2008 Woodie Awards
New Music Influenced, Not Copied
Through their elitist rhetoric, music snobs sometimes unfairly denigrate new music in the name of image
David Sachs
Issue date: 2/28/06 Section: Arts and Entertainment
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I often compare music snobs to that friend of yours who gags at the sight of your entrée at a restaurant, simply because it is not his personal preference. First of all, liver and onions is grossly underrated, and second, who cares what he thinks? He doesn't have to digest it.
Likewise, a minion of Music Snobbery will push his gospel on you with the force of a missionary pushing in colonial Africa.
It has been fashionable as of late to write off contemporary music (especially the Rock & Roll genre) as uninventive, regurgitated mimicry. While I don't entirely disagree with this faddy philosophy, it is the Music Snob-that denomination of human beings that takes tunes entirely too seriously-who contrives and propels such an elitist view.
The incredibly eclectic music scene in Burlington is home to some of the most talented artists left of the limelight. Every type of music, even genres that are yet to be invented, make their notes heard in this town.
So why, in such a musically open-minded town, do I feel like I'm in a bad version of High Fidelity? It's as if an army of John Cusacks is hovering over me in every record store I visit.
Apparently, the past is where to find acceptance in the present. Throwback jerseys and vintage t-shirts have become a mainstay in youth culture, and it has never been cooler not to know the words of a popular song that gets radio-play.
Why?
Well, if a song is on the radio, it is looked upon as accepted by mainstream culture-the ultimate antithesis to this prevalent retro subculture-no matter the musical content of the song. Also, there is some truth in old music being better than the new, but does that discount all new music?
I was prompted to write this article in response to conversations I've had around town, and what has become a theme of discussion lately in The Cynic. It goes out to any one who has commented on an artist not by virtue of their own opinion, but how someone else will regard you.
Likewise, a minion of Music Snobbery will push his gospel on you with the force of a missionary pushing in colonial Africa.
It has been fashionable as of late to write off contemporary music (especially the Rock & Roll genre) as uninventive, regurgitated mimicry. While I don't entirely disagree with this faddy philosophy, it is the Music Snob-that denomination of human beings that takes tunes entirely too seriously-who contrives and propels such an elitist view.
The incredibly eclectic music scene in Burlington is home to some of the most talented artists left of the limelight. Every type of music, even genres that are yet to be invented, make their notes heard in this town.
So why, in such a musically open-minded town, do I feel like I'm in a bad version of High Fidelity? It's as if an army of John Cusacks is hovering over me in every record store I visit.
Apparently, the past is where to find acceptance in the present. Throwback jerseys and vintage t-shirts have become a mainstay in youth culture, and it has never been cooler not to know the words of a popular song that gets radio-play.
Why?
Well, if a song is on the radio, it is looked upon as accepted by mainstream culture-the ultimate antithesis to this prevalent retro subculture-no matter the musical content of the song. Also, there is some truth in old music being better than the new, but does that discount all new music?
I was prompted to write this article in response to conversations I've had around town, and what has become a theme of discussion lately in The Cynic. It goes out to any one who has commented on an artist not by virtue of their own opinion, but how someone else will regard you.