It’s March, 2008. The sun begins shining through the newly grown leaves, blowing side to side as the fresh air gently makes it way through the trees. I untangle my iPod cord and guide it up my arm, through my shirt, back through the neck hole as the buds connect to my ears. This will keep the cord from pulling as I begin peddling on the 21 speed bike, this being the first opportunity to get out for the first few miles of the season. Reaching to the iPod, my index finger gently presses the play button, signaling the first song to begin in the shuffle mix set for this occasion. “Knocked Up” by King’s of Leon begins playing, setting the tone for the two hour ride to come. This is followed up by a number of songs that shaped my childhood, from albums that could be played all the way through. [Dookie, Smash, Sixteen Stone, Nevermind, Frogstomp, Ten, Superunknown, Throwing Copper, 40 oz. to Freedom, Make Yourself]
It’s September, 2009. The cool air blows through the half cracked windows of my friends car. After not driving for four months, it comes back naturally, just like riding a bike for the first time in years. I begin bumbling through the stations, attempting to find some decent music. Having lived in NY for three years now, the iPod has become the only music player I count on, [Besides Grooveshark or Pandora at work] so a switch to krock should do the trick. It’s Z100, or isn’t it? A top 40 pop station? Ok. As I shuffle through the stations to find either rock or alternative, there is nothing but top hits and one rap station. The most populated area in the country has no assortment of music! It’s all the same! So after fiddling through every station three times, one station is playing the Kings of Leon. Why? Because it has a pop tune to it. I immediately switch the station after the song ends to find another one playing the Kings of Leon. I listen again. Why? Because it’s not “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas – the most played out song to hit the air since “Who Let The Dogs Out”. [I heard I Gotta Feeling four times while out on a boat in late July, followed by 3 times in the club that night. This progressed to be what every night would be like thereafter.]
So what does this all mean? 1) The Kings of Leon are a great band but were barely known until they made a club/dance song, allowing every radio station to play their music. 2) The Kings of Leon are now the only band I can listen to while driving (thank god I count on the subway). 3) Every kid growing up are now singing and rocking out to American Idol songs, which means they will not inspire to be the next Beatles, Rolling Stones, or Green Day (unless it comes out on rock band). 4) Buy Sirius/XM stock, how could this company not do well considering the crap on the radio? 5) The iPod/Napster/Apple has destroyed the music industry in ways outside eating into music industry revenues. Bands now create one hit wonders, to play over and over on the radio, and sell for 99 cents, rather than write the great CD’s we grew up on.
