In an interview with the LA Daily News that was reprinted in the Milwaukee Urinal, Mr. Lydon made the following comments:
Q.What's the state of songwriting these days?
A. It's horrible. Music is just another career choice for young people. They're not using any of their life experiences.
Q.Why is that?
A. It's all lost in a malaise of video games and mummy and daddy buying everything for you. The result is you get alleged pop stars preening about how much wealth they've got. It's this smug cynicism. People just sit on their lazy computerized (behinds), complaining about everything and saying, "I want, I want."
He is right. I fall into this unproductive, depressing trap, too. Sometimes I think I need to have media free days, but being online is a necessity for work and communication. It sucks that most mainstream (and indie?!) musicians don't send an IN YOUR FACE message. Perhaps some lesser known bands do. I just haven't been moved by a band's message in eons. We were even discussing this topic in my class last night. Students argued that big record labels do not want to promote rabble rousing, which seems to go hand in hand with Bush's ideology. SQUELCH ALL DISSENT! Like Lydon's, their observation rings true, because major telecommunication companies went along with his illegal wiretapping program. Big Brother indeed.Anyhow....I am sure if I search harder, when time allows, I will unearth a new band to rock my world. In the meantime, any suggestions!?
2 comments:
Here's what's been burning up my iPod:
Mavis Staples / We'll Never Turn Back
Grinderman / Grinderman
Black Angels / Passover
Thanks! All interesting stuff. I think the Black Angels would be good live. Grinderman--whooo!--intense. I appreciate the Mavis Staples, but I think I will be more into these albums by Bettye Lavette (backed by Drive by Truckers) and Sharon Jones that I recently learned about.
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