6 Sept 2010

Long live the underground.

Writing a blog post is a strange sensation. I still don't really know if what I am doing and writing is actually contributing positively to society, or actually contributing at all. I mean, we all have opinions, and because they're opinions, they cannot be wrong. They can be different, but never wrong.

It seems that every blogger, including me, covering the topic of music strives to be an individual, some succeed, some of them fail, but regardless of their success rate, each music writer is an elitist. Whether they like to admit it or not. Music fanatics are weird things, we're not built like everyone else. 

This brings me to what I wanted to rant about. I think the world's done a flip-flop, a topsy turvy, yes people, the world has officially gone tits up. I think the underground has gone mainstream. And I blame the Internet. Although, I also thank the Internet profusely. 

The World Wide Web has brought music from anywhere imaginable right to all of our doorsteps. I think that so many people subscribe to the ethos of "being an individual" that it's become the mainstream. It's become the norm, nobody wants to be like anyone else, except for those people who aim to be like some flavour of the week jackass in designer heels or a popped collar, but more importantly, it's true, the underground is dead. Long live the underground. 

It was so easy to be a musical elitist back then, finding something good that no-one had ever heard of wasn't too difficult if you knew where to look. But now, everyone is always looking and people, like me, are recommending you bands that aren't mainstream, we're spreading the word and shedding a little light on something people may not have had any insight into 5 years ago.

Fuckery, it was us. We perpetuated this, we took the underground and sacrificed it for our own satisfaction. We told the world about bands that were never meant for mass consumption. I am a little sad about the underground being dead and all, although, as resources increase and the Web grows, the underground could just be buried a little deeper than I am currently aware of. 

However, if it's still out there, trust me, I'll find it. For now though, I will bid you adieu old friend. It was always a pleasure. Consider yourself saluted.

Over
Rick

7 comments:

  1. give me a few days.. i want to reply the fuck out of this post.. im actually salivating im so excited..

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  2. It always was like that though Rick. Back in the day I used to kill myself at the punks being punks - like all other punks, the goths being goth - like all other goths, the skins being skinheads - like all other skinheads.

    Everyone is always like somone else and true individuality is almost impossible to find.

    The older I get the less I give a fuck about any scene and through it have found tonnes of new, fantastic music. All of it done somewhere and somehow before. Who cares? Long live the music. The underground is dead.

    Anyhow would prefer to have this chat face to face. Lemme know if you are in jozitown anytime soon, and I'll do same if I'm near CT

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  3. "You are absolutely unique, just like everybody else..." - yes, I fucking hate cliches.

    Nice post bud. I enjoy the light in which you look at how the interweb has changed music and the way people can access it. All of a sudden everyone is a guru of their chosen musical genre, and everyone wants to be more guru-er than the next regarding that genre. Nobody listens to the recommendations from others, because they are too preoccupied in sourcing there OWN new artists/genres/tjoons.

    And those that are not actively searching new aural pleasures, and probably the ones feeding the GaGa machine more Bieber-crackers.

    My personal musical doctrine:

    "A Ninja cuts his own path."

    Peas.

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  4. I did one a while ago which is sort of similar, about sweet chilli sauce. ha ha. check it out.

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  5. If it sounds good, kicks you between the eyes, touches your soul, listen & enjoy it.

    If not, I'm sure there are some sort of "underground" location, be it a friend..be it a website..where you'll find that unique feeling.

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  6. i think its the wording that has us frustrated. there is a huge difference between the 'indie movement' and the 'indie genre'. the indie movement can be seen as a reaction against the over produced paint by numbers pop crap that was around at the time. it had a time and place it had musical characteristics, a historical context if you will.

    major labels pick up on these characteristics and mass produce them. example, owl city... i mean come on guys.. they're not even trying anymore. squeezing the blood out the blood of a stone. postal service called, they want their shit back.

    in a weird way i still believe the underground is alive and kicking, it just doesn't sound like the underground that were used to.

    "radio is to music what mcdonalds is to food"

    over
    dominic

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