The Blessings of Being Disconnected
Honestly,
I don't think of myself as disconnected from pulp culture. I get
around online. I flip through channels on the TV
occasionally. I usually have at least seen the headlines of
whatever ridiculous tabloid news story is cluttering up modern
media. I even heard Bruce Jenner's voice for the first time in 25
years today!
So, when Billboard magazine comes out declaring the
"Biggest One-Hit-Wonder of the Decade" I might expect to have crossed
paths with the title track. Well... how about never heard it, and
never even heard _of_ it!
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/94844/bad-day-named-one-hit-wonder-of-the-decade/The
editors at Yahoo! music have helpfully provided a link to the music
video [which is an oxymoron I've almost stopped whining about after 25
years of MTV... ALMOST]. Warning: if you haven't heard this
before, hide all razor blades and service revolvers first. And
get some caffiene in you just to be sure - we wouldn't the depression
this induces to make your heart stop altogether.
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--14168054The article goes on to give the rest of the top five,
"
Coming
in at number 2 on Billboard's one-hit wonder list is the Terror Squad
for "Lean Back"; number 3 is Crazy Town with "Butterfly"; number 4 is
MIMS with "This Is Why I'm Hot"; and number 5 is D4L's "Laffy Taffy."
There
are also links to those other videos. I'll save you the trouble
of cliking through and point out that they all sound like
indistinguishable rap tracks without even a novel hook or groove.
If you want to watch heavy-set guys in goofy jackets swing their arms
back and forth while big-bootied dancing girls jiggle on top of car
hoods, feel free to watch with the sound off.
Here's the thing I
don't get... in today's world, where it is so easy and cheap to listen
to only what you want, and anything you want, any time, any place - why
is it that people allow themselves to be exposed to this crap??
Earlier to day I was skimming through some guy's gigundous collection
of what he calls "hair metal". [He's wrong, it's mostly east
coast punk with a little midwestern crunch and just a pinch of L.A.
glam, but I won't argue about it today!]
Quickly I was spending an hour searching for a track from
http://www.myspace.com/fromtheinsidevaughnI'd
like to play you the song Losing Game, and have you tell me that it
doesn't have the most perfect chorus in pop/rock music, but, um... well
it doesn't seem to be online anywhere. Yep, that's the downside
of following zero-hit-wonders! But it's so much more personal and
rewarding than allowing double-regurgitated hyper-crap to be crammed
down your throat!! [UPDATE: follow the Amazon link below, play
the sample for Losing Game, and you'll hear what I mean]
A great
example of how wonderful it is to live in this new world, where
everything is not just connected but YOU are in control, is I can
follow the career of a stellar young talent from, say, Sweden!
Tåve Wanning - Love it Loud
Ms
Wanning at last report was in the Swedish Music Conservatory and
fronting what has to be the most awesome college band this side of the
river Styx.
http://www.myspace.com/kindofnastyLove Loud!