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So, it's a recession, gas crisis, a couple of really lousy presidents, American car makers struggling to downsize their fleet fast enough to meet demand for high efficiency vehicles, etc. There are a lot of things going on that make me think my era is going to resemble the 1970's. Not the least of which is an economic recession and a strong public outcry to end a foreign war that's been going on too long. It makes sense that the hobbies and interests of depressed eras will have a lot in common, and that economic recession will have americans looking back to see what others have done for fun or money when there wasn't a lot of either around. It seems like people's style starts to get a little more ornate and rich- less of the clean square lines of the 1950s, 80s, and 90s and more of the embellished edges. People start to see things like music and art in a different light- it's hard to take music seriously when you have so many people with real, serious, problems. So I expect to see a lot more dancing, and a lot more sounds of disco and folk. Probably even some "ironic" take on using an actual string section for disco strings in music.
I'm not the only one who has had this thought on my mind for awhile now, apparently. I'm seeing a total resurgence in late 1970s obsession with the 1930s. I'm also seeing things like rollerderby, silver-era stereo refurbishing, movies about the 1930's, rollerskates(not blades), and knee socks popping back up(or is that Bremerton?). I am even seeing 1970s furniture(probably the worst thing about the 1970s) start to get bought up and repainted. I assume everybody else sees the bigger picture when they start a rollerderby league- but they may not. So what I'm wondering is: what are the musical signs of this stylistic change?
I know it's still 3-5 years off, but the rumblings are here now. And if you want to make a buck from it, I'd jump on board.
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07/14/08
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ryansupak
I definitely agree with the resurgence of bicycle culture being mostly a result of automotive transport being less accessible. (As a former messenger, with a messenger fiancee myself, I find the fixed-gear thing interesting also. I've always taken the social function of the fixed-gear thing as basically a way to distinguish oneself from "spandex bikers" and from (90's style) BMXers.) As another sidebar, I think within a few years the fixie crowd will take a more moderate tack, and realize some of the bona-fide virtues of modern cycling technology like disc brakes and gears. I think the minimalist fixie aesthetic will remain intact though: some things are too good not to come out on top.
I also agree that, in some sense, the geeks have become the jocks and vice versa. Hipsterdom (which would have made you a cafeteria weirdo 10-15 years back -- believe me I remember) in general seems, now, to be a tyranny that is lorded over the "straights". It's become just another version of the Pharisee who takes great pride in being humble.
A few years ago I was talking to my sister, who is 21 now. We were talking about how just a few short years before her time, there were traditional highschool cliques like the "rockers", "skaters", and "cowboys". As the internet became more widely accessible, these lines progressively faded. Indeed, if you ask a highschooler now that mode of labelling is hopelessly antiquated; it's all home-grown subcultures with nebulous boundaries. Last year Soulja Boy proved that the distinction between indie and mainstream, DIY and corporate, is an utter relic.
It would be easy to idealize this state of affairs and say a golden age of free expression is inevitable but I think people remain people, and most would prefer to follow the herd. It's just that the fencelines are drawn in subtler ways now.
$0.02,
rs
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