Roll On It!

I think my favorite reaction, when prowling through a friend’s iPod shuffle, is the transformation that takes place during criticism, this little transition, from friendly prodding to full-on guarded entrenchment.

Heels dug in and visibly offended, this iPod owner is suddenly testifying before Congress about campaign contributions. All of a sudden I’m your mother and I just found the weed stash you’ve been keeping in your old Adidas shoebox, you’re scrambling for legal footing and come up with something like this: “I can explain that…”

Problem is, there’s not much that can explain Panic! At the Disco. Hiding behind childhood gooyness doesn’t make Ace of Base suck any less, and just because that Keith Urban song reminds you of your ex-boyfriend doesn’t mean you should have any constitutional right to ever listen to it.

And this stuff gets touchy. People, myself included, don’t like to be told that the things they enjoy qualify them as intellectually and culturally stunted.

That can sting.

But hey, I’m enlightened, I’m reaching this harmonious apex of understanding, finding the ability to accept that some people will like shitty music, and they have the right and often the penchant to like said music.

So here, instead, is where I take my stand: if you can bump Rascall Flatts and Ludacris and you can enjoy it, why would and do you stop there?

Keep going.

I talked to some of my friends about how they discover music, where they find new and interesting stuff to listen to.

Most of them didn’t take me very seriously.

I got a bunch of “What do you mean?”

My buddy Mickey explained that he mainly works through mainstream channels, like MTV or popular radio stations.

“I don’t really think that I have a set method for getting music and stuff,” he explained to me. “I sort of just pick up things from friends or when I’m out, I guess.”

My friend Janie said something similar: “I just sort of know what I like when I hear it, so that part is pretty easy. I guess I’m not really sure where I do actually hear stuff, but I do.”

This is what I’m talking about. People not actively seeking music, not participating and expecting it to find them. This is a very active kind of arrangement, there is a real need to want to explore and seek things out.

When I asked about where people were going to buy music from, I got a few similar responses, summed up by my friend Christine.

“I don’t buy music… I download a lot of it, but I don’t really buy anything.”

Ok, that works. Not really a great idea (I’ll explain later), but at least it’s a start.

Just like, start pretending that the songs and artists you want to discover are the porn and gross videos we all seem to be able to track down so easily.

Get in the mindset.

Also, pick up a Rolling Stone, a copy of Filter or Under The Radar. Listen to some college radio stations! Roll on it!