Refuge

I like to think that I have a relatively varied taste in music. I feel that I cannot rule out a particular genre and all artists which belong to it, preferring to decide whether I like each artist individually. However, I have found, lately, that I am becoming increasingly disillusioned by what one could refer to as 'mainstream popular music'. Let us take for example, the linguistic genius that is 50 Cent. Whilst it should be noted that I have not digested the complete works of said virtuoso, I have been lead to believe from watching music television (an unhealthy habit which I no longer engage in for the sake of my mental stability) that most of his work revolves around various different ways of saying "Yeah. I'm really powerful. Look at me. I'm better than you" (granted, I am paraphrasing at this point). I cannot get my head round how this is enlightening in any way. There is always the danger, though, that I have missed something major regarding the hidden meaning of his lyrics and that his rapping is really about the comparative futility of attempting to dismantle established and insurmountable class barriers in a modern capitalist society (but I rather doubt this, since that last phrase made almost no sense). I suppose what really bothers me (and of course, this has been said before) is that the whole point of music as a creative, expressive art, is lost sight of and it merely forms the driving force of a money-making machine. It is most likely this sentiment which is one of the reasons why I am such a fan of bands like 65daysofstatic (www.65daysofstatic.com) which are just about as far from being a manufactured brand as you can get. Of course, there are many artists who make meaningful music and are also incredibly popular. It is simply a shame that some artists can put no thought into what they are doing and sell huge numbers of records.

Talking of things which are inflated out of all proportion by media hype, the iPhone was released to the public yesterday, and it is here that my blatant bias comes into play (or, at least, becomes glaringly obvious). Despite criticism concerning their environmental record, monopolistic practices, and over-pricing, I cannot help but love the products that Apple makes. They seem to have managed to perfectly combine stunning design with ease of use. Basically, when you buy something from them, "it just works" (well, most of the time, anyway). I could harp on all day about the joys of using Apple gadgets, but that would no doubt send this blog to as yet unfathomed depths of dullness, so, on second thoughts, I won't bother.