Saturday, August 28, 2010

What's with Malaysian bands today?


When I was younger and was in a quite a number of bands, I went through this.

Why is it that bands have to find an identity @ label and then direct themselves to only doing that kinda music. One common example, a group of 3 or 4 boys get together and start jamming Blink 182 or Green Day songs. The band members, especially the vocalist, would start being a 'voice-wannabe' of that famous band's vocalist.

And when people ask them, hey what kinda music do you play? They would be like 'oh, something like green day and all'. And when they start making their own music, they'll restrict themselves to making their songs sound like Green Day songs. Probably, song A is 'inspired' by Basket Case. And when the idea of putting something different, something different enough that it when people hear it, they would not hear Green Day, like maybe another kind of drum fills put it (something far maybe from the funk flavor), they would shrug the idea and be like 'hey, we're punk rockers, this is not punk rock.

WHY BLOCK CREATIVITY AND HONESTY?

Not to mention when a group of girls get together, or maybe a band with a female vocalist. They would most probably be making music that fits it the 'feel' of the Cranberries, Paramore, Evanescence.

And don't start about the wardrobe. Oh my. It's like those teenage American movies that you watch. They have the hip hop, the rockers, the psychedelic 70's, the country type, the goth, etc. And you have to pick which one of the cliche groups you most resembled in charactor (or the music you like), and then you have to start buying clothes that shows the identity and make up accordingly. Man, has the Americans shaped the world or what?!

So what if a girl who might have a rebellious attitude but loves wearing a dress and not into blue-purple-pink-green hair, and actually has manners but at the same time maybe love heavy metal and rap music all the same? But she fights for what she believes in and the music speaks to her emotionally.

WHY DON'T YOU WEAR AND FEEL THE WAY YOU FEEL LIKE EXACTLY, NOT MAKING SURE YOU FIT INTO A SPECIFIED CHARACTOR.

Ya, I know, people would say, it's show business and if you want to pursue it 'well', you gotta have a focus group. But people, what are the chances of you being a legend if you're not creating something new - breaking the cliche and doing as you feel - now that would be an original, not another wannabe.

I feel B.O.B. is interesting :)

1 comment:

  1. The level of originality in the artistic output of a community is largely dictated by how that community regards the idea of art as an expression of rebellion or individuality. In Malaysia, rebellious individuality is generally regarded as undesirable. Conformity is a social norm and is generally applauded, both by the masses and in the home.

    In many other cultures around the world, children grow up with the idea that it's important to establish a personal identity that is different from everybody else. To *be yourself*.

    Malaysians grow up with the message from society and parents that it's important to *be like us*.

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