If only I liked radio friendly rock huh?

I think we all know these people. Those who are out there to name the most obscure and unknown bands as their favourite bands. I'm not sure if I ever fell into that group, and don't answer me, but I know one thing. I might be doing it right now but I'm not doing it on purpose. Damn you internet for letting me know about all these awsome bands who strangely enough aren't found by other people I know. I love listening to great music. It's even better if you can share the joy.

I'm sorry, I don't like radio-friendly indie, it's not because I'm a snob but I just really don't like (most) of it. I'm sorry that most of the music I like seem to origine from Portland. It just happens. I'm sorry that the current breeze of true rock and punk is an all-girl-band whose band-members are each and one respected musicians already and I'm sorry they do what one would expect them to do. I'm sorry for the internet because without it I wouldn't have known about all this and perhaps life would have been easier. I'm not saying nicer or better, but easier.

The boys are back in town

The Strokes have made their first single of their first album in 5 years 'Angels' available for free download last night (no pun intended) which caused their website to crash and seemingly every alternative music lover getting excited to the bone. The news of the Strokes recording a new album caused excitement already. Every piece of news made fans all across the internet believe more and more that this is really going to happen. And bam! There's the first track! Everyone needed to hear it first and everyone needed to have an opinion about it and everyone need to tell the world how much they love it and how much the Strokes have been missed.

Did we all really? And with we all I mean everyone who isn't the Strokes number one fan.

With all the media attention from professional music sites, blogs and the amateurs alike, there really was no escaping from this news. One thing first, I like the Strokes. A good few years back I've seen them live and it was really enjoyable. I have really nothing against them, they make good music. But I can't say I really missed them. Nor do I understand why they are treated like Gods of rock n roll, why it's them who changed the world, basically what's so special about them. They are 5 scruffy boys from New York who picked up a guitar, and very well so, know how to rock and know how to write a straight forward tune. No bullshit, simply rock. Scruffy boys got themselves nice appartments and nicer girlfriends obviously, made some pretentious and in some cases possibly questionable solo efforts. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe they are a cult band. But did we all really need to collectively count down the minutes until we could all download the song 'Under Cover Of Darkness'? Did we really? Or haven't we all kind of fallen into the hands of a clever media attack in which we all took part whether we were aware of it or not. In fact, and I'm aware of that, by writing his blog I too give attention the to new single and new album of The Strokes. Who said publicity is expensive? This piece is paid for by my boss. The Strokes have launched a massive media attack upon us and it barely cost them anything, except possible loss of sale for their single, which will undoubtly pay itself back (it's common these days, it's good marketing). And whether they deserve it or not, we all know: The Strokes are back.

Personally I've heard 'Under Cover Of Darkness' only once, in a hurry, this morning and not completely. It's The Strokes, undeniable. It's catchy, it stayed in my head until I switched on my walkman this morning, about 15 minutes after hearing it. But am I in a total Strokes craze? No. But then I never was. It's good though.

The rock star as we know it is dead.

Thanks to the social networks, the internet in general, the blogs, the news site, the quick connection between internet users who post links to news, videos and what not to each other, even to people they don't know, thanks to all that, it's quite easy to keep up with what your favourite artist is doing nowadays. Artists themselves are helping as well be tweeting their every move. You know where they are, what they eat, what they listen to and what they don't like.

Back in the days musicians were rock stars with their rock and roll attitude. All we knew about them was that they trashed hotel rooms, had loads of groupies and were constantly drunk or high (or both). There was this 'wow' factor around them, they were untouchable, they were heroes despite their constructive ways. Rock stars were cool. They stuck a finger up against society, they rebelled, they yelled, they were mystical creatures. They were gods.

Thanks to rock stars using twitter we know what they eat, where they eat, that they giggle when they're drunk, what they're wearing, that they went to visit aunty in the elderly home, that they listen to Girls Aloud, and like the next scenster kid think they are true and originals individuals not following any herd whatsoever. Rock stars still believe they are rock stars but surely, when rock stars tweet the same things your neighbour does, you little sister does, that politician does. We don't really want to see our neighbours latest butt tattoo just as much we really don't want to see Courtney Love's latest butt tattoo. So your brother is looking for some weed, that info is just as useless as The Thermals offering free tickets for anyone who brings weed to the show. Rock stars complain about their fans taking pictures during the concert and tweeting them immediately but when their rock star friends are doing the same it's fun. Musicians tweeting each other to meet up for a drink? Dude, use the telephone and TALK to each other!

I wonder, the stalker who lives in each and every one of us embraces the internet and the social networks and the rock stars greedily abusing the networks, we know more than ever about our heroes but really, is it really all that good? We technically could talk to the rock stars (if they weren't as friend-shallow as your next door neighbour only), but isn't it much nicer to meet them after a show and be actually excited about meeting this star? Don't we rather hear about rock stars trashing a hotel room rather than them meeting each other for a cup of tea at the house of the guitarist's mother? Didn't the internet, the quick media and us fans exchanging news and other info so quickly and easily not take away the mystique of the rock and roll star?

As much as some of us might moarn the death of that mystical rock star, we too wait for that rock star to finally tweet something, only to make fun of the tweet and considering him a wanker, just like that boy that lives across the street is. Rock stars of the 21st century are boring people just like you and me, no matter how outrageously they may dress. We've all come to accept it.