After my Tool post yesterday, I decided to give the new Tool a listen during my commute this morning. I really liked Tool through Lateralus. 10,000 Days did not grab me in any way. Fear Inoculum seems in line with 10,000 Days. I was bored after 1.5 songs and switched to *** with Marc Maron. Undertow, Aenima, and Lateralus still hold up for me, I don't think it is nostalgia: I'm just not feeling their more recent stuff. I'm not hearing anything new to grab onto and the production is beyond Steely Dan slick.
Heavy question: How do y'all handle bands/artists who are bad humans/have been accused of doing terrible things? Eg; separate the art from the artist, listen in private and ignore them in public, ignore the band/artist completely? For what it is worth, I am not talking about openly disgusting music like National Socialist Black Metal or skinhead bands, that jive is straight trash, IMO.
Also, any Colorado folks going to Boris this Friday? If you see a muscular ginger w/ a beard and glasses, say hello!
This is complex. I guess it depends on what we're talking about? One accusation, some instagram comments, more than a few public accusations, plea deals, actual convictions, personal experience?
I don't listen to Toby Keith because he's unapologetically racist, but his music also fushing sucks...Those are the easy ones.
There are a few artists who I have liked that I know longer will support by listening to them. I've sold their records, blocked them from streaming services, and removed them from my hard drive. If they come on the radio, I always turn the dial off the Nuge. There are probably a few bands/musicians that I would boycott if i actually paid attention to the "music" news. I'm not one of those proudly ignorant dipsh!ts, nor do I choose to be in the dark, I just don't have time to read gossip.
Generally, if I read something that's upsetting, I'll read a lot more. If I
can't convince myself this person
isn't the piece of poopie he or she has been accused of being, I find something else to listen to. In a few cases, if it's a matter of "he said - she said" ... I probably let myself believe what I want to believe. One time I actually asked an artist about an accusation, accepted his explanation and apology, and continued to support him.
This is really hard for fans and musicians alike. The way the internet lets any mindless turd say whatever they want can be unfairly damaging... and it can also be a great platform for a victim to expose some ugly truths about the music and musicians we love.
My band has been labeled/accused of/associated with bad poopie by one or two lame brain internet commenters (that should not be a word). Nothing could be further from the truth, of course; totally unsubstantiated fabrications conceived by the most pathetically inept brains, but because these idiots have a platform, and because that platform reaches billions of people, it may be something we have to deal with someday. We may have already lost some people over it, who knows. Its funny that the dumbest people and the biggest liars are the ones who Twit the most, isn't it ?!? Anyway....
I can tell you this: it really hurts to have someone hate you or hate your music because of someones lies or inability to think reasonably. It hurts even more to be accused of something you are passionately against.
The world is beyond repair