù can be heard 100 times a day pouring forth from the Satan controlled medium known as modern radio. I don’t even know what ‚Äú makes me want to La La ‚Äù means, but I do know that it ‚Äú makes me want to up-chuck ‚Äù. Do you hear me Ashley Simpson? Turn off the backing track and stop hurting my ears.
Full Article: Aural Pleasures: Putting the Indie in Independent Music
Author: Brian Thomas
Kaleo Institute of Cultural Studies