Friday, May 13, 2011

Moving trucks


I apologise if the blog has been a bit nostalgic and reflective this week but I think that's a byproduct of me moving house this upcoming weekend. As such, I've had no time to listen to new music and have spent a lot of hours sorting through my possessions in preparation for the temporary move burb-ward. As such, blogging may become slightly more sporadic while I move but one last thought on music and time. When I was in my final year of high school, Nevermind came as a bolt out of the blue. In a world of popular music dominated by Phil Collins, Mariah Carey and Dire Straits, Nirvana reaching number one seemed like a win for the good guys. Compared to the mainstream, it was a primal howl of defiance and alienation which united the 'kids' against the old fogies of rock. It felt like a reclamation of the musical discourse - wrestling it away from the music industry and press who seemed content on endlessly championing the 60's and MOR schlock. It was an exciting time because there was just a glimpse that things could change.

Of course, there was no revolution. Capitalism is a self correcting machine so even the most primal howls of nihilism railing against the running dogs of capital could be consumed, diluted and distributed at K-Mart. Listening to Nevermind twenty years later (yes it is TWENTY years), it sounds like a great pop record which is good to singalong to while packing and cleaning. I'm sorry Kurt but your art is now the soundtrack to my domestic chores. We all know Kurt couldn't stand the scrutiny of the press in the 90's so who knows what he would have made of the age of social networking and blogs like this. Still, those opening chords to Teen Spirit still raise the pulse slightly and if you haven't seen the video above, it's well worth checking out for the definitive version of that song.

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