I really don't understand the indy pop whatever you call it going on. I checked out a bunch of this stuff: Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot, et al.
To me it's just preppy faux-ethnic whiny middle-of-the-road wankery.
Don't get me wrong...I like pop. I could go into a whole tirade (like the misnomer of "pop," considering it's short for "popular" and back in the day jazz, swing, and all that good shit was pop music) but instead I will just keep wondering what the big deal is with this stuff.
For instance, when listening to Vampire Weekend, I hear a lot of stuff going on there that ultimately ends up being a lot of mediocrity. How they can be labeled anything close to "African" is baffling. How lame to have a band trying to be "African" via the Upper West Side. I'm all for the cross-fertilization (so to speak) and mutual sharing between cultures, but not when the end result is some really limp-dick watered down jive ass bullshit. (Nah, I don't hate it that much...but it needs some backlash from all of the over-hyping surrounding it.)
It sounds like preppy college kids who listened to a couple African pop CDs and are now trying to emulate some of those sounds. But come on, compared to somebody like Paul Simon, that Vampire Weekend stuff is just kids' play. Paul Simon, whether or not you think raped and exploited African music, at least has a deep knowledge and respect for the music he's emulating.
And his band? Lots of Africans. Lots of heavy, heavy dudes who have that music deep in their bloodstream.
In the end, though, if I want to hear preppy indy pop, I'll listen to the Ruby Suns's new one...or if I want to be nostalgic, Luna. They keeps it real. Real poppy, real solid songwriting, real musicianship.
And if I want to listen to something "Africany," or with an African tinge, I will just listen to, I don't know, some MUSIC FROM AFRICA. Because you can buy that shit nowadays! Straight from Africa, no kidding!
7 comments:
ive made a conscious decision to skip over this whole current crop of indie pop-meisters b/c i strongly suspect id feel the exact same way that you do about it
if im still hearing about some of these bands in a year or so, then maybe.... maybe.... ill spend the time to investigate, depending on what the current take on them is
hype cycles just run so fast nowadays with the Internet and all, im very hesitant to bite on anything right away. also see: "clap your hands say yeah" or whatever the fuck theyre called
YEAH E! FUCK THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS!
"clap your hands say yeah" recently had a gig on a nationally known tv show, it was wretched. absolutely wretched.
I think ya'll should chill the fuck out and stop the hate. Yeah, the hype of Vampire Weekend and their college-boys-gone-to-Africa routine is a bit tiresome, but they put out a good album, it's catchy, and all the kids are into it, so WTF? The only music that is worth sincere and total hate is boy-bands like new kids on the block or some shit.
Cheer up, fellas.
http://analogafrica.blogspot.com/2008/11/analog-africa-selection-vol2.html
;)
I've checked out their tracks. They sound like a less rocking Strokes. A little boring for me, but if the kids like it good for them.
Just got hip to that Analog Africa shit tonight. Good looking, TJ.
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