Song Of The Summer 2012 – Defended

Last Updated on: 25th May 2012, 08:32 am

Note from Steve: If you missed what started this, go here.

What you’re about to read makes me feel a bit better. Not about my self image since Matt is a heartless ass, but about the state of his musical tastes. I’m glad we can still be friends. Make fun of my weight all you want, but you start turning into a music homo and we might need to have a talk.

Let me start by saying thanks to Steve for giving me the opportunity to respond to my claim and offering me the open door to return. I’ve considered it lately, so as long as Steve is not already standing in that door I should be able to navigate my way back through it.

Down to business.

“I say all of this knowing that I’m not the target audience for today’s music.” It’s a shame given what a large target they’d have to aim for.

Secondly, while my reputation for English brilliance preceeds me, I feel it somewhat unfair to pick apart the spelling and grammar one uses on Twitter having no foreknowledge it would be posted to such a fine and noted literary website like this. If you look at the quote that Steve has helpfully posted that I “tweeted” at him you’ll notice it’s quite lengthy and in the original also needed to have a URL fit in those 140 characters. I made the necessary adjustments to make it fit. The same thing Steve does each morning when attempting to button his relax-fit jeans.

Now there is discussion of the actual song coming here, and not simply venom to be spewed at Captain Cheapshot.

I would argue that the overlying and repeating “chorus”, if you can call it that in this type of music, where the female vocalist is simply singing “Oh baby, My sweet baby” is the type of thing that the short attention span, can’t remember more than 9-words, keep it simple for me masses will gobble up and embrace while they bob their heads driving around town this summer. It is also a tune that can easily get stuck in someone’s head.

I can’t say MIB III wil be the biggest movie of the summer. I honestly don’t know and don’t follow movies. What I know is that I see the ads for it during every god damn commercial break of my Jays games and it’s being madly hyped. It will be one of the big movies of the summer. I have no clue as to what else is on deck.

So, you can pick me apart on the front of whether the movie is a shitty idea, but it’s not really the point. I haven’t seen the movie – and won’t. But the movie will be big enough to provide this song the backing it needs to stay high on the charts longer than it otherwise may.

All the cards on the table, I, as a much younger person when it came out, very much enjoyed the original Men in Black movie. When the sequal came out I figured it was worth a look and it was an undefendable piece of garbage. For that reason and the fact that I’m now a nearly 30 year old man, I won’t be seeing the newest installment.

As for calling in to question my musical tastes. This music is not now, nor has it ever been, my “cup of tea”, if you will. But as someone who likes to try and stay current and if nothing else be a music observer, this one struck me as the perfect storm to be the biggest song of the summer. In my opinion it has the qualities to keep it hot for a long time. As mentioned, something that slow-witted music fans can sing their 2 lines to, has a beat you can dance to in these shitty bars, has a tune that can remain stuck in people’s heads and has the cross-over of the movie to keep the song on TV in ads, promos and reviews of the film.

I’ll grant you my musical tastes have mellowed significantly from the old punk-rock days. I’m a staunch Tragically Hip supporter (if you haven’t heard of them you probably live outside of Canada and a trip to iTunes is badly needed in your near future). Since they’ve been on hiatus for a while (until right now actually), I’ve found my way to embracing a band out of New Jersey called the Gaslight Anthem who are absolutely tremendous.

I have not mellowed to the point where this type of music holds a prominent place in my collection. It usually at LEAST needs to have someone with some musical talent. Give me a guitar or a good singer or something. Nothing computer generated. But I will own up and confess that while this falls outside my usual tastes, I am one who finds it catchy and doesn’t hate it. But I’m also someone who tires of the repetition of these types of songs very quickly and thus my attention to it will likely turn to rage much quicker than most people’s.

In closing, I see under Steve’s original post there are 4 comments. I neglected to look at them before responding to ensure I was not swayed by anything that was said. I will however now do so. Venom may soon befall you!

Good to be back, VC!

Yours in Tremendousness
Matt

PS: If you don’t know the HIP, seriously, go check it out. Start with one tune, I suggest The Darkest Ones, and then just buy it all. Everything.