how to stop becoming an ole cynic

as far as being critical, I think it's overrated, I'm all about unreservedly swooning over the things that have made me swoon & think the word "hater" is one of rap's more profound contributions to language

Is getting really excited still about things supposed to be a way of keeping young in your mind, I wonder? I'm actually not all that convinced.

having fun writing (to be published): that, after ten-plus years, trickled away a coupla years ago

('s only too obvious this is all damn individual)

It's an important point -- Josh Kortbein surprised me a bit last year when he said he saw Attack of the Clones not out of any love or interest in the film but to be 'aware' of it, or some similar word, to stay in touch or engage as you described. And certainly music in and of itself is much more immediate and readily dealt with than many other art media -- quicker than fiction, shorter than a play or a movie or a TV show, etc. But is 'engaging' solely a matter of cultural awareness? I'd think not. A retreat to me would be a willful ignorance of matters political, social, moral. I don't think it's a willful cutting off to not be immediately aware of who is top ten this week, but, for instance, I'd find it a grotesque situation (for American citizens, at least) to not be immediately aware of current actions of the US administration, whether you approve of them or not. I may not be 'down with the kids' but I have no particular need to maintain that I am or ever was.

I will be giving up reviewing for a while this summer in an attempt to re-appreciate all my stuff, and to actually spend Sat. mornings watching shitty cartoons instead of reviewing shitty (and great) records. And to crawl out of my own ass and to rediscover the love and to get my edge back, etc.

But where the hell will I get all my free stuff? I'm not all $crooge MacDuck over here. The damned paradox..

Thing is, I'm really fucking tired of hearing about the past already (hey wow yeah those eighties sure were "cheesy") (hey '70s "excess" huh cool beans), but I don't feel like I'm done mining it yet. I'm tired of the present too, but unless I invent a magical time machine I'm shit outta luck in that dept.

i agree with whoever said staying in touch with the world we live in is important. the older you get the more you've heard but why does that frighten people off the new and into what they are comfortable with?

i will not go gentle into the good night. I actually email simon reynolds directly on this topic and he sent me a really nice reply. i'd paraphrase it but maybe i shouldn't. i think its a good thing simon killed off his unfaves.

the flip side to this is while (and i'm generalising here) the majority seem to go ole and cynic those that are pasionate and ole (ever if there passionately clueless) are really inspiring.

i like the idea of a rest too. i also think the older you get the less you give a crap about hipsterism. yup.

Gallantseagull

Of course listening to music from the past is an escape. All music is escape, and the further the better I say. I find myself feeling quite the opposite of the others here, when I hear about a new "hot" band like The Rapture or Manitoba, I loathe even the idea of hearing them. Maybe in 20 years, when they're long forgotten, and they're all mine, but not now. I'm too selfish.

There will probably come a day when music is a lot less important to me then it is now . . . but I don't think it will ever go away. Maybe once the emptiness that music fills is replaced by a wife and kids, I wont hunger for it like I do now, but it's always nice to hear a tune and fly away in my mind.

That's for dang sure.

I still am very interested in hearing things I haven't heard before, but as I've said before, I don't care much whether they are new or old. Still, I guess there is something nice about seeing that things are changing. As someone somewhere else said recently: I don't want to get to the point of only listening to music by dead people.

For me the biggest social connection to music comes with salsa dancing. As long as I keep going out salsa dancing, and as long as the form doesn't dry up totally, I will be hearing new things. Two Saturdays ago, I saw Andy Montanez perform live. He is an old timer in salsa. There was nothing particularly ground-breaking about the music he was performing. He put on a hell of a show, incredibly energetic, lots of improvising. He had a good portion of their audience on their feet throughout his set. Questions of new and old really didn't come up for me while I was dancing during his show. It's corny to say, but I was simply in the now. The killer timbale solo toward the end of the last song: in the now.

Of course, there's no denying that fashion changes, and however present moment my experience of that show was, this style of music could largely die away, because it may just sound too old-fashioned at some point.

And yes, when it comes to current pop, outside of Latin forms of pop (and even there, I'm pretty conservative), there's almost nothing that really inspires me. There are some more marginal, experimental, type things which sometimes draw me in though.

Also, as Ned sort of said, there are other things to do. I always kind of like those writers who say in interviews, "Why do you want me to write books all the time? There are other things to do, too." For the most part I'm not doing those other things, but I could imagine getting busier in various ways that would make music less important to me, or at least keep me from spending so much time on it. (Also, following Ned, maybe I should spend more time reading those copies of the Nation that are accumulating in my livingroom, and less time HERE.)

scott seward tricked into buying the latest issue of Muzik earlier today. ;)

but i've got friend who got into house music late (say 34) and who initally when i saw him full on about it i was kinda embarressed about it but the more i thought about it. the less embarressed i was. here was someone so passionate about music that convention (all the pretty young things at clubs), not having the right clothes or any of that didn't make a damn. he didn't care he was clueless when he went out he just loved that music. i found it magnificent.

