Fleet Foxes Dude Tries To Prove To World That He Is Utterly Of The Now, Man

noah | June 15, 2009 5:30 am

Robin Pecknold, the lead singer of the harmonizin’ indie outfit Fleet Foxes, thinks that we live in the best of all possible musical worlds–and it’s all because of the invention of Napster 10 years ago! The Peck thinks that the download-happy music landscape of today will only make musicians grow more, and not result in people being overwhelmed by the choices they’re presented and burrowing into safe havens where they’re only confronted by things they know they like: “As much music as musicians can hear, that will only make music richer as an artform… I think we’re seeing that now with tons of new bands that are amazing, and are doing way better music now than was being made pre-Napster.” Yes, that’s right: Fleet Foxes are so, so over the whole “music from years ago” thing. They’re all about the now, man! So what records helped the 23-year-old Pecknold come to this earth-shattering conclusion?

“That was how I discovered almost everything when I was a teenager–my dad brought home a modem,” he said. “That was how I was exposed to almost all of the music that I love to this day, and still that’s the easiest way to find really obscure stuff. “I’ve discovered so much music through that medium. That will be true of any artist my age, absolutely.” Brian Wilson’s Smile and The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle were among the albums he discovered through the service, he said.

Wow, so obscure! How on earth would anyone have ever found out about those records in the past? Imagine if he’d actually have had to seek out and talk to other music aficionados! The horror! It’s almost enough to curl one’s beard! Later on in the story, he says that he is 100% fine with people downloading his album. While I suppose it’s nice that he doesn’t want to be all hypocritical about things, I do wonder if he’d have a different outlook on this sort of thing if the few remaining people who are paid to proselytize about music weren’t riding his band like it was a brand-new sparkly pony they’d received for their birthday. Ah, positions of privilege! Speaking from them can be such a… lofty experience, you know? Bands “better because of piracy” [BBC]

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