What’s up with the Grupsters
Sorry to rant here, but did anyone else read the ‘Grup’ gruppy, grupster article in New York Magazine?
(Just in case for those of you not in the know, Grup = Grown Up Hipsters)
I read it. And it got on my nerves. Not sure why. Maybe because I live in Williamsburg. I listen to Bloc Party. And I take the L train to work every morning. But just because of that, I don’t think I would qualify as a Yindie, Yupster or a Grup.
I work long, long hours, take few vacations, don’t even hang out with enough musicans, but most of all, cringe at the thought of wanting to look or act like someone else.
This article just reminded me of everything I am against.
First the name-dropping of bands: Franz Ferdinand, New Pornographers, Death Cab for Cutie and Sufjan himself. Big deal. Music is music. Some are better than others (to the listener anyways), but because you go to the shows and listen to the music, it should not automatically make anyone an authority on being cool or hip or whatever it’s called lately.
And the spending of $400 on torn up jeans just to look like someone else down the block wearing the same torn up jeans? I don’t get it.
Uggh. Cry Me a River.
I thought New York was about creativity, individuality, even rebellion and non-conformity. My old vision of hip NY was of people living on the fringes of society, not accepting the status quo and creating something unique out of this urban maze of a city.
Really, it’s not about the music or the clothes or the hangouts that bothers me.
It’s the need to be defined and labeled, to feel accepted and belong in a society, so much to the point where ingenuity, inspiration and originality seems to be lacking.
I just want to go back to the days when being cool was cool. I don’t know. Call me an outcast, a rebel or simply old-fashioned, but please don’t call me a Grup.
wow, that is a REALLY annoying word. I hope I never hear it again.
Listen you yindie, I’ve had it up to here (levels at mid-nose) with your ranting and raving. It’s soooo hip to be angry. I’ve had enough you little grupster, start listening to music more your age like Yanni (fresh off of spousal abuse charges) and Enya.
Hahahahahahaha. Okay, enough. But honestly, I don’t know if you’re angry with the people that want to all be the same or angry with those who label those who seem to be the same.
Lisa – I can’t even talk because I like some of the music and hanging out and doing fun things in the neighborhood (the word itself is annoying sounding though)
Dhaval – it’s the people who want to tell everyone that they’re like everyone else that makes me batty. i don’t know. hope i don’t sound angry. maybe i should start listening to yanni. although he was charged with domestic battery recently, i think.
Stella –
Yeah I wrote in my initial entry in the parentheses – maybe I should stop using them if no one reads whats inside them – that Yanni was fresh off of spousal abuse charges.
I saw the validity in the article but I also see your point. I think it’s refreshing to see people open their ears and lives up to new things.
I personally know that each individual is very different from the other, but then I also know that some people after being nerds for so long will latch onto the new trend just for the sake of being trendy.
I don’t know. It’s annoying if they’re doing it because it’s trendy from an indie point of view. But, I don’t necessarily think that all who listen to Bloc Party or Sufjan are trendhounds.
Although I went to Carnegie Hall recently for the Free Tibet concert and there were terrific performances all around . . . but for some reason the highest amount of cheers came when Sufjan Stevens went on stage. I actually even heard some people mocking the traditional music when it came on and wanted to punch them in their kidneys. But that’s neither here nor there. I’ve noticed that some people will listen to anything because it’s trendy and ignore really good music simply because they don’t have a crowd to share with. But then there are others who thrive solely on the music that is undiscovered and scoff at mainstream shit.
The New York magazine article wasn’t really condescending. It was trying to make a feature out of some of the generic information they had gathered. They probably spoke with or observed a couple of Yindies and took all the information from them. Really, I think they didn’t necessarily say that these are the bands that makes you a grup, but rather listening to these bands is a part of what a grup likes to engage in – for reasons of it being cool. Am I making sense? I hope so, otherwise I’ve just wasted a shitload of time.
In the end, if Yanni’s tunes with their subtle domestic abuse tones are what get you going or it’s Sufjan’s melodic and orchestral ballads that you enjoy swooning to – what matters is that you’re happy.
Dhaval – good point. If people are doing what makes them happy, it really doesn’t matter what it’s called! Thanks for your reply.