To the editors:
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Oh. I know. It’s that young-white-male-heavy-metal-hard-rock stuff–who wants to hear that stuff? There’s too much of it being played anyway. Despite the fact that the “Blaze” and WVVX are the only stations playing that style of rock, it’s just too much. Well, of course, it would be too much for a hypocrite who talks about opening up the radio waves with one face, but closing them for certain “types” of music with the other. While I’m not happy that radio isn’t more open and progressive, I don’t see this need to slap at hard/metal rock. It seems to me to be only because young white males are the main listeners/players (or are perceived as such) that it must be held up to ridicule.
After years of hearing that what I liked was “too weird, too white,” I tuned out all those voices except for the one inside me, that said, “If you like it, listen to it!” Music can lift your spirit or make your loins dance, but I don’t worship any kind of music; I just enjoy it. I can remember staying up late to hear TRIAD radio; this was what I’d been looking for! And my musical taste remains eclectic as a result. So I know about Primus, Fugazi and other, more “underground” musical forms. But I don’t think everything that is “new, progressive,” is more worthy than everything that is “commercial.” And as far as “being financed by a beer conglomerate” is concerned, if a band is worthless, they will be worthless with or without sponsorship. You can’t use that as an excuse to explain away crappy music.
Michael Reese
