A Manifesto of Sorts

I can no longer continue to deny what I now see to be the truth. It is not worth continuing to fight against something which you yourself have embraced within yourself. To do so prohibits personal growth, and impedes the realization of goals and visions. Too often corporations, politicians, celebrities and activists persist in rallying behind a cause that has lost all meaning and purpose. And now, the time has come for me to admit that I have fallen into the same snare. I see this not as a denial of past ideas, merely a tacit understanding that I have continued some things beyond their optimal life span.

I speak, of course, of the battle of the so-called “indie” movement against the encroaching wrath of the “hipster.” Members of the two camps have fought long and hard, and both sides have suffered many casualties. Irony is dead; hipsters beat the life out of irony long ago. Likewise, the indie scene has lost many of its major focal points to accusations of being 'too hipster.' For so long I have refused to take a side in the battle.

I equated the hipster and the indie kid, because they seemed so similar I could not conceive how the two could be different. I railed equally against both; hipsters for their obsessive pursuit of the-next-big-thing-to-abandon-for-something-new, their perverse fixation on appearances of 'cool' and their utter mishandling of whatever Metal they decided had enough 'art' in it to be cool, but not enough aggression or speed to be intimidating; indie kids for their elitist flair, bizarre fashion and similar dismissal of the mainstream. But now I see that the two camps could not be more different.

Recently I put out a call for new music, addressed to all my friends I could describe as 'music-nerds.' These MNs responded in full force, inspiring me to try music I never could have pictured myself listening to. And though I have yet to wade through most the 30-odd albums they've given me, I can already detect a slight whiff of change in the air. Now, don't get me wrong. I have devoted the past several years of my life to Metal, and do not intend to now disavow my genre of choice. I have simply met the realization that music – in all forms – is to be equally respected. And it is with this newfound enlightenment that I intend to throw most (but not all!) of my support behind the indie movement, in an effort to defeat the vile hipster threat.

And with this new blog, heretofore unnamed, that I plan to bring about this fight. This blog shall be an expression of media of all types: Music at the forefront, with a sprinkling of movies, a dash of TV, a hint of magazines, and a generous, Jewish-Mother-style helping of literature, both of others and my own.

But I promised no disavowing, and I intend to keep that promise. I shall not forgo Metal in favor of anything else in the long term. I merely intend to recognize the exploits of those in the media and bring my own perspective to an internet sadly devoid (ha.) of personal opinion.

It comes at an unfortunate time, though, this realization. In precisely one week I leave for an extended stay in Israel, and shall remain absent until August 3rd, returning until the 11th at which point I leave for a few days in Colorado. Though unable to post after I leave, I shall not allow a week to go by without writing at least a few words by means old fashioned pencil and paper. They may be short stories, album reviews, quick musings or anything, but I assure you: They shall be posted.