I truly hate to be *that guy*, saying how "nothing is how it used to be". And it's true (with the exception of very obvious things such as hula hoops. They still suck as much as they used to.) Cars aren't the same, food isn't the same, and Rock and Roll definitely isn't the same. Obviously my point here is Rock. It's DEFINITELY different, and people SAY it's different all the time, but no one gives a reason for why it's different, and they don 't explain what it has become. Luckily for you, me being the genius I am, I've figured it out.
I was watching the MTV Music Awards, looking for the obligatory performance or appearance of Dave Grohl, and I got it, but what I was treated to afterwards was the host of the show talking to a band called Foster the People. He literally said something along the lines of "so, I guess you guys are kind of carrying the torch for rock and roll this year aren't you?" So, being the naive kid I am, I went looking for them. And I was 'treated' to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ&ob=av2e . Look, it's all fine and dandy if people make this music, and it's all fine and dandy if people enjoy this music, but don't label it what it isn't. This ISN'T rock. Which begs the question, how could a self proclaimed music channel EVER get that mixed up? It's confusion. Rock is changing. More than it ever has.
What WAS Rock:
I'm sure everyone has seen some cliched clip of a movie or a TV show in which a stoner tries to explain why something is "rock and roll". Rock and Roll was edgy. It was what was COOL. Rock isn't at all about the music, but rather the culture, or "scene". EVERYONE knows about the stereotypical rock star. John Bonham choked on his own vomit after consuming WAY too much vodka for breakfast. The Who smashed their guitars. Countless rock stars drove cars into hotel pools. I'll let my best friend Murray explain it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKXMT91Rlc8 He's got it right. Rock and roll was not really about the music. It was about being on the cutting edge. It was about being gutsy. I went to go see Them Crooked Vultures in Seattle. Three of the biggest rock stars of their era: Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones. These are members of some of the most cutting edge bands with some of the most hardcore fans (Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, and Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age) of their time. They had just gotten done playing a MONSTROUS Spinning in the Daffodils, when JPJ hopped on over to the piano. What he ended up playing was essentially and piano recital. And it was ROCK. People went NUTS. The same people that went nuts for Kurt's wailing, Bonzo's drum smashing, and Josh's thrashing were now going nuts for a PIANO recital. The moment was glorious. It was like EVERYONE was connected, and the fact that John Paul Jones had the guts to do that WAS Rock and Roll.
Where Has Rock Culture Shifted?:
This is actually the easiest of the answers: DUBSTEP. It's the music the older generations hate, and do not understand. It's edgy. If someone is a punk now, they don't listen to punk rock. They listen to dubstep. It is the new edge. Every artist between Justin Bieber and Korn is trying to get in on it. It's the culture. It's the same culture as the Zeppelin Fans. It even hearkens back to the Flapper Girls. It's cyclical. Rock was never made to last. Nothing is. Rock will always have loyal fans like myself, but it's the thing of the past.
What Is Rock Now?:
Well, this is the most depressing part of this entry. If people like the host of MTV are to be listened to, it's dead. Foster the People isn't rock. Nothing about it has any similarity to the rock I know and love. Of course, the MTV people AREN'T to be listened to, and there are PLENTY of excellent rock bands out there (which is pretty much why this blog exists). But the point is, excellent rock isn't the norm anymore. It's a rarity. Which makes me sad. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, considering I'm only 18 years old, and ASSUMING that times before mine were just BRIMMING with excellent rock bands (which I know isn't true.) but I do know that rock is changing. It's not the same, and probably never will be again. Long live Rock and Roll.
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