This post is a little bit different in that it doesn't strictly have to do with skateboarding. With that said, skateboarding has always had a very close relationship with music. Ever since skate videos came into existence during the 80's, people have been making the link between rhythm and board seem both obvious and beautiful.
This relationship has proven to be especially true for bands with a punk/alternative/indie sound. Both punk and skateboarding are subcultures. Both subcultures share a lot of similar values, including the will to challenge things that are in control for some people, whether they be social norms or the government or the police. Both have historically also had an emphasis on individuality and have valued the creation of art.
Few groups better exhibit this harmonious crossing of cultures as well as the British indie rock group, Bloc Party. Ever since the release of Silent Alarm (officially released in the US in 2005) it seems that skaters dug them immediately. There was of course the beloved Daewon Song part in Skate More which featured "This Modern Love". Skate More, by the way, is still often praised for having a good sound track on top of the legendary skating. Then there's the part from the now seldom-heard-from Corey Sheppard in the Blind video, "What If?" which used the song "Banquet". I still love that part to this day.
Bloc Party had broken up and then reunited late last year, and now their new album, Four is frequently on my iPod when I skate (but only when I skate by myself- wearing headphones during a group session is both dangerous AND anti-social).
Check out "Kettling" from that album and tell me it doesn't perfectly represent the quitter-hating, anti-authoritative streak that so many skaters share.
And believe me when I say that when you listen to the high energy, "We're Not Good People", you're pretty much never going to want to stop skating again, if for no other reason than to relate to the raw energy in the song itself.
I know this might sound like a plug, but at the current moment, I make exactly zero dollars from this blog, and given that I don't get much traffic, it will probably stay that way for a long time. I say that to stress that I'm not trying to promote these guys, but merely trying to get all of my readers as hyped up to go skate as I am, and hopefully introduce you to new things. Thanks for reading- I'm going to go put in some headphones, turn my iPod up and have a Bloc Party-fueled session now.
No comments:
Post a Comment