catapult magazine

Ryan,

I too love the new dylan album. I found it quite refreshing and two decent albums in a row is an accomplishment for dylan. Has anyone heard of Atomic Opera? They have a new one coming out in april. I’m always interested in a band who writes songs in 15/3 meter.

Would anyone object if I called Fred Durst an “Axis of Evil”?

no. no, i certainly would not.

but, if we are to follow the example of our president, shouldn’t we include two others to complete the “axis of evil”?

i vote for including Kid Rock

would a vote for one of those cute boys in n’sync be out of line?

I thought about including Britney Spears and Kid Rock, but they just don’t seem to measure up on the “evil” scale. Spears seems mostly harmless and Kid Rock claims only to speak for an often overlooked group, the “trailer people”. Durst, however, is his own unholy trinity.

My rebuke goes beyond his role in the riots at Woodstock a few years ago, but includes the fact that he’s marketing male anger and bravado in rock music (undoing all that Cobain had tried to do) and encouraging all kids to become rock stars like him because it’s the best (good) life. Those of us who grew up through the early nineties know that countless highschoolers are missing out on an important part of their self-identity when they think the Limp Bizkits of the world are the only alternatives to pop music. So, down with the “Axis of Evil”.

Who would you recommend as a healthy substitute for high schoolers? Most high schoolers aren’t paying attention to Nirvana (or even Nirvanalike bands) anymore and the more “arty” music that I’m attracted to isn’t turning any adolescent heads. I’m always disappointed in my wife’s little brother’s taste in music (he’s a high school jr. into Limp Bizkit, Nelly, Trick Daddy, Linkin Park, Korn, etc.), but don’t know what to offer as an alternative.

i had that same problem when i worked at borders. 12-year-old kids would come in looking for Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock and i wasn’t allowed to sell it to them because of the “Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics” stickers on the CDs.

but i didn’t have anything to suggest to them as an alternative. i wanted to suggest things like Nirvana or Alice in Chains (et. al.), but all those bands are so “old” now. and then i realized that i was getting older and that soon i’d be saying things like “those darn kids with that terrible music” and i didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

so, anyway, back to jason’s question: is there an alternative?

there is POD. i don’t really dig them. but some people’s whose opinions i respect are into them. and these days the kids are diggin’ them.

and of course there is beck. his latest album is a gem and even the coolest of new kids should dig it, if they know what is good for them. although it is not really in the same “kick ass” genre.

Red Hot Chili peppers have substance and popularity.

Incubus is a bit scientific in there approach but are a good alternative to the buzzing rock that seems to be dominating MTV right now.

System of A Down is a bit juvenile or something but they’ll give you some good destructive bounce.

The strokes and Weezer both write great rock songs, pushing convention just enough to make it interesting.

Mystical has a great song on MTV but I haven’t heard the rest of th album.

isn’t system of a down an armenian band? i read a review of a show in the chicago tribune the other day and they compared the band to rage against the machine (as far as being very political). is there any truth to this?

if so, are their political observations juvenile? i’m just wondering because i haven’t heard anything by them, but they sound mildly intriguing.