Tuesday, August 12, 2008

I Don't Like Radiohead


As the much anticipated Outsidelands Festival, to be held in Golden Gate Park in SF, approaches, it seems as though I can't talk to anyone under the age of 35 without be asked, "you goin' to Outsidelands dude?" The city is a'buzz and the weekend everyone has been waiting for is almost here.
However, the 2-3 questions that will inevitably follow will drastically change the mood of the conversation, the general good feeling and could quite possibly change the once ecstatic festival goers opinion of me, Ryan M. Rowe.
What are those 2-3 questions you ask? Well, here's how the rest of the conversation goes:

Giddy Festival Goer: you goin' to Outsidelands dude?

Ryan: Yeah (very slight hint of exasperation)

GFG: Do you know what days you are going?

Ryan: Yeah, Im going to go Saturday

GFG: Duuuuuuuuuuuuude....Friday...Radiohead!?!?

Ryan: meh, Im not that into Radiohead

GFG: WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?????????????? OMFG!!!!!@#*&^_($$#$!!!HOW COULD YOU*&%$#@!

Ryan: Im just not that into them

And thats how a Giddy Festival Goer, maybe a close friend(?), loses respect for my musical taste, and quite possibly even loses respect for my once solid(?) character and values.
Clearly everyone is entitled to their own opinions when it comes to likes and dislikes, but there seems to be a pantheon of bands or artists who are untouchable to matters of opinion and under any circumstance MUST be worshiped like gods; and those who do not bow down shall be shamed for all eternity.
Well, I dont care, I dont care if you call me a terrorist, I will never kow-tow to these bands:

Radiohead - I liked "Creep", but thats about it. I dont really like Thom Yorke's voice and the music just doesnt excite me that much. Just not that into it.

Coldplay - award winner for world's most boring band in my opinion. Without even a close competitor, Coldplay was the most requested music to be played in the office of my last company, proving that they are just slightly more interesting to listen to than Muzak.

U2 - Bono, just leave.

Beastie Boys - Ok, they have catchy songs, but seriously, their rhyme schemes are so predictable and boring I dont understand how anyone could possibly listen to an entire album. Their early punkrock album was interesting and fiery, but everything after "Sabotage" has been unlistenable to me.

Vampire Weekend - Im always very disappointed when a band's name rocks way harder than their actual music. I heard them playing in the background at some yuppie-licious organic soup and salad cafe in the financial district in Philadelphia; which much like being played over the office speakers, is industry proof that Vampire Weekend is just slightly more interesting than Muzak.

Weezer - What happened Weezer? The Blue album was and is an instant classic, nothing more to say, its perfect. Pinkerton, while underappreciated, is awesome and a masterpiece from start to finish. At my friend Adam's bachelor party, the group of us guys drunkenly decided we'd collectively fight anyone that night who spoke poorly of Weezer's Pinkerton. Noone did. Since then? The Green Album, had that "Island in the Sun" song which is a guilty pleasure of mine, but a mediocre album, very disappointing compared to the first two. Everything since? So forgettable that my friend Ben got the latest Red Album for free and after giving it a listen decided "it wouldn't make it on the iPod"--sad.

Green Day - Much like Weezer, soooooooo awesome in their formative years, and, well, my formative years as well. Kerplunk and Insomniac were awesome albums, and Dookie essentially raised me from age 13-15. Since Insomniac, however, they just seem so manufactured to me. American Idiot? guh. Wheres the sophistication? Very unfulfilling to me.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

i love Radiohead, and i still love you.

the problem I'M having with day 1, is that Beck and Lyrics born are playing at the same time. Who's running this festival, don't they know that people that wanna shake ass will want to see both of those acts?

Here's a band for you that DOES live up to their name. GENGHIS TRON. seriously. they rule

Nob Hill Forreal said...

thats the thing, i believe all opinions should be respected, but for some reason, there are a handful of bands that are above question and i will not be oppressed by music i dont like for fear of being ridiculed, and I hope maybe writing about it may free others who feel the same way.

Big Deal said...

First of all I am a Radiohead fan... not a fanatic but a fan. I don't care if people don't like Radiohead.
I think the reason most people don't like their music is It's pretty flashy at times and they can give the, "We know so much more about music then everyone so we don't care about catering to the fans" type of vibe. Most bands like this I can't even listen to (see any new Mars Volta). Except Radiohead does know more about music and they have chosen to go ahead and keep evolving instead of pandering to the crowd.

For anyone who is more involved than a casual music fan it is almost mandated that you have a strong opinion on Radiohead. Everyone who I’ve met who doesn’t listen to Radiohead is basically forced by their peers into saying/feeling that they don’t like them, or that they hate them. The reason is that their popularity is extremely polarizing, maybe even historically so. Since Radiohead is everywhere and has penetrated every modern medium it is almost impossible to casually listen to them or follow them like you would with the majority other Artists. I assert that is this type of exposure that tips the lukewarm fans one way or the other.

Love them or hate them it is fact that they have been the biggest architect in how music, marketing, and promotion, has been shaped in the last 10 years. More than likely Radiohead’s influence on the music business, and to a lesser but still significant extent music, will last for several decades after they stop performing/recording.

