Do you ever worry about “cross-contamination"?

Question

No, I’m not talking about when you leave a slab of raw chicken on your countertop. I am referring to when there is a group that you have liked for a long time that starts to get a larger audience. However, that larger audience consists of fans that you would rather not share a favorite band with. Of course, there is an element of selfishness here because you should want to see bands you like succeed. Case in point: MSI did Projekt Revolution this year and now LOADS of adorable little emos have latched onto them. It’s bad enough they discovered AFI.

GK Dub - This is another perfect example. I wish I had known about HIM in 1997 as opposed to now. I can't stand being force fed music because Bam says they're cool. Perhaps the only group to spawn a genre with the same album name: Love Metal. EWWWW.

Sookie - Not to worry, MSI's music hasn't changed a bit even if their audience has. They are still electro-industrial. Their music likely serves as lithium for the emos. Good analogy.

inbetweendays - Modest Mouse has been on my radar since 1996 when I was still deep in my indie music phase. Used to get them confused with Mouse on Mars. I guess you are stuck sharing with a mess of baby mice. I feel your pain.

To all - Like I said, cross-contamination, LOL!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnQ3CVjPjsAkkv8ZofHr87.v.Bd.;_ylv=3?qid=20071005094139AAxyDm3

MachPen – First off, I hope the new job is working out, because you are missed here during the daytime. Sure, it’s insane to feel this way. I openly admit to it. Of course, I wear my insanity as a badge of honor. It’s not so much that you don’t want to share an unknown band at all. It’s more about WHOM you are sharing it with. FYI, you got that part of my question right regarding the answering machine, it was Octavio, lol. I was impressed you got that.

Answer 1

YES!!! I hate it. I believe you and I have talked briefly on the MSI thing, and let me tell you, it is happening. I'm really torn on the situation, in one way I'm happy that the bands I love are getting some success. On the other hand I'm not happy with the group that has "embraced" them. I live in a small town, so no one but me and some of my friends really listen to MSI. Now that Projekt Revolution happened, a girl of about 12 in a Paramore shirt, complimented me on my MSI shirt. She actually said "Oh my gawsh! I loooooove Mindless. They are like, the awesomest!" Seriously, that's a direct quote. It was bizarre.

I think there's a lot of bands that you just want to keep selfishly as your little secret. I'm getting a lot better about it, as I get older and all.

Answer 2

Absolutely. About 5 years ago I discovered HIM (no thanks to MTV or the radio) through Bam Margera's CKY videos. For some reason, the band was just what I was looking for at the moment, so I bought all their albums and fell in love with them. In some ways, I was frustrated that nobody had heard of them because I knew they deserved all kinds of success, and that most modern rock fans would probably like them. But after Bam Margera promoted the hell out of the band, a lot of the 12 year old MTV audience started to like them. I'd be at the mall or something and see all these mop-top kids wearing HIM shirts, and I wondered if they actually liked the band or just wore the shirt because Bam did. Because of Bam's success and his use of HIM's heartagram symbol, the band gained some popularity and actually got some radio and video air time. They also ended up on the Projekt Revolution tour. Now all these 12 year old girls and emo fans like HIM, and even though I still love the band, I'm not as quick to show people that I'm a fan because I don't want them to get the wrong impression about my musical tastes.

Answer 3

I certainly do.

A perfect example is the band shirts sold at department stores. I buy the shirts for bands I like, but refuse to buy a shirt with a vintage band that I dislike just for "style".

Of course, gaining a wider audience isn't necessarily a bad thing. If not for this, I probably never would have heard about bands such as KoRn, AFI, Buckcherry, MSI, RATM, Slipknot, or other bands that were before my time.

Often, I have listened to popular bands, then gone back and listened to albums released before their fame. A prime example in my case is, as mentioned earlier, KoRn.

As an ending note, emo's do have a tendency to latch on to the music of others.

Answer 4

Sigh. Reading this question makes me feel like I'm back in 1992 again, remembering 1991 and the alternative rock scene before Nirvana hit big. All of a sudden the music you like becomes "cool" ... people start recognizing the bands on your posters and your t-shirts.... the mall chain music store has CDs you actually want to buy .... you have to buy concert tickets far in advance because the shows you want to see are going to sell out....

I remember going to the first Lollapalooza in 1991 and buying tickets at the gate. Nine Inch Nails wasn't popular then - had to wait until the Downward Spiral for people to stop asking me, "Nine Inch What?" Flash ahead to 1992 - had to buy tickets well in advance before the show sold out. My most vivid memory of Lollapalooza '92 isn't the Jesus and Mary Chain or Ministry (the two bands I most wanted to see) but being surrounded by hordes of screaming teenage girls shouting "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" during Pearl Jam's set.

