Oh my lord. Will there even be music next year?

SOOOOO I had an interesting interaction with Kanye recently….

http://happymusicsadmusic.blog.com/2013/06/21/i-wonder-if-kanye-west-is-a-nice-person/

Such an underappreciated band. Emergency & I is seriously one of the best albums I have ever heard, both musically and lyrically. Cannot wait for this album.

I don’t know about you guys but I’m pretty stoked on hearing it. *shrug*

This is super interesting. It seems like a catchy pop song is more likely to be a “crossover hit” if it comes from the top. Taylor Swift or Ke$ha have no artistic integrity to lose, because they’re part of the commercial machine, so if they pump out an ear worm there’s less shame in a member of the “indie” audience admitting they like it than there is in defending an indie artist who is potentially pandering to a mainstream audience.

I don’t really know what to make of this. Part of me is happy that “indie culture” is shedding its infamous, pretentious hipster stereotype by being open to decent mainstream pop songs, but the fact that there is so much truth behind the sentiment “Hipsters like Justin Timberlake and Beyonce in 2013, not the National” makes me pretty uncomfortable, despite the fact that I’m not even a big fan of the National. Part of me wants douchey elitism to prevail so there’s at least something counteracting the inane bullshit that occupies top 40 radio the majority of the time. I like to think that the rising indie demand contributes to the quality pop songs that come out, and thus blurs the indie-mainstream dichotomy to make popular music less insufferable in general. But that dichotomy still needs to exist for universally appealing artists like Kanye West to continue making music that is interesting. I could be completely off with my perception on this whole thing though.

I dunno man.

take it up with my parents.

I’m too positive this album will be great.

“Grandkids”

“WE DIDN’T MEAN TO BE POPULAR WE PROMISE”

Thanks, Tom. Comparing the band to James and Ocean Colour Scene is a good way of letting me know I need to stay the hell away from them!

While not liking an album/ giving it poor reviews is totally justifiable, what sticks out as bullshit about this situation in hindsight is the whole “Liz Phair betrayed indie blah blah blah” nonsense that a lot of people bandied about (and still do, really). As long as you’re making musical choices on your own volition, more power to you. Artists are completely in their rights to make something as accessible or inaccessible as they damn well please. Listeners who demand artists to adhere to a certain set of standards regarding quality or sound or whatever and act as if they’ve been personally wronged if they don’t, on the other hand, just come across as extraordinarily childish.

If you care about music at all, sign this petition now: http://wh.gov/lOkow

OH come on! Having “Pigs” and “Dogs” up there but no “Sheep” (which is easily one of their best songs) is absurd. This list smells of casual listener.

How long til we can stop paying attention to this band? Seriously, if this album is full of more self-indulgent crap like Congratulations was (with the exception of the title track), why should we listen to this one?

Kim, I will date you. Some of my comments on stereogum have had up to and including 6 up-votes. Intrigued?