"Music Journalism"

Millenia ago there was a strapping young lad about to come into fruition; on the prowl to sow his seed. And across the globe, wherever he may have roamed, there was a beat. There was a tune, coming from a larynx or some other kind of primitive instrument. Those beats and relatively arcane tunes transcended civilization and culture - they all had the basis for what we shake it to today. And while hunting his comely lass our friend would draw inspiration from what would one day be called "music". It was pure emotion; passion. A driving force. And if he waited long enough - with that blossoming human conscience - he would be able to dissect it, and break it down. But then, he'd be blowing it.

Thousands of years later, this is still true. This thing called music now comprises a large component of popular culture, which is fantastic. Everyone should be allowed to hear and enjoy music, regardless of where or who you are. But it's only in the last 30 years or so that what someone listened to became grounds for judgment - much like skin colour or spiritual beliefs - and that's wrong. It's not as extreme as being lynched or forced into cultural assimilation, but it's still enough to polarize the true passion of humanity.

You're not going to like what someone else listens to, that's a given. Since music became such a big part of everyday life, we needed these "educated" observers to provide a bit of context; to show what a particular musical/cultural movement meant on a grander scale. For decades, these music journalists were the reference points - providing background where it was needed. For those growing up in the print-oriented early-1990s, this was extremely crucial. It helped us learn where we and our current heroes were coming from, and for once we understood the cycles of emotion, of raw, unrelenting devotion to making a difference and turning peoples' heads.

But barely ten years later, everything changed. Today, music has become a competition. Every futile, insecure devotee with an internet connection takes every opportunity he or she can to debase whatever band/musician they can. That's fine - a lot of music sucks. But to devote so much time and energy to making someone feel shitty about what makes them feel good represents a lot of insecurity on the accuser's part. These are the stereotypical bully tactics that no doubt drove most of these "gurus" into safe criticism in the first place.

Regardless, it comes down to what that music does for us. It makes us feel. Much like our primitive friend thousands of years ago, what we dig picks us up and makes what we feel deep inside come alive. And you can't take that away from anybody, no matter who you are. Who gave you carte blanche to judge, anyway?

There is no established hierarchy in music. No one put anybody on any sort of pedestal. No band or act is immune from criticism. But that shouldn't be anyone's modus operandi. Just remember, no matter who you are, YOUR FAVOURITE BAND STILL SUCKS.