P.S. Weezer hasn’t done anything decent since Pinkerton, which is still a top 10 album in my life. Why didn’t Rivers have the courtesy to kill himself after Pinkerton so we could have worshiped them like deities?

Anonymous said...

additionally
i push radiohead on people because they really do it for me. like, if they make someone else half as happy as they've made me, then i've done my good deed for the day. i understand what you're talking about though, i used to have that ' you just dont get it' attitude, and not healthy. while we're on the subject, i feel like radiohead (the band, it's members) get labeled as pretentious because of the way their fans keep spouting off at the mouth. in interviews, they really arent bono-like at all (aside from dipping into politics on occasion, and even that isnt nearly as bad as his highness lord bono)... when you see 'greatest band in the world' on a magazie cover, its not a quote being pulled from them, it's the author of the article getting a little too excited.

and as far as Ben's post is concerned, i agree, its a shame rivers hasnt killed himself. bigger shame that we don't live in a world with vigilantes, as the punisher or someone surely wouldve done the job by now.

speaking of punisher, they're making ANOTHER punisher movie, different dude, and it looks terrible.

that is all

Nob Hill Forreal said...

id also like to throw Dave Matthews Band on this list.
thats all.

pob said...

I hate radiohead because I think their music sucks and it's not enjoyable to listen to. They have a few alright songs, I'll admit that (although I can't think of any off the top of my head).

To each their own, though - so radiohead fans can enjoy it and I don't really care.

U2 is gay and I am sick of hearing the argument "but they're from Ireland!" (I don't even know if they are or are not, but I hear it all the time when I say that U2 sucks).

Also I think Muse sounds exactly like a group of decent musicians who were all sitting around high one day listening to radiohead and someone said "I bet we could do this."

But then again, I went to a Hilary Duff concert with Aaron, so what do I know?

Big Deal said...

@Ryan unless you have a vagina or are 16 and looking to get laid by playing the nice guy card (oh it stings when you find out this card doesn't work) you don't listen to DMB.
@Everyone else. I hope those who don't like or hate Radiohead can at least admit that they are talented artists in every sense of the word.
@U2. There isn't enough space or time for me to express my epic loathing of everything that is U2. It is one of the only bands that I seriously think less of people when I find out they like them. If someone is a hardcore fan of theirs it's a deal breaker for me, complete shunning. For anyone who knows me I can some it up like this. I hate U2 more than French's Yellow Mustard,menstrual blood, clowns, snakes, and bowling all put together.

Nob Hill Forreal said...

and "The Edge"? gimme a fuckin break

L said...

So, agreed. No. Radiohead. On. Friday. What we doin instead... since everyone who sucks will clearly be in the park falling asleep?

And I love U2. And DMB. Bite me. But please still be my friend. I have an overwhelming need to not drink alone.

Jennifer Cassity said...

I will be there friday....most likely will eat some type of fungus and listen to some good music. It will all be good.

Unknown said...

wow, Ryan, completely agree with every band you mention, although I have never heard of Vampire Weekend, probably a sign I have been in China too long.
That Radiohead conversation has happend many times to me, and in the most extreme case ended a relationship I was in, which was hillarious. The way to really piss people off is say something like, "I don't like Radiohead, I am more into Jimmy Buffett (or insert cheeziest band you can think of that could not be construed as "ironically hip" like 80's hair bands or new wave bands).
Weezer, agree, I also downloaded the Red Album and within a half hour deleted it from my computer, not worth the space it takes up. The reciepe for Coldplay is actually 45% Radiohead, 45% U2 and 10% the sister from Royal Tenembaums, so there you go.

Unknown said...

and yeah, I wrote the first response before reading through the comments, so now I will respond to those.
- as with the Dave Matthew's Band (there is an apostrophe right?), I agree with ben im pretty sure nobody listens to them, the band you are thinking of is Phish. It might be an east coast thing, but telling someone you hate Phish is just as fun as saying you hate Radiohead.
Another thing that pisses me off, not that anyone cares, is the idea that just because a band might be your favorite, and you saw them play one time and the drummer did a drum solo, that person is "THE BEST DRUMMER IN THE WORLD!!!" This happens with Phish a lot, which is what reminded me.
I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but usually the best drummers in the world play for the worst bands. Unless your favorite band is Dave Matthew's Band, Blink 182, A Perfect Circle (actually good band), The Vandals (see "A Perfect Circle"), current line-up of Nine Inch Nails (again, a perfect circle, vandals guy), TOOL or Rush (my favorite band), then your favorite band might be good, but they don't have the best drummer in the world.
And by the way, just stop and think how fucking AWESOME Weezer would be right now if Rivers Cuomo killed himself after Pinkerton. They would be known as a top 5 band of the 90's I would say. Interesting debate.

Will said...

Weird. I don't know you at all. I stumbled on this post when I googled "I don't like radiohead." I agree with everything you wrote and have thought these exact same things several times. Weezer - man pinkerton kills. Green album? meh. Coldplay - please, just stop...doing...anything. Green day was so amazing. "She" is still one of my fav songs ever. What happened?