Before I get into the specifics of the Brokes, let's talk about originality. Is it a compliment or an insult for someone to tell you that you sound like another band? Personally, I see it as a compliment. Music is art, and art does not exist in a vacuum. It is a constant and eternal conversation between contemplative and socially conscious minds.
When someone listens to the Brokes' "I Can Find You Anywhere" and says it sounds a little Dylanesque, it doesn't matter if I think Dylan is good or bad, a genius or a hack. He had a lot to say about music and the world, and so do the Brokes. If one of their songs sounds like one of his songs, chances are it was on purpose. Through similarities, they are saying, "Hey Dylan, I liked (or hated) the way you talked about this thing...but did you think about this other thing?" And thus the conversation continues.
(Of course, there are rip-offs and copycat artists, but that is a discussion of its own. For now, I think it is best if everyone makes their own decisions regarding authenticity.)
Just to give everyone a little perspective, I will list a few popular artists/bands that influence the Brokes music in a conscious way:
Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Doors, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, The Violent Femmes, The Velvet Underground, REM, Nirvana, Pavement, Wilco, Guided by Voices, The Stone Roses, Neutral Milk Hotel, Blur, The Kinks, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The White Stripes. (There are many, many more, but I don't want the references to get too obscure)Part of the reason why these bands are valued though, is because of their variety. The above list contains so much variety and talent. Combined, it is hard to fathom what it would sound like. Myself and the Brokes value these bands ability to look to past traditions in music and implement them while developing new ones. This is the influence genre has on their music.
Lyrically heavy, complex yet melodic, socially conscious compositions are the result. You won't mistake their vocalist for an opera singer, but he writes the songs and knows just how to sing them. Passion and emotion bleed from the words as they leave his mouth. The guitar won't be something that just plays a role in the song. It is going to make you think and make you learn. All you have to do is listen.
I take music pretty seriously, but I don't want it to seem like it is all serious. When I'm in my car and my life sucks, I blast the Brokes to make me feel better just like I blast Bob Marley or the Ramones. They can rock out at a show, and the people dance around not because thematic diversity really tugged at a heart string, but because of a sick bass line or a mellow groove.
Their songs are versatile, and therefore their genre is complex to pin down. Fortunately, you can just listen to a couple of songs to figure out what they sound like.
2 comments:
Nice list of bands! That would make an amazing mix cd. Kinks have been blasting around here a lot lately.
It's more of my brothers list than my own, but I agree with a lot of it...especially the Kinks. If we could put together an album like "Lola Vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround," life would be complete.
Also, did you see that Rock Honors thing last night? Ray Davies played with Metallica, and it was pretty awesome considering how old he must be.
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