“I still listen to all the stuff my dad listened to, Bobby Brown and Fleetwood Mac and stuff like that,”

I suddenly feel very, very old.

I hate to be even older and grumpier, but how on earth is this even a story?

"I like regular music that everybody else likes."

It's spring training and all of the big obvious stories have been written. Happens every year, it seems.

“I don’t like grunge,” Lincecum said. Come again? A kid from Seattle disparaging the native music?

Someone teach this reporter the meaning of the word "disparage," please. And then slap them for making that corny "native music" crack.

My 19 yo son listens mostly to 60s and 70s music. He's really into Dylan and has recently been combing my CDs for whatever he can get his hands on. After listening to 3 Traffic CDs he asked if I had more. He even tried on Randy Newman ("Sail Away") and was very pleasantly surprised -- "I only knew those crappy Disney movie songs" was his comment.
Instead of feeling old, it's kind of rejuvenated me. I wasn't a Dylan freak in the day although I liked him a lot but now I'm listening closer than ever before.
I must admit that I am stunned by the good taste in music by some of our youth. :) I remember my dad railing against 3 of us pooling our money to buy "Meet The Beatles". "They will never last." "Where's all the good music gone", by which he meant the Mills Brothers, Glenn Miller and the Andrews Sisters. Had I known then what I know now, I would have told him that Swing lost its way after the '38 Carnegie Hall concert of Benny Goodman. :) BTW, "Swing, Swing, Swing" from that concert is one of the kick-assingist songs ever captured live.

I think the fragmentation of the music industry and availability of so much stuff on the internet has a lot to do with kids listening to more diverse things these days, be it new stuff not many know about, delving into mom and dad's collections, or what have you. Simply put, the central music authorities so many of us grew up with (top 40 radio, MTV, etc.) simply don't have the kind of tastemaking power they used to which, my occasional bouts with nostalgia aside, is probably a really good thing.

I hate to be even older and grumpier, but how on earth is this even a story?

"I like regular music that everybody else likes."

Seriously. Who doesn't like the Beatles. I'd be more impressed if he said he was into Son House and the Andrews Sisters.

I also like the old music. Anything from rag time all the way to today. The more sounds the better, I say. The flavor of the day for me, though, is Serge Gainsborough. That's some good stuff! I'm also starting to enjoy some old school rap more than I used to. Whodini is a lot of fun. And my girl has turned me on to this German rap band from the late 80's/early 90's called Die Fantastischen Vier.

My nephews, both in their early teens, love the early Metallica and AC/DC and Van Halen. The new classics, I guess. Not bad choices, of course.

And my girl has turned me on to this German rap band from the late 80's/early 90's called Die Fantastischen Vier.

They're just ripping off Die Gefährliche Drei.

They're just ripping off Die Gefährliche Drei.

Not the Die Auzgezeichnet Zwei?

(My German is terrible. Tut mir leit.)

Seriously. Who doesn't like the Beatles.

Raises Heads Hands and Feet...no, actually, I don't like them either. (HH&F;...I do like Them)

I think the fragmentation of the music industry and availability of so much stuff on the internet has a lot to do with kids listening to more diverse things these days, be it new stuff not many know about, delving into mom and dad's collections, or what have you. Simply put, the central music authorities so many of us grew up with (top 40 radio, MTV, etc.) simply don't have the kind of tastemaking power they used to which, my occasional bouts with nostalgia aside, is probably a really good thing.

Considering that commercial radio has been going in the opposite direction for the past 25 years, the internet may be the only force saving real music from extinction.

I know this was before everyone's time, but I was a high school classmate of Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, etc.), and just the other day I was reading a long interview with him in a book about the DC rock scene. What's amazing about what he was saying is his description of the enormous variety of cheap live music that used to be available to everyone in the Washington area (and elsewhere) almost as a matter of birthright. Big name R & R singers, four or five A-list R & B groups, bluegrass, C & W, big band, etc., all at about two bucks a show. Casady was one of the pioneers of the San Francisco sound, but when he was growing up he says he spent most every night of the week that he wasn't performing just driving with his fellow band members all over the DC area, catching every act they could find. He says he went to the Howard Theatre alone over 100 times to see all the major R & B stars. You'd have to be a near millionaire to finance this sort of an education today. Thank God for the internet (especially YouTube) for rescuing so much of this from the dumpsters, and for making the infinite varieties of world music available at the click of a mouse.

repoz, since you do like ringo and three guys from liverpool, are you clapping your hands and saying yeah?

