DISCLAIMER: I'm going to break my own rules and just state that I listen to any kind of music, from Dashboard Confessional to Iron Maiden, from Kelly Clarkson to Dilated Peoples, from Van Morrison to Montell Jordan (but not Nickelback, lol). Bands you hear all the time, bands you never hear. And I always appreciate a friend telling me about a cool new band they found, if I like their songs I will add them to my collection. That's not what this is about. It's about the people who tell you about something 'underground' and think they are your musical savior, come from on high to deliver you from the evil that is 'popular music'.
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I'm in the car the other day, giving my roommate's friends a ride to work (because I'm that kind of guy), and my iPod starts playing that new Taking Back Sunday song "Make Damn Sure". The guy in the backseat pipes up and says, "This song sucks, it's all over the radio. Their first album was the best. If you want some better music you should listen to the [insert band nobody has heard of]."

I <span>hate</span> underground music snobs. Why does a song playing on the radio make it bad? It is popular for a reason! Good beat, good instrumentals, good lyrics/harmonies. Nobody listens to your garage bands because they 1) can't play their instruments, 2) scream into the mic, and 3) have lyrics that were written while knee-deep in an acid trip (I know I'm stereotyping, but stay with me). Now don't get me wrong, there are extremes at the other end of the spectrum. I get annoyed when I have to go to a party with the TRL countdown playing on the CD player. But with some people, you can't get through a conversation without them name-dropping some 'underground' music. Do they do it to make themselves feel cool? Music isn't about music anymore, it's about who's the most original and 'indie' band out there (nothing wrong with originality, but hopefully you get my point).

The underlying question is this: Why should I listen to the musical opinions of somebody who doesn't care about the music but the social status/popularity accompanied with the music?

I know I'm venting, but do you guys run into this a lot? Am I way off base for calling them out as frauds? I find the best thing to say is, "Nope, never heard of them," and change the subject. But I like music for music, not what happens off stage/on camera.

Although I tried to avoid it... When MM 'exploded onto the scene' a few years ago I may have said "Yeah, this song's catchy and all, but ya really gotta check out their older stuff" a time or two.

It's a weird love/hate thing when music you like is thrust into mainstream consciousness... you know deep down they deserve the recognition and $$$, but it's GROSS seeing them on TRL and hearing their songs in the background on car commercials.

But hey, What can you expect... after all........

that minivan commercial threw me for a loop. my friends also freaked out about the shins song in the mcdonald's commercial, and i personally freaked out at the iron and wine cover of such great heights in an m&ms commercial. it's the WORST COVER EVER of a great song, and it's sooooo weird to hear it on a candy commercial.

and i will assert my p.i.f. self and say i liked mm before the moon etc. but i still like that album the best. mostly because i love to sing

I DO NOT NEED YOU TO TELL ME THAT I'M NOT A CAT

:D

OMG hyacinth i couldnt agree with you more. People tell me all the time, "omg the iron & wine cover of such great heights is the most amazing song ever." That song FUCKING SUCKS. IT'S TERRIBLE. And the worst part is, I can tell that everyone that says they like it just says that so they can sound like an "underground music snob", because they know a cover song of a band they think is so obscure, even though it really isn't anymore.

I'm with you guys. I love music for what it is, not who's heard of it.

Screw MTV, VH1 or any songs that anyone knows about that you can hear on the radio. Check this out. LOL!

just kidding...still couldnt help but post this

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This doomed guy is just tryin to start shit by acting like a nit. How does their popularity have anything to do with how the music sounds?? Maybe he's just "that guy"

Figured id throw the lyrics in to Know it All. The song is exactly about underground people.

<pre>Look at the world in disbelief You used to follow
- now you lead College has enlightened you And
you are proud to be different And like different bands
- different types You ain't nobody's fool It's like certain
bands remind you of someone you hated 'Cause they
didn't wear the right clothing And there's only one true
fashion Alot of the bands on the college charts are
great bands until they get signed. Then you hate
them It's such bullshit - you used to love them you
hypocrite I remember you and I listening to bands
that we liked Only the songs mattered to you But now
you're a D.J. and preaching that hype "Corporate Rock Sucks"
"You know, college radio enlightens you"
It's supposed to serve as a means to expose new bands
without prejudice, but it makes no sense Safe harbor
for the underground 'Til the alternative becomes the popular sound
The bands are good 'til they make enough cash
to eat food and get a pad Then they're sold out
and their music is cliché Because talent's exclusive to bands without pay
Know it all - Did you really listen to that song?
Could you ever write what you call wrong?</pre>

My stance is that I have no respect for people who exploit themselves as musicians without letting the music speak for itself. They have to make a flashy video, or have their record company payola the radio stations to overplay their stuff. Their are a lot of bands/artists out there that sell TONS of records, but aren't plastered on MTV's Laguna Beach soundtrack, or carving a black hole in your brain as far as creativity.

The beauty of this is, although I have no researched evidence, is that a LOT of pop music is one hit wonders that were exploited heavily and had a "catchy" beat. That being said, you never hear from a lot of these bands after their one or two hits. Music is an artform, and only the true artists can transcend time and make their music last for a long time.

A good example of the exploitation is anyone who wins american idol. Can anyone honestly say they enjoy seeing that gray haired fellow singing about Fords 25 times per day?

Just so you don't think I'm an emo snob, here is some of my favorite musicians/bands:

Led Zeppelin
Floyd
Hendrix
Pearl Jam
Tool
Beatles
Dylan
Doors
etc.

Most of my favorite bands (Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Jayhawks, Dinosaur Jr) have never even sniffed a hit single. When Nirvana blew up 15 years ago it looked like musical attitudes might change, but it was a fluke and never did.

I guess I am a snob in the sense that I think that music has to be dumbed-down, castrated, and homogonized to be viable for radio. I never listen to music on the radio anymore. Only talk.

And I did abandon REM shortly after Green came out (1988?). I don't think it had much to do with them getting popular and being on the radio (i felt kinda vindicated after years of loyal support), but I think their music changed and I hated their politics as I discovered my own.

See, when somebody does the "have you heard their first album? It's way better", that's what gets to me. When I hear a song for the first time, I shut out everything about who the band is, where they're from, their past songs, and just <span>listen to the song.</span> What does it matter if Taking Back Sunday had a great first album, if you like the new song, that shouldn't factor into your equation. There shouldn't be the caveat of "well it's good, but not AS good..."

Anyways, I'm glad the majority agrees for the most part. I had to get that off my chest, because living in a hippie/college town, I am surrounded by the square-glasses-coffee-shop-emo-kids (and it's not just emo, it's everywhere) all the time.

P.S. hyacinthgirl, I wasn't insinuating Dashboard was 'small-time', lol. They were on the freakin' Spiderman soundtrack for crying out loud. I was just trying to include emo, classic rock, hip-hop, pop, ect. into my musical tastes.

If content and quality are lacking, I agree the song will suck. I'm not saying I will listen to any music and say, "OMG it is great!" I'm saying that if I like a new song that immediately earns me the lecture about the old songs.

Does liking a newer album mean I automatically hate the old one? Pompous music snobs seem to think so. And that is a fatal error in logic.