Saturday, August 02, 2003
Just a quick manifesto.
I'm sitting here watching VH1's top 20 countdown. I call this "Rock n Roll in the World." Yet I care so very little about what the "real, real world" (meaning the "Radio world") likes. Watching VH1's Top 20 countdown reminds me of why I don't.
FIRST:
I see thirty-something ladies co-opting the pop styles of three years ago AND it climbs the charts. Jewel and Liz both make complete flip-flops. Liz even made it clear: "I want to sell some records” That’s a quote. It's almost pop art.
I'm not surprised at all by the success of these older women now doing the britney-esqe style. I think that 30 something woman want music that is theirs. They heard the Britney and Christina pop music, but they felt weird admitting they liked it. It was "kids" stuff. They wanted to go to the concerts, but they'd be surrounded by kiddies. Not now. They have their own "pop goddess" and her name is Liz Phair. P.S. Her album ain't that bad. It is what it is. Champaign ain't supposed to taste like Coca-Cola. Old fart Liz ain't supposed to sound like young, vibrant Liz. It is what it is, and 30 something woman are going to make her or break her.
SECOND:
You remember when we were kids (or at least when us mid-twenties folks were kids) and Nirvana came out and messed up the music biz? Grunge swept America and flannel became socially acceptable. Kurt Cobain said, "I'm glad it's something new, I guess people just got tired of Warrant."
VH1's has shown me that we are on the verge of a "new wave" (if you will indulge me). We were children when the "hair metal" bands were big. Preteen age. And our older brothers and sisters told us that Poison and Def Leppard et al were cool and we believed them. But when we left pre-teendom and entered our teenage years we found something different.
I'm going on record in saying that we are on the verge of a "new wave"....wait I said that already. But it's True! The kiddies that were pre-teen in the britney age are heading into their preteens....WAIT, I mean their teenage years. And as they grow up, they are going to get sicker and sicker of what the radio tells them to listen too, and they are going to rebel.
They are going to make things right in the world. They will find "the new thing" and make it insanely popular. Then the mall kids and the frat boys will jump on the bandwagon. They'll say things like, "I liked _______ band when they were on Independent Label Records." Even though they've only heard one song, and just bought the single. Then others will come, and they'll move to xxxxx town where the new thing started and then the record companies will saturate the market with clones of the band that made it all happen. They'll pay "independent" promoters to get their singles on the radio, and the American public will love these copies that have been forced upon them. They'll reward the record company’s selfishness with millions of dollars.
And all will be right with the world.
I'm sitting here watching VH1's top 20 countdown. I call this "Rock n Roll in the World." Yet I care so very little about what the "real, real world" (meaning the "Radio world") likes. Watching VH1's Top 20 countdown reminds me of why I don't.
FIRST:
I see thirty-something ladies co-opting the pop styles of three years ago AND it climbs the charts. Jewel and Liz both make complete flip-flops. Liz even made it clear: "I want to sell some records” That’s a quote. It's almost pop art.
I'm not surprised at all by the success of these older women now doing the britney-esqe style. I think that 30 something woman want music that is theirs. They heard the Britney and Christina pop music, but they felt weird admitting they liked it. It was "kids" stuff. They wanted to go to the concerts, but they'd be surrounded by kiddies. Not now. They have their own "pop goddess" and her name is Liz Phair. P.S. Her album ain't that bad. It is what it is. Champaign ain't supposed to taste like Coca-Cola. Old fart Liz ain't supposed to sound like young, vibrant Liz. It is what it is, and 30 something woman are going to make her or break her.
SECOND:
You remember when we were kids (or at least when us mid-twenties folks were kids) and Nirvana came out and messed up the music biz? Grunge swept America and flannel became socially acceptable. Kurt Cobain said, "I'm glad it's something new, I guess people just got tired of Warrant."
VH1's has shown me that we are on the verge of a "new wave" (if you will indulge me). We were children when the "hair metal" bands were big. Preteen age. And our older brothers and sisters told us that Poison and Def Leppard et al were cool and we believed them. But when we left pre-teendom and entered our teenage years we found something different.
I'm going on record in saying that we are on the verge of a "new wave"....wait I said that already. But it's True! The kiddies that were pre-teen in the britney age are heading into their preteens....WAIT, I mean their teenage years. And as they grow up, they are going to get sicker and sicker of what the radio tells them to listen too, and they are going to rebel.
They are going to make things right in the world. They will find "the new thing" and make it insanely popular. Then the mall kids and the frat boys will jump on the bandwagon. They'll say things like, "I liked _______ band when they were on Independent Label Records." Even though they've only heard one song, and just bought the single. Then others will come, and they'll move to xxxxx town where the new thing started and then the record companies will saturate the market with clones of the band that made it all happen. They'll pay "independent" promoters to get their singles on the radio, and the American public will love these copies that have been forced upon them. They'll reward the record company’s selfishness with millions of dollars.
And all will be right with the world.
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