Beth and her music

Linkin Park makes me feel old. My daughter likes them (they are perhaps her favorite group right now) but they sound like nothing more than noise to me. I feel like my father is taking over my mind as I am tempted to tell her to turn off that "crap". In fact, I actually went in her room and turned her music down! (Not that it was particularly loud but I could hear it.) I think Beth actually likes that I don't like her music. She's just a few weeks away from being a teenager and she needs some independence... something that is hers and not her parents.

In general, Beth has wonderful taste in music. Her favorite groups are The Ramones and The Clash, two groups that Michel and I both love. We watched a TV program on the old punk rock scene and Beth was fascinated by the punk groups like The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. So even though Beth is OK with liking the music we like, she doesn't want us to like the music she likes... if that makes any sense.

The group Evanescence is a group that Beth and I both enjoy although she doesn't mind that I like them. The lead singer, Amy Lee, has a very nice voice and the music is well done. The group learned the lesson of Nirvana and goes for the slow start, fast and loud finish.

Green Day, though, is a group that I really like but that Beth doesn't want me to like. What I like about them is that they are more like the old punk groups only with more musical talent. ;-) Their songs are political, reminding me of songs like "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" by The Ramones or "Holiday in Cambodia" by The Dead Kennedys. "Holiday" is a solid punk rock song about the evils of the Bush administration. Even if you are a GWB fan, punk is supposed to be anti-government so that is irrelevant.

The best part of this is that Beth is truly developing her own style. Her musical taste is her own and is not simply a rehash of whatever her friends like. Beth is definitely her own unique individual with her own likes and dislikes and is not just a member of the crowd. She makes me proud.

Update I: Beth read this and agreed with the statement, "I think Beth actually likes that I don't like her music. She's just a few weeks away from being a teenager and she needs some independence... something that is hers and not her parents."

Update II: Beth reminded me that "Know Your Rights" by The Clash is another good example of a political song.