Jersey Boys

This is only tangentially related to the musical, but I will hit on that.

I have this hypothesis (I haven’t put enough time into it to call it a theory) that music is better under Republican presidents, because times are worse, and sensitive people put their pain into art. I believe the glorious blossoming of pop in the ‘80s was due largely to a combination of Reagonomics and Thatcherism. You would think given my love of music I would vote Republican more, but I’m not a masochist and anyway, I can always go back and listen to music from worse times.

Where I am going with this is that in the last year I have become aware that New Jersey has been a pretty reliable source of good music and influential music. Yes, obviously that started with listening to My Chemical Romance, but then I am also listening to The Gaslight Anthem and Revenir, and I saw the musical Jersey Boys, and hey, Bruce Springsteen, and the Misfits, and Bon Jovi! They’ve got a lot going on.

At the same time, as I learn more about these bands, New Jersey sounds like an increasingly horrible place. I know television shows set in Jersey are a big thing now, but I haven’t watched any of them, and nothing makes me want to. However, just reading about the Misfits, or watching Life on the Murder Scene and multiple MCR members were not allowed to play outside because of dead bodies turning up, and that one scene in Jersey Boys with the apparent murder and extortion plot, which seems to have no purpose other than to show you that hey, this is a horrible place!

So it’s interesting from that perspective, though now I feel a little scared to criticize it, plus, no matter what these musicians admit about their growing up years, they still seem to have a lot of loyalty to their home state, and I get that. I know what people say about Aloha, and I kind of get what they are saying, but also they are wrong and should just suck it.

The other thing that it takes me back to, though, is my History of the Pacific Northwest Class, taken Spring term, 1992, at University of Oregon, and taught by Professor Richard Maxwell Brown. (His fall and winter classes focused on the Old West.) Anyway, I remember him talking about how place influences design and art. One example is that we have more pointed roofs here than in other drier parts of the country because rain falls, and you want that rain to drain off the roof. He also suggested that there was a Northwest Sound in music, and that it was influenced by rain as well.  

I admit, I did not hear it. Maybe he needed to play some songs for us where the patterns were detectable. At the same time, I was trying to think of local music, and all I could remember was Quarterflash and Nu Shooz, and of course there is a much broader scene than that. He did talk about how the economy of Aberdeen, Washington would have contributed to the sound of Nirvana, and I know that fans who have made pilgrimages there have backed up everything Professor Brown said.

Maybe part of the problem is that I didn’t know enough Northwest music. Looking at my favorite bands before, not only was there no one local, there was no real geographic pattern. They were from Norway, New Zealand, Queens, London, Tempe, and Austin. Usually, there isn’t even anyone from the same place for comparison. (Yes, I could find other Austin bands, I am sure, but I didn’t know any then, and everyone else I can think of from Queens is rap.)

Even if I was not sure that he was right, it did make an impression, and I would think of it at odd times. For example, a while back I was browsing at Powell’s and there was a book about the Clash, but it was proposing that rock and roll was influenced by the sound of trains running, and the rhythm of that, because it came from poor people who lived near the tracks (on the wrong side, I assume), and so that noise was the background of their life. Well, maybe.

Certainly economic factors and geographic factors could influence a band. Also, as people listen to each other on the club scene, there may be influences there. I remember I was listening to this one band on Soundcloud and while they were black metal, so not really my thing, there was something about the sound of the guitars that reminded me of Revenir. I wanted to listen again to figure it out, but I can’t find them. I thought the name was Black Nuns or something. Dead Nuns? I was pretty sure it was nuns, but I don’t get any hits when I search on it.

So is there a New Jersey sound? And is it a sound of rebellion and despair? Is that why Erik Rutan is so angry? I have no idea. If that is the case, I guess I am grateful for their sacrifice, and worried about those who are not musical. Is that when you turn into a Guido? When you are tone-deaf? Seriously, I have no idea. Mainly I just keep finding out that there is more to learn, and more to know, and most of all to always be grateful for punk rock. Well, rock in general, but especially punk.

So I don’t necessarily hear rain drops in Everclear, or Sir Mixalot, but I am willing to listen again.

(And please, I hope no one in Jersey is offended, and that if you are you realize that killing me would only be conforming to the harmful stereotypes that lead to this kind of post.)