Its only fitting that as 'Saul', my first post suggests something of an organic nature, but bear with me here. In a world where even the Hype Machine is heavily influenced by big business, and the casual internet skewer is bombarded with advertising schemes that target the subconscious, HnW promises to be veracious and noble with each post, stating only the opinions of a few kids that would rather see our culture flourish as multiple groups with a mutual respect for each other, rather than two extremes that claim legitimacy based on principles of superiority (Who wants another Haight-Ashbury movement? Not this guy). Is it impossible to bring back the modest, but still informed music listener? A God-Complex is not a necessity for 'good' taste. HnW does not represent a group that believes they are superior, just an outlet for us to publish our thoughts and emotions, conveyed through music that represents where we are/what we are enjoying at that moment. It is an open invitation for the reader/our friends to come closer as a group. As cliche as it sounds, we are striving to remain a tightly knit group, no matter the physical distance between us. Our goal is not for the reader to think about where they heard the music (radio, blog post, ect.) and judge it before they hear it, but rather apply personal meaning to the song and allow it to take them on a truly profound journey. We feel that music should not be judged based on its popularity or timely relevance to any large group (or anyone other than the listener) but rather personal relevance. What happened to the modest, but aware music listener?
The Irish electro-pop group, Two Door Cinema Club has been getting their fair share of playtime in my car lately. Their first studio album, "Tourist History", released in March 2010, has been on repeat in my car for weeks now. Just fun tunes in general, make what you will of them. The Twelves made a great remix of their first single from the album, "Something Good Can Work." Needless to say, if they have The Twelves stamp of approval, they're probably pretty awesome, but don't take my word for it, check them out. The Twelves will be in Chicago on friday with Rusko. Randall is seeing them. Fuckin' Randall.
This week I can't stop listening to The Pass, a band from Louisville, Kentucky. Their first effort, an EP named after a song sure to be a hit with fans of synth-pop everywhere, "Colors," appeals to the ear with a sound one can expect from a band in such a genre, but refreshingly relatable lyrics. School is just around the corner, and I think its important for us to conserve our brainpower to ensure success in the classroom rather than comprehending over-complicated song meanings. These guys have managed to create a great "rock" album, without adhering to any sort of conventional standards. Home grown goodness. Everyone knows Louisville produces great things (baseball bats, me, etc.). They will be appearing at the ninth annual Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati September 23-25. HnW will definitely have at least one representative present.
"I'm chill. I'm chill as a cucumber, man." Just always wanted to put something in epic block quotes on a blog, and now I can. It was as satisfying as I anticipated. Great.
A trippy children's video seems a strange template for a blog theme, yet in actuality it contains the perfect representation of what this blog embodies. But before I explain that, I must explain the two events that inspired this writing. A group of friends were bouncing ideas off one another about the future, a summer fantasy aimed at how they could preserve the greatest lifestyle possible. That fantasy included a move to Hawaii, a hole-in-the-wall chili restaurant, and everything that goes along with it. As each of the four pitched their version of their ideal Hawaiian setup, one thing remained constant: they all included music. Upon the realization that music did not require a Hawaiian address, a new plan formed.
This generation of music fans face the most difficult task of any before them; despite the immense technological gifts that connect the world, there is no clear cut way to simply use that technology to have the musical experiences of the vinyl days with the ease of the internet.
Too often, music on the internet is divided into two worlds: 1. The first situation is the world of generic, impersonal, and dispassionate Top 40 music, where radio stations and record label executives flood every avenue of the media, advertising, and entertainment with music that will make them the most money. Often these choices have no ties to the actual quality of musicians, and thus talentless pop stars and rappers continue to harvest number one singles weekly.
These fans claim to love music but really never bother to expand their horizons or, heaven forbid, think about what they are hearing. They simply go on being force fed and filling the pockets of advertising agencies and record executives. Music in this form is reduced to a disposable pleasure as enjoyable as trying to eat chewed gum weeks after the first taste. On the same coin, artists who make truly accessible, genuinely popular music get overplayed to the point of nausea for even the earliest of fans, and sadly become guilty by association to the dross surrounding them on the radio.
