Soi Disantra: Those Kids Today

July 23, 2006

Those Kids Today

It's been quiet here lately. There's been a bit of a disturbance in the force at SD. We'll just leave it at that. Things may pick up again soon, although with fantasy basketball season around the corner, I must say my blogging energies will probably be focused elsewhere. I'm really, really trying to become John Hollinger's apprentice, and while I think my work at SD may help out, it's just a neat little extra. 24 Power Rankings? Never. Sorry. I think I accidentally erased it from my Tivo. No, I didn't. But whatever. Don’t expect, don’t expect…

Anyway, I was up in Pittsburgh last weekend visiting the half of my family that I don't often see. That includes my brother who just turned 14, meaning he'll be starting high school in the fall. I’ve never lived with him, so I’ve never been able to have too much of an influence, especially when it comes to music. His tastes are … well, I think pitiful is the word. It’s complete top 40 hip-pop, NOW-type stuff. I looked through his iTunes, it wasn’t pretty. Most songs on the T.I. album got four or five stars, while “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which I guess my mom must have put on there, had one star. Ouch. Why not just delete it, I asked him. “I dunno, sometimes I like it.” I didn’t want to force stuff upon him at too young of an age, because really, he needs to discover for himself. If he at least has a self-developed like or love for music, then you can work on taste after that. But you can’t force it.

He went to a small, Jewish private school up through eighth grade, and in the fall will be starting at a public school where he’ll have to pass through a metal detector everyday. Not that it’s too ghetto or anything, just showing that it will be a shift, and I figured this would be a good time to try to begin to steer him in the right direction. Gently nudge, at least. I mean, you don't go from Yung Joc to Young Marble Giants overnight. OK, you probably never go from Yung Joc to Young Marble Giants, but you get my point. So for his birthday, I decided to buy him six CDs -- three of his choice, three of my choice. Here's how it went.

His Choice #1 -- The Fray, How to Save a Life
I promised I'd hold no editorial control over his choices, and he really tested me with this one. Perhaps the most perfect example of Music For Normal People. Which isn't a good thing, obviously. Not that I've subjected myself to too much of this, but it sounds to me like Keane with a hint of Nickelback, and is one of those bands that makes you think of diseases you'd rather have than listen to this band.

My Choice #1 -- Arctic Monkeys, Silly Long Album Title Goes Here
Not that I particularly like these guys, but I have nothing against them. Seems like perfectly competent alt-rock that might appeal to people who don't usually listen to that sort of thing. My brother had never heard of them, which shows just how disconnected from rock music he is. I figured they are "cool," they curse, it's catchy, why not?

His Choice #2 -- Mobb Deep, Blood Money
This one really threw me off, until I looked at the package and realized it had Fitty/G-Unit all over the place. Part of me wanted to say, "If you want a Mobb Deep album, why don't you just get (whatever the "classic" one is)." But again, his choices were his choices.

My Choice #2 -- Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak
Originally this was going to be Franz Ferdinand, but I thought AM and FF would be a bit of U.K. overkill. And I still like this album. I have a feeling that Kings of Leon will probably end up with a more impressive career than the Strokes, which I would have thought was ridiculous when I saw both of those bands play together a few years ago. The dude's voice was my main issue with picking this one, I can see how it would befuddle someone who only listens to rap and MFNP (see the Fray, above).

His Choice #3 -- Field Mob, Light Poles and Pine Trees
I'll fully admit to never having heard of these guys. Apparently they are "down home" Southern rap, or something. The new Nappy Roots? I dunno. I hope my brother likes it.

My Choice #3 -- Ghostface Killah, Fishscale
He obviously likes rap, so I figured I'd give him a DM-approved one. I could've gone with an old-school Wu-Tang joint, but I figured I'd keep it current. I obviously don't listen to much rap, but this is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year so far. I threw it into my iTunes without all of the skits, so that makes it a lot easier to get through. I thought my bro should get some gritty hip-hop as opposed to all of the crossover tested and approved stuff he listens to.

I told him he had to listen to all of the CDs and write me a few sentences on each one. Because there's nothing kids like more than homework over the summer. I predict that he listens to Ghostface once, listens to about two or three songs from Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon and tells me they are all "pretty good." Fuckin' kids.

--DM--

July 23, 2006 | Permalink

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July 23, 2006

Those Kids Today

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