Dubstep = the Perfect Combo of Awkward and Awesome

In my previous post I ranted about how music should be real, like food should be. But we all have our guilty pleasures, don't we? Well, mine just happen to be One Direction, cats and dubstep. I'm only going to talk about dubstep though.

I think that there are three different ways to enjoy music:

1. The deep, emotional, usually depressing kind when you feel like you understand what it means, or at least    what it means to you. The words are what matter in this.

2. The kind that exactly describes the way that you're feeling. But this is referring more to the happy kinds of feelings. The sad feelings are under the first category. This is the kind of music that you revel in because you are happy with your own circumstances, but this just enhances the feelings. You can kick back, look into the sky and enjoy the moment. It prolongs something beautiful. The energy is important here.

3. The kind that enhances any moment. It kicks up the base for anything you are doing. It puts a rhythm in your movements, it makes you feel awesome. It has nothing to do with how you are feeling, because it induces feeling. You don't have to be feeling anything to listen to this. It makes your pulse a little more prominent. You become part of the music. This is the kind of music that makes vacuuming feel like being a superhero. The rhythm or bass is key.

So dubstep is part of number three. It is awesome. Even though it's not instruments, and I don't really know if you can actually call it music, I enjoy it. It makes writing this blog feel way more awesome, and that's saying something. It can't get much more awesome than this. But seriously, I love dubstep.

So I think that we have established that it is awesome. Now for the awkward part. So you know how when you are listening to an awesome song and you can't help but sing along or air guitar or dance? Well dubstep has this quality where you NEED to somehow get out this energy that keeps building as the song gets closer to the drop. But the thing is, you CAN'T sing along to dubstep. There's no letting loose and belting your favorite part. We've all tried it, I know. But "wub wub wub" will not cut it. There is so much awesome going on in a dubstep song, and there's nothing you can do to match it.

There comes a time when you are listening to a song and the awesome is building up and you have to let it out. Like when you're listening to "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, and you have no choice but to scream the chorus, you know? Well whoever decided to make dubstep was both a genius and a moron. I've never heard music that builds so much and drops so well, and with that should come the ability to do SOMETHING that expels that energy.

So if we can't sing along, and we can't air guitar because there's no guitars, then what do we do? Dance? I don't think so. Have you ever tried to dance to dubstep? Without being some magic dance wizard that was born to move in ways that shouldn't be humanly possible, you just can't dance to dubstep. Otherwise, you look like this:

Or this:

Or this:


That's not good. Someone please solve my dilemma. I can't keep listening to dubstep and feeling trapped because I CAN'T DANCE. This is a real problem for me. I don't think this is actually that musing, but I guess the gifs are amusing, so that counts for something.

P.S. I put the gifs in before I finished writing, and I could barely handle the Honey Boo Boo one. You don't know difficult until you try to write while that face is looking at you like that. It's ridiculously distracting, and freaking hilarious. 

Mumford and Sons > Phillip Philips

Okay, so most of the people like me out there will be like "Well that's obvious that Mumford and Sons are better than Phillip Philips." and end it at that. But I have reasons for thinking the way I do, and you are going to have to listen to them. Or don't, or whatever.

I am a die hard Mumford and Sons fan. I've listened to every one of their songs over and over. I am very loyal to them. So when I heard the song "Home" on the radio, I was confused. I would know if Mumford and Sons came out with something new. When I heard the song on the radio, I first heard a part that was instrumental. The strumming patterns, the key, the instruments being played, etc. were pretty much exactly the same as Mumford. Then I heard Phillip Philips sing. My reaction was more or less like this:

(note Death Note reference)

Or this:

And then I was like:

And then:

Alright enough memes. So basically, I was shocked and then very angry. Why was I angry? Because my Mumford boys have been ripped off, that's why! I was pissed, but I couldn't find a legitimate argument as to why I would be so angry. 

For a while my only argument against those who like the song was "Oh so NOW you like the rock-folk-ish sound. NOW you like this music when the winner of American Idol has it". Of course that is still a part of my argument, and I'm still angry with these poor ignorant people who think that they like English Rock just because of Phillip Philips. It's like the whole human race became the Musically Oblivious Eighth Grader. 

Okay I'm not done with the memes. I freaking love memes. Here's another one for good measure.

Anyway, in this situation she (the Musically Oblivious Eight Grader - She is also representing some of those who like the song) would be saying something more like "Oh I love folk music. I totally listen to Phillip Philips." I hate my generation. 

