What's Going On

What's Going On

October 2, 2021

Rolling Stone magazine published a piece last year by Bono, the iconic U2 frontman, on the 60 songs that saved his life. In the section on Joy Division's song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," Bono muses, "Who would listen to Frank Sinatra and Kraftwerk and Bartók and Motown and the Stooges at the same time?” Bono is in the studio of Martin Hannett, Joy Division's producer, and he is astonished at Hannett's musical taste.

While I enjoy post-punk music, like Joy Division, is not my go-to genre. I like hair metal; I like indie pop; I like to hear good melodies. Post-punk does reflect my taste, though, in what influenced it. Any genre that incorporates such disparate influences as Kraftwerk, Motown, and the Stooges I am bound to admire.

My goal, my grail, in my musical exploration, is to appreciate equitably every genre. Some come more easily than others. Hair metal was an immediate love upon hearing Def Leppard. Others feel like pulling teeth. Post-rock/noise-rock like Swans’ album “Leaving Meaning” straight up gave me anxiety.

I am not qualified to blog about music, except that, sometimes, I can string a sentence or two together in a coherent fashion. My musical knowledge is limited; I listen to what I like, though I don’t always understand why I like it. Perhaps that’s a strength. The Jon Landaus and Robert Christgaus and Darius Milhauds have their audiences. In the Internet age, I hope it’s not too presumptuous to hope for my own. If not, at least nobody will hear me call myself “the mean of American rock addicts.”

-Jos