I witnessed two police cruisers flying down a main drag in front of my work tonight. I was just in the parking lot when the blaring sirens and shimmering lights danced and bounced off of the front window of the store front. The record store I work at is on this fantastic intersection between a Police headquarters and a fire station. All day, ever day, we bare witness to dozens of vehicles speeding and dodging down the road, usually barrelling towards the major highway that resides just over one kilometre from our front stoop. I wish I could say that we play some sort of game guessing how many will dart past that day, but usually I just stare out the windows for a moment to remind myself that the world outside is still present and dangerous. I then continue to collect discs, buff scuffs, and price merchandise.
Today I think I heard the same compact disc four or five times. I think I have discovered the art of completely ignoring the music that plays up above. We have great freedom to play what we wish, but after seven years your mind compacts everything you once loved into the categories of "Store Playable" and "You will enjoy this when you get home." It can be rather depressing when you realize that you have actually started to not listen to favourite bands based on the very idea that you can listen to them when you work if you really need your fix. As I write this, I am listening to Beggars by Thrice.
I picked this album up shortly after its release back in 2009. Though I am not normally a Thrice fan, they destroyed all my expectations after they released the four part Alchemy Index just a couple of years prior. My point for referencing this album is that, for the first time since 2009, I am listening to this album outside of work.
Who else has fallen into this trap? Our Lady Peace, The Cardigans, The Foals, The Tea Party, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sigur Ros, The Stills, Coldplay...
What I am trying to say is that I think I can finally go back and listen to bands that I tried to avoid for quite some time. Maybe the next time someone asks if I would be okay listening to some Death Cab for Cutie I will reply with "Yes sir or madam, I would love to!" Instead of the standard "only if it's one of these two albums that never come through my work because of reasons."
It also amazes me how, working at a CD shop, fans can ruin everything. I used to like the Black Keys until I realized why everyone else liked them. Now I can't listen to them through the general popular opinion. This may sound like the standard record store employee bull shit but please, hear my plight.
All people talk about is how "innovative" and "unique" The Black Keys are, but all I hear is a cross between The White Stripes and Robert Johnson. Do I take great pride in relating bands to one another? Only mildly. El Camino sounds like Brothers sounds like Attack & Release.
Of course, I am not aloud to say such things at work, even though they love to do it to other people in the news. The fans become irate and they feel like they have to defend this friend who takes all their money to release the same album over and over and over.
You are aloud to like what you like. I am not saying that The Black Keys do not deserve the career that they have. I am not saying that if you like The Black Keys that your opinion is less valid. I am not saying that I am immune to the comments I make, and I am far from saying that I have a better music taste than anyone else. I do not think that I like my music for "better reasons." I just feel like people need to actually sit down and realize what they are supporting. The public needs to realize that there is so much more out there.
For instance: do you like two piece blues throwback bands? Check out the Lullaby Arkestra. A couple from Toronto who cross blues with a bizar gospel-esque feel. Fantastic live performance, and they just have so much fun doing what they do. Actually, I think that would be a really neat pairing. Lullaby Arkestra opening for The Black Keys. I would pay for that.
This is the part that I could start going on about how horrible record labels are for the music industry, but I really do not agree with that idea. Do I think that labels are pumping out the same shit every year? Hell yes. Do I blame the labels? Hell no. If they thought that they could make money on something different, then I am sure they would release something different. With proper interest from investors they might fund it in such a way that even mainstream radio stations would bother to play it. I don't even know if I believe the idea that labels are bothering to carrel public music tastes as a whole as to make one sound popular. The music industry is a strange beast. An artist like Gotye could be made famous Canada wide thanks to a cover done by a pop group based out of Burlington using one guitar. The time gap between that video and Walk Off the Earth's major label début (January 6, 2012 - March 19, 2013) leads me to believe that this was a genuine social find as opposed to the idea of it being set up by a bunch of dudes sitting around a table in a board room on the moon.
-END-
Now; some recommendations.
Winston's Essentials
Look into the bands on this list. Polyvinyl is this strange beast where you really do get the impression that they will release anything as long as they think it is awesome. This collection of bands are stupid fun and rather great. Check some out.
EDIT: the Half Life 3 thing I read was false. Sorry about that!
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