The debate boils down to....

The debate boils down to one underlying principle. Whether one WANTS to experience new musical ideas, new rhythms, new song writing types, new lyrical ideas, or new genres. The debate can roll back and forth about what "pop music" is or what an "artist" truly is...or whether a certain artist has integrity or not. But the true measure of musical understanding and exploration is only found in one's willingness to drop inhibitions and try something new. Its just too easy to put something down and never try it. Attacking from afar carries MUCH less credibility than a critique after close exposure to the music.

I remember reading an article in Time Magazine about Bono. He talked about how fashionable it is to discard music because the masses seem to like it. The irony would be that the urge to avoid popular music would entrench the individual in a cultural trend JUST LIKE pop music. Just moving the opposite direction. A sort of conformity to NON-conformity.

I was reading briefly today about a theory called "The Doctrine of The Cardboard Enemy." It talked about the punk rock ideology. I don't understand it fully, but it argues that the more punks rebel against the status quo, the more they become a part of it.

I love debates like this!!! Thanks guys.

I always like to acknowledge others' role in the expanding Windypops Music Taste...notable additions in the last couple years have been

Sunny Day Real Estate
Action Action
The Format
ABBA
Alkaline Trio
the Arcade Fire
Bayside
Ben Folds
The Flaming Lips
Bjork
Erasure
Keane
Mae
Frou Frou
Bloc Party
She Wants Revenge
Muse
The Rapture
Incubus

I want to be the FIRST to know if you guys find something cool. And thanks again to Toni and Jacob for the trip to the Rx Bandits. That was AWESOME!