girl complexes IV: The Guys

My last (and only other) post from my "girl complexes" series really turned into a list of underlying sexist themes that come from everyday things guys say. It seemed particularly directed at guys who date a lot. This post is different. It's a stand for everyday male heroes. Also, this calls out some guys. And, well, maybe qualities I find attractive? Whatevs. You'll see.
I was inspired to write this during sacrament meeting today. These 2 guys in the ward gave talks and I could tell by their talks that they were great guys. One was an David Christensen. He seemed like a swell guy (and he is); just genuinely happy and more concerned about the sincerity of his testimony than about his delivery. The other was some guy named Jeremy Leavitt. He was a universally handsome guy. He had the biggest biceps I've seen in months. His talk was just as great. He told stories that proved the truth of doctrinal principles. 2 great talks by 2 great guys! I don't know whether the Jeremy guy is single or not, but I am 99% sure David is. Just a hunch. Maybe I'll write a blog about my hunches of singleness. ANYWAYS... I digress...
It was ironic that we later had a combined Elders Quorum/Relief Society lesson on dating, because I had already been contemplating the topic for an hour. The two guys who spoke in church today are deserving a good girl out there! Now... is there a definition for "good guy" and/or "good girl"?
*NOT EVERY PHYSICALLY UNATTRACTIVE GUY IS NICE* You know the movie character. The underdog. May be underweight, may be overweight. He uses his positive life skills to win the universally attractive girl who shares the same values. Sometimes true, but not always. I appreciate a girl being attracted to genuinely nice qualities. But I know plenty of guys out there who are just plain bitter about not being to win the hearts of eye-candy girls. I call that immaturity.
*NOT EVERY GOOD-LOOKIN' GUY IS SCUM* I love Beauty and the Beast. Gaston is a douche. There are lots of Gastons out there. But I gotta admit, there are some handsome broskees out there wearing name-brand apparel and v-neck shirts who have the best of intentions. Underneath their muscles and presumably upper-class payroll their parents get, there's a sweet guy.
*DON'T WORSHIP THE "AIM HIGH" PRINCIPLE* I've heard lots of returned missionaries say their mission president gave them the wife-seeking advice "aim high." Dude... WHAT IS "HIGH"? You talking about spirituality? Physicality? Either way, you should never go for a girl whose moral or physical standards go beyond anything you are willing to have yourself. In other words, read your scriptures and eat a salad.
*GET WHAT YOU WANT* Hand-in-hand with the "aim high" principle, some guys purposely aim low. Both are wrong. If I'm not mistaken, it's the level where you are that appears most attractive. Some guys are all about personality. Their friends say, "Dude, you can go cuter than that." Don't listen to them. If you're enjoying the relationship you have, roll with it.
*HEY SCOTT, WHAT ARE YOU ATTRACTED TO?* I'm not going to answer that.
I'd like to leave with my theory that I believe the true meaning of maturity is genuine happiness. Not like you have to be jolly, but when you're truly happy, you complain less and are more productive. Like... an adult. Everybody be happy out there. And don't believe all stereotypes. Or Fox News.

2010-2014: The Death of "Indie"

"It's the height of the festival season, and across Britain Identikit groups of tight-trousered, floppy-haired boys with guitars are taking to the stage, to thrash out a homogenous jangle. Critics have dubbed their sound 'indie landfill'. Is it the death knell of a once-vibrant underground scene?" 
-Tim Walker, The Guardian (July 2008)
Come to think of it, the last 5 years of music were really really stupid. I’ve spent 2 of those being tied with another person 100% of the time with a moral code of no listening to any music unless it sounds like Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Since then, I’ve spent over 2 years attending college in Logan, UT.  While I expected my college experience to be full of pot-smoking musicians who traded underground mixtapes with each other, I had forgotten I was in Logan, UT. Thankfully, I’ve actually spent a lot of time with goody-2-shoes Mormon girls who listen to country and Disney music. So I follow the music scene on my own.

