why do i never hear rock/punk/similar played loud in cars...

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

unlike Westwood approved urban type stuff which accounts for 99% of loud in-car music heard around town...the other 1% is UK garage or drum n bass (tho thats a lot rarer than it used to be)...what happened to all those hard house boy racers eh?

is it just a London thing? i wouldve thought that now all the nu-metal kids are old enough to drive i'd be hearing more stuff like that on the street but no...i'm also hearing a bit Indian/Bollywood sounding (pardon my ignorance) music right now but then i'm workin in West Ealing at the mo so that does kinda figure

irrelevant thread of the day! but dont it make you think? tell me what you like to blast out while driving if you live in a city and do you ever notice the reactions you get for doing so?

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I blast the hell out of classic rock, garage rock, and old-skool country all the time in my car...

― Stuart, Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Rob M's First Law Of Car Stereos - you never hear anything you would willingly listen to coming out of anyone else's car stereo.

Rob M's Second Law Of Car Stereos - the louder the car stereo, the less likely you are to enjoy it.

― Rob M, Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:25 (twenty-three years ago)

it is because rock/punk/similar are unlistenable

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:27 (twenty-three years ago)

No punk music fan I know thinks its cool to drive around windows down, sunglasses on listening to music. They're rather skateboard, get drunk, go see a show or just hangout.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:29 (twenty-three years ago)

all people still listening to rock and punk and 'similar' are obviously too afraid of new things to invest in car stereos

― thom west (thom w), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:50 (twenty-three years ago)

of course, it all depends:

here - here being o-town, indie rock ground zero, as well as being a white ghetto - you're much more likely to hear punk/indie/emo/metal blaring out of a car than anything "urban".

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 16:52 (twenty-three years ago)

punk rockers can't afford cars.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 17:45 (twenty-three years ago)

This is hardly a frivolous thread. I live in L.A. and this kind of thing is a fine art here. Everyday I hear/see everything from '64 Impala's booming out Zapp, to those Mercedes military style SUVs literally blasting out Enya. I think the problem with rock is that it's too trebly for in your face car - speakers (not that I don't throw it on sometime - Hives are great for weekends). Hip-hop is perfect on streets and at stoplights. House is good for freeway driving, but not for stop 'n' go. My current fave is dancehall or dancehall inspired hip-hop. Actually I read about "More Fire" by New Flesh on Skykicking and started to bump that, and people ask about it all the time.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:02 (twenty-three years ago)

New excuse time: The emo thing at the moment in town is to ride a scooter.
I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Simon's correct as usual.

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

correct = annoying ?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:08 (twenty-three years ago)

twice recently I have heard "saturday night" by Bon Jovi being played once coming out of a house and then a Burger King.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, speaking of oly-town, I've only heard bassy r&B blasted out of them military boys in the white SUVs, but I've only been on 4th St. in Oh-Limp-ya during "prime time" on a weekend, when people might actually leave their houses for half an hour. But I can imagine Jess's scenario, easily.. reminds me all too much of the affluent corners of Orange County, CA...

My question is: Is there a way a car blasting Built To Spill can stand his/her ground when stopped at a street light right next to a car blasting either Slayer, Led Zeppelin, or Dre? Or have we found a greatest litmus test for the "wussiness" of music?

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:12 (twenty-three years ago)

But if you want the wussiest boomers in the U.S., come to the Fremont suburb of Seattle. The most threatening thing you'll ever hear is a college girl blasting Yo La Tengo's "Sugarcube" out of her tarped jeep.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:15 (twenty-three years ago)

While waiting for a bus in Northeast Philadelphia a SUV drove by blasting "Atmosphere". It kicked ass.

― cttr, Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Rock can sound good IN a car but it doesnt sound good outside a car - outside you hear a brief multi-second burst and something highly rhythmic can grab you in that time.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:38 (twenty-three years ago)

I have never heard anyone ever blasting "Turkey in the Straw" from a car. (Ice Cream truck, sure.. but car - never.) Seems like if you were going to blast something .....

