Imminent Immanent Eminent Immanant

Our language is stupid. These words confuse me.

In memoriam of 2008, I'd like to say a few words about the state of music at the moment. Much like 10 years ago when "alternative" had been supersaturated into the mainstream and thus rock music had become a staticky gray nothing, the music that is happening today is both post-indie and post-irony, and therefore rather dull. I can't remember a year since the year 2000 when I felt this unenthused about everything; I'd chalk it up to age and cynicism except I've already seen firsthand the great things that happen to my enthusiasm when there is truly something worth getting excited over. Even 10 years ago there were Radiohead and the electronica threat to keep things jumping. Right now, I don't care what it is—hip hop no longer innovates (like rock, it just absorbs other genres), everything has been done in the electronic realm, and the best rock can come up with is unnecessary regurgitation from weak acts like Vampire Weekend, who were only big this year because nothing else of interest is stirring things up. I get no sense of where this music is *going*, no feel for how the music of days past is influencing the now, no headkick of wonder that I have tapped into the pulse of something that keeps the world's blood pumping, and least of all, I get no sense of boundary pushing. The fact that Pitchfork named Fleet Foxes the best band of the year is quite telling; as lush as it may be, their sound is deeply rooted in something 40 years past. Perhaps it's the fact that the post-punk music that I've always held so dear to me has been reappropriated ad nauseum by today's artists and as such I have nothing left to look forward to, but realistically I think each genre and subgenre have just spiralled inward to the point of irrelevance. Bring on 2009!