[invisiblehouses]

As I've worked to let go of the negativity that held me back for so many years, I've begun to see some changes in my musical tastes.

It's not even so much about substance or meaning, but whether the people involved are radiating joy or darkness.

I started out with metal back in middle school, then graduated to punk rock and other underground music, and a lot of this stuff is just so dark and depressing. I mean, I still love Black Flag, and you can't say there's a lack of substance to their music, but so much of it seems to be about wallowing in a really dark place. Songs like "Depression" and "Damaged" have an incredible amount of power, but they're just pure blackness, and I think those guys meant it. It's not something I like to relate to anymore.

I find myself listening to things that are either silly (Ramones, Vaselines), witty pop genius (Belle and Sebastian) or gentle, meandering music that just sort of rolls along and takes its time getting where it's going (Grateful Dead). I guess these are things I'd like to be, too...a silly, witty pop genius who gets where he's going in his own time. But who still gets there. Or ends up somewhere else entirely. Because that's cool, too.