The City Veins

Well, it’s been a while since I blogged. After reading Aaron and Spencer’s posts I feel like I should comment. To me, and countless other music fans, there is virtually no difference between The Clash and Led Zepplin. I view The Clash as one of the pioneering bands who helped to create the punk scene, and a band who lacks melody and relied too heavily on image rather than substance. I never really got into them. Does that make me a moron? Who knows. Led Zepplin to me are the quintessential classic rock band, a category that to me, basically means they rely too heavily on the blues, annoying sexual yelling, and too little clothing. Oh, and they’re British. This is not to say that either group is not talented musicians. Though the Clash, I’m not too sure about. Zepplin could play. Neither is my style though.

I have been bashed for years about this (as well as my hatred for Stevie Wonder). How can you not like Zepplin they demanded…….? Easy, I like melody. While I can appreciate jazz for it’s free flowing style and intricate musicianship, I would never listen to it on purpose. The same thing with Phish, world music, and Yanni. Jazz, The Clash, and Zepplin fall into the same category as rap to me. No melody and heavily overrated. It’s fine if you like them, it’s better than liking Fall Out Boy, I guess. Why? I’m not too sure but I think it has something to do with how annoying Pete Wentz and his skinny jeans are.

That being said, I can honestly say I know more obscure bands than anyone I know except for Charles and Aaron, and possibly Spencer, he’s starting to rack them up. My normal friends (non-musicians) have no idea who the hell I am listening to, and they mostly hate it. Charles and Aaron would probably call these bands too mainstreamy or not interesting enough for them. I get nailed everytime I put on a Ryan Adams album because he sounds too much like Neil Young. It’s interesting because I absolutely hate everything about Neil Young. I love Ryan Adams….go figure. I can’t really stand Q and Not U and I almost killed myself at TV On the Radio’s 9:30 club show. Yet I can listen to old Richard Marx, Michael Bolton, Josh Groban, and the latest song by Daughtry and sleep fine at night. Yes, I said it. I’m a Michael Bolton fan. I have accepted that I have a wide array of musical tastes. Wider than most. What I don’t agree with is believing that you have better taste in music simply because you listen to more bands that no one appreciates or no one has heard of. (There could be a reason for this). Listening to 100 indie unsigned bands doesn’t mean you are smarter than me because I have a Gin Blossoms CD in my changer. Knowing who Q and Not U is rather than Tom Langford (who?) doesn’t impress me. I prefer Tom Langford (he’s a reasonably unknown folk-alternative rock singer/songwriter who is played occasionally on XM radio). Why do all of the unknown artists have to qualify as hip…which usually means annoying? Some dude with an acoustic guitar and a nice voice isn’t worth trashing just because Dylan did it better 30 years ago.
In sum, arguing over The Clash and Zepplin is like arguing over the first or second Bush administration. Pretty much the same idea, nothing too impressive, nothing to really get riled up about…. except for maybe the current state of the Iraq War and putting us through 27 minutes of Dazed and Confused. The Clash can escape this one without an insult for now.