I think we all want Radiohead to be the smart arena rock band again from the Bends to Amnesiac era.

It’s better than the King of Limbs.

People felt the same way after the Beatles, Clash, Smiths, Nirvana, Talking Heads, etc. broke up. The old records don’t go away; you’ll always have those to go back to. It’s better than watching them slide into a long R.E.M. like decline; who could have imagined what would happen to that band around the time Automatic for the People came out? There always will be something new, exciting, and not quite the same, but that’s the nature of music. So it goes.

So I guess nobody likes Death Grips and a lot of people like Alt-J but won’t admit it. Love that Father John Misty and Divine Fits are well liked by the ‘Gum.

I didn’t really see why that was necessary. A lot of people really liked The Suburbs. As someone who was raised there, I spent my senior year of high school driving through mall parking lots with that album as a soundtrack. The Clash are undeniably a greater band, but there’s no need to diss a merely great record at the expense of a classic one.

Thanks for not posting the number one album this time as the thumbnail!

How many dads actually listen to Scott Walker though?

I don’t think this is as bad as you make it out to be. At least they’re trying to stay topical. It’s okay, but not that bad.

As sincere as Chris may be about “the need to change ourselves,” this is not a realistic path to achieving change. I am a musician myself who tries to get people to buy my records, but the allure of unlimited free music is undeniable. I support artists with merchandise and concert tickets when I can, but I feel like I’m with most people who are somewhat troubled by downloading but continue to do it anyway. So what is the answer to this?

We cannot regulate the internet in a Big Brother sort of way by blocking certain content. This is what SOPA chose to do and it had scary implications for free speech and civil liberties. We should focus on making supporting business models like Lala that did actually provide some sort of feasible income for the artist. Surprisingly, many people still do buy music that they really, as evidenced by significant album sales by Adele, Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, etc. We’re just going to have to find new ways to introduce/license music for maximum audiences to hear it, find business models that are affordable and support artists, and be realistic about where we are as a culture.

I can dig it.

Is rock dead as a genre that will continue to evolve, shape the musical landscape, and remain vital? Serious question. Why or why not?

I don’t think many would say that there is no good music being released, but an albums like Shields and Centipede Hz (whatever their merits) are never going to have the potential to reach more people like say Elephant or Good News for People Who Like Bad News have. You can see the crossover in other genres from vaguely “alternative”/left of center artists (see Frank Ocean with 300k sales this year), but just not in “indie rock.”