Music is a very subjective topic. You will be hard pressed to find two people with the EXACT same music taste. And for some, it is a huge part of their life whether they play an instrument, study music, or get extreme enjoyment out of listening to and discovering music. I was forced at a young age to hone my music tastes by my father. The likes of Back Street Boys, N*Sync, Brittany Spears etc. etc. were not allowed. Because of this, I have fallen into the latter category and spend hour on end picking apart the sound of Swedish folk bands, Icelandic metal, or the newest experimental nonsense to come out of Brooklyn.

It is not until recent years that I recognize the lack of artistic value in modern radio hits-but more specifically the lyrical aspect. Now, everyone can get down to a catch beat no matter WHAT the song is saying…(The ladies love us /when we pour shots /they need an excuse /to suck our cocks /we came to get crunk /how bout you?) But I feel that the radio hits of yesteryear packed so much more lyrical poetry.

There is nothing like a good Led Zeppelin song when it comes to lyrics. There is something magical about the way these old time lyricists captured the mood and feeling that they were trying to convey. I find it difficult, however to imagine turning on the radio and hearing “Someone told me there’s a girl out there/ with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair/ Took my chances on a big jet plane/ Never let them tell you that they’re all the same/ the sea was red and the sky was gray/ wondering how tomorrow could ever follow today” Instead of….”My tummys turnin and I’m feelin kinda home sick/Too much pressure and I’m nervous,/That’s when the taxi man turned on the radio/and a Jay Z song was on..”

All of this mostly has to do with taste. Many people listen to music solely to dance and cut loose and have a good time. But I am beginning to think that this lack of artistry and abundance of nonsensical, vulgar, and just down right stupid lyrics are hindering the world from exposure to the art that is music.

There are a few new artists that dare to push the boundaries of modern music.

I can’t recall how I heard about CocoRosie- a Freak Folk sister duet that came out of France- but from the first moment I heard their music, it became  apparent to me how absent this sort of poetry is within music…. It is refreshing to me to hear such avant garde wording to portray familiar themes such as heartache and love

“I fell in love with a bad bad man ever since i met him I’ve been sad sad sad. June faded into blooms a September moon waned and grew your perfume haunted me long after I saw the swing of heaven’s gate opening toward me. Luxurious in your arms, your smile is a cool sun in the dark. Misery rejoices when you’re near and fever- no sign of sickness keeps me burning down in my heart. Winter melts she sighs away quiet like the silence a dying star makes. I’m a jailbird to your music, a criminal in your prayers. I watch you in your sleep even when you’re not there.”