Song of the Day

            

Big Fin - More Than Love

Music Mouthpiece

After a brief hiatus by the sea, I've returned for year two at university. Here's something I wrote for my column assignment...

Have you ever heard of that band, “Bumford and Sons”?  You know, the ones that “dress like country bumpkins” with the frontman who’s “married to that boring Carey Mulligan”? No?

Nowadays, the folking 4-piece, Mumford and Sons, are getting more hate than love. Their newly released “Babel” is getting slated, despite the fact their recently announced world tour is selling out. So why is a Grammy-nominated band that is two albums into their career, still getting laughed off by people?

Lately, it’s been deemed cool to dislike certain bands. Even I have been prone to put down a group, despite the fact that I could probably sing along to their greatest hits collection. A prime example being when I was offered a ticket to one of Coldplay’s sold-out shows this past summer, in London. I politefully declined on the basis that I’m not their biggest fan and therefore my attendance may have been a waste. Though in the back of my mind I was worried at the idea of people knowing I went to a Coldplay gig. Societal stigma had me thinking that going to see a world-renowned, ridiculously successful, long-reigning band was shameful.

Similarly, now I’m being told about the bands that are really ‘cool’ to like (Alabama Shakes anyone?) Before even downloading their music, I was reading a track-by-track tweetathon of Alt-J’s debut album telling me why I should love this band. Suddenly, I felt like I had no other obligation other than to be completely infatuated with it.

Would people have been as accommodating had they entered the industry via a different route? What if they had been a by-product of the British talent show empire? And what happens if Alt-J’s hype gets so big, they demand to get carried to a venue in a glass egg? Are we supposed to drop them quicker than you can say Chris Martin?

So it seems in order to maintain our love for you emerging bands, you need to stay fairly underground, don’t wear waistcoats and refrain from falling in love with an award-winning actress. Is that alright with you?