2. The second common scenario is that of the modern 'hipster', a term that has itself become the worst form of flattery for modern musical tastemakers. Many fans who are not satisfied with the top 40 scene head to the internet and to respected blogs and formulaic search engines to find good new music. While this is not a bad idea in principle, it reduces the musical process to a simple series of equations and algorithms, and again falls victim to turning music into another case of selfish instant gratification.
A small group of blogs and websites dominate the musical tastes of the internet, and in the fast food music mentality fans choose to read the opinions of others and simply take their word for it, not questioning the high scores and praise or bothering to think for themselves. Also, this results in any band that breaks out of the blogosphere and reaching other fans as being 'mainstream' and thus 'uncool' (if uncool is even an accepted term anymore...)
We are now faced with equally as many music snobs as musical sheep (think about it). This is a travesty. Music is not an exclusive experience, especially for fans who DID NOT EVEN CREATE THE MUSIC THEY TRY TO HOARD. Sorry for shouting, but it is truly an outrage. Music is not a race. A song is still good whether I heard it for the first time yesterday, or whether I will hear it in a year. Quality should be the only measure for deciding what to play. Instead these 'hipsters' continue their race to the bottom, and take pride in liking music before it even exists (impossible) and hating it once the casual fan gets exposed (unnecessary).
So here we lie, in the middle of that bridge. The other story that heavily influenced the message of this blog was a four hour drive through pouring rain. Where many would opt for silence and small talk and music, this drive saw the two friends really talk and really listen to each other. It is only in this depth, this vulnerability, that the true self can be shared. The discussion touched all aspects from religion to fate to finding the nearest gas station/McDonalds, but it was unique in that the greatest ideas drawn from it preached two essentials: Balance and Simplicity.
This blog was conceived as a way for a group of friends to come together, away from the societal influences of social networks and media to get back to what really matters: the music. The reason the music matters is what it represents. Music has survived since the dawn of culture because it was and always will be a way for people to reach out and connect with others beyond what can simply be done with words. It is true divine communication at its core, and when good music is enjoyed by more than one person, a connection is made. That connection, at its core, is an acceptance and a celebration of companionship and love.
Essentially, that is what this blog stands for. By being genuinely expressive and presenting friends with music, it is a way for others to see life through another lens. The time spent listening and reflecting the choices of others is so truly profound because at its core, what that act says to one another is, "I accept you. I appreciate you. I love you for who you are." That is incredible. So in an attempt to recreate the days of old where albums would be played in their entirety and the music was a tangible group experience, spanning multiple senses, this blog exists.
Not all music needs to be analyzed and meditated on for hours. That is unrealistic and unnecessary. However, the idea must be presented again. For each song in these playlists, a memory, a feeling, and an experience exists. This is simply a way to try and really share these things, to share each other and to celebrate that type of commitment to one another. These themes will resurface throughout each post, and this blog will be a haven to celebrate what we deem as good music, picked and run on good faith (eco-friendly).
To kick things off, the original playlist: Four Friends, Five songs each, making for a beautiful collage of sounds:
(Track - Artist)
1. Hang You From The Heavens - The Dead Weather
2. Time to Pretend - MGMT
3. Moth's Wings - Passion Pit
4. Michael - Franz Ferdinand
5. Grow - Delorean
6. Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
7. By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. Laughing In The Streets - Rose Hill Drive
9. It Is Not Meant To Be - Tame Impala
10. Photobooth - Friendly Fires
11. If I Ever Feel Better - Phoenix
12. Camera Talk - Local Natives
13. There Are Listed Buildings - Los Campesinos!
14. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant
15. Hey Hey Girl - The Virgins
16. Slow Down (ft. Black Thought and elDee The Don) - Chiddy Bang
17. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
18. So Much to Say - Dave Matthews Band
19. My Girls - Animal Collective
20. Burning Down the House - Talking Heads