John Fahey's autobiography basically confirms everything Casady said about the scene. I almost didn't believe him when he described it. It makes you wonder what's going on under our noses right now. File sharing, I suppose.

I'm having a tough time getting a handle on African music. I've heard some West and South African music in passing that I think is awesome but I can never catch the name of the artist or the song or the dj is so hip that they rattle off the name so quickly that you can't catch it. I've found some internet radio stations but an awful lot of the music is pop with an African slant.
Back in Kansas, our local library had a Dollar Brand (Abdullah Imbrahim) album called "Echoes from Africa" that was awesome. It's no longer in print and some of his other stuff hasn't grabbed me that much. The only way I can articulate what grabs me about the music that I am looking for is that the music is very visual to me -- I can close my eyes and see the bush or the villages in my mind.
Any thoughts on how to focus in on what I'm looking for? (Without spending 5 hours a day sorting through a mess of African-ized pop?)

My neice is 22 and she called me a while back to discuss Jimmy Page's guitars. There is hope for today's youth. She could smoke Lincecum in Rock and Roll knowledge (and she's as tall as him too!).

I've been listening to a lot of Skynard lately.

“I don’t like grunge,” Lincecum said. Come again? A kid from Seattle disparaging the native music? “I don’t like grunge,” he repeated. “I guess it’s an acquired taste.”

Lincecum was nine when Kurt Cobain killed himself. I hope there's a follow-up about whether Frank Thomas likes Elvis.

Edmundo,

I have no idea what type of African music might appeal to you, but you might want to check out the late South African singer Lucky Dube. He was more or less to South Africa what Bob Marley was to Jamaica. YouTube has tons of good African music from all over the continent---not that you don't know that.

Baseball needs more Jim Walewanders.

Edmundo (and Andy), I can't recommend Ali Farka Toure highly enough. Start with his 1994 collaboration with Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu (with blues violin legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown sitting in occasionally), and go from there. Here's a clip from YouTube (no video, just audio).

Other names to look for are Manu Dibango and Toure Kunda.

Edmundo - Fela Kuti is the towering god of African music. He invented Afrobeat. You could probably start with The Best Best of Fela Kuti. From there you could probably move on to Highlife/Juju music like King Sunny Ade. You might also try Thomas Mapfumo, Selif Keita, Youssou N'Dour, or something like the Ethiopiques series.

Do we know what Lincecum thinks of Milli Vanilli?

Fela is amazing, though I'm not sure it's what Edmundo is looking for. It doesn't seem to conjure up visions of the bush. It's African, but it feels urban and modern.

Dollar Brand's daughter is rapper Jean Grae/What?What?

repoz, since you do like ringo and three guys from liverpool, are you clapping your hands and saying yeah?

I’m a Lennonist...

Mark David Chapman’s the historical figure
But everyone knows that Reagan pulled the trigger
Coz peace is bad for the economy
So he killed the messenger coz his message was the enemy

But I dislike the Beatles.

I wonder if disliking the Beatles is like disliking Mozart. I've always liked the Beatles, but I have never really liked Mozart (with a few small exceptions) and when I first admitted it to people I felt like I was admitting to disemboweling labrador puppies and koala bears.

Fela is amazing, though I'm not sure it's what Edmundo is looking for. It doesn't seem to conjure up visions of the bush. It's African, but it feels urban and modern

That's a good point. Fela's pretty cosmopolitan. I guess my list reflects my own tastes more...

And my girl has turned me on to this German rap band from the late 80's/early 90's called Die Fantastischen Vier.

Great band. Funny as hell too. And Frohes Fest is a great Christmas song.

