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System Of A Down

post #1 of 19
4/30/05 at 11:38pm
Thread Starter 
I have kept up with pop music as my children grew.

My policy has been NOT to buy any pop music CD's as we are inundated with it in the media, but I allow my children to tape the music on clean tapes from the radio. I did this with the Beatles when I was young.

If the music is worth it, it will stand the test of time and the music will be available in ten years, and then they can buy it themselves.

No concerts. My younger sister was a groupie, and is now an old groupie.

My son enjoys SOAD, System of a Down. They are local to us, and our Cantor who is training him for his Bar Mitzvah gives voice lessons to Serj, the lead singer.

Does anyone know anythng else about this band...they are in the current issue of Newsweek.
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post #2 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:28am
I know that they're good and they have a new album coming out next month

http://www.systemofadown.com/
post #3 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:17pm
SOAD fan right here I can't wait for the new album.

They do have “explicit” lyrics in their CDs, but I am sure you can buy a clean version somewhere. Their lyrics are mostly politically driven. Their new single off the new album is about the president and the war.

Is there anything specific you want to know?
post #4 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:40pm
They are a politically charged radical left wing nu-metal band with some explcit lyrics and the use of the F word. but they are not sexually charged . My son loves this band and I think these kids are expressing something important.

Serj is the lead singer-- he has a very eerie well-trained voice.

My 16 yr old ds offers this from the band: (Which i think violates MDC. We'll pull it. but he wants to write it)
"Boom"
"I've been walking through your streets
Where all your money's earning
Where all your buildings crying
And crooked neckties working.
Revolving fake lawn houses housing all your fears
Desensitized by TV.
Overbearing advertizing
God of consumerism, and all your crooked pictures looking good.
Mirrorism: Filtering information for the public eye.
Designed for profiteering,
Your neighbor, what a guy.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Everytime you drop the bomb you kill the god your child has born.
Modern globalization
Coupled with condemnations
Unnecessary death.
Matador corporations, puppeting your frustrations with a blinded flag.
Manufacturing consent is the name of the game
The bottom line is money, nobody gives a F***!
4,000 hungry children leave us per hour from starvation, while millions are spent on bombs, creating death showers!"

PS My son wants to know if you can get him an autograph.
post #5 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
My goal is to be respectful of his musical tastes.

Personally, I am 51, I can remember when the Beatles came to America and my parents would not let me listen to Elvis or anyone like that. I do know groups come and go, and that some albums become collectors items and are later worth $$$$. Does anyone remember the "Dead Kennedys", or the "Pharoahs", or "Flock of SeaGulls", from 25 years ago?

When I went to college, I went to my first concert, 1975 at Dodger Stadium to see Elton John, and it was fun. Lots of fun, but I paid for the ticket drove myself there, I am saying I was old enough to be responsible for myself, i.e. did not get high since I knew I was driving home... and it was a free for all, in other words, you could bring a towel or blanket and sit on it on the lawn. Now there is assigned seating because of people being trampled to death in the crowd.

My only point is that I want him to appreciate good music and enjoy the popular music of NOW since in my experience, that is the music that he will remember when he is older and that will mark his generation.

The words? After all of the rap and punk generation's music, why worry about that?
post #6 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by UUMom
.PS My son wants to know if you can get him an autograph.
I'll ask the Cantor.


We got the autograph from Serj and the rest over two years ago. I'll see if ol' Serj is still getting voice lessons.
post #7 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:51pm
i don't have anything to add about system of a down, as the previous posters have pretty much covered it, but i would like to tell you that there are plenty of great bands that never even make it to the radio, especially mainstream radio, and plenty of brilliant musicians who are making cds that will not be available on the mainstream market in ten years. by limiting their exposure to "pop" music to what they can tape off the radio, you're pretty much guaranteeing that they're going to listen to crap. indie artists aside, even with bands who are signed to major labels and get played on the radio, their more thought-provoking and musically complex tracks are usually the songs that are on the CD that are not released as singles.

mass sales and standing the test of time are not necessarily indicators of quality recordings. i mean, you can still get ABBA at wal-mart but that doesn't mean their music is worth the plastic the cds are burned on.

and you can take them to concerts without letting them become "groupies".
post #8 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:56pm
Awesome post lynsage, ITA!
post #9 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:56pm
LOL! Lynsage- the first thing my son said about them was "They're awesome, but they aren't Indie".

Applejuice! If you got my son an autograph, I would be numero-uno-coolest-mom-ever!

According to something someone said to a friend of a friend of mine, I am already a MIWLTF. Not that I'm proud of that or anything... :LOL
post #10 of 19
5/1/05 at 12:57pm
If it helps any I hung out with them when they stopped over in NY (prior to their fame!) and found them to be very nice. They crashed at my friend's pad.

