May 16, 2005, 9:24 PM
Welcome back to Shelter from the Storm, where we make room for both droll updates on a boring teenage life AND for obtuse and hackneyed extended metaphors. No, contrary to popular belief (or, rather, the belief of one person in the comments section), I was under the influence of no illegal substances. That train metaphor was real, and it was my truth, however cringeworthy it might seem days or years or decades from now.
But FUCK the train bullshit for now, let's talk about the Vines. Remember these guys? I listened to their 2002 MASTERPIECE Highly Evolved for the first time in like two years today. Really great album, I'm glad I revisited. Hey, what ever happened to that much-ballyhooed "garage rock comeback" movement from a few years ago? Yeah, you remember: the Vines, the White Stripes, the Strokes, the Hives, other bands that start with "the." That was some good stuff. All those bands adorned my eighth-grade pencil case for sure. So what happened? My theory is that we had to hear "Seven Nation Army" just one too many times. But what the fuck do I know? Let's bring 'em back. Starting with the Vines.
It's just that the music I'm exposed to via pop and pop-adjacent feels so bleak to me. I know I'm showing my age, and I know that things will improve as I grow and become more mature and more open to new experiences, but I just hear stuff like the Starting Line or Ashlee Simpson or Taking Back Sunday or 50 Cent and I think... who actually likes this shit? It's frustrating to feel like I'm traveling some niche road in my music discovery journey. I'd rather get other people to join me here, though. Won't you join me?
There is some hope! Let's start there, with the hope. And then let's continue and actually drop some motherfucking band names on the Xanga. Not sense just complaining all the time, how about actually cultivating a scene. We can begin here: I'm hearing good things about a band called Pepper's Ghost (hearing it from the high school newspaper, as written by a trusted friend—even better!). The White Stripes are releasing a new album, underlining the need to get back to the The bands. Even Foo Fighters are dropping new music soon (not that I've ever been a huge Foo fan, but you can't deny that those dudes are capital-r Rock).
In the past couple years, I've mostly hung around the classic rock canon, exploring what I missed when I was real young and that canon was being codified into stone. I like it here. But when I was listening to the Vines, I realized something: there is good music being released TODAY. It's time to accept the challenge to seek out that music. I love music, and I look forward to that challenge, beginning... now.
Here's another awakening I had, but in a different arena of my life: I love Mrs. Ryan's English class (she's in the process of getting her doctorate, so there's a name change incoming for our esteemed teacher). I love this class but in a completely different way than I love Dottie Po's chemistry class. I can coast by in English, I guess is what I'm saying. I don't really do much in class besides goof off. Yo, this class is so goddamn fun, and funny. I feel like I spend the entire 40 minutes laughing sometimes. Sure, sometimes it's laughing at, and rarely is it laughing with the teacher, but Mrs. Ryan more or less takes it in stride. I feel like she struggles to maintain order in the class but also realizes at the end of the day that maintaining order in a classroom full of idiot teen boys is more or less impossible. Plus, it's easy. I haven't thought once that my A- was at risk, even as I coast through without reading many of the books assigned. In any case, I appreciate the break from the rigors of high school life for those 40 minutes every day.
Ring the bell, hit the countdown: FIVE MORE DAYS (okay, technically nine if you including exams)
Go ahead and comment below if you have something to say. I'm trying to cultivate a community here. Let's chat. Any thoughts on garage rock bands? How about on English classes? Hit me up, I wanna hear from you. I AM A COMMENT WHORE.
It's just that the music I'm exposed to via pop and pop-adjacent feels so bleak to me. I know I'm showing my age, and I know that things will improve as I grow and become more mature and more open to new experiences, but I just hear stuff like the Starting Line or Ashlee Simpson or Taking Back Sunday or 50 Cent and I think... who actually likes this shit? It's frustrating to feel like I'm traveling some niche road in my music discovery journey. I'd rather get other people to join me here, though. Won't you join me?
There is some hope! Let's start there, with the hope. And then let's continue and actually drop some motherfucking band names on the Xanga. Not sense just complaining all the time, how about actually cultivating a scene. We can begin here: I'm hearing good things about a band called Pepper's Ghost (hearing it from the high school newspaper, as written by a trusted friend—even better!). The White Stripes are releasing a new album, underlining the need to get back to the The bands. Even Foo Fighters are dropping new music soon (not that I've ever been a huge Foo fan, but you can't deny that those dudes are capital-r Rock).
In the past couple years, I've mostly hung around the classic rock canon, exploring what I missed when I was real young and that canon was being codified into stone. I like it here. But when I was listening to the Vines, I realized something: there is good music being released TODAY. It's time to accept the challenge to seek out that music. I love music, and I look forward to that challenge, beginning... now.
Here's another awakening I had, but in a different arena of my life: I love Mrs. Ryan's English class (she's in the process of getting her doctorate, so there's a name change incoming for our esteemed teacher). I love this class but in a completely different way than I love Dottie Po's chemistry class. I can coast by in English, I guess is what I'm saying. I don't really do much in class besides goof off. Yo, this class is so goddamn fun, and funny. I feel like I spend the entire 40 minutes laughing sometimes. Sure, sometimes it's laughing at, and rarely is it laughing with the teacher, but Mrs. Ryan more or less takes it in stride. I feel like she struggles to maintain order in the class but also realizes at the end of the day that maintaining order in a classroom full of idiot teen boys is more or less impossible. Plus, it's easy. I haven't thought once that my A- was at risk, even as I coast through without reading many of the books assigned. In any case, I appreciate the break from the rigors of high school life for those 40 minutes every day.
Ring the bell, hit the countdown: FIVE MORE DAYS (okay, technically nine if you including exams)
Go ahead and comment below if you have something to say. I'm trying to cultivate a community here. Let's chat. Any thoughts on garage rock bands? How about on English classes? Hit me up, I wanna hear from you. I AM A COMMENT WHORE.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments
Anonymous: tate's class is in no way or shape or form hard.
then again history's always been my best subject
and john v. is delightfully wasteful.
gradypunkempire: Haha english class
Joe_Mac89: K*** > C***.
Jfingers88: Starting Line is horrible. Rap is not music. I should also give Pepper's Ghost a try.
Anonymous: rap is fucking music. god damnit, rap is good in small doses if you listen to some of the good dj-ish stuff. like deltron 3030, jurassic 5, run dmc, etc.
CoCain18: cippy<society
Anonymous: Yeah sadly there are only a few good modern bands today, eh maybe something big will happen that will change this fascist brain- washing music industry.
then again history's always been my best subject
and john v. is delightfully wasteful.
gradypunkempire: Haha english class
Joe_Mac89: K*** > C***.
Jfingers88: Starting Line is horrible. Rap is not music. I should also give Pepper's Ghost a try.
Anonymous: rap is fucking music. god damnit, rap is good in small doses if you listen to some of the good dj-ish stuff. like deltron 3030, jurassic 5, run dmc, etc.
CoCain18: cippy<society
Anonymous: Yeah sadly there are only a few good modern bands today, eh maybe something big will happen that will change this fascist brain- washing music industry.
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