| [ | A Bit of the Old Ludwig Van |
| | Explosions in the Sky - Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean | ] |
I've been completely fucking enamored with Explosions In The Sky as of... the past few hours. I love instrumental post-rock stuff. I've really been a big binge with it lately, with bands like God Is An Astronaut, This Will Destroy You, and Mogwai, as well as EITS. I've come to appreciate so many different types of music growing up, whether it be learning about them from my high school music teacher, who is probably one of the biggest influences on my life, period, or from just hanging around different people who like different things. I'll never say I don't like a certain type of music unless I listen to it, and the environment I'm in at school allows me to hang out with people with very varied musical tastes, and I love that. I can't stand being around narrow minded people, who refuse to listen to a certain type of music, or won't listen to a certain artist because of their image, or because of the way it will reflect on that person's image. Who gives a fuck if listening to a certain band means you're not "metal", or any of that other shit. Labels are so over rated. It's shit like that that causes problems between people. When someone can't appreciate music, it tends to ruin the whole experience for everyone around them. For example, one of my roommates, who prides himself on being a huge metalhead, when, in reality, he's really just a narrow minded poser. There have been many times where he's heard me listening to something non metal, and he's told me "turn that pussy shit off. Put some (this band) or (that band) on". Seriously, if you can't accept the fact that I listen to something other than what you like, fuck you. Okay... I'm getting off topic.
Where was I.... oh yeah.
But I love the complexity of bands like those I mentioned before because, with just music, they usually say more than any song with lyrics can. While I love to throw on music to sing along to, I usually put stuff like this on for contemplative, relaxing times. It always makes me think back on different experiences in life, and I love the beauty and grace of it. It's the type of music where you can just sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and go somewhere totally different for a while. And I love music like that. I don't think enough musicians have the ability, talent, or nerve to challenge their listeners to do things like that. Most bands/artists are intent on keeping you in the song, getting you involved with what they're doing, and while that's all fine and good sometimes, these bands today tend to make music that basically invokes one emotion, and that emotion is solely based off the lyrical content. While I can relate to many of the lyrics in the songs I listen to, I feel that there should always be a time where you can put on music that you can just sort of drift away with, and allow your emotions to take over, letting you feel whatever you want.
</rant>
So, to change to topic totally, I've decided I'm getting another tattoo. I'm getting the Gonzo symbol on the inside of my right leg. I've been totally obssessed with Hunter S. Thompson as of late. My mom and dad got me The Rum Diary for Christmas, and I can't wait to start reading it. The man was truly a genius, and I think alot of his work went horrifically underappreciated. Sure, he has a cult following, but to alot of people, he was probably just "the guy thatgot fucked up on a lot of drugs and wrote Fear and Loathing...". Yeah, that may be true. He did get really fucked up on a WHOLE lot of drugs, and the entire Fear and Loathing story is true. However, he was the kind of guy who stood up for what he believed in, and wouldn't stop fighting for those beliefs till he died, and I think that's a really admirbale quality in any person, and not enough people are like that.
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