Soul Pop, Wonky Pop, Soda Pop

Passion Pit playing in Bristol.

Passion Pit playing with Bright things.

[Before I start my rant of the hour, I would just like to say the internet really weirds me out. Today more than usual. I have to do a lot of research for my internship online, whereas prior to this I would pretty much just prowl the world wide web for things I personally enjoyed. Blogging culture, I must say, is much more fascinating and much more gigantic than I could have ever imagined. You really have no idea who is reading what you're saying, or how they feel about what you write. I found myself thinking "Wow, this person is really ignorant!" on multiple occasions. Then I remembered I blog myself, woops. I won't delude myself into thinking a billion people read this, but I honestly have very little idea who does and I wonder if they ever think I'm really ignorant.]

That's beside the point though, just a thought.

Next week I'm going to Orlando to go see a Passion Pit show. Yes, I know they're playing in Miami. I don't know why we're going 300+ miles away when they're going to be in my backyard, but it's fine, I don't ask these music junkie friends of mine questions when they take me places. I told another friend about this intended trip, much to his aggravation. He says that whole music scene is just "soul pop", mindless, silly, and bouncy. I really don't understand where he got this term from, I just know he fervently hates everything of the sort and finds it aggravating to listen to.

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit. [Watch the video, it's awesome.] And here's a full playlist.

I personally, and obviously, find Passion Pit and all "soul pop" enjoyable to listen to. I actually find pretty much everything enjoyable to listen to, which is why I hate when people say things like "Oh, I love everything but country." Or, "Weezy allll day, erry day."

1. I bet there's a few country songs every single person likes. At least one. Don't hate. Country artists do sing about things other than pumpkin pie and pickup trucks.
2. I can jam to No Ceilings too, but there is more to life than Young Money and Lil Wayne, believe me. I watched his VH1 behind the music, I was impressed. But I'm also impressed by things like Mount Rushmore, surgeons, and a million other underrated things people seem to forget about while they're too busy taking champagne showers in the club while Nicki Minaj wears something surprisingly fashionable yet obscene in the background [I promise that wasn't sarcastic, I love this song.]

But anyway. My point is people spend so much time stuck within a genre of music or assuming they hate other ones. You shut yourself off to so much that way. You could, no- you are missing out.

I've gone through so many phases with music, I think I've literally been intensely infatuated with about fifteen completely different kinds at some point or another. And, even when I find stuff I like, I'll still listen to anything new.

Someone said to me once he doesn't really understand where all this music rivalry and hate comes from. As a metal/screamo fan himself, he said he went through a rap phase before finding out he preferred the scene he's currently into. Through listening to both these types of music he realized everyone's really saying the same thing. It's love, it's hate, it's money, it's problems, it's sex, it's whatever. What are songs about? What is art about, really? There's common themes which will always be expressed that all of humanity shares. Whether someone growls it alongside a distorted guitar or moans it through a synth, aren't they really saying the same thing? I love covers by really random people who do songs you'd never expect them to. Like that one. I love them because I love when people mix things around and explore things outside their field. Everyone's about street cred in some way or another, not wanting to seem uncool. For some uncool is country, or for others "soul pop", or for a few hip-hop is just offensive. Thankfully nowadays it seems you could remain successfully within your genre and still work outside it, so hopefully the uncool stigma will fade out slightly.

Everything's about fusion nowadays. You can get steak at a sushi bar, then eat it off some girl while drinking a mojito and this is considered really trendy. Kanye West blogged about Passion Pit, and I'm pretty sure he isn't a "soul pop" artist. You can branch outside your comfort zone and find something different, even if it's one song or artist you like. I promise they're a human too. Like you, they eat, breathe, drink, and sleep and I guarantee at some point you've shared common experiences in life you could probably relate to in their music. Listen and you might hear it.

Lastly, everyone cheer for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup because I'm not trying to lose a really dumb bet I made. Woops, part two in this post.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.

Mr. Marley

♥ Lini.