Interesting title, huh? Well, I've beening stewing on some thoughts about music as a whole lately and a couple of things have been brought to my attention. First, the idea of "popular music" has been nulified. The constant expansion and reinvention of music has destroyed any hope of returning to a place were popular music is actually music. What I mean is, look at Rolling Stone. This magazine has been in the shitter for a while, but it has really been craptastic lately. Adam Lambert is on the cover, marker a "return of rock" to American Idol. Really??? Adam Lambert is bringing rock music to American Idol???
Another quick side note: leave glam to the professionals, kids. Go watch some old David Bowie concert footage or some New York Dolls. Don't spread eyeliner all over your face and come out, thinking it will make you legit. I don't care if you're gay or straight, Mr. Lambert, you still suck. Sorry. And what about Bono being on the cover of Rolling Stone with eyeliner??? Jesus, talk about an old man trying to stay relevant: "Look at me, I'm hip, I'm cool!... Right??... Please buy my album?..."
Another point I need to make pertains again to American Idol. The fact that this show dictates the Billboard Top Ten is another piece of evidence of a dying industry. This show isn't about finding talent, it's a popularity contest. Once a person starts being popular, then the ball starts rolling, talent or not.
Now look at indie, the last big 'alternative' music movement. In all honesty, indie has become gentrified and manufactured, just like grunge before it. Hipster clothing is on the runways and Pitchfork is losing credibility. I thought that the freak folk movement would save indie, but that has also died. Devandra Banhart is dating celebrities and Animal Collective has turned into an electronica band. Don't get me wrong, the new AC ablum is fucking incredible. I'm just saying 'indie' isn't indie anymore.
We are now entering a time we hit back in the late nineties ala rap metal and the reinvention of pop. I amused that the next big thing would be dance music, but artists like Lady Gaga are killing that dream as we speak. Read the RS interview of Gaga to see what I mean.
So where do we go from here? No one knows. The music selling industry is dead. Any hopes of making lots of money are retarded. Music will revert back to it's oldest purposes: entertainment and catharsis. We will find that popular music hits a lull and mediocrity will reign supreme for a long time. I'll be honest: we need another pop revival like the boy/girl bands of the 90's brought us. At least the blind hope of the American Dream was with us at that time. Good night, and good luck.
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