Miscellaneous Thoughts on Music (March 2026)
- Fred
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Last week, Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan made some controversial comments when he said "they purposely dialed down rock music" in the late 1990's.
I actually agree with Corgan in this respect, I don't agree with who 'they' are, but around the turn of the millennium, American culture started to equate Rock with Toxic Masculinity.
In 1999, one of the most popular Rock artists in America was the Stone Temple Pilots.
If you were a guy, leader singer Scott Weiland could have jumped off the stage to fight you.
If you were a gal, leader singer Scott Weiland could have jumped off the stage to fuck you.
Or, he could have OD'd right there on the stage. They were a "dangerous" band.
Editor's Note: Not really, but compared to Pop Music.
When one of their biggest hits was released, Down, the band couldn't make a video to promote the single, because Weiland was in jail. That's why you got the 'cut and paste' archive video above.
I don't know how, or why, but Rock doesn't have the same mechanisms to nurture the art form as when I was a younger man.
Who knows where earworms come from? Today, this was my obscure tune:
You Are Not My Friend by Frenzel Rhomb:
Yesterday, the former lead singer of the Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra, suffered a Hemorrhagic Stroke. Jello said he had a long road of rehab, but "still has a lot left in him."
Uh....
If you google Hemorrhagic Stroke, half the survivors of that type of stroke die within 30 days. 90% of survivors have life-changing impairments.
Please pay for Jello Biafra.
I would argue that Jello Biafra is this blog's single biggest influence.
The Dead Kennedys nurtured me through college.
Alternative Tentacles was the label of my favorite band: Alice Donut.
Jello's spoken word albums molded my interpretation of free speech.
Alternative Tentacles is currently one of the oldest independent record labels in America.
In 2023, we argued that Biafra was one of the seven most influential figures in Rock History: Rock Based 'Masters.'
My wife says Rock is fine, she's all-in on the music of twentyonepilots.
She says I'm an old fogey.
To my daughter, everything before the year 2000 is "butt rock."
She's glad FM Radio is dead.
She's all-in with the music of the Front Bottoms:
Over at Salon, they declared the Morrissey "has always been a jerk."
Ironically, the LEFT just wants Morrissey to Shut Up and Sing.
Which is really, really funny....
And Ironic.
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