Culture Greyhound

It’s not news that Fox News is a megaphone for the conservative movement and a right-wing media propaganda tool.  It always has been, regardless of its original tagline promising “fair and balanced” coverage (haven’t seen that graphic in a while).  There has always been one anchor there, though, even from the beginning, and usually reporting in the afternoons, that has been the lone voice of reason – an actual reporter surrounded by bumbling idiots, analysts, and pundits shouting rhetoric and heresy rather than fact.

A man who seeks to deliver the news, nothing more, nothing less.  A man who usually keeps his views to himself, but when asked, will become the voice of reason in a room full of shouting matches.  While Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck squawk and squeal,  this man sits back and does his job for the viewers at home, rather than for the content managers behind the camera.

That man is Shepard Smith.

After the jump are some of my favorite YouTube-rendered moments of Shep sticking to his guns, proving that knowledge is power, valuing his journalistic duty over ratings credentials, and making an effort to actually keep things “fair and balanced.”

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“Lubbock has this way of, while you’re there, making you feel like it’s the most normal place in the world; not until you go away and start comparing your experience there to the outside world do you realize that Lubbock is really one of the strangest places anywhere.” — Joe Ely

“Life in Lubbock, Texas taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you’re going to burn in hell.  The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth.  And you should save it for someone you love.”—Butch Hancock

“You either go crazy or play music in Lubbock. There’s not a hell of a lot to do.” – Delbert McClinton

“There was this thing about the horizon in that flat country. When you were out playing, you loved to look and say “Oh, yeah, the earth is round.” And you would be right in the middle of it. I’ve always thought that being in that spot gave you this feeling that you were the center of the universe, that you were really special, and at the same time you were just a speck of absolute nothing.” – Jo Harvey Allen

“Lubbock was just a tiny town, a little oasis in a big old nothingness, and I spent every bit of my waking time just trying to figure out ways of getting out of there.  But I really loved all that sky. You gotta fill it up with something, and music is a pretty good thing to fill up emptiness with.” – Joe Ely

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Occasionally I browse the pop music world/charts/blogs and see what the kids are listening to.  Sometimes I am pleased with what I find, most of the time I am not.  This is a journal of my discoveries.

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Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of the release of my favorite movie of all time – Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Shining. The film, which is far superior to the book, is now regarded as a horror classic, though it was not initially given that esteemed honor upon its release in the spring of 1980.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Kubrick’s re-transformation of the story confused viewers, critics, and even Stephen King, who publicly detested the film.

Funny how a few years can change everything.

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If you’ve been watching/reading, you already know about South Park, my favorite television program.  For years, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have creatively pushed the boundaries of free speech, making fun of everything they can.  Christians, celebrities, Mormons, Scientologists, Jews, atheists, and countless others have been poked fun at by the Emmy-award winning show.  Parker and Stone call themselves “equal opportunity offenders.” They are American heroes.

Why?  Well, did you see last night’s episode?

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None of you reading will even come close to understanding what this means to me, except for maybe my former KTXT cohorts (and fellow WOXY peers).  I just finished listening to an archived mp3 I kept of Bakerman’s final words before WOXY-FM went dark in 2003.  I was listening that night, and, like today, I wept tears for the staff, listeners, bands, and friends who had lost their cool older brother – the one that introduced them to so much cool music.  I was only in high school, and I had only been listening to 97X for maybe two years – but, man, what a great station.

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If there was ever a movie undeserving of a Best Picture nomination, it would be The Blind Side.  I managed to sit through it, because I usually finish movies and I make it a point to see all the Best Picture nominees before the ceremony (which is this Sunday).  But man, that shit was hard work.

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What can be said about chillwave in its roughly 8-month existence as a subgenre of “indie” rock that hasn’t already been said?  The subgenre has been dissected, praised, destroyed, re-praised, mocked, etc.  The always tongue-in-cheek, but really not that clever blog Hipster Runoff loves poking fun at Chillwave because it is, in fact, a relevant movement in our current state of music; they’re responsible for the JPEG above.  (I would love to delve into how much I dislike the Hipster Runoff blog/radio show/movement, but that is a post for another long day.)

I personally would like to know what’s next for chillwave, if anything.  There is a definite sound the subgenre has incorporated and brought to the table; I assume, like most subgenres of rock music, it will die soon.  In its wake, however, will come an obviously-influenced new subgenre, incorporating some elements of chillwave with other movements in music today, mainstream or otherwise.  Maybe this new subgenre will be more interesting/popular/catchy than chillwave, maybe not.  I’m not ready to declare chillwave dead, however.  I still think there’s plenty to come, and with artists like Washed Out and Neon Indian receiving an incredible amount of press/praise, I envision the genre growing before burning out.

Many people, however, still don’t know about this exciting new subgenre, which incorporates the now-standard lo-fi aesthetic many indie acts have been using.  It also adds the textures of shoegaze, 80’s pop, hip-hop, dreamwave techno, and a lot of sampling.  Simple melodies usually carry the songs along in a dreamy fashion; the subgenre has been described as great “summertime music,” however, I don’t feel that is always the case.

As with most research on the Internet, Wikipedia is a good place to start for those interested in discovering this new movement, but I also find this Musical Pairings blog post a concise description of the subgenre.  There’s also a pretty nifty mixtape I HIGHLY reccomend downloading to introduce yourself to the sounds of Chillwave, which you’ll discover are varied, yet somewhat intertwined.  I would imagine the mixtape would be great for a walk along a beach during a sunset or a drive in the country on a clear night with a full moon.

Enjoy!