EVERY BAND IS DERIVATIVE

BUT WAIT. i don't mean an infinitesimal change in a function with respect to one of its variables! i mean, pretty much, the title of this post:

EVERY
BAND
IS
DERIVATIVE!!!!

let's discuss this further.


OBSTACLE 1 --- INTERPOL.
i found out about interpol when i was in seventh grade through my brother's skate video "girl yeah right / hot chocolate" which has an amazing soundtrack. reading about interpol on the internet at such a tender age i began to realize the huge problem in the BLOG AGE that is rampant, often nonsensical, haterism. every single everything about interpol was prefaced with "THEY SOUND LIKE JOY DIVISION."
TRANSMISSION --- JOY DIVISION.
let's just state this: interpol do sound like joy division. but what is the problem with sounding like joy division? joy division are awesome. it isn't as though interpol blatantly copied the bassline in isolation or anything: there is a similar voice, a similar detached coldness, similar distant, lost vibes. in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this. to have an idea in your head that someday along will come a band whose music is entirely, totally original is overoptimistic and improbable.

what about these dudes:

the arcade fire are probably the single most blog-acclaimed band in the entire universe. i have never heard of anyone who claims to HATE THE ARCADE FIRE. when funeral came out i am sure everybody in the world who likes indie music heard wake up and jizzed in their collective pants.
WAKE UP --- THE ARCADE FIRE.
this song speaks to the youth of the world in, i think, the same way that rap music tries to: DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN!!! THERE IS HOPE YET FOR YOU!!! "children, wake up, hold your mistake up!"
people never delve into the fact that the arcade fire are derivative because they are so blog-beloved (this is like animal collective. no one ever says anything bad about animal collective. except me. that's why you love me). when i first heard neighborhood #2, i was in eighth grade, and i thought it was the talking heads.
PSYCHO KILLER --- TALKING HEADS.
i really like the arcade fire and i think they really changed the face of indie pop music. i was reading an article about them that said they made it no longer acceptable to "mope and sound like joy division" --- now, you have to overcome something and work in interesting instruments and philosophize on your failures and create solutions and then bang on unique percussion. ALL THAT SAID, they are derivative.


NOW: i have thought for a while now that ra ra riot do orchestral pop better than the arcade fire. want proof? okay:
GHOST UNDER ROCKS --- RA RA RIOT.
since the arcade fire were making music before ra ra riot were, we can say that ra ra riot are a derivative of the arcade fire's orchestral pop stylings. HOWEVER, you can say what you want but i cannot think of an arcade fire song that is more affecting than ghost under rocks.
i might just really, really, really, really like ra ra riot. and their live show is devastating.


these are just a few examples. the point that i'm trying to make here is that, in my opinion, hating a band because they are derivative is pointless and will leave you hating every band in the world if you stick to your principles. there are some songs that i hear and i think "jesus you guys, THIS IS THE EXACT DRUM RHYTHM FROM CECELIA!" and i am disappointed that this band, whoever they are, could not get up the originality to write something of their own. this, however, is really rare (i totally made up that circumstance above) and usually bands tend to put all their influences together and make a sound that is their own.

thank you.