Update

The aftershocks of the bus crash Baroness suffered in August are continuing. Apparently the band will continue on with a new rhythm section after bassist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen Blickle departed amicably as a result of the fallout from the crash. The deets are here.

How this will affect their sound remains to be seen. They just capped a run of three straight amazing albums with a double album, last year's brilliant Yellow & Green. If they didn't release another note of music ever again, they'd still be a significant figure, but either way, how they rebound from this will have a profound impact on their legacy.

Duality

In the tradition of Plato, and because I'm basically really lazy, here is a dialogue for you. It's a conversation about music and things that I had with a friend.
 

Me - I don't get upset over pop music like some people do. There's no point. It'll always be there, whether it's LMFAO or BSB or whatever.
 

Friend - Yeah. I actually like listening to stuff like that sometimes. Its nice to let my mind shut off and bounce.
 

Me - Pop has it's place. It's functional music. I love some stupid trashy music.
 

Friend - But in my mind, really good fucking music is like poetry, it evokes something.
 

Me - I realized the other day that I can enjoy music on two levels. One being the level most normal people do. And that's the level that lets me enjoy virtually anything, so long as other people are there too. I would never listen to some of the music that people I enjoy hanging out with like. But when I'm with them, I can have a lot of fun, whether it's pop or country or rap or whatever.
 

Friend - Hmm interesting.
 

Me - The second is the work I do as a scholar. And this is serious business. It's work and I treat it as such. I mean, I enjoy it, but I think about it intensely. And I write. Sometimes. Not as much as I should.
 

Friend - I can see how that would work.
 

Me - Anyways, I just became aware of the disconnect. Like for instance. This girl I like and I have in part bonded over "classic rock." Except we have different definitions of what that means. What she really wants is to hear songs her parents liked when she was young. And that could be anything from folk to soul to rock to disco, so long as it was recorded before 1980. Stuff she can sing along to in the car. And I have rigorous aesthetic definitions of such things that I adhere to in my writing and thinking about rock music and what that means. But I don't do that when we're hanging out because then I would be an ass. So instead we sing along to "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye in the car at 2am.
 

Friend - Cute.
 

Me - Fuck yeah, it's adorable. Point is... I've been able (and I'm just realizing this now) to seperate my own very serious thoughts about music with what's actually playing, and basically enjoy music on a human level with people. I used to listen to a lot of really terrible rap at the spag, because that's what everyone liked. And I was able to have fun with it. And I hang out with a lot of serious music nerds who can be total assholes and have no sense of humor about music, and are frankly pretty nasty for no reason about stupid shit.
 

Friend - Do you think they are actually really that angry, or do they feel like its their "duty" as these cerebral indie fucks to get angry?
 

Me - Well probably, but here's an example. So many people give Nickelback shit. And it's like, whatever, if they weren't doing it, someone else would.
 

Friend - Yeah, thats why music is so amazing. Its personal. And interesting. And diverse. And fun. And weird. But it's important as fuck. Like I love car rides with my female friends and we turn up Drake or Rihanna and laugh and dance... but If I was constantly surrounded by that I would die. I need someone who if they aren't interested in my tastes, at least be open and receptive to it.

Me - Totally. Look, I LOVE metal. But a lot of people will not listen to it. And that doesn't bother me. It's not like I think some Slayer track is going to make them change their mind.
 

Friend - Haha, thank you.
 

Me - It's just that we spend so much time bludgeoning each other with our musical tastes, like they are clubs. And that's so stupid. For what? So we can be embarassed about liking things? We should be sharing. Most music is a shared experience. Or it should be anyways. It's made when people come together in performance or collaboration, and it's best enjoyed as such.
 

Friend - Come together, collaborate and listen...yep
 

Me - It's always better to be with friends (or even strangers) who are united in their appreciation for a piece of music.
 

Friend - It's all right there.
 

Me - Yup, Vanilla Ice had it right all along.