My buddy’s older brother from Portland came into one of my Jerome High School play rehearsals when I was 17. He showed up with a copy of Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam and a Band of Horses album. Music for college kids, 2008. I’ve noticed that the aesthetic of “college rock” music has lost its individuality since then. I returned from my mission and everyone used the term “hipster.” People who wear square glasses, trashy pants and pricey scarves. People who listen to LCD Soundsystem, Bon Iver and Arcade Fire. The generalization has been a long-lasting fashion/fad. It’s trendy. I still followed the scene in my spare time, But I started conversing music taste with hipster people and even though we had a lot of new bands in common, it was more than obvious to me that they didn’t know anything about music history. What a waste!

Now more than ever, bands are trying to achieve the 80s throwback sound. The last 5 years have been chalk-full of this music. And people just classify it as “indie.” (Ellie Goulding? Really?) The same goes for all those acoustic bands who chant and use lightweight instrumentation. So it occurred to me: If there was 1 big, important thing that happened to the music world in the last 5 years, what was it? INDIE ROCK DIED.

I will now reminisce about the days when I started following music criticism (pre+/-post 2008) like a Republican reminisces about the 50s.

I got into Pitchfork stuff in a different time. A time when small bands with guitars were making a difference. A time when people were still taking The Hold Steady seriously. Arcade Fire had 2 albums. 3 people from my work burned my copy of the 1-and-only Vampire Weekend album. Fleet Foxes were a new band. DFA Records put a classic single annually. Some weird band called Animal Collective was releasing new material every year. In Rainbows was a new album. TV on the Radio was being placed next to Lil Wayne on year-end lists. Nobody knew who the hell Bon Iver was. And yes, I was the only kid at my high school who listened to MGMT.  Oh, how the tables have turned.

2008: Baroque singer/songwriting hero Antony Hegarty with DFA disco group Hercules & Love Affair. Weird, huh?

I'm still not sure who to blame. But the shift must have happened between 2009 and 2011. “Indie” has been redefined and “indie rock” has practically been done away with. There are no consistent artists to follow. Everyone who has made a classic usually makes you wait 3 years for another release. IT’S SAD.

Screw the so-called 80s synth revolution. I miss the good old days. It took a while to get here, but when it comes to my music taste these days, I feel like good songwriting overpowers good production. Artists with a personality always win. That’s what you’ll find on my half-decade albums list.

The Science Behind Getting Views On Your Blog Posts (maybe?)

I looked through all my blog posts. Here are all the blogs I've written that have received triple-digit views:

girl complexes II (100)
My 2-Year Post-Mission Mark (111)
The 1 Political Statement I Am Going To Make (and i'm going to make it right now) (113)
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (155)
20 Years of Wilco: SONGS (232)
5 REASONS Why You Should See SPAMALOT in Twin Falls This Month! (249)
Josh & Gary getting their music and their message heard (321)*

*from my short-lived journalism blog: "THE CACHE MUSIC SCENE" 

So- why are these posts getting all the views? Why aren't my other posts?
Here are some apparent key ingredients for my blog getting lots of views:

Don't make music lists. Half of my blog posts are lists of albums or songs. Or at least commentary on them. I understand why nobody would give a crap about my personal connection with music and my music tastes. But I love doing it and I probably won't stop doing it.

Write about Wilco. Apparently, this is a real winner for me! Huh... Although I must say, I commented with a blog link on a very popular post on Wilco's facebook page. It immediately got 200+ views.

Use your blog as a facebook comment. Apparently.

Use ALL-CAPS in your title. Apparently.

Write about personal things that people can relate to. Not too many views for my posts about my early days of depression/anxiety. Not too many views on my personal music connections are how I feel about certain pop-cultural topics. Plenty of views between my 3 blog posts where I talk about my mission, politics and girls. Instant win!

Don't write about sports. I love sports, but honestly don't follow it as well as I used to. I've gotten some views on my one college football post, but the rest have, like- 0 views. I'm not too credible. PS: Somehow the NCAA made the playoff even more stupid than the BCS! >: (

Promote local things. My short-lived journalism blog on Logan's local music scene has a surprisingly strong amount of views! My Spamalot promotion and my article on Josh & Gary... this approach actually worked!