sound + vision: The Songs That Opened My Eyes to Music
I've always loved music. As a kid, my dad would turn on the oldies radio station whenever we were in the car and quiz me. My parents took me to see Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney while I was still in elementary school. My sister and I made up dances on the trampoline to George Michael and the Wilson Phillips.
In high school I listened to some stuff I still think is pretty good: Weezer, Radiohead, the Cranberries, Nirvana, and my beloved oldies. But I also listened to stuff I now think is crap: Hootie and the Blowfish, Savage Garden, Sister Hazel, Alanis Morisette, etc... The things is, I had only mainstream radio to guide me, so that's what I got. No cool older siblings, no in-the-know friends, no local college radio station, and no internet.
That all changed during college in 1999, when I became roommates with Amanda. She had been really into punk in high school and had become a big indie music aficionado in college. She introduced me to Belle & Sebastian, Elliott Smith, Built to Spill, Neutral Milk Hotel, and many more. I had no idea that there were so many great bands out there that weren't on the radio. I felt like my eyes had been opened to a whole new world. It was incredibly exciting.
Amanda and I soon found our way to the local indie scene. The internet was still so slow and limited that most of our knowledge of new bands came by word of mouth or a trip to the now-defunct Salt City Records. We were so passionate about music that we listened to it constantly, went to see shows bi-weekly, learned how to play guitar, and along with a few more friends, started a band of our own.
Although I still love music, I don't think I'll ever come close to the passion I felt for it in college. There are some great newer bands like Taken by Trees, the Shout Out Louds, the Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver, but their songs will never compare to Aeroplane over the Sea, When They Really Get to Know You They Will Run, or Between the Bars. I guess because it's about more than just the song...it's about the context. And for me, 1999 was the year I really fell in love with music. Nothing will ever top the songs I listened to over and over again during that year.
I hope you enjoy listening to some of these.
Are any of you nostalgic for music from a certain period of your life? I'd love to hear!
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17 comments:
Uh Oh. I just clicked on a video to make it play, but nothing is happening! I'm sorry -- I'll try and get this figured out.
Looks like they're working again. Must have been some sort of glitch with Blogger or Youtube.
i love this post, but i am biased.
Great post! Great taste.
I feel a little bit like you.
oh what can i say...WHAT CAN I SAY!!!
I love this! Thanks for such a great post.
One of my faves that takes me straight back to the ninth grade and all the craziness that is middle school is actually your title "Sound + Vision" by David Bowie. That song just gets me.
@Amanda + @Ikumi - I know you two are right there with me on this one. Ikumi, you are such a big musical influence on me, too!
@Julie - I love David Bowie! Such a great song.
So well put, Eva. All of those songs bring up so many memories!
I totally think it's not only the song, but that part of your life when you first heard it. I always love listening to songs that I first heard when I was studying in Australia. I miss that part of life!
I think you're pretty lucky your parents made a musical impact on you when you were young. Since my mom is deaf, my dad lost interest in music. When I discovered oldies and my love for Elvis on my own, my dad was excited and nostalgic.
It's great how music can bring on so many memories and connections.
@Nic - Yes, the circumstances or part of your life when you first hear a song can be so important. I don't think I knew you studied in Australia. I'd love to hear about it sometime.
That's true...I am pretty lucky that my parents introduced me to a lot of music when I was young.
@Becca - Do you remember that song you made up about Waterloo? You sang it to me when you came to visit me in Nancy. I'd love to hear that recorded sometime.
Oh my high school days were filled with Siouxsie and the Banshees, the JudayBats (anyone remember them?), the B-52's, They Might Be Giants, Tiger Trap, Heavenly, and Drink Me!
College days I spent my time listening to Unrest, Beat Happening, Tuscadero, Huggy Bear, Superchunk, and Neutral Milk Hotel, too.
These days I find it hard to keep up with music like I was able to in high school and college. I read alot of zines, but now the internet has taken the "work" part out of finding music. I do find some music in Nylon magazine that I like - like Laura Marling! and I read about another I love called Alessi's Ark in Amelia's magazine!
Nice post!
@ Missy - I also used to listen to Heavenly a lot. And I just discovered Laura Marling on the web....she's great!
elliott smith, belle & sebastian, neutral milk hotel, and built to spill "opened my eyes" as well. radiohead started it all for me, though. my brother jefferson gave me a copy of one of his radiohead cds when i was a sophomore in high school because he was sick of hearing my crappy top hits radio station come through his heating vent to his room upstairs. i cried the first time i listened to karma police.
why is it that college so often has the musical monopoly in life? reading your post made me crave the old yearning i had for new, good music.
oh, my. eva, i completely forgot that song! what do you remember? maybe it would jog my memory to hear some of it again. :)
Something about a bandaid on the ground in Waterloo? Or a puddle?
I know I'm totally late at responding, but I'm trying to catch up on some blog reading and I wanted you to know that I really love this post.
It's funny, I think sometimes we go through cycles in discovering new and unheard music. I've been out of university for 15 years now and I find myself getting back into the indie music scene once again, but this time more local bands (I live in the Seattle area).
My favorite right now is Austin Jenckes. Have a listen to this and watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leVXGxVYTGg
He has a cool acoustic sound with great lyrics that's addictive. I love discovering new bands and seeing where they go in future too.
Thanks for sharing, Tiffany. I love discovering new music, too...it just seems like I have a lot less time, and probably a lot less drive to find it than I used to.
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