UNSERE LIEBLINGSMUSIK

Black Dog - 01.05.2006, 09:59
Die Jugend ist doch besser, als ihr Ruf ;-)
Aber das gilt hier wohl für USA. Ob das bei uns auch so ist???
NB Telegraph-Journal | Music
As published on page E1 on April 29, 2006

Classic music experiencing resurgence from the teen generation

(Kâté LeBlanc/Telegraph-Journal)
Addix from left to right are: Adam Robichaud, Ben Boudreau, Justin Miller, Hunter Floyd and Adam Burke

By Kelly McKiel
Telegraph-Journal

Scott Gallagher's first choice of music would be underground rap, but lately he's finding bands like KISS sneaking their way on to his music list.

"I like music where the artist can express themselves, be who they want, and say what they want," says the Simonds High School student in Saint John. "Bands like KISS and AC/DC have there own sound and the music just gives you a rush, and pumps you up."

Artists such as Jimmy Hendrix and Pink Floyd and are blaring out of the teen's headphones.

Last year's Rolling Stones concert, held in Moncton, brought out between 75,000 and 85,000 people, and an alarming number of those were teens. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, nine per cent of kids ages 12 to 17 listened to classic rock stations in any given week in 2005; making a small but significant increase during the past three years, with a total of 2.3 million teens tuning in each week, according to the radio- ratings company Arbitron. Market research is showing that kids ages 13 to 17 bought 20 per cent of all Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin albums sold from 2002-2005, and 17 per cent of Hendrix and Queen discs. Young teens love for rock 'n' roll is keeping albums such as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and AC/DC's Back in Black selling thousands of copies a week.

More and more teens are listening to classic rock than country, punk and pop. Even though rap and R&B are topping the charts, their fans can't help but love bands like The Who, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.

According to Gordy Tufts, owner of Backstreet Records, in Saint John, more teens are buying records than adults.

"It's cool to see the younger teens buying the good old piece of plastic. They go home and throw it on their parent's record players and rock out. I see teens ranging from 15 to 25 coming in here and buying these albums; owning the CD or downloading isn't good enough. I don't think the increase in listening to rock has saved it, classic rock isn't going away. It made the road for today's musicians."

Classic rock isn't just inspiring teens to listen, but also to learn to play. A local group of teens from Saint John decided to put their love for music together and form the band Addix.

"Well I think it's safe to say that we all grew up listening to bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath," says Hunter Floyd, guitarist. "Listening to bands like this was definitely a big inspiration for me to start playing. Listening to Sabbath and rehearsing Iron Man in my head, not only did it inspire me, but it led me to some other great bands I like today."

Adam Robichaud, another Addix guitarist, says listening and playing classic rock led him to find his role models.

"For me, I look at certain classic rock musicians as idols and I am inspired by the music. From there, I then write music and want to follow in their footsteps and dream about being someone else's idol."

To the fans of classic rock the chart toppers of today are just not enough. Both members of Addix agree that music needs more than a keyboard to make CD. To these boys, today's music is all about image and money and they see very little talent.

"New age music is lacking the solos that got classic rock to become classics. No one is creative, new music is mainstream, it's all just easy songs that are all get 'rich quick' schemes. No one will care about the Black Eyed Peas in 30 years." says Hunter. The boys believe in actually playing instruments and writing their own songs. Addix prefer guitars, drums and bass to synthesizers.

"We are in a dire need of a musical revolution," Robichaud says.

How are the parents dealing with their kids and the rock music? "My dad finds it cool that his son likes it. He's glad that we play music he's into," says Robichaud.

Parents these days are not saying, "You crazy kids and your new music, I can't keep up," but rather, "Son, throw on that Zeppelin record."

Kelly McKiel is a co-op student from Simonds High School interning at the Telegraph-Journal.