I was over on the MySpace punk rock forums, arguing with liberals, and some gal said “I hate Green Day. They’ve sold out. They’re so corporate. Every kid in America likes them now.”
I replied:
I think that Green Day are outstanding. Anyone who can write a great song has my vote, no matter if it’s punk rock, country or jazz.
I also love Rancid. The “Out Come the Wolves” album mainly….it’s got like 20 great songs on it. Most bands don’t write TWO great songs in their whole career.
I also worked with the engineer who did that album, he said the guys in the band are truly like brothers, and deeply care about each other. I was really happy to hear that for some reason.
Other than those two bands, I don’t pay much attention to much newish punk rock. What I have heard of recent punk and hardcore mostly sucks…..doesn’t have much spark or depth. And has little or no melody. Just a lot of testosterone and loud guitars…Bloodless….facile….All look and no ass.
Most of my favorite music either came out in the early 80s on Dischord Records or Alternative Tentacles, or is some demo pressed in a limited edition of 100, recorded on cassette in a garage somewhere like Akron…or a cave in Belarus.
What’s wrong with a band being popular? Does that make them suck? Or do you think they’ve changed somehow musically to accommodate/promote their popularity.
“Know Your Enemy” is a fantastic song. As good, or better, than anything ever written by Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Naked Raygun, The Clash or the Ramones. Or whatever unknown band is “hot” this week.
I don’t listen to the radio or watch MTV, so I don’t really have a sense of over-saturation. I’m not sick of them. Are you sick of them? Is that what you don’t like about them being popular?
Or is it that you liked them when they were indie, and felt like you had some “ownership” of them, that they were you’re little secret, and that got tainted or taken away by the mere fact of lots of kids in malls being into them.
When you like a band, don’t you wish them well? Don’t you want them to make enough money to not have to sleep on floors, to be able to not live in a shitbag apartment, to keep making music without breaking up because they’re starving?
Or are they only “pure” when they’re starving?
I’m trying to understand why a band being popular = bad in your mind (and a lot of people’s minds.)
Also, on a semi-related note: I always laugh at the irony of punk rockers (popular or unknown) who write songs complaining about how evil corporations are, and play them on guitars made by huge corporations, record on gear made by huge corporations, press CDs, a technology developed by huge corporations, spam the world via MySpace (owned by FOX, a huge corporation), and get in vans made by huge corporations and drive around to clubs singing their anti-corporate protest songs.
Michael W. Dean
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