Monday, February 21, 2011
cool music?

From time to time, there will be the odd mention of radiohead on facebook. People raving about how awesome radiohead is or facebook pictures of epic once-in-a-lifetime radiohead concerts with green eyed 'i fucking hate you bitch! i can't believe you're watching radiohead live! omg!' comments.

Now, i am slightly ashamed to admit this. I have never actually listened to radiohead. Not one song. But i love good music and i'm always on the search for new songs. My default reaction was to wiki the band. Ok, the cynic in me was impressed by their 3 Grammy wins and their number 73 rank in Rolling stone's list of 'The greatest artists of all time'. So i fired up spotify and spent my weekend listening to the best of radiohead.

I did not like radiohead.

Clearly, something was wrong. Taste in music is highly variable. I know this for a fact because my housemate thinks miley cyrus sings better than sara bareilles. However, there is a pantheon of bands or artists who are untouchable to matters of opinion. Like how almost everyone collectively agree that jason mraz is fantastic and how EVERYONE unanimously seethe at the sight of justin bieber. Radiohead's popularity is polarizing! Surely if it was good music, i could appreciate it. Even the name radiohead is beyond cool. I pacified myself and thought perhaps their songs are the type that grow on you. So i played 'creep' and 'high and dry' over and over. Despairingly, i did not feel an increasing love for radiohead.

I gave up at 7pm today. Dissapointed, perhaps shamed for eternity for not bowing down to one of the so called historic rock bands (even pinkpau has radiohead listed as one of her favourite bands). The only reason i can think of is that it is probably impossible to casually listen to them. Just like how if you have never heard of backstreetboys and you start playing 'i want it that way' or 'shape of my heart'. You might feel differently had you followed them from the very beginning.

As i've spent almost a whole weekend listening, it is almost mandated that i have a strong opinion on Radiohead. I'm sorry pinkpau. I love you but i just don't like radiohead.