The Music Elitist

We’re gonna play a little game to start things off. First, close your eyes.

Now, you shouldn’t be able to read this if you’re following directions. If you’ve realized after just closing your eyes that you couldn’t read what was to come next, then you can move on. If you never closed your eyes to begin with…. “Good for you, doesn’t change a thing.” – Tyler Durden.

Now, think about how you feel when I say Beach House. Do you see that nice little beach front property from Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind? Do you think of running into the ocean at night just cause you can? Do you feel like there’s something majestic about those two words combined? Beach and House. No? Well, who cares what you think?

So, there’s a little band from Baltimore called “Beach House” and they are quite the dreamy teamy. With Victoria Legrand (the backing vocalist on “Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear) on her trusty organ and floaty vocals, Alex Scally on Guitar and bgv’s, and a drum machine, Beach House make lite loveable ethereal music. There new album “Teen Dream” will be out January 26th. Make sure you pick it up. But until then, take a listen to their brand new song “Norway” Click here.

Source: re1000.wordpress.com

So I recently moved from Florida to Brooklyn, New York and I have been exposed to a bit of the local music around here. A lot of it were bands that I had already heard, but there’s been a few that were new to me.  I have for the most part enjoyed the music I have heard, but honestly, a lot of these bands (and their die-hard hipster fans) need to just get over themselves. I think I have less of a problem with their music than I do with how they act like it’s the greatest music ever created. It just seems like anything that isn’t neo-folk, lo-fi, electronic or psychadelic is considered to be inferior music by these people and it really pisses me off.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of these “hipster bands”. Grizzly Bear’s record is great. I dug some of MGMT’s songs (though ANYONE can make songs in Garage Band on a Mac…it’s not that difficult). But I just can’t imagine listening to ONLY these types of bands. But if you ever mention a band that you like that is outside this little musical boundary these hipsters have created (or rather, websites like Pitchfork have created), you are instantly not cool anymore. Take Thrice for example. It’s not really considered cool to listen to a band like Thrice anymore. But those guys have consistently been putting out great music (especially their newest record Beggars) and most of their old fans have missed it because they have “moved on” so to speak. It’s not cool to listen to a band you may have liked 5 or 6 years ago. But that also has a lot to do with the music A.D.D. that the digital age has created (there’s a post on this coming soon).

I try to listen to all types of music (though country music has just never done anything for me), but my favorite kind of music is the kind  where you can hear the passion and/or emotion in the singers voice. Not necessarily emo, but just anthemic and powerful (Tim McIlrath from Rise Against, for example). While this hipster music is great for just chilling out and listening to in a bar or dancing to in a club, it is not inspiring to me at all. I like distorted guitars and a driving beat. That’s the kind of music that excites me. The only band like that right now that it’s considered “ok” to like is Them Crooked Vultures. And for good reason, they are amazing. But I honestly think most of these hipsters just give them lip service because if you ever talked badly about a band that a former Led Zeppelin member is in, you’d be ex-communicated from the musical community.

I guess the point I am getting at is, hipster music is a trend. Just like everything else that came and went before it. From the fact that all the music sounds generally the same right down to the fact a lot their names make animal references (Grizzly Bear, Bear in Heaven, Animal Collective…etc.), it’s all just a trend and its only a matter of time until it isn’t cool anymore. That usually happens right around the time they are widely popular and everyone in the mainstream is suddenly into it. It may already not be cool to like Animal Collective and I missed the memo. Bottom line is, I don’t care. I’ll continue listening to the bands/artists I like regardless of what some skinny jean, American Apparel hoodie wearing hipster has to say about it. You all just keep thinking you’re so elite and on the cutting edge and I’ll just stand back here and laugh at you like I always have.

At the turn of 2009 when the snow was falling, and all I could do was listen to music and read about music online, a band named “Animal Collective”, which I wasn’t really into, came out with a new record. It was called “Merriweather Post Pavillion” and it was hailed by all music publications and most online reviews to be the best album of 2009. This was in January, and it’s funny how almost true everyone was. With the exception of Grizzly Bear, I feel Animal Collective did come out with one of the best albums of 2009. I loved it.

Now flash forward 8 months, August we hear there may be another Animal Collective release. The bloggers exploded in a joyous praise, asking one question, “Could Animal Collective’s new release be better then the first and or be one of the first bands in a long time to release two great records in a year?”

Flash to September, we find out that the release is coming in November digitally, and then a hard pressing in December. It will be an EP and it’s title would be “Fall Be Kind.” With a statement that the album like most AC albums will have to do with the season it’s released.

Flash to November. “Fall Be Kind” leaked. And I have to say that it’s fantastic. A step forward in the right direction for a band that’s been stepping forward since day one. They’ve been doing this for the last decade, however it’s the best it’s ever sounded at this point. With trippy time signatures, swirling crystal-like sounds, and their unique use of vocal arrangements, this EP is definitely the best EP of the year.

In retrospect, Animal Collective have come out with two of the best releases this year. If you don’t own “Merriweather Post Pavillion” get it. And when this album get’s it’s official pressing in December, I’ll be encouraging everyone to go pick it up. But until then take a listen to my favorite song on the record. Click here