I've Probably Been Reading Too Much Chuck Klosterman

Because I'm going to write a weirdly metaphysical, or at least quasi-philosophical, post about music.

I've been thinking about how culture wars in general, but for some reason musical culture wars in particular, only apply to their own generation. For instance, Klosterman records- in Fargo Rock City- that he and his fellow metal fans felt obligated to support Motley Crue's Theatre of Pain despite believing it was something of a sellout album. Why? Because it was the "most metal" of all popular records that year.

Now, for me, the metal-vs.-non-metal war seems irrelevant: in general, I dislike metal, but there's some Sabbath, some Guns N' Roses, and some Metallica that I like. Whatever. I wouldn't say I'm a fan of these bands, but I can listen to them and enjoy some of their material. Similarly, I totally love Led Zeppelin in pretty much every way possible. I consider them to be a collision of very high-level musicianship, intensity, and a mythic air that is hard to define (and I don't buy into the Satanist rumors or anything like that). However, I also really really like The Clash, despite the fact that one of the members (Paul Simonon? Joe Strummer?) said that he didn't need to listen to Zeppelin to know he hated them because "just looking at the album covers makes me want to throw up." I recognize the fact that the early punk rockers hated Led Zeppelin and everything they represented: virtuosic guitar solos, the long haired look, commercial success, and lives of excess (and, to be honest, I don't like the hair or the excess, either). But the fact is, that dichotomy seems completely irrelevant to me. I go on loving Zeppelin and really liking The Clash just the same. I'm not much of a punk fan in a general sense, but I am definitely a Clash fan in specific.

That being said, I don't feel that way about current cultural conflicts. For instance, I hate emo in general, therefore I feel pressure to hate emo in specific (although some borderline emo bands- Coheed and Cambria, for instance- mildly appeal to me). I feel obligated to hate every specific emo band. And, for the sake of accuracy, I generally do hate every individual emo band (especially Fallout Boy). But the fact is, I am involved in this war between non-emo and emo. I feel the same way about goth- I feel obligated to hate it although I like The Cure's sound. I don't usually bring that up and I don't own much of their music, but I could see myself being into them. Part of that might be because they are an older goth-type band, and I can see them in a different context- i.e., 80s music. I believe that, in the future (say the early 2020s), this sort of conflict will seem irrelevant to most people listening to the music. I expect the teenagers of the 2020s to find it weird that I took a side on the emo issue, much as I think it strange that you had to declare yourself in the punk-vs.-hard rock/heavy metal war. I suppose the key is cultural distance, which can help you see beyond particular biases and simply pick and choose the sound you like most.

That said, emo freaking sucks.