This isn?t exactly breaking news, but I wanted to refrain from commenting on it until I was sure that Thax was actually the author of an amazingly long post with a distinctively disturbing view of a certain segment of the Chicago music scene.
Now I?ve been asserting that Wilco has been pretty played out for a while now and while it pains me to say that, the group hasn?t offered much proof to the contrary. A Ghost Is Born was, I hope people can admit now that they?ve had some time to really let it settle in, not a good album. It just wasn?t. If what Thax alleges is true then that would go a long way towards explaining why the band has been slowly and steadily declining.
I can?t confirm or deny certain facts but when he starts describing certain segments of the indie scene I think he does get it pretty right on. Thax blames it all on Steve Albini ? which I personally don?t agree with ? but Thax?s description of a certain type of Chicago musician is so right on it hurts:
?a mandarin culture of snobbery and gossip has gradually supplanted music, and an indie rock establishment has evolved that stifles creativity-you cant be creative when you live in an atmosphere of fear of offending the “wrong people”-so now when people move to Chicago they come not to show what they have done, but they come like any trembling office worker, scared but confident in his ability in the fine art of corporate ass kissing-the Chicago scene has become an office like any other. So you have a music scene that takes sustenance in giggling and snorting and gossiping about anyone outside the well-oiled machine of clubs, publiciists, booking agents , journalists,and -oh, yeah, “fans” (smirk, giggle)-
I refuse to elaborate on what the “facts” might be from my own end because I consider myself primarily a musical critic and not a sociological one, but I will say that I think much of what depresses Thax in the overall feel of his piece is also what depresses so many other honest music lovers in this town filled with so much great potential yet so many jealous saboteurs.
Thax’s whole piece is here. Please don’t bother leaving a comment if you’re just going to attack him for dissing Wilco though.
Photo of Thax Douglas by Randy Darden