John's Words on the Dumbing-Down of our Culture
& What's on his iPod
From Artvoice
July 1-7, 2004
We were playing this radio show. Radio shows are weird because
one day you’re playing with Lenny Kravitz and the next
day you’re playing with the Backstreet Boys. It’s
a weird world you find yourself in, but you mingle around
and try to suss people out and figure out their vibe. I was
talking to this guy from a boy band, I don’t even remember
which one it was.
He was like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to go in and sing
our next record. It should be great. We’ve got some
really good writers.’ I don’t really believe that
good music comes up that way. I think that it might sell because
it’s the easiest thing to swallow. There’s not
much to chew. It’s soft food. I don’t know if
it’s part of the dumbing down of our culture that’s
making it so successful or if the world is so insane that
it’s the first thing that people gravitate [towards]
to get their minds off of what the hell’s going on.
In the same way, don’t you think it’s ironic that
reality TV is the way that everyone escapes from reality?
[laughs]
* * *
Are you an iPod guy?
It’s funny you said that because I just got one and
figured out to use it.
What’s on it?
Hold on, let me grab it. Let’s see, starting from the
top: Atticus Fault, Beth Hart, Bill Clinton, Bill
Maher, Beethoven, Cocteau Twins, Coldplay, Dashboard Confessional,
David Cross, David Sedaris, Eddie Izzard, Henry Rollins, Hoobastank,
Husker Du, Chopan, India.Arie, Mars Volta, Martin
Luther King, Modest Mouse, Nina Simone, Peter Gabriel,
The Replacements (of course), Sting, Sunny Day Real Estate,
Suzanne Vega, U2, Mozart, The Yeah Yeahs
Yeahs and Yo La Tengo.
(note: Modest
Mouse is an obscure but really amazing political rock
band)
For the full interview, check out Artvoice.
Return to Interviews |