In the early 70s, there were kids who liked non-commercial music, like Zappa, Bonzo DooDah Dog Band (who wrote DeathCabForCutie), etc. Devotees felt a bond to each other by their love of the music, which was not widely held.
I think the early punk movement had some bands with a similar following (straight edge, Shelter, religious hard core, vegetarian antidrug punk, KrishnaCore, etc) so if you met someone who liked this one band, you knew they selected and loved the same odd diamond you did.
Any bands like that today? Do you feel part of any small niche music cults?
BTM
Sublime is, I guess, a ‘newer’ band like what you’re talking about. Everyone who listens to Sublime has sort of the same hobbies, personalities, taste in music, and image of an ideal lifestyle.
I meet a lot of people through discussing music. Sometimes I see someone with a Beatles or Grateful Dead t-shirt on, and I know, just by their appearance, that we would get along well.
Defintely, Sublime is one of the bigger ones.
Pere Ubu captured the nihilistic angst, literary squalor, and velvet undergroundy (ther’s another cult band) decadence…
I go to Poolside At The Flamingo concerts a lot. The music I dont actually think is that good, its just fun to hang out with friends, at a not-so-crowded concert where everybody is moshing. Its REALLY fun to stand on the sides and watch people mosh.
That musical existence can no longer exist today. The modern musical industrial complex will squash it. You are a fool and a stooge if you allow your identity and your philosophy on life to be defined by the modern musical industrial complex.
i suppose i would be a bit of an ‘indie kid’. its not like i aim for that, its just i love the music.
