I always like to hear what our alumni are up to, so of course I was thrilled to get a CD in the mail today from Luther Monson. He does have a day job where he puts his computer science education to use, but his real love is whacking the #%#@ out of drums in an alternative/punk/ska group called IdiotKin. They recently released their fourth CD, Little Older, Little Fatter, which was what I found in the padded envelope and inserted into my CD player with trembling hands.
Actually, the envelope contained more than the CD; it also included some IdiotKin stickers and buttons. If you want them, stop by my office. I mean, what would I put them on? Oh, and there was a guitar pick too; anyone play guitar?
Back to the music. Whenever I hear this sort of thing, it takes me back to my college days, in the early 80s. A lot of the stuff kids have been listening to more recently, I just plain don’t understand: rap, techno, trance. (Well, rap isn’t so bad.) But give me this stuff with the guitar all distorted to heck, the bass driving away at 90 miles an hour, Luther pounding the living daylights out of his drums, and some toally tone-deaf guys racing through lyrics, and I’m young again.
My favorite song on the album is “Bastard Son.” What makes it really stand out isn’t the music, it is the lyrics. They take the form of a letter home and are achingly familiar, not only from my own memories of growing up, but also from what I see just a little beneath the surface in so many of my students:
Dear Mom, It’s your bastard son and I’m writing just to tell you that I’m doing alright. … A little scared and a little unprepared but I think I’m finally ready to face this world all on my own, oh no! … Now and then, I’ll get homesick once again cuz I realize I left behind all my family and friends. But life goes on so I’ll write another song. … I don’t want you to worry about me, just don’t forget about me. … And I think it’s time that I finally grow up. …
Not a bad idea, but for those who aren’t quite ready, or those like me who want to take a momentary break from it, listening to this angst-ridden raw energy can be fun.
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