I
am and forever will be an anti-establishment kind of bean even at the
expense of my own happiness and convenience. I hate chain stores, I
hate supermarkets, I hate online dating and hate large corporate
monopolies.
I
hate monopolies so much that if I play monopoly I just head straight
to jail, wait it out. Safe in the knowledge that I am not engaging
in a system that tries to place a monetary value on the basic human
right of housing, and where 2nd prize in a beauty contest
will only win you £10. That’s probably why no one plays with me.
Saying
that, I do love Spotify.
I
get that some people hate it, ‘It’s killing music, they pay
musicians a pittance’ stick it to the man, fight the power, Corbyn
for PM’, but even with all that righteous anger brimming in my ears
I still think it’s great.
It’s
not that I’m opposed to buying music. I spent all my formative
years buying CDS. When others spent their money on more practical
things like driving lessons and drugs I bought CDs.
I
had lots, all the greats and I very much defended the position of
buying music. Before Spotify, when folk had to download music from
the internet illegally I recoiled in horror. How very dare they. The
swines, purloining from the pockets of those poor hard working
musicians, and why when I try to do the same is my computer smothered
in a stable full of malicious trojan horses?
I
didn’t want any knock off Nigels, or Hooky henrys I wanted to real
Mccoy, the physical artefact in my hand with a coloured booklet to
peruse at my leisure.
However,
by the age of 26 I figured that I had heard everything and owned
every CD I needed to own and I was bored of music.
Trying
to discover new music before Spotify was like looking in a wool
factory
for
cotton buds.
Once
you found a band you liked, mainly through happen-stance. You then
researched what bands they liked or other more tenuous links like
finding out who the bassoonist was that played on the final track of
their coveted D-side album. Then you trawled the markets and record
shops. Breadcrumbing your way in search of these hallowed new bands,
return home, play the CD, feel disappointed, return to the shop and
swap your Clash ‘London Calling’ CD for the best of the
Cranberries. In hindsight this wasn’t a good swap but we didn’t
have hindsight back then we had the best of the Cranberries.
Sometimes
this process was sped up by a compilation CD. Many new bands
discovered through the glory of the Shine Indie CDs but it was all so
time consuming and ball breaking and by my mid twenties I couldn’t
care less any more. Happy to play the same albums on a loop until
that final karaoke gig in the sky.
Spotify
rescued me from this Sisyphus drama. It really is a dream for those
that wish to devour the fruits of new music. Their weekly
compilations based on tracks you already like is a marvel. I pick
and choose my faves, usually only one or two but then by the end of
the month I’ve discovered 10 new acts without even exerting any
effort whatsoever.
There’s
also the Spotify trail where you start with a band you like, it then
suggests 20 other similar bands, you follow them and build it into
your own playlist and hey presto. Suddenly you are in a position
where you know what classical composers are not shite and you know
all their greatest hits.
‘Do you like Debussey’s Clare de lune oh you should try Christian Sindig’s Symphony no3 III movement: Allegro’.
‘Do you like Debussey’s Clare de lune oh you should try Christian Sindig’s Symphony no3 III movement: Allegro’.
That’s
some solid smarty pants party repartee you’ve just learned to guff
out of your mouth. That’s the brown triangle of trivial pursuit
covered all because of Spotify.
And
it doesn’t stop me purchasing music. It’s just now, music has to
be exceptionally good. I don’t just settle for any old average
tosh. I’ve already had to listen to each track a 100 times before I
can then unequivocally say it’s the bee testicles and I need it in
several different formats including on a key ring.
The
only irritating thing is the adverts but when have the Mcdonalds,
Tesco, Greggs Sports direct, adverts ever ruined anything really?