Today I was listening to Mumford and Sons, more specifically the song "Awake My Soul". You should listen to it. Great song. But I discovered that this is very similar to "Home". The strumming pattern for the guitar is very similar. (I play guitar, and I am always obsessively paying attention to the guitar. I'm pretty sure my family hates it when I point things like this out.) Of course "Home" is like all of Mumford and Sons' amazing qualities wrapped up into one wildly successful money making song. You're probably thinking "Well if you like Mumford and Sons so much, and the song sounds like them, why don't you like it?". My explanation is coming. Just be patient.

Not that I don't like the sound of the song, I think it sounds amazing. But that's not what music is all about for me. I know a lot of people will be like "but music is just pretty sounds." Well honey, you have what we call a shallow mind. I like to think that I have a deeper mind than most. The music that actually makes an impact on me, the kind that I truly love, is the kind of music with a story and emotion. The kind that is written by someone passionate and emotional. The kind that is written by a person that means every word, every note. The kind that is only written because there is a reason for every breath of it. I know, how poetic. It's how I roll. 

Interjection: I've been fighting my inner hipster for a LONG time. I literally say things like "totes" ironically. I do not follow trends. If I happen to be participating in something the rest of the world is, it's only because I found myself liking it without knowing anybody else does. I don't do things because other people do. 

I have listened to less popular music all of my life because I like to think that if it's not overplayed and not as many people know it, it's more special. It's like I adopt my music. I don't want to share my music-child-thing. I don't like it when I find out that the whole world is trying to get time with my music-child-thing. 

When I found out "Sail" by Awolnation was a top chart song, I was very upset. I hadn't heard the song on the radio, and when I found it I loved its unique sound. So I loved it and adored it until I found out that everyone else in the world was doing the same. I didn't stop loving it, but I was genuinely disappointed that it wasn't MY music-child-thing. That it wasn't unique to my taste. I had the same experience with Florence and the Machine. That woman is a goddess of artistic expression in my eyes. Anyway, it wasn't until today that I realized I've been fighting the word "mainstream" to describe the music I don't like. I have been a closeted hipster, and I am outing myself right now. I am a hipster. 

Why was that relevant? Because I wanted Mumford and Sons' sound and feel to be kept sacred. Of course I had to accept that it was top of the iTunes charts for a long time, but I could get over that, because even if everyone who listened to it didn't understand how real and raw it is, they were still hearing musical gold. It's also relevant because one of the reasons for me not liking Phillip Philips is because he's mainstream. But that's a smaller reason.

Goodness, it feels good to just let go and stop fighting the word mainstream. Don't worry, I'm not the jerk kind of hipster, like Indie on My Music. 

Wow, another confession. I watch web series like My Music. Mainly because of Jack Douglas and Grace Helbig though. 

Okay. Back to the rant. Let's compare Mumford and Sons to a meal that is made of freshly harvested ingredients, it's all organic, and it's delicious not only because it tastes good, but because you know it's real. You get that good feeling that you have when you eat really good and healthy for a good chunk of time. You don't feel gross like you do after eating junk food. You feel fulfilled, and uplifted. It's simply wonderful. It fills you up in ways that only a meal like that can. 

Now let's compare "Home" (I won't say Phillip Philips in general, because I've only heard this song from him. I'm being careful to only direct my anger towards the song) to McDonald's food. HUGE difference. Let me tell you why I make such a comparison. 

Phillip Philips didn't even write the song. That should be reason enough. He's getting all this credit for being so amazing and all, but this beautifully written song isn't even his. It was written by Greg Holden and Andrew Pearson. It really is a great song, except that it feels fake because the person you hear it from doesn't have as much of a reason to sing it as the writer does. 

Here is the writer of the song singing it. I like it WAY better because I know it's his song, and that he loves his song and it probably has meaning for him. 

It's incredible to me that when I watch him sing it, I feel so much more uplifted by the music than I am when I watch Phillip Philips in his professional video or on stage. Maybe that comes with knowing that he wrote it. 

So in conclusion, Phillip Philips' version is not as good because it is the McDonald's food to homegrown, organic, real food. Actually, it's not even the food. Cause the song itself isn't crap. I guess the song is the billboard with a picture of a perfect burger. Cause it's not the real thing, it's just a prettier version. I'd rather listen to someone with less perfected vocals but with more passion, and meaning in their art, than listen to someone who has a title and a perfect voice but lacks the meaning and purpose behind writing your own song. This is why I listen to Mumford and Sons, Bon Iver, Florence and the Machine, etc. Because they are connected in a personal way to their music. So without further ado, this is musing.