Lincecum was nine when Kurt Cobain killed himself. I hope there's a follow-up about whether Frank Thomas likes Elvis.

That's no excuse. He just doesn't like punk judging by what he says he likes.

Baseball needs more Jim Walewanders.

Someone should ask a Phillies player what they think of Bucky Fellini.

I hope there's a follow-up about whether Frank Thomas likes Elvis.

HE might have been too old. Probably more of a Glenn Miller fan.

It is my belief that the only modern musician's completely above reproach/criticism are The Clash and Johnny Cash.

Thanks for the Afro music tips. I've heard of some of the names before. I'll be You-Tubing a lot.
Oh and cosmopolitan might work too, the exploration of music is a great source of fun (when it's targeted).

It is my belief that the only modern musician's completely above reproach/criticism are The Clash and Johnny Cash.

Listen to Sandanista! all the way through and see if you can repeat that statement. It's a fine album, with two other complete albums stuffed into it for some unknown reason.

It is my belief that the only modern musician's completely above reproach/criticism are The Clash and Johnny Cash.

I've been hanging out here too much. I read Johnny Cash as Johnny Clash.

I love Sandinista and the Clash are as close to immortal rock icons as I'll allow but there's NO ONE who isn't above reproach. Cut the Crap was crap.

I love Sandinista and the Clash are as close to immortal rock icons as I'll allow but there's NO ONE who isn't above reproach. Cut the Crap was crap.

To be fair that wasn't really the Clash. No Mick Jones=not the real Clash. "This is England" is a pretty tight song though.

The Clash bombed the tube plotz during their second NY gig when they went all "NYC punk leather" look and feel...as the opening Undertones wiped floor on 'em.

It was all downhill after "White Riot" anyways....

Greetings.

No Mick Jones=not the real Clash.

Correct, of course, and I would say the same thing about Topper Headon.

I thought the old saw was you either like Elvis or the Beatles, not both.

No Mick Jones=not the real Clash.

Fair enough, last time I listened to it, I was too green to even know this, probably.

A fun question musically that friends and I have is who now can only put out crap for the rest of their lives and still be considered an icon, because they are immune? Without getting too involved, three of them are -

Prince
Stevie Wonder
David Bowie

I mean, people can rattle off a LOT of folk on a list like this, as it's subjective. I mean, they'd be WRONG, of course, but....

U2

Many (most?) acclaimed musicians/artists have a brilliant iconic period followed by a career of lesser work. Dylan is an obvious example. EDIT: so is Elvis for that matter.

A fun question musically that friends and I have is who now can only put out crap for the rest of their lives and still be considered an icon, because they are immune? Without getting too involved, three of them are -

Al Green, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney?

Timmy: I've got blisters on my fingers!

It is my belief that the only modern musician's completely above reproach/criticism are The Clash and Johnny Cash.

Which would be correct if they weren't both terrible.

Paul McCartney
Nah, he fell off the list. "Live and Let Die" was bad enough to knock him off the icon for life list for me. Anything after that all sounded like pap to me.

I'm with Repoz on being a Lennonist, but I heart the Beatles to this day. The McCartney stuff that followed his post-Beatle career was mostly crap.

The McCartney stuff that followed his post-Beatle career was mostly crap.

Anyone who would dismiss Wings so easily obviously hates life.

U2

See, I've seen U2 live a bunch of times, and they are pretty great. But, in 50-75 years I don't really think they are going to be seen as anything particularly groundbreaking or unique. That's what qualifies as an icon to me.

Anyone who would dismiss Wings so easily obviously hates life.

He who hates Live should not be throwing copper around

But, in 50-75 years I don't really think they are going to be seen as anything particularly groundbreaking or unique

So, how many songs from 75 years ago do you listen to?

Lincecum was nine when Kurt Cobain killed himself. I hope there's a follow-up about whether Frank Thomas likes Elvis.

A better analogy would have been whether Frank Thomas likes Ma Rainey.

I am listening to Hank Williams Sr. right now..........

Nah, he fell off the list. "Live and Let Die" was bad enough to knock him off the icon for life list for me. Anything after that all sounded like pap to me.

