Nostalgia and The Revolution!

I have a soft spot for Nostalgia. I often find myself dreaming of times long since past and musically, some of the better years behind us. I have all this new music coming in the door and tons of new releases that I have personally forked over money for but you know what I find myself listening to the most? Music of the past. I've especially been listening to a lot of OC Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy. Those two groups had such important issues to share and truly dove deep lyrically. Where have all the good songwriters gone? It's especially the case with the so-called "Christian Music" scene. It's all dead to me. It's seriously just a dried up genre. I'm not sure what went wrong but so much of it is just plain bland. Where have the flag bearers gone? Where is the music of a new revolution? Instead you know what I am left with? More break up songs, more songs about "Broken hearts" "Shattered Dreams" "Bleeding Hearts" "Broken Dreams" etc etc etc. I can name a list of bands a mile long that all have similarly themed songs. It gets ridiculous. I'm tired of all the artificial sweetener. I want reality in music. I want taste. I am sick and tired of break up songs and songs about broken hearts. Why are these labels consistantly signing bands that all have the same message? This is why I gravitate towards bands outside the whole Christian market because I get sick of the same old crap. Everything is just so topical and artificial that it's lost it's sense of reality. Were in the midst of the worst economic crisis to hit our Country in years, we're in the middle of several wars, and a new presidential election is just around the corner. Why are none of the bands singing about this stuff? Are they too busy watching TMZ and reading People magazine that they don't care about real life any more? Have we become this stagnant that no one cares about the lives and well beings of millions of our country men and women? I am not going to name names but one certain label in particular is used to signing cheese ball sugar coated pop acts and could care less about reality beating on the back door. We have to keep if flavorless to avoid confrontation and insult from the millions who may disagree. Yikes! Why? Remember when The OC Supertones sang that song "Health and Wealth" off of their 1999 album "Chase the Sun"? Where are songs like that? Or how about "Four Fifty One" By Five Iron Frenzy? That one was pretty close to reality and a bite at the backs of our favored radio stations and market in general. Let me post these lyrics to this blog:

Four Fifty One by Five Iron Frenzy
Here the man draws the line for separation.
(Old Vision).
Watch the man build up his walls for isolation.
(You make division).
Walk no mile,
I'm sick and tired,
of all the cowards at the radio station.
No cathartic plot to thicken,
to quote the vernacular,
I'd say that you're chicken.

[Chorus:]
We're going nowhere,
and it's happening fast,
a dim future,
and a darker past.
Somewhere away from here,
from past mistakes they often learn,
at Fahrenheit 451,
you close your doors and let it burn.

Pharisees in the church,
time to take a vacation.
(Emancipation).
Pharisees think the world comes to them for salvation.
(Booyah).

The radio is preaching the candy coated goo,
the record companies and the TV too.
No one rocks the boat,
terrified of trouble,
can't tamper with the walls of their sterile Christian bubble.
It was never your point to get people saved,
you pad yourself with fluff just because you're afraid.
I'm not afraid to point the finger now,
the choir's so used to the preaching anyhow.

Wow is right. Where are the songs like this? Where have the artists who truly articulated their points all gone? Labels gambled on these artists at one point in time and they truly paid off as evidenced in album sales yet labels aren't so keen on finding new artists who fit this same format. Is it because they are ignoring artists who truly have something important to say or it because we have muddied up the market with cheese? Who is left to influence the youth of a new generation? It's like you either have Praise songs with happy happy joy joy (Ren and Stimpy for the win) "I love Jesus" lyrics or you have more break up songs. Where is middle ground? Where has it all gone? I just want to be clear with the world at large and anyone who reads my blog, that I am sick and tired, exhausted if you will, of all this purely sterile crap flooding our magazines, airwaves, and ipods. Come on Record Companies, take a chance for once, step outside your bubbles and sign artists that truly want to make a difference in this world and who might have something important to say. I ask that YOU THE FANS rise up with me and send a message to your favorite record companies and demand change. No voice is too quiet. Remember, the pen is mightier than the sword and your voices truly make a difference in this world. If something bothers you or you know of a talented new artist that isn't getting the hype they deserve, well you're free voice those opinions in written form. Send emails to your favorite record companies and tell them what you want to see. If we want a revolution, we have to start one. We can't sit on the fence and expect others to do the work for us, we have to make our points clear and to the point. I'm not going to provide you with any label email addresses because that would violate privacy concerns ;) However, if you visit their websites, you can most likely send a note to someone off of there. Or you can come to IndieVisionMusic.com and voice your opinions on our site and in our forums.

If you are in a band and you are reading my blog, I apologize for ripping apart your songs about a breakup or your "broken heart" but honestly, it's how I feel. I listen to a TON of music every single day and the trend I'm seeing is disheartening. I guess it all comes with the territory of being a music journalist. I just ask that you truly challenge yourselves as songwriters and as Christians to push outside the bubble and think outside the box. The skies the limit for your imagination, push it to it's boundaries.

The reason I chose the two band examples at the start of this little written piece is not particularly because I am a huge fan of Ska but rather that these two artists had something IMPORTANT and CHALLENGING to say. There were a few other artists who also shared in something greater, Lyrically, but I am too lazy to list them all here. These were artists firmly rooted in the Christian market yet they had the influence of punk rock and were not afraid to challenge the norm. How many artists can you name at this very moment that have something "Challenging" to share with listeners? I can think of My Epic, Brave Saint Saturn, Switchfoot or Flatfoot 56. Any others? I am not a fan of Me Without You but they seem to have something important to say and I applaud them for this. My Epic are a beautiful band and should be commended for their spiritually challenging and thought provoking songs. Remember artists like Dogwood or Craig's Brother that could equally mix politics, Faith, and real life issues in with their music?

Bottom line is that I miss the "heart" of our music, the real reason we are even in this thing together. It's our unwavering Faith in God that draws us together and binds us at the core. We are witnesses to the world at large but if we aren't offering the world something of substance and depth, we are just left hollow and shallow shells of men (and women).

Challenge the world and challenge yourselves to be something unique, something of substance and value to the those around us. Turn off the Cheese and turn on your souls.

That is all.

-Brandon Jones

P.S. Let me add one thing. If you're looking for depth in your music and lyrically, then look no further than Brave Saint Saturn. Their new effort "Anti Meridian" has some of the most thought provoking, challenging, and uplifting songs that I've heard in recent years. Give it a listen then buy it direct from the band through their website or from Emusic or Amazonmp3.