Thought 'of' the Day– D is for Different

Ok, let me state now, this thought of the day is, well to stick with the theme – different. Oh how ironic.

You see, often when you meet someone new, one of the questions that has a habit of popping up is the one regarding music. You know the – “So what music are you into?” one. I always smile when asked this because my answer is never straight forward. Partly because I always seem to have an aversion to the other persons likes. For example at our local Ten Pin Bowling centre the other day, a music video boomed into life. Incidentally it could be the reason I guttered one of my goes in the first game. So my friend raves about this particular music video, and naturally asks me if I like it – do you think I liked it? No, of course not! I pretended to throw up in an imaginary bowl to get the idea over. To give a majorly over opinionated reason why I hated it: it was pop music, totally mainstream, so made for the un-attuned to ‘music’, so contrived, so made for money and so rubbish! Sorry about that – I said this one would be different.

Websites on friends networks that ask about music also provide interesting reading. I mean what people write. “Yeah, I like pretty much everything” or simply, “All Music”. This is the crux of my thought of the day. I’m not the kind of person that will tell you that I like everything from Aerosmith, through to Queen, and on to the Zoutons. If fact I can’t stand any of that lot. So – I am different. Now before you enact movement with your mouse towards the top right, hold on. I don’t doubt the ability of these bands, nor their importance in musical progression or there place in peoples hearts, all that is fine. It’s just that mainstream music in general and music that everyone has heard of is a bit washed up. It’s just a bit – obvious.

“So what do you like (you old stick in the mud)?” I hear you cry. Well I like music that is predominantly unknown in the mainstream world. Its not that I try to be like this, I just am. For example – Metallica are massive, in their own subculture, with a huge following. They are in fact in my top three. Now back in ‘Mainstream land’ many may have heard of them, but could most probably not name one of their songs. Isn’t this strange? I wonder why it is. But i'm pleased it’s like this. I like a lot of subculture music. But I also like Soundtracks, particularly Hans Zimmer’s fine work in many highly acclaimed films, one of which is Gladiator. That in my opinion is arguably the best ever soundtrack. Also close to my heart is folk, like Lene Marlin, Kate Rusby or Ray Lamontagne – so you see I do have taste.

Finally to illustrate my ever increasingly foggy and unfocused rant, check this out. Oasis, who became hugely famous here in England and all over the world, came up with couple songs I liked. Now Orchard FM, a radio station that will remain n… oh. Well they ran a chart for most popular song of the year once. Amongst the nominees was Wonderwall, an ok song by the aforementioned, Oasis. They never, I mean never, ever played that song on radio airtime – I know, because I was stuck in captivity with the radio all day where I worked for years. Technically if listeners only listened to Orchard FM they’d never of heard of Oasis. They’d just know every Spice Girls song inside out. I think they need to get a little – different. Oh yes and this radio station still plays pop music that reminds you daily, even now, unapologetically of what mainstream music was and is – trash.