Know It All

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot on the internet about bands because I like to read about them while I listen to them.  It’s kind of like milk and cookies.  It chocolates the experience.  Actually, I've been spending time reading about music and bands online since I was about thirteen, so that makes around fourteen years now.  There is a whole new generation of little punk kids out there, still bitching at each other about whether a band is a sellout or not when they move to a major label and blah de blah.  So after reading all this know-it-all scene crap well into the next generation, and realizing what a dork I was being when I was 15, I can't help but feel embarassed that it could have been me years ago.  How do they know all this banter?  How did I know it when I was a kid…why don’t people my age talk about it? Was there a time when talking the politics of punk/indie rock was cool?  Was it cool when I was 15?.   Did I act like a teen-aged music expert?  Most of the rants and raves I read miss the mark, but I found this one; which says it all pretty well.  Anyway, Mikey (we’ll call him Mikey) says this about the band AFI:

“Just because a band changes their music because it will help sales doesnt mean s***!, there are no morals in the world or in punk rock, the world is s***, so why wouldnt someone say yes to making a sucessful career choice.Not everyone wants to be a poor punk band, that has punk music. The CD isn't bad, if you like AFI you should be able to accept changes. So find abother band and stop bitching about AFI.”

This kid basically said it. I mean, it's a step in the right direction.  It’s no Harvard speech…and a rediculous amount of four-letter words defeats its own purpose, and it's pretty brief; but that’s basically it right there.  Pretty spot-on for a younger kid. (I know he was a kid because he said other things in the post about "high school" which I omitted). Here's what someone had to say about Incubus; which is one of the greatest most talented and underrated bands of all time I might add:

"First off about the whole thing with Incubus selling out I have to say I disagree. They've been a band for a long time and they've grown and evolved a lot, and their music reflects that. I mean, I love their old stuff just as much as the newer stuff. Look at the Red Hot Chili Peppers, they've been a band forever and they've changed a lot yet they still know how to rock. Just because they're not doing funk or heavy rock doesn't mean they're sellouts."

And what Brandon Boyd (lead singer) has to say about it:

"We've only ever made the albums we wanted to make, and we've only ever done the gigs we wanted to do. So if that's the case, I feel like we've been a band for 16 years and we've not sold out yet."

When you grow up and realize you have to make a living in the world, you have to actually make money with your music if you’re going to play it all the time. Or you can be poor your whole life and “stay true to punk,” or whatever.   All in all, once kids learn about earning a living and paying your own way in the world, things aren't all songs and candy bars. I mean, it could have been said more meticulously…but compare it to the likes of this:

“IM a f***ing old school afi fan back when i was the only one at my school listining to them then when i heard that they sold out i was pissed all these all thes f***ing newby fans are making me go insane for **** sake all they know is fuking art of drowning on up but im not going to be a f***ing emo bitch and be like i dont like them since they sold out im still a true fan and i will always be this guys story was f***ing good but when it comes down to it old afi is and will always be better then jade or hunter can acomplish but i still love both opld and new AFI”

WTF? The bad thing about the internet is that once you finally grow up and realize all the dumb shit you said (when you didn’t know what the hell you were talking about)…It’s tattooed on the world’s biggest toilet.  This kind of talk is rampant and goes on all the time.  Face the facts.  You're not your used-to-be favorite band's best critic. People are idiots.  Do people talk like this when a college basketball player moves on to the NBA?

Okay, another test run on this blog thing, but I think I'm getting somewhere....the point is that with few exceptions, anyone under the age of 21 has no place talking s*** on bands for changing.  Right?