I was trying to send a reply to this message detailing the absurdity of
George Clinton's 45 minute set at Lollapalooza 94, how much the Butthole
Surfers rocked Shoreline's massive (more massive than Ozzy's two weeks ago
at a larger venue) soundsystem even though they played at 2pm, and generally
taking a casual attitude toward the fear of (micro)cultural burglary
perpetrated by the masses/media. But then a large chunk of the Internet went
down around where I live so all you got to see was a few misfires by my
sevice provider.
This American capitalist system keeps itself culturally relevant by
recuperating it's marginal nooks and providing them to consumers for
purchase and fandom: look at the TV commercials for skateboarding shoes.
I've come to take it as inevitable, and it keeps my taste evolving since
newer stuff keeps cropping up for me to find forcing me to ask myself "what
the fuck is THAT?" But I can see where it would be frustrating to see a
distance growing between a myself and a band that that I'd supported since
the early years, seeing them with 100 of my dearest cofans at the little
club that summer, only to see them explode all over Mtv's Underground Beach
House Rave. The bands can lose it with fame - that happens too - but then ya
move on. I figure Atom Heart has a few more good albums to put out before
Entertainment Tonight catches him in delicti with Claudia Schiffer-Copperfield.
But hey, in addition to all this post-Marxist rhetoric, the whole
mainstream-underground argument bores me. It's a weak reason to like or dis
a band and seems to be becoming a genre by itself, aside from seemingly
contradictory complications like obscure pop bands or Mr. Bungle. I can
remember going to see Green Day when they were still in high school but I
don't grudge them their success, I thought they were a great band then and
it was only a matter of time before they got discovered. Good for them, it
was inevitable because they were so good.
The new Tori Amos record has some amazing vocals on it, btw.
ObIDM: Does anyone know of a David Morley discography? I checked De Digitale
Stad, but I don't know any Dutch.
eric, who is comfortable with his mainstream tendencies