Possibly the ultimate talisman of uncoolness when it comes to music is finding out someone's dad likes it. As a result, the term "Dad Rock" has sprung up in online music-discussion communities as a cultural dealbreaker and devastating dismissal of the worth of a piece of music. Unfortunately, the term is almost meaningless. It's a term that defies age, aging and the musical content itself.Nothing brought this to the fore quite like trying to talk about the Atlanta-based garage rock band Gringo Star, who manage to both be awesome and to have a sound that, when described online, invites the "Dad Rock" condemnation like no other. Click here to read the article and enjoy yet another example of why Pitchfork Media is full of shit.
Well, I feel like you almost libeled the White Stripes, but other than that, I guess I can get on board with the idea that good music can sound forty years old.
ReplyDeleteThoughtful and provocative examination of the silliness that drives the popularity and pretensions of people who think they have the right to decide for everyone what is good music. I love Gringo Star, and my only complaint is that I think the music is more nuanced than you recognized. It takes several listens to see how rich their sound is.
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