Maybe it's because I'm sort of associated with Portland, Oregon
(in some weird, distant way) but I am starting to appreciate this
band more and more. If you've never dabbled into their
catalogue, I suggest a long, hard listen to 'Field Rexx'.
The guy in the green shirt in this picture looks a heck of a lot
like my cousin, Ben. Weird.
I've been thinking a lot about music and to be honest, I don't
like the thoughts I have. I'm going through a circular phase
where I visit record stores and (with gift certificates in hand)
and can't find a lick of anything that I want. The music
marketplace is a sick and perverse beast. Most thriving
artists are switching to more of a grassroots, community-
oriented type of record label.
Even Blitzen Trapper (and other bands like them), although
they are good, are coming out with a sound that's mainly
been done before. It's a sort of Simon-and-Garfunkel-ish
acoustic-based, jangly hippie rock that seems like it's been
slammed on a wash-board on a cabin porch in the woods
of Arkansas. I like it - but I yearn for originality.
Bands like Wilco have shown that radio hits are okay as
long as your catalogue runs deep into the wilds of
experimentation and genre-crossing.
Music is a fickle mistress. Those who experience success within
its realm often only experience it for a short time and then
fade into anonymity. Some people would argue that there
are keys to solidifying a spot in music history. I would
largely disagree as pop music tends to be a lot like fashion;
rooted in personal preference and taste.
What is taste or preference based on from one day to the
next? Many factors are at play, here. There's nothing solid
about it. It's like serving drinks at the bar. The vast majority
of drinkers don't come in knowing what they want UNTIL
they see someone else with a caesar that is salt-rimmed
with a fresh chunk of cucumber. At that moment, they
say 'I want THAT!'
Maybe there's a bigger question here. What dictates trends?
Where do they originate? Why does most music suck?
Any thoughts?
