32 Comments
User's avatar
Bill Lacey's avatar

That Nash video has over 7K likes and 1,800 comments like this one "So happy Kate is on our side!!!!" For a poorly written fifth-grade composition read over a drum machine beat.

I'd feel depressed about GenZ but the majority aren't on board with this. As usual, it's the algorithms trying to convince us that the 10% are really the 90%.

Expand full comment
Cary Cotterman's avatar

Being able to remember when high-level musicianship, exceptional vocal talent, creativity, melody, rhythm, and harmony were essential to popular music, and ideology wasn't, makes being old worth it.

Expand full comment
Sandy's avatar

Yep, remember U2 at Glastonbury the first time?

Expand full comment
Michelle VS's avatar

Gosh, do I love well written snark! It’s so refreshing to read intelligent & witty criticism that is so well deserved. I couldn’t, and still can’t, believe citizens of England, in their own country, waving Palestinian flags like it’s 4th of July in the US (yes, believe it or not, we still have patriots here). And of course our homegrown lot waving Mexican flags in LA like they want to give it back. Jeesh. What happened to their generation’s Joni Mitchell & Bob Marley? Where’s the next Martin Luther King? This is it- whiny 20 & 30-something’s in dreads screaming profanity & threats of death to Holocaust survivors? I’m hoping at some point everyone will get a grip, but I’m afraid the misuse of hormones, hair dye, anti-depressants & weed has doomed these Gen Z cry baby lunatics. But I’ll pray for them anyway.

Expand full comment
Sandy's avatar

Honestly, would it be all that bad to give California back to Mexico?

Or at least LA county south? 😏

Expand full comment
Michelle VS's avatar

Certainly an idea 😆 I lived in Mexico (on our sailboat, docked at a luxury hotel in Barra de Navidad) for 3 years and found it to be a much simpler lifestyle (& with a much, much greater economic divide between wealthy & poor). I never met a middle class Mexican but we lived in a tiny vacation town frequented mostly by Canadians & Mexicans on vacation.

Before that I lived in Long Beach (the very south of LA County) which was mostly middle class. Mexico was a very different country than ours and believe me, it made me appreciate the freedoms & economic prosperity we have here. Even in crazy California, where we live now.

Expand full comment
Terry Freedman's avatar

Oh my gosh, what brilliant writing, Jenny. Even if I didn’t agree with everything you say, which I do, I would still recommend this. I haven’t read your newsletter for a while. I need to catch up. Thanks for a good laugh.

Expand full comment
James's avatar

Great article! I first went in 1990 and the older guys were complaining about there being police on site. I never saw them, but did see some serious anarchy happening all around. I last went in 2003, got in a stampede and since watched from afar as the event descended into the form you describe very well.

I have friends there, working, or with kids, but my gang stopped a while back. The green fields, (far from the big stages), retained the peaceful english hippy vibe for a while, but it slowly drowned.

I also noticed the sunflower lady bopping her head. I think you´re right about the no-name act who had all the pre-requisites neccessary and finally, that beat... that muzak beat which fools the sheep, but not those who know music... You can find the good tunes in any style, but somehow they manage to play music which is a net negative to the listener.

Keep up the good work m´lady

Expand full comment
Susan Vonder Heide's avatar

I've gotten into the Fourth of July spirit and have been playing patriotic songs this week. Much more pleasant.

Expand full comment
BeadleBlog's avatar

What in God's name was that Nash video? I have literally less than zero artistic ability, but I'm certain I could come up with a video 1000% better than whatever that was I just watched.

Expand full comment
Notes from the Under Dog L.'s avatar

I love that you used the word 'retard' with impunity.

Some woke dad in our now defunct writing group (because I'm such a filthy non-woker) issued the injunction that he can put up with anything, but put his foot down over the word 'retard.'

"RETARD RETARD RETARD!" I felt like shouting.

A friend and I were musing on how once upon a time, we saw these blue-haired people as our tribe. Now we would give anything to see them tarred and feathered.

And the "music" is just getting worse, if not retarded.

Expand full comment
Valoree Dowell's avatar

Retard is just the French word for slow.

Expand full comment
James's avatar

or late/delayed

Expand full comment
Valoree Dowell's avatar

Oui

Expand full comment
Notes from the Under Dog L.'s avatar

Yes, I know. Thank you.

Expand full comment
The Walrus's avatar

Kate Nash is on onlyfans to support her music career lol

Expand full comment
Sandy's avatar

Probably makes more money there…

Expand full comment
The Walrus's avatar

most likely

Expand full comment
M.B.R.'s avatar

Fat Boy Slim...oh dear. That's so lame. It was a relief to see that he was born in 1963 so that he's not technically Gen X (though most of his first fans were).

Expand full comment
Sandy's avatar

Yep, I was a fan in the 90’s. I’ll stick with that era.

Expand full comment
M. Tomasevic's avatar

Love this. I’ve been trying to figure out the same thing lately, why I still love “Killing in the Name Of” while at the same time watching those Glastonbury clips makes me want to chug cyanide. Thanks for this :)

Expand full comment
James's avatar

Quite indeed. Rage against the machine should sue Bob Vylan for that plagerism! Something rank about someone imitating an older artist and succeeding because of it

Expand full comment
M. Tomasevic's avatar

I’m trying to comfort myself by thinking of the backlash, the canceled tour of the US (New Yorkers aside, we know a terrorist threat when we see one 😂), the loss of “talent” representation, and God willing the prison sentence that they’ve now brought upon themselves. #FreeLucyConnolly #Solidarity 😂😭🇬🇧

Expand full comment
Daniel Saunders's avatar

If someone can afford to go to Glastonbury, then it's pretty clear that it *is* their country and always has been, and statements to the contrary are just woke-narcissistic posturing.

Expand full comment
Guy Valmont's avatar

I’m in my 50’s. I don’t listen to much new “music.”

Sure, I sound like a creaky old grandpa, but modern music has been on the decline ever since MTV caved to public “pressure” and started showing Rap and Hip-Hop music in the early 90’s.

That was when standards for what is considered “music” started to fade. Now they’re gone, completely.

The modern music industry is a joke.

Expand full comment
Valoree Dowell's avatar

"To Keir, Kemi and the rest of you, I'll get you at a later date." That sounds like an unveiled threat, to heads of state no less. As for whiny “performers” and, um, people who dress up like sunflowers, I think it’s a result of the no competition, ribbons for all, everyone’s a winner! pedagogy. And one more thing, Dylan oughta sue that Vylan for defamation.

Expand full comment
jabster's avatar

The Omnicause ruins everything.

Expand full comment
Stephen Hawkwind's avatar

Bob Vylan's guitar riffs sound like a teenager who discovered RATM last month and has been playing drop d guitar for about 2 weeks. Honestly some of the most boring drivel I've heard in a long time. Probably sounds pretty agro if you "don't really listen to that kinda stuff" no doubt. Your review is spot on.

Expand full comment