It’s become very obvious to me as of late that the music industry is in the midst of an identity crisis. It has become flooded with bands who are willing to sacrifice creativity and love to be “trendy” or “tough”. For us in the quote “Scene”, we find our selves mixed in with the likes of traders and cutthroats. No longer is this a community used to come together and enjoy a show or make new friends. Its used as a popularity contest. Aside from social networks and mainstream media, The only real way for a band to become well known and liked is the old fashioned way. By playing in front of people who may or may not like there music. They have to put themselves out there and weather the storm.
My band for instance; we do not pimp ourselves on these media networks. Our Friends list, comments, play counts. These things have nothing to do with how we write or play as a band. Recently we have played many different shows with many different styles of bands, and we have enjoyed sharing the stage with most every one of them but, we cannot and will not be classified as one specific genre as we refuse to do so ourselves. We play with bands that we are much “tougher” than; indie bands who belong on the Twilight soundtrack. Then, there on the opposite side are the so called “screamo” bands who are really hardcore/metal bands who sing, but are not quite good enough to play with the big boys.
There are plenty of musicians such as us that struggle with the fans of these trendy bands, who are unwilling to take a chance and show there true colors. To take a stand and not have guilty pleasures. These are the fans who are walking out of an indie show the second something sounds to edgy or doesn’t have a coffee shop positive liberal message, or the people who walk out and start mocking a band because a band screams sings but refuses to use a breakdown every thirty seconds.
We are one of many stuck in the middle of a war. We are not Brutal, we are not Coffee shop. We are the door way to a realization that can be who ever you want to be, regardless of what other people say. Music is direct self expression of an artist. It also allows individuals/listeners to express them selves with out having to use there own voice. It gives us something to sing for, to chant for, to get behind and believe in.
As some one who grew up scene, i feel i have the right to say “we are in a state of emergency”
-MarcusLust