help me understand the appeal of BJM
OK, so I'm an old guy, when I was 16 in 1970 I was listening to Captain Beefheart, The Velvet Underground, Hendrix, The Doors, Zappa, The Beatles of course, and Syd Barret was still in Pink Floyd. Then I had the joy of a succession of musical innovation and brilliance through Glam (Bowie, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Eno (my hero)), and ProgRock (musicianship which is now completely reviled and to be avoided at all cost: Yes, Peter Gabriel's Genesis, Gentle Giant, ELO, ELP, Mahavishnu Orchestra), then Punk! Then New Wave! Too many great bands to mention, an embarrassment of riches all the way.
Then came the 90's. Thud.
SO my question is to people that like the BJM specifically, and "indie" "rock" "music" in general (or to me "pseudo-rebellious" "traditional" "product"), I understand if you like the sound, and there are always good songs, but do you see it as innovative, rebellious or edgy? That's the part I can't figure out. I mean Punk has been around for 30 years and people still act like they've discovered something counterculture, c'mon, Iggy Pop is used to advertise a cruise line for suburbanites nowadays! I'm trying to picture me acting like Mr. Rebel in 1970 by listening to Bing Crosby and Doris Day, what the?!
All through Dig! I hear people that seem credible praising BJM, but I hear nothing in the music that wasn't done better 30 years ago, and back then it really was brilliant and new on top of being good songs. Also people keep talking about Anton being a great musician, he plays all these instruments, etc, but all we see is a pathetically half-a**ed sitar jam and him doinking around on a Fisher Price xylophone... the songs I've heard have nothing but a regurgitation of the old cool psychedelic garage band sound. I saw BJM live once at the Sunset Junction fest a few years ago, I remember the tortured punk schtick being pretty funny (but didn't know he was so messed up for real which would have made it sad), and then some totally unremarkable genre music. His lyrics... someone here actually compared him to Dylan?! Is it really just people losing all rational sense by falling for the idea that because he's a stoned a-hole be must be a genius? (don't just swear at me, how about responding with some lyrics of his to help me change my mind).
I have never cared about a band's image/looks/personality, I just go by the music. So people hating the Dandy Warhols for their look is irrelevant to me. For the record I do hear some interesting stuff in the Dandy's music, they start with the old genre but there are other elements involved, some ambient drone, innovative sounds/instrument treatments/production, hooks, interesting ideas about something other than teenage girl angst relationship/depression cliches, and a post-Phillip Glass "systematic" approach. OK Now the BJM fans will really hate me so as long as I'm at it there are a few other recent bands I like: M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Magnetic Fields, Fiery Furnaces, Chemical Brothers (hey Anton - The Pills Won't Help You Now!), a few others and 3 that have been around since 1970, never compromised - record deal, MTV or whatever - Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and Sparks!
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Downloads of Ambient & Neo-classical Music : http://music.download.com/dj_dreamstream