Random Music Thoughts

January 15, 2009 at 8:42 am (Music) ()

I found myself listening to Wonderwall by Oasis this morning on my way to work.  It’s a song that I was sort of peripherally aware of when it was first released (I was, after all, only about 10).  I got it from Amiel, who is much more of a 90s child than I ever could be.

It made me wonder whatever happened to that whole genre of “whiny British man” music.  When did it get replaced with “angry old American man” music?  If given a choice, I’ll take whiny over angry any day.  Some American bands also have the rather annoying habit of writing songs about how awesome America is…because soldiers rock or something.  I’m kind of thinking of bands like Three Doors Down here – they were fine when they had songs like Kryptonite, but I really dislike all their more recent stuff.

(Mind you, I’m as patriotic as the next citizen of this country, but the self-congratulatory “we’re the only place that’s actually free” really gets on my nerves.  Especially when it’s said by conservatives who are totally okay with, oh, the Patriot Act or Guantánamo.  Because taking away my civil rights and institutionalizing torture totally makes me more “free.”  Whatever.)

Anyway, it’s reminded me I rather miss Brit Pop.  It’s so ridiculous and silly, and thus so much more fun than music that takes itself seriously.  A few weeks ago, Amiel found this really ridiculous British children’s video on YouTube that featured a dancing Gummy Bear.  It was singing, “I’m a Gummy Bear, in a Gummy world…” to the tune of “Barbie Girl.”  How can you not appreciate that?

I also heard City Hall by Vienna Teng.  It’s from her most recent album (I believe it’s called Dreaming through the Noise or something like that).  Now I’d heard this song before, but never listened to it especially closely until this morning.  It suddenly dawned on me that this song is totally about a same-sex couple driving to San Francisco to get married back when the mayor declared same-sex civil unions legal (or whatever it was that happened awhile ago).

So now I have to wonder…is Vienna Teng a lesbian?  If that song was autobiographical, then she must be awfully frustrated by Proposition 8.

Permalink 4 Comments