@Unclebaldrick Aren't we just old? So everything sounds like shit? didn't our parents lament that our music was crap too?
This thread got sidetracked from the start... but we might as well just roll with it.
Yes, but just because that tends to be the case does not mean that you can't see differences. The music of 'youth' during the 20th century tended to be far more subversive than the music of their parents. It is this cycle that the author claims is breaking down because of a consolidation of ownership of the outlets. Subversiveness is cool - unless you are trying to get somebody to fuck your balls or face - then it is offensive and must be stopped (
@bu$hleaguer ).
It is not like good, subversive music ever really disappears. It is more about the impact of it on the age group in question. Despite the unlimited choices offered by the internet, the Millennials are overwhelmingly choosing pre-packaged "performers" who are about as subversive as a kitten. There is simply nothing in this music that the older generation finds threatening. If we reject it, we are more likely to do so because it is banal than because it threatens us. I personally am saddened when something like licking a donut becomes a radical act that must be apologized for. It just shows how captive the industry is by the global entertainment complex and, consequently, how so few Millennials are cool.
Looking back in my own life to some of the "this is crap" moments in my life...
The Troggs - Wild Thing
I remember my brother and I slamming the shit out of my grandmother's Galaxy to this while she complained about what crap it was. Was it? Yes, certainly when compared to Perry Como, the Troggs were crap. Wonderful crap that will outlive her boring crooners.
The Doors - Hello, I Love You
This time it was our mom who was bitching. Not only did she bitch about the simplicity of the lyrics but she also railed against the sexual promiscuity that it suggested. It clashed with her "Three Coins in the Fountain" worldview and made her head hurt by putting disturbing thoughts into it.
Punk Rock - but lets just take the Ramones
Crap. It is. These guys barely knew how to play their own instruments. But again, I suggest that is was artistically significant crap that will far outlive anything she used to listen to in it's impact. And it still sounds great and is perfect for a one year old to dance to.
Are there similar cool musical acts today? Certainly, but I think they will likely spend their careers working hard to attract a small following while Selena Gomez packs stadiums. Nobody's parents will ever hear their subversive message because it is drowned out by dozens of American Idol winners. Twenty years from now the "cool" bands will probably be a fertile source of cultural mining for the Millennials' children who, I suspect, will be much, much cooler than they - something like
@Pinworm.