Nowadays, the cross-contamination doesn't bother me as much. But it probably would if I went to more concerts.

Answer 5

OK - first of all, that's just insane. I didn't realize that Mindless Self Indulgence (or MSI as you refer to them as) had such a sudden following. Seriously, since when??? I guess, as you mentioned, since "Projekt Revolution". Hey you know what? Good for them. But yes, it does suck. LOL...and that's just the selfish part of me talking, too, I guess. I'm laughing because it seems like I've been hearing more, and more of them over the last couple of months, too. Aww - and how novel. Wasn't it just a couple of months back - that you asked in one of your questions who it was that had left a message in Little Jimmy Urine's answering machine? I still wonder if anyone ever truly got that answer right ;) heh heh ... Either way, I guess you're right -- all of a sudden, there's a whirlwind of recognition that they're getting. Those bands are like the last slice of cake you wanna keep all to yourself. But it never happens. I remember too, as Prof. Anger said - when The Shins were also getting just a little more recognition than they had before... Oh GAWD especially after "Garden State" ... I had a fit! I got defensive. Let's face it -- all it is; is our inflated music ego's :) sensing a shift in interest. It's time to realize we're not the only ones in the planet appreciating the talent that these great bands have to offer. They deserve it. Cheers!

Answer 6

it's kind of an in-betweener for me

it's cool to see a band you love finally get the noteriety and respect they deserve, and for other people to understand how great they are. and to be able to say, "hey, i remember when this band was so small and unknown, i loved them, and now look how far they are." or something like that. and if you get into a band later than someone else, for any reason, you don't want to be labeled as jumping on the bandwagon, do you?

but there are just so many people (not just teenagers) who will only listen to bands they hear on the radio. they know nothing about the band, or anything else about the music, but they love one or two songs. and you don't want the band you love to be labeled something they're clearly not by mainstream media and ignorant morons just because of some people who listen to it.

so, basically, i hate the corruptness (for lack of a better word) mtv has on music and the general public.

Answer 7

YES indeed. This happened to me with Modest Mouse as well as Built To Spill. When I would go to Modest Mouse concerts back in the day, the audience was very diverse and we all shared certain sayings "There's a mouse in the house...." and other things. Now that they have gained a large audience, I look around at concerts and see a very young crowd. I am not saying young is bad, I am just saying it is not a diverse crowd anymore. I saw them play in Seattle a couple months ago and I was standing in the packed bar area. Low and behold, in walked Isaac all by himself. I looked at him in absolute shock that must have been written all over my face. I said "Hello Isaac" and he said "Hello little mouse." He walked around the crowd for a good 5 minutes and no one else noticed him at all.
I guess it's selfish to want to keep bands to myself and I guess the reason is because I don't want things to be different.
I almost wonder if Isaac was thinking the same thing that I was. Missing the days of the small venues where everyone would know who he was.

Answer 8

A funny day in 2001: for some reason, 311 was the headliner for Vans Warped Tour in New Orleans. It was funny seeing the terrified looks on all the children in 311 or pot leaf t-shirts who were badly outnumbered by hardcore punks. Nothing happened to them; the punks were there to see their favorite bands. It's the only time I've seen the majority of the audience walk out before the main act played. I bet the little 311 kiddies were relieved.

Answer 9

Great question Lovenrckts. I guess it was all for not, but I got a little aprehensive when I thought the Shins were going to really break out. I was torn, I want them to succeed and become rich and all that good stuff, but at the same time I was a little concerned that they would pop up their sound. In the end I never really had to realize an actual opinion because they're still at that level that most of the bands I like live at (pretty much as big as you can get without being "popular"), but, with that said, I'll certainly admit that for me, I wish all the bands I like success and want people to be made happy by the music like it did for me, but I like clubs and bars WAY more than I like big venues and I like intelligent conversation a lot more than I like "OMG They're so HAWT."

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Really well put MachPenn. I also would like to mirror lovenrckts sentiments about your new job. Hope it's going really great.

Answer 10

Rainbows. If I were to ever think God might give up, I would think of rainbows. Seriously, I remember reading in Genesis 9:12, where God said, “This is the guarantee of the covenant I am making with you and every living creature with you . . .” Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy all living things. When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.” Then I remember I have nothing to worry about. Now, if you do need to worry, it should be about giving up on God. There is no rainbow for that. Great question, thanks for posting.