Hey Everyone!
So the other day I was flipping through some of my old magazines when I came across this issue of Alternative Press. The feature article in this issue (beyond the blatantly obvious Blink-182 reunion) is a piece called "The Band Who Changed My Life". In this multipage work, different members of popular bands take turns discussing bands or artists they admired. William Beckett (The Academy Is) cites the artistic and bold Robert Smith of The Cure as a major influence, while acts like the young All Time Low chose the 90s pop punk kings, Blink-182. The bands vary across the board... different genres, different generations, but the one thing they all have in common is an influence.
Images Belong to Alternative Press Magazine
This got me wondering, to what level does this influence extend? If you think about it, a lot of the bands featured are inspiring the up and coming generation of musicians. I know that when I read about Green Day being fans of bands like Operation Ivy, I immediately pull up google and yahoo radio to check them out. I don't always like the bands (Operation Ivy, however, I love) but I am always curious to know what first made these people think "hey, maybe I could do that". So if I know that Green Day grew up listening to Operation Ivy, and I like them, I might wonder who had an impact on their career and so on, and so fourth.... taking artists of all kinds of genres and styles and intertwining them into one single web.
Personally, I love this idea. It lets us all celebrate and appreciate music past and present. It brings me to bands I would have maybe never thought to dig up on my own. Its a way of bringing it to my attention. In reality, its not much different from the way a band will select an opening act for a tour. Sometimes this is done for them, but when they hand pick, there's usually a reason. Some people don't show up at a concert until just before the main acts, but if you ask me, that usually means you're missing out. As much as I love knowing who influenced them at first, its also cool to find out who they think has potential to carry the torch for a new generation.
Its all about giving us new bands to listen to and love. So what do you think? Does this have much influence on you? Do you care who made your favorite acts decide to pick up an instrument? Do you care who is asked to tour with your favorite acts? Does this make you approach listening to that group any differently? Let me know!
Rock On!
- Girl At The Rock Show
Song Of The Day: Knowledge by Operation Ivy... one of the first OI songs I heard- because Green Day released a cover of it on their album 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours.
