leonwestbrook.com

For all intents and purposes I can considered a music snob. I do not like a vast majority of mainstream music. I am tired of the horseshit pushed on to the masses from outlets like MTV, the RIAA and Clear Channel.

I am a Indie music fan. I wasn’t always like this. There was actually a time and place when I believe Britney Spears was a credible artist (way before her crash and burn) not not a record company vehicle that was based more on her looks and not actual talent. I used listen to a ton of hip hop simply because its been expected for a young black man to do so.

For all intents and purposes I am not a hipster. I am not that anal or snobby. I hate PBR and I find Thrift Stores tacky as fuck. I am not super skinny as well, in fact i’m probably too fat for AA or Urban Outfitters clothes.

It sounds cheesy but one cold and depressing Buffalo winter day back in 2005 I had turned on to XM radio to a station called “The Verge” that had Canadian music (which I do not subscribe to anymore) and heard The Arcade Fire’s song “In the Backseat”. To this day it when I hear it it almost drives me to tears and it somewhat comforts me whenever I feel super depressed.

I began to find out more about them and similar bands across canada such as Broken Social Scene and Stars through places like BrooklynVegan, Pitchfork, DrownedinSound, NME and other place. Then I started to discover bands in this country like LCD soundsystem and in the UK like Bloc Party.

I would see many bands like them in person in Toronto and Buffalo over the next 3 years and I even joined an online community of “Indiefucks” (though they don’t really talk about indie music often and more about other things!).

Even though I have made some friends who listen to the same music as I do I still find it very difficult to even explain to the uninitiated about these bands or to simply find someone to accompany me to a show. My brother continues to tease me and calls me a hipster, which i’m far from it.

I can’t and don’t want to be an elitist about this music. I still think SOME (but not all) mainstream artist are talented in their own right (such as Kelly Clarkson) I am also not a poseur. I do care about the music deeply and I am not going to shows just to be seen,(like *sigh* Scenesters)

I don’t want to interject race into the matter, but I am a black indie rock fan. I simply don’t care about those who feel the need tell me that the music I am listening to is simply made for white people. Call me a sellout (its happened so many times for me not to care), but I can’t stand about 95% of today’s rap. Its lyrics passionate nor made of any substance for me to care about. Tupac and Biggie must be rolling in their graves knowing that total garbage is released today. It pisses me off that people are buying Lil’ Wayne or Mike Jones CDs.

I consider any hip-hop released past 1996(save for a few artists like Kayne West and Common) horrible. There is no creativity or passion in hip-hop anymore. Nas once said it perfectly, “Hip hop is dead”.

So the next time you ask me what I’m listening to, I’m listening to music that is not corrupted by payola scandals or by the RIAA. I’m listening to indie rock. If you think its “weird” or “funny” go fuck yourself. :)