Mostly Harmless

Recently, I gave in and downloaded an album many “true punks” deem as trash, but mainstream critics give high praise.  I’m always looking for good music to jam to, so I decided to jump and give it a shot anyway.  It turns out, I really, really like the album.  This album was American Idiot by the pop-punk band Green Day. 

It took a lot for me to choke down the fact that I would soon be listening to a band I really dislike.  Sure, their music can be fun, but overall I just don’t like them.  Especially ever since they tried to turn into pop radio’s overly angry, overly political serving.  But I can’t help it, I think the album is fantastic, especially since it has so much in common with one of my all time favorites: The Who. 

But it made me think, am I not really “punk” for liking a Green Day album?  Personally I think the answer is that whatever the music is, hell, whatever it is at all, people still have the right to like it or not.  If punk is really about not caring what other people think, then why should anyone care that they like a Green Day album?  Is it because the band isn’t “true punk”?  Is it because they “sold out”?  It isn’t just American Idiot, though, it’s with almost everything.  Personally, I don’t think it matters what you like, as long as youare happy with it.  If I’m “not allowed” to like certain things to keep the somewhat “punk rock” attitude I try to uphold, then I’ll dump the movement.  Why be forced to do something that makes you unhappy, just so you can fit in?

I can’t help but laugh my ass off when I hear Kid Cudi complain about girl problems and how he’s not a popular guy.  Seriously?  I mean, back a few years ago I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing Day N’ Nite.  But don’t take that wrong, as I love that song.  But both of the Man on the Moon albums have seemed to be about this guy who just sucks dick at life, supposedly.  Yet, he has hit songs on the radio, a strong hipster fanbase, and most importantly a name that has stuck around for a while and people recognize.  So why does your life suck so much?  Maybe it is possibly because hetruly ismissing something in his life.  But even then, is that reason to complain in every damn song?  Look at John Mayer, for example.  He writes a lot of songs about girls he’s done wrong, but also a lot of his songs have a deeper quality to them that reveal a broken person that wears a smile.  But my main complaint is going from the perfect mixtape A Kid Named Cudi to Man on the Moon I was a very different shift in tone.  It went from blazin with bros and getting money, to blazing by yourself and getting no women, money, or anything as a result frombeing a international superstar.

Oh well, he can do what ever he wants as it is his career.  I just want the old Cudi to make a return one of these days.

If any of you know me at all, you probably know that I can rap.  If you didn’t know that, then congratulations, you learned something about someone on the internet you couldn’t care less about.  Me and my friends like to just sit around and freestyle sometimes because it can be really fun.  Pulling off an excellent verse is an exhilarating feeling, that I believe is difficult to top when working with music.  My friend and I want to put out a mixtape of raps we’ve written and freestyles, but honestly I’m too white to do such a thing. 

I’ve always hated on rappers that are white and aren’t Eminem. Em can do it, because he’s been in the game for about a decade and the genre was better off for it.  Hell, Marshall Mathers LP is one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard.  But People like Mac Miller and Yellawolf, people who use their rap to talk about how hood they are when they’re suburbanite white people just pisses me off.  I also live in a town where everyone wants to be a hardcore gangster, or drug dealer that raps on the side.  I don’t want to be that at all, but I just want to have fun.

That’s why, I’ve decided the rapping I do from here on out will not be gangster in any form, but true to who I am.  Not only that, this mixtape that I’m going to put out will possibly be my last venture in the genre aside from listening to it.  I feel like I need to explore my other musical talents as well.  I’ve already written and recorded an acoustic ballad of a song, so maybe I’ll move into my dream of playing in a punk rock band.  I hope so.

I realized for the first time last night, that I am fully in control of things now.  Where I use to be incredibly self-conscious and reserved, I feel completely free.  I feel like I’m satisfied with every day that I live because I’m continuing to exist in something that is as fragile as life.  Where I used to be terrified of the future, I am fully embracing it although I have some minor goals to accomplish.  I’m not done being a kid, though I’m at the age of eighteen, but I’m okay with the inevitable future.

EDIT: I’m not truly in full control, but I feel like I’m better to run with the changes.

I haven’t been posting on here at all recently.  I guess I may have found out a new way to keep my anger in check.  I can’t really post a ton, but it was nice talking to you guys again.  Hopefully this won’t be the last post I put out for a long time.

It has been a damn long time since I’ve been on Tumblr, but I’m marking my return with a story from last year. 

This has been a bi-polar year in music.  It went from not finding anything that great, to hearing a constant stream of mind-blowing albums.  The year started off with The Strokes’ new release Angles.  A fantastic return to form for the New York garage band, it marked a change in the bands style that still included their signature sound, but with more complexities.  This album dominated my listening forever until Foo Fighters released the fantastic Wasting Light, which is by far the heaviest Foo Fighters record to date.  Then Lasers by Lupe Fiasco came out, which was much anticipated by me being a huge Lupe fan, and it was lackluster.  It didn’t challenge me at all, with its pop-heavy production, and less anger than on previous Lupe records.  Keep in mind, however it was still a very good album.  So we have three great records that started out 2011 great, but I wasn’t impressed.  Back in 2010 Gorillaz put out the album Plastic Beach which blew my fucking mind.  In my opinion it is the perfect pop record.  Nothing has been able to top it since.  So I was going in with really high standards for this year and nothing was hitting them.  Until two albums came out that changed my mind about 2011.  Those albums were Take Care by Drake and Undun by The Roots.  Both albums represented the different sides of hip-hop.  Where Drake’s album is very emotional and poppy, Undun is a sophisticated, soul-filled album that brings to light the dark underside of the black community.  But which album impressed me the most?

I honestly can’t decide between these three records: Undun by The Roots, Wasting Light by Foo Fighters, and Take Care by Drake.

I’ll come back later and decide, finally.