Ye Olde Nu Metal

Enough time has past that we can look back and analyze the Nu Metal era... I even made a playlist to accompany what I think are the best entries in the genre and from the best five years of the genre's life.

The early to mid-90s really gave us an interesting moment in music. Gen X was busy popularizing college rock radio with their interest in grunge and alternative, but gangster rap was also starting gain popularity as well. There had been some rap-rock hybrids in the 80s, but the music never took off. While Nu Metal doesn't necessarily have to be mixture of rap-rock, some of the most notable bands to come out of the TRL generation definitely popularized the mixture, and definitely influenced their peers to include a lot of the signature hooks, mixing rap and rock together or employing the use of turntables; Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Deftones--to a certain extent, they are not exactly "Nu Metal," but I might get into that later on--Korn, P.O.D., System of a Down, Godsmack, Marilyn Manson, etc. By virtue of a pure dictionary definition, Nu Metal is by all rights a bit of a nerdy fusion genre with a lot of navel-gazing because it takes from so many other genres. It's interesting to me that it became as popular as it did. Without question, the height of Nu Metal was 1998-2003. It may still have been around by the time I graduated high school, but I wasn't listening to it any more by the time I was a senior in 04, nor was it music that really captivated the masses prior to 98. It took around 3-4 years for it to develop and gain traction through albums like Korn's Life is Peachy. Not to mention, TRL the way we remember it with Carson Daly was as shell of its former self by the time he stepped down in 2003. It is interesting though that I associate TRL and Carson Daly's period of hosting that show as the direct and proximate 5 years that played host to the best the Nu Metal genre had offer.

Abolish Driver's Licenses!

Trust me, I'll explain, but first I need to vent a little bit.

An asshole in a black sedan screeches across the three lanes ahead of you, from the shoulder all the way to the median to make an emergency left turn, nearly taking off your fender or bumper in the process. You know who I’m talking about. Chances are they were driving a BMW 3-series… At least, it’s usually a BMW in my observations, and it’s generally not the higher end models. Most people who can afford the Alpina or M-badged editions don’t treat their automobiles like a cheap hooker. I don’t know what it is about an idiot who buys into the whole “ultimate driving machine” marketing ploy, something about that mentality turns them into an asshole and more often than not those are the individuals who truly don’t know how to drive, and they have no respect for anyone else on the road. Their reckless endangerment of everyone else on the roads is fueled by an arrogance covering up an inadequacy that the pur of an exhaust doesn’t seem to quench, but high speed and recklessness is the go-to medicine for hiding the symptoms of an unyielding depression… Psychoanalysis aside, the ancap Mayor from a small town in Pennsylvania (whom I follow on Twitter) posted a provocative statement, but one that is ultimately an interesting question...

Abolish driver’s licenses

— kate (@kate_niicole) December 7, 2021

Radio Free Hour Of Our Time

As I write this I’m sitting back, sipping on some Aviation Gin, and listening to the Stillhouse Junkies… I didn’t buy the bottle of Aviation on purpose. I was standing in line at the gas station, it was Friday night, I needed gas, but I was also in the mood for some Seagram’s or Bombay. Sadly, they did not have any of the 200 mil bottles, but as I asked about different brands and looked at the shelf behind the attendant, the line behind me was growing. Trying to be helpful, she pointed her finger to the sky:

“I think we have something in the back!”

Standing there I could feel the eyes of everyone in line on my back; “Jesus, what’s taking her so long,” I thought to myself. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, I was just asking casually, if they didn’t have any gin, I wasn’t going to buy any.

She came back with a full-sized 750 mil bottle of Aviation… It wasn’t the brand I wanted, and was actually way more--both in volume and price--than I expected, but with a line of people behind me I just bought it and went on about my way. The attendant also seemed really happy to sell me the bottle and told me to let her know whether or not I liked it.

Just a few moments ago my wife asked me (after I regaled her with the story about about the gas station attendant), “so what does it taste like, is it any good?” I had to stop and think about it for a minute, and my response seemed apropos:

“It tastes like it’s made in Portland and Ryan Reynolds is the spokesperson.”