PureVolume

All I see is bands that hide behind good singers, or gimmicks. Music is sound and can only be experienced through the ears, therefore, what a musician is wearing, how his hair is, what brand of clothing he's wearing, are pointless. They don't have any effect on the product. Anyone who is drawn into hype may listen to music that is actually an illusion. Just because your friend says they're good, doesn't mean they are. What we are experiencing these days is an overabundace of bland bands. While this does suck, it is also prepping the stage for newer, breakthrough styles to come shining through. Can I go and see bands like Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, or the Beatles? No. I, like many others, am truly ashamed of the quality of my generations music. We are either repeating the past, or hiding behind gimmicks or scenes. Many songs we hear are the product of a multitude of people. Producers, sound engineers, musicians, and most importantly, popular influence. Whats left is a dim shadow of what was originally a good idea for a song. Imagine a cookie cutter mentality towards song writing. Now you can argue this by showing the popularity of certain bands or songs, but think about it. Your average person, and there are millions, are the ones who determine what is and isn't popular. What is popular determines what peoples opinions are. Now what makes an average person like a song? Where did they hear it? Do they know someone in the band? Do they like the attitude that the band portrays? I challenge anyone reading this to ask random people a simple question. "Whats your favorite kind of music?" A simple question but a complicated answer, at least for most people. You will find that many people actually don't have an opinion of music. They prefer what is there. Whatever is on the radio, whatevers on TV, whatever their friend put on their iPods. Now knowing this, when we see a musician or group experiencing popularinty, we must question it. Why is this particular music popular? A fad? Agreeable lyrics? Or is it because, god forbid, the music is good. Now it all boils down to opinion. And as you've seen, most people don't have one. Train your ears to hear skillful musicians. Don't be afraid to scrutinize the song and compare it the the great songs of the past. Originality. Style. Talent. These are things that have been missing from modern music for sometime. We don't want to hear more of the same. We don't want to hear bland bands hiding behind a singer. We don't want to SEE music, we want to HEAR it. And if there's nothing to hear, then we forget how to listen.