OK, Steve Malkmus then, and I mean this unironically. Hey, Pavement was the Beatles for me!

Many (most?) acclaimed musicians/artists have a brilliant iconic period followed by a career of lesser work. Dylan is an obvious example. EDIT: so is Elvis for that matter.

In Elvis's case, that first stage lasted until about 1956, about two years in all after his career began. Beyond that he might as well have been Frankie Avalon with sideburns, and by the time he got out of the Army he was---or at least his music was---100% spayed and domesticated.

Dylan is purely a matter of taste. You either love him or you hate him, both for his music or his persona. And even though I've never been a fan of his, I can't really doubt his genius.

How is the Malkmus solo stuff?

Hey, Pavement was the Beatles for me!

Hep-hep!

I am listening to Hank Williams Sr. right now

Nice, Harveys. Then again, you voted for Andrew Jackson. Three times. :)

My wife's sister is Timmy's age and that whole generation really got into their parent's music. My theory is that they didn't have a musical identity of their own. They were growing up with techno and Limp Bizkit. Poor bastards.

That said, I've learned to appreciate some of it. Not much. I still don't care for the Beatles at all.

How is the Malkmus solo stuff?

I like it.

Anyone who would dismiss Wings so easily obviously hates life.

Helen Wheels? Uncle Albert? Wings was like Fleetwood Mac for me, if their 70s songs had been put out in '67 they would have been interesting. Too much more interesting music had come down the pike by the time that music came out.

Then again, you voted for Andrew Jackson. Three times. :)

Well, it seemed only right since I fought with him at the Battle of New Orleans.

Well, it seemed only right since I fought with him at the Battle of New Orleans.
Good one, Harv.

I find the 19th century the most fascinating century and communications is tops on the list for me. In 1801 and even 1815, news traveled as fast as the faster horse/rider or the fastest boat. The Battle of NO was fought 6 weeks AFTER the war was over. By 1900, that news would have been in the General's hands within minutes; hours if he was off in the swamp somewhere.

EDIT: Note to self, next blog entry, "Why I like the 19th century".

My 19 yo son listens mostly to 60s and 70s music. He's really into Dylan and has recently been combing my CDs for whatever he can get his hands on. After listening to 3 Traffic CDs he asked if I had more. He even tried on Randy Newman ("Sail Away") and was very pleasantly surprised -- "I only knew those crappy Disney movie songs" was his comment.
Instead of feeling old, it's kind of rejuvenated me. I wasn't a Dylan freak in the day although I liked him a lot but now I'm listening closer than ever before.

Dylan is a god to me. The only music that I discovered as a teenager that I still listen to. My son is even named after a Dylan character. The best Dylan collection is Biography. It has a lot of the classics but the versions are usually different and better (best version of Tangled Up in Blue I know of) plus there are some lesser known songs such as "Up to Me" which are as good as any song I've ever heard.

So, how many songs from 75 years ago do you listen to?

Let's see... 1933? Quite a few, actually. It will be interesting to see WHEN I'M 113 YEARS OLD how rock songs and the rock genre in general will have held up.

The last two girls I've dated have been pretty young (20 and 23), and I've been surprised that neither of them knew ANYTHING about The Beatles or John Lennon. They'd heard stuff like Lucy in the Sky and Hey Jude (of course), but just the other day I put on Revolver and it totally blew my new girlfriend away. The saddest thing about all this is when a song comes up on shuffle and she says something like, "Oh yeah. . . this is that song from that commercial!"

The last two girls I've dated have been pretty young (20 and 23),

Mr. Spitzer?

It will be interesting to see WHEN I'M 113 YEARS OLD how rock songs and the rock genre in general will have held up.

Lassus, you're a classical guy first, aren't you?

Interesting postulate there. Probably some more timeless songs might get the occasional play or cover. Candidates off the top of my head without much thought:
Yesterday -- Beatles
Eleanor Rigby -- Beatles
Moondance -- Van Morrison

Definitely not:
One Toke Over the Line -- Brewer & Shipley

Mr. Spitzer?

