Struggle

There are two kinds of musicians: those who play music because they want to tear the stage apart, damage things, hurt themselves and/or the audience, scream to God, exorcise a demon, cry out in pain and frustration, rise above human failings the only way they know how - through flailing about in song.

And there's the other kind: those who don't. Give me the first every time.

And I'm not talking about punk bands, hardcore bands or spaz rockers. I'm talking about people who play with intensity that comes from somewhere indeterminable.

Oingo Boingo, Nick Cave, Robbie Fulks, The Monks, The Blasters, Greg Cartwright, Ted Leo, Hank Williams, The Pogues, Rick Broussard, Nick Cave, (Young) Elvis Costello, Nation of Ulysses, Billy Childish, John Lennon, Violent Femmes....etc., etc., etc...

You can hear it in every note, every breath...a strain against something. Who knows what. If we knew we wouldn't have the struggle.