A lot of people would like to talk a big game about being alternative. A lot of people would rather look like misfits, outcasts and rebels than actually be those types of individuals. The great thing about Brand New Sin is their focus on authenticity.
This is one value that you probably don’t hear all that much. People would rather look rebellious than actually be rebellious. Often times, the rebellion that they have in mind or the innovation that they’d like to project goes as far as their looks.
They think that for you to look different is enough. In other words, what you see is what you get.
Well, obviously this is not true. We live in the real world.
How many times have you been scammed? How many times have you been defrauded? Often times, you cannot judge a book by its cover because the book will rip you off.
The funny thing about rock music is that it is a victim of its own success. It really is. Most people have a vague idea of what rock music is.
Now, you may be thinking that popularity should be a good thing. How bad could it be? After all, people have some sort of expectation or people have some sort of initial starting point regarding how to define music.
When it comes to rock music, there are really two eras: BI and AI. BI stands for before the internet, and AI stands for after the internet.
It’s very easy to see the impact of internet on recorded music. Prior to the internet, when you buy music, it is locked into some sort of media. Maybe it is a cassette, maybe it is an LP, maybe it is some sort of vinyl disc, or maybe it’s a compact disc.
The funny thing about hard rock is that a lot of people think it has died a long time ago. I know that sounds hilarious, but that’s the absolute truth.
The problem with rock music nowadays is the fact that it really is a victim of its own success. People are so eager and so enthusiastic about rock music that they can’t listen to enough of it.
When rock and roll music made its debut in the early ’50s, it was the new kid in town. Either people loved it, or people were horrified by it. Either it was the best thing since sliced bread, or it was the fourth horseman of the apocalypse out to announce the end of the world.
It’s easy to see the beginning of rock music from a black and white perspective.
It’s easy to project an attitude when it comes to music. It really is. How many times have you seen posters of rock bands looking all menacing and dangerous?
Well, you got to scratch beneath the surface because a lot of those guys are really teddy bears. They wouldn’t hurt a fly because they wouldn’t know how. There’s no sense of danger in them because there’s really nothing edgy about them. They’d rather project a sense of danger and menace rather than actually be dangerous.
And the most dangerous thing that people can come up with is not some sort of martial arts move. It’s not some sort of weapon. It’s not some sort of vehicle. In fact, it has nothing to do with the material world.
The most dangerous thing about people is their ideas. This is what upsets the apple cart. This is what turns the world upside down. It really all boils down to the things going on inside a person’s head.
When they are eager to do things a new way, it’s not because they have nothing else better to do. They do things a new way because they have something new to say. They’re not just doing it for the sake of doing it. And this is really what sets apart Brand New Sin.
They talk about the Western experience in so many ways because they talk about how it is to be true to something while at the same time being realistic. They talk about the distinct tension between ideals and reality. Of course, they present this in the best way they know how.
They come from a working class background. They speak the language of people who work with their hands. They speak with the authentic urgency of people who know what it’s like to punch a clock from 9 to 5. They come from the American tradition of working for every dollar you have to your name.
They don’t have fancy college degrees. They couldn’t care less about that world. Instead, they are concerned with presenting their particular truth from their particular side of the American experience.
This is what sets them apart. This high level of raw energy mixed with an anxiety-free sincerity is really a breath of fresh air. There’s really no other way to describe it. I know that’s kind of a cliche, but there are really no other words that fit the kind of value they bring to the table.
It really is something else because the funny thing about sincerity in a world that has gotten very, very cynical is that the moment you actually start to walk your talk, you stand out from the crowd. You’re the odd man out. There’s something wrong with you. You’re awkward, you’re weird.
But that’s precisely what’s so awesome about Brand New Sin. They’re not just a feast for the ears, but they’re also a feast for the mind because of what they represent.
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