utterly forgotten but NOT OBSCURE

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

by terming david byrne "obscure", alexmacpherson touches the exact, interesting nerve i think -- maybe even more than with his legendary "why SHOULD i have heard of john wayne?" argument

which is that in every generation (wait, that's how BUFFY starts!! -- er er focus) in every generation there are figures very well-known to all who have just VANISHED from mainstream radar by the next cycle

it's not that they're still popular but currently unfashionable; it's more that "what they meant" is no longer part of the pop discussion -- is that right?

so why has byrne vanished this way? or is it just not making "the right kinds of records" any more?

(disclaimer: i LOVED LOVE LOVED early TH and have i think every record they made --- BUT i went off them INCREDIBLY fast, round abt "true stories", and it took me years to rediscover any fondness)

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think arguably the PJ Harvey/Tori Amos/Hole demographic of the 90s is now served in two directions - the more adult/arty female singer-songwriters like Regina Spektor, Bat For Lashes and Joanna Newsom, and the appropriation of guitar angst into teenpop via Avril Lavigne et al. I think there's kind of this gap in the middle though, Harvey and Amos occupied a pop space in between Lavigne and Spektor. The closest is probably Karen O and her Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Prob the Long Blondes as well but they're shit.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

hehe, i was betting to myself that you'd mention Karen O. does she play guitar though? i've only ever seen her rolling around on stage...

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

No. They have a man guitarist. Karen O's job is rolling around on the floor in a very cool way.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

which, of course, is at least as important as gtr playing as any fule kno ;)