Throughout college I found a lot of deals on used CDs for bands whose music was hard to find online (or just wasn't sold in mp3 format) and liked doing that because I wouldn't have to pay a lot of money for a brand new CD when most of the new ones I got were barely used (and in some cases even brand new because of overstock). Also, if my computer crashed or I reinstalled the OS, I wouldn't have to worry about backing up the music.
I'm not a music snob by any means (I'm embarrassed to show anyone my playlist) but I don't think the CD format is (or should be) totally dead.
As much as technology makes music more accessible (and easier to discover stuff we wouldn't have otherwise given a chance to listen to), having instant gratification (click, download, listen) somehow doesn't feel as fully gratifying as having an actual CD in your hand (or even better, waiting for it to ship and checking your mailbox everyday) and epically putting it into your CD tray. I think it's that Enneagram 4 speaking again.
Though the cost effectiveness of technology doesn't hurt either. Today I opened up my drawer full of coins (still don't have a job—at least not a fulltime one), put it in a coin pouch, redeemed for an Amazon gift card, and bought Third Eye Blind's new album, Ursa Major, for just about four bucks.
Stephan Jenkins gave an interview saying that the band is misconceived as a pop group that makes catchy tunes (Semi-Charmed, Jumper, etc.) but that they've always been indie. Personally I don't know why people obsess over labels. I don't care if you want to call yourself true pop or true rock or true asian techno, I just listen to the music because I like it, and having a few mainstream catchy hits isn't a mortal sin a band should feel guilty about.
I love Third Eye Blind, but I can't pinpoint why, other than their good combo of feel good late 90s pop rock songs (Never Let You Go and 1000 Julys being some of my favorites), slow chill out songs (Slow Motion, Camouflage, Knife in the Water, Darkness), and probably a touch of Stephan Jenkins' charisma (he seems obnoxiously full of himself but also projects the vulnerability to get away with it). However, it's not a band I would credit with lyrically affecting me as deeply as someone as Sufjan Stevens for example (completely different style, I know, but it's still applicable to me especially in the spiritual sphere).
Still, 3eb is fun and I feel it has something to say (or maybe not something to say as much as there is "experiencing with") to aimless 20 somethings and facing the notion that our adolescent angsts of feeling isolated, finding God/purpose, and straight guys falling in love with their lesbian friend never really ended, but that we just grew through them.
That was supposed to make sense somehow. Here's the big bear.
No comments:
Post a Comment