2.27.2007

The Color and the Shape of Things

Isn't it time we recognize that the Foo Fighters have surpassed Nirvana in nearly all aspects? They are far superior in almost all respects. The nagging one is cultural signifigance. And Nirvana rates higher only due to the tyrany of tradition. Thier influence is greater, but it is just more sucky crap that they influenced. One of the best parts of alternative music is the way it challenges you. And every once n a while a band like Nirvana comes along and you wonder, am I just not getting it or do they really just suck? In retrospect I can see some aspects of their talent and ingenuity. But for 15 years afterward they inspired the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked. Essentially morphing every alternative rock radio station across the country into alt metal. That is until another culturally significant band, The Strokes, ushered us into the New Golden Age. Not that I see The Strokes as saviors, but they sure did help. my point being, why don't stoned college kids hang Dave Grohl posters on their walls? Maybe Foo Fighters just don't market enough swag. Is that what passes for cultural signifigance these days?

2.23.2007

Alternative Ulcer

I am getting old. As I sit here typing this with my stiff little fingers, I realize that I am becoming one of those guys. Fat, bald and clinging to a youth long since passed. I have toned down my fashion sensabilities to be more age appropriate, but the -to coin a phrase- vangaurdlust is still there. I purchased a pair of Skullcandy brand Skullcrusher headphones. Sure the reasoning was I have always wanted a pair of higher-end portable headphones, but the skate/punk/techno marketing image is what sucked me in. (The ones I have a silver and look more like the second pair.)


The sound quality isn't as good as I expected. The subwoofer leaves high range sounding tinny. But I can reach a happy balance by adjusting the volume and EQ on my Walkman and the "vibration" level on the bass-boost unit. In short better for listening to the Postal Service than Dean Martin.
Yes, I still have a Walkman. It plays MP3 CD's, which are like permanant play lists. And I don't have top rip my extensive CD collection and have it suffer blips and burps when the compression goes wrong. Moreover, I don't have to cave and buy an iPod and follow the rest of you lemmings off the cliff.
But 15 year-old me would still hold 33 year-old me in contempt. I acquired a taste for jazz at a young age so that when this day came I could age gracefully. But now I do not want to go gentle into that good night. And it isn't just that I refuse to let go of my fleeting hipness, it is that I have a huge void to fill in my lifestyle. I do not want to become an Alternadad. I am just not that kind of guy. But I need a transitional step before I end up marrying my potential Soccer Mom. It actually makes me sick thinking about it. Deconstructing part of who I am. Who am I supposed to be now?
Maybe the new tagline for the site should be "a support network for the aging hipster."