Just a thought

When I was a teenager, I was very reluctant to give new artists a shot. I had spent most of my childhood building a foundation in 90's alternative rock as it was happening, and had become drastically disillusioned with the idea of "current" music - a direct effect from the influx of horrendous artists that emerged between 98-01. I would like to go on record as saying that this period was one of the worst ever in terms of mainstream music. With alternative rock acts becoming old hat, the scene defaulted back into pop - really bad pop. Boy bands, nu metal, rap rock, dinosaur rock acts returning to great success. When indie started getting back in style again with the "garage revival", I really wasn't interested anymore. My tastes had moved into the past, building up my classic rock and post punk collections. I really didn't wake up and smell the coffee until about 2006, when a legion of new artists like Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs had already released their milestone records (for the record. I was into some new bands such as The White Stripes, but I could have been much more active in the music scene).

In recent years, I've been making up for lost time, and am much more immersed in current music. This being said, there are some artists I feel like I just don't need in my life. The Black Keys for instance. They're a good band. I listened to their new album, Brothers, the other day and it was very enjoyable. I just don't feel like this is something I'm going to be going back to years from now. Another example is Band Of Horses who I just watched on Letterman a few minutes ago. A good tune, sort of catchy - completely unnecessary to have to hear again. It's a shame, because when I see people responding positively to an artist, I kind of always want to be in on it, but ultimately I only have so much room in my brain. I keep a watchful ear on everything out there and am always interested in new sounds. A group like Band Of Horses though I feel won't stand the test of time. I feel their legacy will be viewed like the way we look at a band like Tripping Daisy now - clever, but pretty much disposable.