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• Saturday, December 8, 2007 07:49 AM

  Ok, let me try to pin down what constitutes 'good' music

  Many seem to think that Reynolds and Sasha-Free's analysis hinges on the 'black/white' musical dichotomy, but I think what they generally are against is not 'non-black' or 'white' music per se, but a type of faux-folk, immasculated type of music that seems to dominate the mainstream of 'indi'. The Decembrists and Wilco are the biggest offenders on this point, but even bands like the New Pornographers (who I like), can be fall into this category.

  By contrast, 'good music' is not simply music that has a heavy black influence. The allusion in this article to mid 80s hardcore bands make that clear. But rather, bands that express a 'soulfull whiteness', i.e. which aggressivly, but somewhat ironically express their isecurities, ideology, and anger not so much in the lyrics, but in the dissonant nature of the music. This wouldn't only apply to straight punk bands, but to geeky 'post-punk' bands such as Devo, Talking Heads, early XTC, Suicide, all the No Wave bands, etc. I.e. bands which bring a lot of their innovation to the front in their songs, as oppossed to through 'subtle' production based texture and b.s. self knowing lyrics, and stinky retro.

  So an aggressive musical voice is what I think these authors are getting at when they think of 'good' indi music. If that's the case, then I agree.

  —jabolo Read jabolo's other letters
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