I remember having an intense conversation with the drummer regarding history especially the Armenian/Turkish conflict in the early part of last century. Nothing like rockstars with a good sense of history!
post #11 of 19
5/1/05 at 1:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lynsage
i don't have anything to add about system of a down, as the previous posters have pretty much covered it, but i would like to tell you that there are plenty of great bands that never even make it to the radio, especially mainstream radio, and plenty of brilliant musicians who are making cds that will not be available on the mainstream market in ten years. by limiting their exposure to "pop" music to what can tape off the radio, you're pretty much guaranteeing that they're going to listen to crap. indie artists aside, even with bands who are signed to major labels and get played on the radio, their more thought-provoking and musically complex tracks are usually the songs that are on the CD that are not released as singles.

mass sales and standing the test of time are not necessarily indicators of quality recordings. i mean, you can still get ABBA at wal-mart but that doesn't mean their music is worth the plastic the cds are burned on.
I agree with this, too. Limiting your son's music options to what's on the radio is a lot like limiting his world view to what's on the 6:00 news. The "pop" music they play on the radio is mostly junk. Do you allow him to borrow cd's from friends or the library? Or search for music online?
post #12 of 19
5/1/05 at 1:04pm
I agree. One can't be a credible writer of much of anything if one doesn't understand history, as history is the story of the human condition.
post #13 of 19
5/1/05 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lynsage
... but i would like to tell you that there are plenty of great bands that never even make it to the radio, especially mainstream radio, and plenty of brilliant musicians who are making cds that will not be available on the mainstream market in ten years. by limiting their exposure to "pop" music to what they can tape off the radio, you're pretty much guaranteeing that they're going to listen to crap. ...
That is my point in not buying the music now. I want him to listen to other music, in addition to the pop. If it stand the test of time, it will be available later. As for ABBA, they were more international with a few hits that sound the same. I think there is a stageplay out with their music now that is giving them their renaissance.

My parents did not let me listen to pop music at home. As a result I have an interest in Cole Porter, Nelson Eddy, Al Jolson, Rimsky Korsechov (sp?), and others from earlier eras.

My DD, now 24, loves music and dance from the swing era, 1940s.

DS, 22, loves jazz.

I desire an eclectic musical appreciation for my children...I have also given them music lessons as much as I could afford and handle.

I am trying to do the best I can.

Good Post, lynsage
post #14 of 19
5/1/05 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by applejuice
Does anyone remember the "Dead Kennedys", or the "Pharoahs", or "Flock of SeaGulls", from 25 years ago?
I still listen to all three.

ETA :

What does "ten years from now" really have to do with anything? I wouldn't really call SOAD popular music in most circles .. and the band's been nationally known since I was in college (first major album release in '98), but together since 93.
post #15 of 19
6/5/05 at 3:53am
Thread Starter 
Just a footnote to all of this...

My son's voice trainer for his Bar Mitzvah has acquired for him an autographed photo of the group and may arrange for him to meet Serge, who was trained by the same person as my son....!
post #16 of 19
6/12/05 at 11:45am
Of all the things kids want to spend money on, I think music is the best thing out there. I understand about wanting them to hear stuff that has "stood the test of time", but whose test are we talking about? Don't we each get to write our own personal test? How will they know it's good if they haven't waded through the crap as they are searching for their musical tastes?

I understand and respect your stance applejuice (there is SO much crap out there), but I tend to err on the side of freedom when it comes to music, and I think it's important to let children experiment with musical styles and tastes, so they can naturally form their own opinions about what is "good", not just mimic my opinion of it.

And ITA with lynsage. The radio is playing the worst of the worst.

Oh, and another thought on buying music, there are lots of places that will rbuy back used cd's for cash or store credit. I think it's a great way to recylce music we grow out of, liked for a while but got tired of it, etc. My DH and I clean out our CD collection once a year or so and we always find stuff we don't want anymore, we take it and trade it in for newer music. We listen to LOTS and LOTS of music in our house, and we experiment with stuff that might not be good enough to make it into our permanant collection, but it was fun while it lasted :

I guess all in all, I think the more music, the better.
post #17 of 19
6/12/05 at 12:36pm
SOAD is the type of band I hope ds listens to in his teen years- as pp said they are a politically minded, intelligent band who really seek to get important messages across unlike most bands these days...

Serj also has another "project" called Serart which is amazing! No profanity at all on that CD.

I give them
post #18 of 19
6/12/05 at 12:52pm
Oops! I didn't mean to highjack with my pp! I started out posting because I like SOAD too, but I never mentioned it in my spewing about kids and music. :

So yea, I like SOAD too!
post #19 of 19
6/12/05 at 1:02pm
Our whole household LOVES Napster.

Our boys have found tracks there from all over the world which there is no way we would ever hear on radio or find in shops to buy.

We burned Cds of trad jazz for my Dad, funk for my sister Eric Clapton and Cream for my Mum. The boys have playlists with tracks from comics like Jeff Foxworthy who they find hysterical, Emanuel (latin pop), Electric Light Orchestra, John Denver, Loudon Wainright III, the Streets, The Temptations............

They are on a lifetime musical adventure; they don't listen to music stations on the radio at all, most of it bugs them. I don't feel that it is my job to 'educate' their musical sensibilities. The music they listen to now will become the soundtrack to this time in their lives - its their life not mine; I have my own soundtrack!

And hey! Don't knock ABBA! Dd loves their music (where's the dancing Queen smilie when you need it :LOL) and it remind me of my childhood when my mum wore huge flares and little woolen hats and we danced to them on the radio in the kitchen.