Years ago, my husband affectionately gave me the nickname Music Snob. I don’t think I’m snobby about it necessarily, but it’s true that I’ve always been opinionated about the music I listen to. I always tried to stay on top of the new bands coming out, and usually had heard of, listened to, or even seen a band before they became popular or got radio airplay. (If they ever *did* get radio airplay.) It wasn’t the exclusivity I liked, necessarily. I always have felt that the way the music industry works, a very limited number of bands and styles get radio play. Who says those are the best out there? Who says that the only good music is Americanwhat about all the other great bands and genres out there? I prefer to make up my mind without the help of a commercial DJ with suspect motivation telling me I need to go out and buy a certain album. And I have to admit, it’s kind of fun to be able to recognize the music in all those trendy Apple/Volvo/Levis/etc commericals or to be the one my friends call to ask for some new music recommendations.
Then I got pregnant. I was too sick and tired and focused on impending mommy-hood to worry about the music scene. Briefly I entertained the thought of seeing one of my favorite bands in concert when I was 7 months pregnant (it had been 5 years since they’d last come around). But mommyhood came first, so instead of risking a roomful of smoke, I stayed home. After the baby was born, forget it! When did I have time to listen to music? When did I have the brain cells or energy to care about anything other than basic day-to-day survival? Now my daughter is a toddler, my brain power and energy are returning, and I need some new music.
It’s difficult to jump back in, though. And that is sad in some way. I mean, I found out Feist had a new album when she appeared on an Apple commercial. My husband had to inform me that Radiohead were putting out a new album. And Belle and Sebastian’s new one (to me, anyway) was released into stores a year and a half ago. Johnny Marr joined his genius to Modest Mouse and I have yet to hear any of the results except for on commercial radio.
My indie music snobbery has changed over time, I’ve noticed. Do I care about the debate whether Death Cab for Cutie jumped the shark by signing with a major label? Not as long as the music is still good. Am I angry that they used music from Royksopp or the Concretes (or any other trendy Scandinavian band) in commercials for Geico and Target? Not really, I’m glad they’re gaining recognition, because Scandinavian pop is great.
So I’m bursting out of the mommy bubble! Well, no, that’s not quite right. There is no bursting. Maybe I should say I’m slowly emerging from the mommy cave, limping, blinking, squinting. I’m dusting off my iPod with its dead battery and I’m on a mission to load it up with something new. Even if new means something different to me than to everyone else in the non-mommy world.
-Scooter
Yeah, I’m trying to crawl out of that cave, too. I wasn’t a music snob by any means, but I was up to date on new music. Now it seems the only way I can hear new-ish music is on SNL, and half the time I’m like “who are they?”. I hinted to DH that I want an iPod for christmas, so hopefully I’ll be able to get out of this mommy cave soon!