================================================ Subject: Re: Rock From: "Debbi" To: Date: Sat 3 Nov 2001 21:39:33 -0800 ================================================ I'm appalled that you never mentioned The Alarm. Simply appalled. -----Original Message----- From: Creed Discussion List [mailto:CREED-DISCUSS@WINDUPLIST.COM] On Behalf Of Marc Levitt Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2001 4:59 PM To: CREED-DISCUSS@WINDUPLIST.COM Subject: Rock I'll reply to some of the other comments later...but for now I'd just like to say that I think rock is in a wonderful state. Since the emergence of hip-hop, the alternative music scene reclaimed its name and went back underground. Bands like Wilco, Sunny Day Real Estate, Whiskeytown, The Get Up Kids, Sonic Youth, Built to Spill, Calexico, Stephen Malkmus (and previously Pavement), Modest Mouse, the (now broken-up) Afghan Whigs, Yo La Tengo, the list goes on...have been producing amazing music for years that has been going under the nose of radio listeners. But there's no doubt that it is very powerful rock n' roll, very new, very unique...and it has expanded the boundaries of music in ways that radio listeners won't appreciate for years. But I don't want to dis too heavily on radio music. There is still some great shit. Disregarding crap like Godsmack, Blink 182, and Offspring, there are still groups like Metallica, Tool, RADIOHEAD, Santana, and so on. I think rock is in great shape, but MTV and radio have perverted America's exposure to it...so much so that incredible acts like Super Furry Animals and The Strokes will never make it on American radio, in spite of the fact that they produce intensely good pop. Radio stations are formatted and they have rigid requirements for the types of music they play. If something does not neatly fit into a format, someone in a head office in Houston, TX needs to move heaven and earth to get it on air. And given that about 90% of the radio stations in the country are controlled by three companies, it only takes the decisions of three men (just three, not even experts in music, but rather experts in appealing to an audience) to keep good music from reaching people's ears. It sucks that things are that way, but with effort anyone can listen to great rock. I mentioned in a recent e-mail that I used to run a radio station here. The format was Modern Rock. And all the time I spent there, I miserably fought for changes in format and on-air sound. But there were lives at stake. The Program Director couldn't afford to change too much because ratings would slip. The Sales people needed to sell commercials, and so if we weren't optimally appealing, they would lose cash. We weren't even beholden to the large companies...we were completely indepedent. Nonetheless, we were handcuffed by the music on MTV. What we played had to correspond to MTV in order for people to be accustomed enough to it to listen. We were record companies' bitches too. So, ultimately, our lack of contractual obligation to any other company was only a sham. Even as an indie-station, the pressures of money backed us into playing certain things and avoiding others. That's why rock appears to be in shitty shape...corporate influence. To unsubscribe or change your preferences for the Creed-Discuss list, visit: http://www.winduplist.com/ls/discuss/form.asp