####. . . I'm only 27! For those asking, I do not recommend the 20yr old adventure.

Lassus, you're a classical guy first, aren't you?

Grin - you're right, but not entirely first. I was thinking of jazz and pop from back in the day. And I'm actually a punk rock kid (7 Seconds, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Rat Music for Rat People, Redd Kross, Roger Manning) before I was ever banging my head to the Brahms. I really am truly interested to see if MUSE makes it that long, Prince, a load of smaller bands as well, what the opinion of U2 will be, if someone has to do a Mendelssohn on the Beatles the way he did on Bach's music to keep it from disappearing, etc. etc.. Longevity of rock music is a pretty untested area.

Longevity of rock music is a pretty untested area.
I predict that some of the lyrics to "Turn, Turn, Turn" will still be quoted in say, 200 years. :)

The Beatles lost me after Hard Days Night. Them lost me when they renamed themselves 'Van Morrison.' I agree that the Clash's first album (the 'UK' version anyway) was a classic and they quickly degenerated from there. But they're hardly alone in that regard, particularly among the early 'UK' punk outfits.

My wife's sister is Timmy's age and that whole generation really got into their parent's music. My theory is that they didn't have a musical identity of their own. They were growing up with techno and Limp Bizkit. Poor bastards.

I definitely feel that that period was the worst for popular music in the last 50 or so years (if not more). Radiohead got me through it with my musical sanity still intact.

Not helping me keep my sanity - the Iowa/Michigan game right now - this is hideous.

My son is even named after a Dylan character.

So is your son named, Lily, Rosemary, or the Jack of Hearts?

re: McCartney, I had no real use for his solo stuff for a long time, but when Napster was free and innocent seven or eight years ago I decided to see if I could put together a servicable compilation. Verdict: he's pretty unbearable over the length of any given album, but there are 15-20 pop nuggets which make for a damn enjoyable disc. Not one that compares to Plastic Ono Band or anything, but better than a lot of 70s-80s pop.

Them lost me when they renamed themselves 'Van Morrison.'

After Van split from Them in the middle of a Texas tour...they continued on and recorded two tepiddy psyche LP's.

It begins and ends with the Go! Team.

Oddly enough, I actually have a couple of Johnny Horton songs on my MP3 player. Battle of New Orleans is a highly enjoyable song. I'm also fond of Hank Williams Sr. and several others of the original country music and bluegrass singers (Bill Monroe is one of my favorites as well).

I'm lukewarm on the Beatles, but detest Paul's solo work.

Definitely not:
One Toke Over the Line -- Brewer & Shipley

Give B&S;another chance. Much more to them than that one little ditty. Their Tarkio album is a true classic and they had a few other moments of strength.

TDave -- My Mileage Varies; Tarkio is fine but not classic. I don't know much B&S;beyond that -- I'll give it a looksee.
If I'm in the mood for the folk-rock I'll grab Dylan, The Band (stretching the definition a bit), The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, CSN(Y), Flying Burrito Brothers but I'm more of a rocker/jazzer than folkie.

I don't think OTOTL will be heard often in 2044 or 5. Maybe I'm wrong, perhaps by then the War on Drugs will be seen as the abject failure that it is and pot will be legalized.

EDITed for clarity.

Not helping me keep my sanity - the Iowa/Michigan game right now - this is hideous.

Agreed. At least I didn't have to watch it.

Which would be correct if [Johnny Cash and The Clash] weren't both terrible.

Terrible? I'll give you annoyingly popular. Though, both trends seem to have passed.

My wife's sister is Timmy's age and that whole generation really got into their parent's music. My theory is that they didn't have a musical identity of their own. They were growing up with techno and Limp Bizkit. Poor bastards.

It's true. When I was 13, 14, 15, and such that was the crap that was fed to us from the mainstream. I'm hard pressed to name a single mainstream band from the early 00's that actually cared about the music they made. Green Day? (not my style, but at least they're a real band. Later Chili Peppers stuff, I suppose. Foo Fighters.)

