A Different Viewpoint On the Street(s)
by: Tyler Baber

Just like every other elitist indie music listener, I get most of my name-dropping skill and snobbish attitude straight from the pages of the independent music press sheets. Iím not talking about the Big Takeover, Magnet, or NME. I need reliable material presented in an entertaining manner, preferably with scantily clad female musicians or entertainers plastered on the cover. Yes, I need the dependability and credibility of Rolling Stone, Blender, or maybe if Iím feeling especially elitist Entertainment Weekly. I can relate to these aspiring young musicians struggling against the corporate world and the troubles of trying to work through an international tour. I can laugh with Pink, cry with Madonna, and be moved by the story of the Osbournes. Thanks to my hanging out at the local record store (BestBuy) and listening to the college radio stations (owned by Clear Channel Communications), I generally know a good deal about the ìTop New Artistsî when they finally get mentioned in the aforementioned magazines. I already knew I didnít like Fevers and Mirrors but was impressed by Lifted when Entertainment Weekly listed Bright Eyes as one of the best new artists and I owned White Blood Cells ever since it was trendy to be into those new garage-rock bands.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I stumbled across a four-star review of the album Original Pirate Material in Rolling Stone. The album, the debut from 22-year old Mike Skinner AKA the Streets, was sent to me for review by another well known and highly regarded publication (your very own tangzine). Comparing my opinion of the album with the review in Rolling Stone left me in a confused and forlorn state. I was not nearly as impressed by Skinnerís white-bread British hip hop, ìsungî with such a strong brogue that each syllable was carefully enunciated like Eliza Dolittle in the play ìMy Fair Ladyî trying to correctly say ìthe rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.î Afraid at my newfound disagreement with a publication I regarded so highly, I turned to Blender to see if I could find a writer who had more in common with myself. The cover of Blender alone let me know this was a far more credible magazine, what with Christina Aguilera pictured in a leather bra and handcuffs around one wrist. Truly this was a music journal I could turn to. But whatís this! Original Pirate Material was listed at 32 on the magazineís top 50 albums of the year, right between Elvis Costelloís When I Was Cruel and Phishís Live Phish 11: 11.17.97. Coincidentally, the Streetís album was placed closer to number one than many other recently discovered artists, such as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band who placed 34, Solomon Burke who came in at 39 and Sonic Youth who were thrown in at 41. How!?!

I kept searching through other magazines to see if anyone agreed with my distaste for slow, monotonous Brit-hop as performed by the ìBritish Eminem.î Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, the BBC, the fashion magazine Nylon and the Yahoo! Launch music website all featured the Streets and gave at least decent reviews of his music. Rolling Stone and Blender continuously praised the Streets, with Rolling Stoneís December 12 issue listing Original Pirate Material as one of the best albums of the last three months between other mostly unknown albums like Sigur Rosí ( ) and the soundtrack to the smash indie film 8 Mile. Even more recently, the magazine named the Streets as the best debut act of 2002. Why do 9 out of 10 critics agree that this is a great album while I am left alone being that 1 who just doesnít get it?

Many possible reasons for my not appreciating the music of Mike Skinner ran through my head. Maybe I canít fully understand the strength in songs about British life. Maybe no one told me that England finally regained control of the pesky rebellious United States and free speech has been revoked. Maybe I have gone deaf and Iíve just been relying on my own imagination to make up what I think things actually sound like. Maybe, just maybe, Iím not as indie as I thought.

That final possibility is by far the scariest to me. Have I been living a lie? Iíve made sure my wardrobe consists of shirts advertising record labels and bands none of my friends have heard. I refuse to pay more than $10 for a show and will not see a concert at a venue that holds more than 500 people. I openly mock and scorn people who have never heard Godspeed You! Black Emperor or have never seen SLC Punk. I make sure to buy the newest releases from Jade Tree, Saddle Creek, and Velvet Blue Music. I threw away my CD Player so I can rely only on vinyl and mp3ís. Where did I go wrong?

Original Pirate Material should be what any true indie kid loves. It is creative, unique, and it reeks of what the mainstream would consider untalented musicianship. And while I find it easy to love the strange sounds made by groups like Joan of Arc, I just canít bring myself to enjoy the synth-samplings in Mike Skinnerís intriguingly annoying world.

What am I going to do? Should I quit now, admit that I am just a mainstream poseur and buy some pop-punk or acoustic singer/songwriter pap? Should I start a rap-rock band and sing like Eddie Vedder? No, I can not. So Iím going to put Original Pirate Material back in my stereo and force myself to learn to love the music that my favorite publications tell me I should love, just as others do with Ben Kweller or Sleater-Kinney. These are the kind of sacrifices true indie fans are forced to make.

posted 12-18-02

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Tyler is a freshman at Messiah College majoring in undeclared. Although he will miss sweetened tea, there's enough in Pennsylvania to keep him busy for a little while. Wire him money or hate mail at tb1191@messiah.edu

2002 White Elephant Productions