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I always crank up The Sounds of NASCAR on my system!!!

― christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 19:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Rock leaves too much to the treble. It doesn't carry as well.

― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 19:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Beacuse Nitzer Ebb already broke my speakers.

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 20:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Last year in Boston I rode around with a friend blasting the Steve Reich box set. Heads did turn. I have the burning desire to do the same w/ Bobetomagus

― brg30 (brg30), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

America is obviously different but in London I'd say the difference is that 'rock fans' don't particularly value the powerful car stereo as a status-symbol/cool thing to show off. The reasons for this are probably complex but one of them may be an awareness that, as Tom says, rock doesn't carry so well beyond the car so it's not going to impress/annoy anyone so what's the point of fitting the expensive stereo in the first place.

― David (David), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 22:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I have a fantasy where I move back to San Francisco, put those little American flags on both of my passenger windows, roll down the rear windows, and BLAST "Who Let The Dogs Out" for hours on end in upscale neighborhoods. I'm thinking Union Street, Noe Valley, maybe up to Marin.

Also, Unknown Pleasures is awesome for high speed weaving around on routes you know really well.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

the loudest stuff in my neighborhood is Norteno music, no question. That shit SHAKES the pavement.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 1 October 2002 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

actually, last weekend some hispanic guys in this fucking tricked out lowrider were rolling down 4th street blasting what sounded like this crazy latin version of booty bass. it's the best street music i've heard since moving to olympia.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 22:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Seems to me that blasting music out of your car stereo to the extent that everyone within a five-mile radius can hearit is more a way of asserting one's status and/or credibility as opposed to a manner of enjoying whatever music happens to be playing. That said, such desperate attempts at ego-gratification and hubris seem better suited to hip-hop fans....a contingent seemingly preoccupied with self-aggrandizement to begin with.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 23:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Incidentally, I am an *UNAPOLOGETIC* rockist!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 23:16 (twenty-three years ago)

haha yeah, rock's never been about comparing cock sizes.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 23:35 (twenty-three years ago)

that's because all rockers have big cocks, you pussy.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 1 October 2002 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

GYBE is perfect for driving the 20 Est from Montreal to Quebec City, just like Love Tara is perfect for taking the Short Cut To Moncton.

Sadly, The Short Cut isn't so short now the new highway is done.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 00:53 (twenty-three years ago)

I should dig up that darn article I wrote for CTCL. I love those random encounters with cars driving by blaring whatever the hell. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 01:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know how to drive, but have long entertained a wish to be in a cherry-red convertible, top down, blasting Kid606's remix of "Straight Outta Compton."

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 02:50 (twenty-three years ago)

i have done that.*

(in both a beat up '87 hyundai and a relatively swank '00 pathfinder.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 02:51 (twenty-three years ago)

i did that too, but i was in this mixtape and dad was driving the car so i dont think it counts as HaRDCORE BLaSTING!

― vic (vicc13), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 15:55 (twenty-three years ago)

As soon as I get my car back on Saturday I am going to blast out vitalic live, TAKE THAT, COMMUNITY! Actually I don't like blasting my music out cos young person/dance music/car is really asking to get stopped for speeding or something.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 16:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I was blasting New Big Prinz today. But I have a weak car stereo, so no one else heard it.

Kid down the street from me blasts the hip-hop all the time. His stereo has been stolen five times.

Guess it's a matter of priorities (sample size = 2.)

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 2 October 2002 17:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned, was it you who wrote that article in careless talk then? it was spot on, but i thought you only liked schmindie?

― sF, Thursday, 3 October 2002 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

If I had a cunting stereo system like that in my car I'd drive around playing Bob Dylan and Impaled Nazarene albums at top bassbumping volumes.

― Lek Dukagjin, Thursday, 3 October 2002 22:14 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.