It took time then I found you
On top of yesterday's great news about the Kings of Leon tour, it turns out that not only are Interpol touring, they are playing Rock City the Sunday before. Excellent news.
I have decided that Interpol are pretty much the band that defines my taste in music: vaguely doomy guitar music played by skinny white guys. I think that probably accounts for at least 80% of my music collection, and I like to think I'm pretty diverse.
Hm. Actually, thinking about it, perhaps the other 20% is equally doomy, it's just not by guitar bands (I'm thinking people like Scott Walker, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Cash.... )
I'm now really racking my brains to think if I like any upbeat music at all.
I' m honestly not sure I do. Does that mean anything? Is any good music upbeat? Do happy people make good music? (look at Fran Healey - he fell in love and his happy songs about being with his girlfriend are all totally shite). It's the old argument - do you have to be in pain to produce truly great music?
I hereby challenge you to think of some examples that disprove this.
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By the way, if you want to hear the R.E.M. album ("Around the Sun") in its entirety before it comes out next month, go here.
I have decided that Interpol are pretty much the band that defines my taste in music: vaguely doomy guitar music played by skinny white guys. I think that probably accounts for at least 80% of my music collection, and I like to think I'm pretty diverse.
Hm. Actually, thinking about it, perhaps the other 20% is equally doomy, it's just not by guitar bands (I'm thinking people like Scott Walker, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Cash.... )
I'm now really racking my brains to think if I like any upbeat music at all.
I' m honestly not sure I do. Does that mean anything? Is any good music upbeat? Do happy people make good music? (look at Fran Healey - he fell in love and his happy songs about being with his girlfriend are all totally shite). It's the old argument - do you have to be in pain to produce truly great music?
I hereby challenge you to think of some examples that disprove this.
---
By the way, if you want to hear the R.E.M. album ("Around the Sun") in its entirety before it comes out next month, go here.
posted by swisslet @ 13:02
5 Comments:
At 1:54 pm,
Damo said…
Is any good music upbeat? Oh man, are you kidding? Well, I could start with all my personal favourites of today and yesteryear - Silver Sun, The Wildhearts, Terrorvision and countless other ones you may not like - and end up and Teenage Fanclub, which I know you do like.
Having a bad day?
At 3:00 pm,
swisslet said…
I always find Teenage Fanclub a bit wistful, myself, but I know what you mean.
I've also got some "fun, fun, fun", "california girls" era Beach Boys, which is pretty upbeat, but I've always preferred the Brian Wilson stuff myself... music born out of sadness and a touch of madness.
Don't get me wrong - listening to The Smiths cheers me up. Music is brilliant and inspiring when it's done well (i.e. not by William Shatner)
(and actually, not too bad today - that interpol tour news has perked me right up)
At 4:05 pm,
Teresa Bowman said…
Super Furry Animals. Ash. Supergrass. That's 3 I can think of just off the top of my head.
Although "gloomy" has its place in life's soundtrack too. And, as Therapy? once said, "happy people have no stories" ...
At 4:23 pm,
swisslet said…
all the best ash songs are about broken relationships aren't they? (burn baby burn, goldfinger...) Supergrass ditto apart from 'alright' ?? (even 'going out' is a pop at the press)
Only kidding - I won't try and defend this argument to its ridiculous extreme, and 'Shining Light' is the best song Ash have done IMHO (although I'm not sure I'd call it upbeat).
I've also casually eliminated most kinds of dance music (the only stuff I own is by people like Massive Attack and Portishead... i.e. the miserable stuff). I've heard some of it is pretty jolly? (do people on E listen to depressing music? Is that possible or advisable?)
At 1:49 pm,
Teresa Bowman said…
Listen to "Life on Other Planets"! "Grace" is one of the most bouncingly upbeat songs Supergrass have ever done. And most of Ash's songs appear to be about things exploding and going on fire, which I attribute to their being from Northern Ireland (ahem).
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