What happened was a lot of us (who went to college, at least) was that we veered into listening to our parents' music or finding more recent and obscure stuff (for me, it was Pavement and Sonic Youth) that actually sounded like real music, instead of, like, Linkin Park and Good Charlotte. A lot of kids also got into underground hip hop stuff too, which I enjoy here and there.

Of course, that's at the college ranks. I'm guessing the majority of people my age (20, as it is) still listen to some form of pre-packaged pop-punk nonsense or MTV/BET mainstream rap garbage.



On a side note that actually relates to the article: A friend of mine was friends with Lincecum on Facebook before he made the majors and deleted it, and I thought I remembered him having Nirvana listed under his "favorite music." Musta been wrong, though.

Pavement and Sonic Youth
My 19yo introduced me to Sonic Youth -- I really like "Daydream Nation". Of course they are "new" to an old fogie like me.
I've heard a lot good about Pavement -- I'll add them to my YouTube list to research. As slow as the connection is at work, I've only listened to about a half-dozen songs from previous suggestions in this thread.

I liked Lucky Dube a lot -- listened to about 4 songs. Will be worth an investment.

I listened to "Ai du" by Vieux (Ali) Farka Toure -- Really, really liked. "Bullet the Blue Sky" has been loading for the last half hour -- I'll be able to listen to that in 10 minutes or so.

Back to my spreadsheet. Not not the Stathead kind -- reviewing (yawn) a Project Communications Plan.

One Toke Over the Line -- Brewer & Shipley

Not familiar with that band, but that title is up there with "Cum Stains on the Pillow"

Brewer & Shipley

I saw them back in 1974 as the opening act on that infamous Bruce Springsteen/Anne Murray disaster/riot show (it was the last time Springsteen was not the headliner).

Many people reefed-up during that dopey Brew-Ship song.

I am a really big fan of Modest Mouse. The World at Large is probably my favorite song ever.

I have an I-Tunes play-list called “two guys named Bob”. I wrote my last script almost entirely to their music. [Dylan and Marley] The last piece of dialogue is actually an ode to Marley’s “Redemption Song”, which I believe was his last single.

I find Dylan’s lyrics so amazing at times that it really makes my head spin. In my mind, there’s some universal reservoir out there where every single idea exists. And that guy, when on his game, is TAPPED in, maybe more than any artist before him.

As a side-note, I thought Elliot Smith was a really good songwriter. Memory Lane is an especially great tune about the creative process [I think]

I am a really big fan of Modest Mouse. The World at Large is probably my favorite song ever.

Modest Mouse hit their peak with Moon & Antarctica. Stars are Projectors is insane.

The Clash are terrible? What?

There's just some musical orthodoxy you don't go against, and that's one of them.

Later Chili Peppers stuff, I suppose.

Been listening to some stuff when Hillel Slovak was alive and it's fantastic. Way better than their later stuff, IMO.

My wife's sister is Timmy's age and that whole generation really got into their parent's music. My theory is that they didn't have a musical identity of their own. They were growing up with techno and Limp Bizkit. Poor bastards.

I grew up during this era and, believe me, it was pretty awful. My friends' stony older brothers introduced me to the jam band scene when I was in high shcool (Phish, Widespread Panic, etc.) which I was obsessed with for a while and still like to some extent. Now I listen mostly to classic rock.

The only new music popular with college-aged kids (like myself) today is terrible dance rap and equally terrible "indie" rock. The hipness of it all makes me want to vomit.

The only new music popular with college-aged kids (like myself) today is terrible dance rap and equally terrible "indie" rock.

And get off my lawn, you're making my long-playing records skip!

I don't think OTOTL will be heard often in 2044 or 5.

What about in the year 2525?

And get off my lawn, you're making my long-playing records skip!

Beautiful!
What about in the year 2525?
I accuse you of "Exordium and Terminus"

So is your son named, Lily, Rosemary, or the Jack of Hearts?

No, but I like the sound of Jack of Hearts. I don't think my wife would go for it. I lucked into the first name because she suggested it and so it didn't matter what reason I liked it. Often my reasons for liking a name are sufficient for making my wife disklike the name. As was the case with my favourite Roman Emperor.