One thing that keeps it fresh for me is that I go through phases, without ever really meaning to. I'll get way into classic country for a few months, and barely put on a hip-hop album. Then I'll get into a big pop mode, and listen to nothing but top 40 for a few weeks. Etc. Having a DSL line, of course, has accelerated those trends -- I can do two days of immersive Afropop study, followed by a week of 2-step, and so on. Given the progression of the technology, I'm not anticipating a drop-off in either my interest or consumption any time soon. I mean, hell, I've still got most of the bop and post-bop jazz eras to work my way through. There's no danger of running out of music.

As for the larger question, I think the key (or one of the keys) is keeping in mind that things change and that's fine; that music goes through quality cycles but you can always find shitloads of good stuff at any given time if you try to look; that someday I won't care to the degree that I do now, and it won't be anybody's fault. try and keep a Zen attitude about it; wish I had a more exciting way of putting it, but there you go.

i think it can lead to feeling rejected by the scene you're into.

reminds me of that onion about a punk 20-something wrecking on sum 41 not being as good as green day. take that idea and imagine what someone who lived through the scene in the late 70's and you must think kids are fuckin crazy these days.

seeing your youth replicated over and over has got to leave you working harder to say or feel good things.

if you can get away from the age thing, i think survival is there in moderation like others have said. thousands and thousands of bands... there's bound to be something smile-inducing.

m.

Try taking a break from _thinking_ too much about music for a bit. Put on only stuff you enjoy and take it off if you stop enjoying it. Go to less gigs and enjoy each more - make them an event.

Listen obsessively to one or two albums rather than fleetingly to many.

All that can be hard, especially if you feel you have to write about music when actually listening to the stuff can become a chore.

Many elements conspired to make the night not enjoyable, not just the overlong and slightly pretentious performance. But that *sparkle* is really gone. And the only way to love music again is just not to listen to it.

It's weird because I went to something which I *though* was going to be boring and pretentious the next night (it was billed as avante guarde contemporary dance - which meant it wasn't dance at all) and it was playful and fun and enjoyable. Probably because I didn't have any expectations of it. Dunno. I really need a break from music. All aspects of it. Or rather, all aspects of the music industry.

by buying a 'new' record and posting on a message board abt it is 'engaging' is it?!

I think its important to be a cynic. you have to have a certain amount of it. There's too much crap released: you need it! And if that means that you stop buying mags bcz you think its a load of shit or you don't care to listen to something that everyone is bcz you saw something (a picture of a band, fer instance) that doesn't 'look' right then that's a good thing in my book. or If you listen to a 'new' sound five years after it first hits the 'street' so what?

I think excitement is overated.

I just got two old Mouse On Mars albums, and I'm well into it, even though they're like 7 and five years old or summat; I'm not excited because it's now, I'm excited because it's cool and makes me want to skip. Kinda miffed cos I missed 'em for so long, but pleased I've got here now. So, um, we do agree, I just like skipping more.

i would blame the toys...if i were jaded

despite what lou rude said, ~my life~ wasnt saved by rock and roll. at least not back in 1990, when i was 16 , bazck when it was all supposed to be(well, not really) magic*teenage wonder years. rock and roll almost killed me in a few ways. there were more problems then anyways-right. so NOW i want rock n roll to save me. thing is, it never will, its not supposed to.
i grew up on college radio, no mtv and being a general weirdo.. this is what saved me in a sense, or at least what put me where i am now: content, still on the prowl & not a music burnout.

not having dsl (mega toy) has prevented my burnout. i have dl 56k mp3s since 2000 and they have their power/success plenty of times & other times i end up with a beta band track that puts me to sleep or my computer doesnt wanna load soulseek whtvr/

i make a bit more money compared to 5, 10 years ago but i still cant afford to overdo it either , this is good ~ i barely keep the quest alive , but i dont have to put up with oversaturation~there is nothing worse than 3 brand new cds at my desk that i have no interest in., espc. if i already like the band.

& then ill got to a show and not feel the sparkle* like kate said. the other night when i was a bit too drunk at a show that was a bit too boring ,

obsession vs acts of obsession

i am also the old guy at the show some nights ( i am 29 ) but i look like i am 22 usually. saved again. i ask myself if i will be going to shows in 10 years and i really dont have an answer. this is the line of energy/fear i press. but i dont think about it at all.

i started taking out cds from the library. it is a good thing so far.. the whole procedure of going in and flipping thru cds in a shelf, & having a limited amount of time to listen & return them is satisfying , but maybe i am just a bit over excited about this new library relationship& my fling with the library cds will end before september .

~ so if i was completely jaded id blame my pc for my cynicism~ which i may be doing soon enough, as righ t now i am trying to decide if i want a to buy a new pair of headphones or a used ipod/mp3 player/recorder, & i need a new stereo and a new DAT, but if i get an ipod i may explode/die with joy/boredom...maybe i will just fix the arm on my record player.

Gay Straightkin