Thursday, April 13, 2006

Hipster Rock Can't Break Top 10 on Billboard

Last week Yeah Yeah Yeahs are stuck at #11 on Billboard 200. Now? Flaming Lips are stuck at #11.

Good news: it IS the top rock debut in the country. Unless you consider James Blunt rock. I don't.

So how do you explain how it is the top rock debut but isn't in the top ten? Rock is going out of style baby. People usually mention rappers as the usual suspects, but look at the list.

Two rap albums (TI and Bubba Sparxxx), two country guys. The rest is pop. Pink, Now That's What I Call Putrid ... etc.

Grups like me are still stuck in the early '9o's when Nirvana ruled and everyone had a Sega Genesis. Truth is, since the Spice Girls invaded America in 1997 and established the current New Pop hegemony, alternative rock has been ... um, alternative.