I am a really big fan of Modest Mouse. The World at Large is probably my favorite song ever.

I have an I-Tunes play-list called “two guys named Bob”. I wrote my last script almost entirely to their music. [Dylan and Marley] The last piece of dialogue is actually an ode to Marley’s “Redemption Song”, which I believe was his last single.

I love, love, love Modest Mouse. Do you think DIPS is the devil?

The only new music popular with college-aged kids (like myself) today is terrible dance rap and equally terrible "indie" rock. The hipness of it all makes me want to vomit.

As someone who likes "indie" rock, I agree. The hipsters ruin a lot of it. They're really the worst.

The problem is the indie label is fantastically broad. There's mountains of nonsense that fit under that particular umbrella, but a lot of really great stuff too. But of course the hipsters are just the worst.

Do you think DIPS is the devil?

Not quite. I think it’s flawed in the same way as all synthetic analysis: good data, but doesn’t take into account the human element. I really do believe pitchers control the quality of contact against them, through either their location or pure stuff, but it takes a real exception like Chien Ming Wang and his 94 MPH sinker to prove my point. DIPS outliers who possess below grade stuff, however, are often rightfully exposed. I still remember being positive Shawn Chacon was going to win 16 games for the Yankees in ’06. Oops. It’s a really good system on the whole. It definitely isn’t gospel, though. Anyway, I’d hate to start a DIPS war in such a peaceful thread. Gooood vibbess mannnn [paws at disgusting, ratty beard, asks for a handout]

Thirded on hipsters sucking. British hipsters are somewhat better though. Less self consciously ironic, more silly. And they don't just wear earth tones as well.

Though all criticism of hipsters should be tempered with the notion that we aren't THAT different than hipsters..it's just degrees of.

Indie rock is fantastic right now...I don't think you could generalize it as being terrible at all.

I DVR Live from Abbey Road on Sundance, and I really enjoyed the show with Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Indie rock is fantastic right now...I don't think you could generalize it as being terrible at all.

Agreed. Among new music, it's pretty much all I listen to. And I'm 50...

Man, Shawn Chacon is a weird player.

Rookie year-Good
Next year-Bad
year 3-Good
year 4 (moved to closer despite being solid starter)-VERY bad
year 5 (back in rotation) - very good
year 6- total crap
year 7- good

I get this feeling that I am the older generation's "fantasy kid." Well, I'm not a kid anymore (27), but my tastes are vast, my collection is encyclopedic (5000+ CDs, all purchased and not downloaded illegally), and strongly centered on the '60s and '70s and early '80s. From The Monkees to Can, The Beach Boys and The Beatles to Soft Machine and Henry Cow and Frank Zappa, from Aztec Camera and Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen to R.E.M. and Camper Van Beethoven and The Replacements, I cover the gamut.

That said, Pavement and Radiohead are two of the greatest bands of all time on any scale you prefer to use. They may be "modern," but they both trade in the eternal verities of rock music: melody, structure, arrangement, production.

Hell, Pavement is EASILY the greatest band of the 1990's. Once you get past Malkmus' singing (which I enjoy, but which does sometimes put off people who want to hear Scott Walker-ish mastery from their vocalists) and the avant-garde obscurantism of their early lo-fi production, Pavement is the most consistently melodic, hummable, memorable, and inspiring group of that entire decade. I want to encase "Trigger Cut" in platinum and post it on my wall, I love it so much.

P.S. Lincecum shares my philosophy of tolerating songs with naff lyrics just so long as the music moves you.

My big period of musical currency (as in I liked current bands) was the late 80s, and I was big into Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, and Jane's Addiction (all from the same L.A. scene).

If you're in the Bay Area, I recommend you go see my favorite band, Damon and the Heathens. They're a local Oakland band, retro, big horn section, sleazy, vaguely menacing, kick ass. They play gigs in Oakland and S.F. all the time including every week at Cafe Van Kleef.

Pavement and Radiohead

Two of my favorites. I also enjoy The Pogues--don't know how they are seen by kids today if at all. I also still like Peter Gabriel's early stuff, and he is excellent live--saw him twice.