Read Between The Frets: The Philosophy of Rock Music

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”¹

In 1791, this carefully crafted promise became a part of American legacy due to the fact that our Founding Fathers were so desperately determined to liberate themselves and posterity from restrictions of personal freedom. However, it took approximately a century and a half for Americans to build on these fundamental principles in unprecedented and culturally-significant ways. Though John Muir and Rachel Carson² are considered the forefathers of environmentalism, it was not until concern of man’s continuous destruction of his natural habit found its way into mainstream rock ‘n’ roll music that these rights-which are usually grouped together into one all-encompassing right: freedom of expression- became increasingly significant to the masses. The freedom of expression was wholeheartedly sought after by the greenies which planted their roots in the newly vibrant rock movement. Rock ‘n’ roll became their medium of communication. It became their outlet; their path for change.

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Chutes Too Narrow currently stands as the second of three full-length albums released by The Shins. Clearly this album is no longer new—it was released in 2004—and the band’s newest release, Wincing The Night Away, has seen the top of the charts in recent years. So why review an album which was released over four years ago? Because Chutes Too Narrow is an album that has, and will continue to, stand out in musical history; it is the album that defined the Shins.

The Shins saw their quick rise to stardom with the release of Oh! Inverted World in 2001. The overwhelmingly positive feedback this album garnered (as well as many of the album’s songs being included in the film Garden State) certainly put the Shins on the map.

After the success of Oh! Inverted Word, many thought the Shins would follow the trend of many artists with such a quick rise to fame: their next album would be an over-hyped disappointment. Either it would try to stick too close to the original and be little more than a repeat, or it would be too ambitious and stray too far from the core of what made the original so good.

Fortunately, this was not the case. Chutes Too Narrow handled this dilemma with grace and style. Gone was the low-fidelity “indie” sound, but the new sound was far more dynamic and full. The music was alive with energy, and it brought out the best parts of the previous album (which were sometimes hard to notice) into the light for all to hear.

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On May 31, 1975 a man dressed in audaciously colored tights pranced around on a stage in Huntsville, Alabama¹ and sang the lyrics of “Trouble” into the yearning ears of thousands of adolescents. This man was Elvis Presley. Known to the younger generation as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and to the older as an entrepreneur of chaos, Elvis Presley symbolized both controversy and freedom.  He, along with an extensive list of other bad boy rockers and their rock ‘n’ roll music, served as catalysts for the transformation of a new age of Americans: the Baby Boomer Generation. This generation came of age in the Post-World War II era and was known primarily for its activism, moral flakiness, and rebellious nature. Although these attributes can be traced to various reasons, an important point to consider is that baby boomers were the first to ever experience teenage life under the influence of rock ‘n’ roll.  Before the 1950s, America was guided and governed by the Greatest Generation, a group renowned for its loyalty, patriotism, and moral conservatism. Rock ‘n’ roll was the antithesis of this conservatism. It neglected conventional morality, idealized sex, promoted drug abuse, and devalued the sanctity of marriage. For baby boomers, rock ‘n’ roll represented the unprecedented sovereignty they desired, and it was the newly introduced philosophy of life and living in rock ‘n’ roll that ultimately framed the baby boomer legacy as one of moral corruption and social liberation.

What Used to Be Is No Longer

If you’re looking for youth, you’re looking for longevity, just take a dose of rock ‘n’ roll. It keeps you going. Just like the caffeine in your coffee. Rock ‘n’ roll is good for the soul, for the well being, for the psyche, for your everything,” said Hank Ballard², a proud baby boomer and one of the greatest voices in R&B history³.

Hank Ballard, like many of his contemporaries, was searching for youth in conservative America. Facilitated by a booming Post-World War II economy⁴, those who searched found a social and emotional outlet in the outgoing expressiveness of rock ‘n’ roll. Prior to World War II, teenagers had little if any social liberation; they were bounded by the necessities brought on by war, and life for them was plainly formal.  After the birth of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s, teenage life was headed for change.

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The RX Bandits don’t play ska any more. Their newest album, …And The Battle Begun, is probably more “progressive rock” than anything else. But it really goes beyond a simple term. The eclectic yet powerful sound of the new Bandits album is more reminiscent of “21st Century Schizoid Man” than any Specials or Less Than Jake song.

Unlike most modern albums, …And The Battle Begun, was recorded live rather than with each instrument being recorded separately.¹ This is important to keep in mind when listening to the album, as you can really hear the musicians working together in interesting ways. It’s also impressive as hell, and makes the idea of seeing these guys live very attractive.

This album’s central themes are apparent immediately with the first track. “Untitled” is only 45 seconds long—entirely a cappella—yet it is more than a simple intro tune. The vocals are haunting and they really seem to resonate for the rest of the album (which is perhaps aided by the repetition of the same lyrics at later times during other songs).

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Continuing the epic build up, self-titled track two comes in from complete silence. The drums slowly fade in, followed by the melodic vocals, before breaking through to a crescendo that symbolizes the end of the beginning of the album. Pacing was clearly foremost in this track, and it does not disappoint.

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While every song deserves a listen, some of the standouts include “Tainted Wheat,” “To Our Unborn Daughters,” “Epoxi Lips,” and “Apparition.”

“Tainted Wheat” is a very dynamic song in its structure. It fluctuates between sections of very heavy beats and softer sections. This ebb and flow goes beyond the sound, however, as the lyrics change in intensity to match the music. The chorus is dangerously catchy as well.

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The American teenager is often depicted as either a mindless fad-chaser listening to the latest shallow boy-band music, or as a scarily intense quasi-vampire child that listens to nothing but mind-numbing death metal.  While these two cases may be seen as polar opposites, and the two example teens would most likely hate each other if they ever came into contact, their musical tastes share a common thread.  The music of these imaginary American Teenagers lacks substantial content.  The real American teenager, while occasionally eccentric, is neither a pop head nor a vampire.  The real American teen listens to more than one type of music, and the real American teen enjoys music that contains substance.  Despite this common misconception that teenagers listen only to thoughtless, emotionally blunt music with simple melodies and memorable lyrics, thoughtful and even philosophical content does have its place in the American teenager’s rock library.

One might ask, “How can it be proven that teens listen to philosophical music?”  It is impractical to follow enough teens around to make a general statement about the music they listen to, so how might one make such a statement?  Modern technology has provided a tool that compiles information on all of the songs being broadcasted on the radio and how many listeners are tuned into each station.  This coupled with album and single sales statistics gives the music industry a relatively accurate view of what the public is listening to.¹ Not surprisingly, the public is not listening to the shallow poppy music or the coma-inducing death-metal of the media’s representation of American teenagers. 

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