There is a lover of independent music in the heart of every man and woman. This has nothing to do with elitism or condescension. But I mean this sincerely: Radio is a fascist regime. I'm not here to say "radio sucks" or that its listeners are narrow-minded. That would be condescending, wouldn't it?
Conglomerate-size stations force their choices upon a barely realizing public. By sorting songs by artists who fit the mold of that latest fashion - retro garage rock, reggae hip-hop or the infamous "emo"- they may play that style continuously. In doing so, they create fans of this style and start a trend intrinsically.
Radio is the only product that can be forced upon its audience with such efficiency. It is impossible to avoid a hit. I hadn't listened to the radio of my own accord in months when Hoobastank's "The Reason" came out. I never once heard it on my own radio. Yet, I know this song so well I ought to be crying into my Earth Science notebook.
How did it happen?
The truth is, radio is the background noise of our society. While past generations listened to baseball games on every corner, ours cranks the new Usher song from passing 16-inch woofers and overhead store speakers. It is presumably better to listen to the same 10 songs hour after hour, day after day, than it is to sit in silence, or even start a conversation. As a result, entrance into any establishment of profit guarantees the presence of a pop-culture wonder.
Why do we put up with it? We're satisfied with a stagnant talent pool reproducing what we heard last summer and the summer before.
The answer lies in familiarity. Once a song is heard X number of times, its chorus is easily memorized. The average song features its chorus three times. That's three multiplied by X. Most students only have to look over material a few times before they're ready to spit it back out on test day.
This unbelievable and often unintentional familiarity creates a sense of comfort. Many people enjoy humming along with what they're hearing, insouciantly and without care. It's almost a comfort to be able to walk into a new place and have the presence of something recognizable. Soon, without thinking to question why, we're saying "Oh, oh! I love this song," as if it were a mantra.
I'm not saying this is a negative reflection on our society. I don't think the average radio-listener is a just an intellectual loafer. There's nothing wrong with appreciating the familiar. Currently, I'm listening to an album I've listened to at least 50 times before (mewithoutYou's "A->B=[Life]"). I'd just like to recognize that this is not "art for art's sake." What people love about "The Reason" is likely not its inherent beauty, but its recognizable hook.
Ceaselessly, I hear people in discourse of their loathing a pop single from which there is no escape.
"I'm sick of that song," they say. "I've just heard it so many times." I can't help you escape the radio. I can only say that I find satisfaction elsewhere.
Some people have told me they don't know where else to find music easily (i.e. without attending a performance every week). I recommend sites like purevolume.com, which offer the newest music from both popular and yet-to-be-signed artists. I also recommend going to allmusicguide.com, searching your favorite band and checking out their list of influences and similar artists.
