Normally I try to ignore lists made by so-called professional music critics, I find they’re even more full of crap than people with awful tastes. Then a co-worker who is a musician showed me this (the Web masters at LA Weekly are incapable of making this one page for reasons that evade me). A couple acts the author(s) picked on made me cringe because I actually own some of their records…without irony. The last thing I want to be called is a Hipster. I’ve always hoped I get a pass on the label due to my age!
Anyway, to save you some Web-based grief, I reposted the list below with a little defense on the eight I own, in green. The other 12, I have little to no opinion about. Some of the digs against the bands are funny so I would encourage you to read the whole thing, just use my list below as an appetizer.
- Bon Iver: An acquired taste and much of it grew on me. I will readily admit, not everything Justin Vernon does is good. The falsettos get a bit trying.
- tUnEyArDs: My friend Chip said I’d like it due to my love of Talking Heads. Not really, there were about two songs that were decent, the rest was musical jerking off which puts them more in league with Frank Zappa. This one I would avoid if I could do it over again.
- Arcade Fire: I genuinely like them. AF has some songs which could’ve been hits if FM radio weren’t in such bad, self-inflicted shape.
- Bright Eyes
- Grizzly Bear
- Beirut: see Bon Iver.
- Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: This was a better recommendation from Angie, it made up for the Dirty Projectors. Not everybody likes Psychedelic material.
- The Airborne Toxic Event
- Beach House: I tried a free song or two, it was mainly distortion.
- White Rabbits
- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes: The Hippie vibe can wear rather thin and I did find their contribution to the Bowie tribute a bummer. However, they’ve done some contagious singles, namely “Home.” To me, they’ve succeeded while the Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree have bored me.
- Pomplamoose: The authors hate them for making commercials?
- The Decembrists: Nothing they’ve done have caught my interest, just their contribution to The Hunger Games.
- Wavves
- Death Cab for Cutie: These guys have done great singles I love, “The Sound of Settling,” “Soul Meets Body,” and “Cath.” I sense sour grapes along with the “we liked you before you married Zoey and/or sold out.”
- MGMT: Their first album was played to death. Their second sucked! For their third it’s either a comeback or “do you want fries with that?”
- Fun
- Sleigh Bells
- TV on the Radio
- The Black Keys
Who should be on the list though? My immediate vote goes to most Hip Hop/Rap and sorry excuses for modern R&B that White music critics fawn over. Sonic Youth, the Beastie Boys, John Cale, the Velvet Underground, most Lou Reed and all the Grateful Dead. Sure I’m listing mostly oldies but Hipster critics feel much of the previous crap can do no wrong.