I just read an interview with Em in that Ecko magazine (Complex?), and he claims the drugs were still getting out of his system with Relapse (or something along those lines), and he knows some of it is just silly for the sake of silly. Supposedly Relapse 2 is going to be a beast, much more serious and generally some high quality stuff. Get excited.

What is it that “they” do and why does it bother you so much? And can you define what a hipster is, exactly?

i apologize for the unreadableness of this post… should really proofread…

@Sean – No offense taken, I realize I look like a hipster. It’s a mere coincidence, I’m not one who is overly concerned with having my appearance fit in with whatever “scene” I associate with. I could dress to fit many at this point.

@stu1 – If you read the comments below, it pretty much sums it up (my definition of a hipster, and why it is they bother me so much). They like the allure of liking metal and being a metalhead, but not so much being one. With hipsters, it’s all about image and portrayal, not action (another example is how most hipsters are in love with cameras, but few are “real” photographers, and use their nice DSLRs on automatic settings, or buy vintage cameras because it’s cool, not for the quality of picture it takes on film, which they ideally should). Many hipsters buy vinyl because it’s “cool” and “vintage” instead of buying it for the audio quality.

Though it may not seem it, I’m not normally a very judgmental person. I just don’t like it when any group of people latches onto something I love and ruins it, like hipsters are doing with metal in Boston. I feel the same about “hardcore kids” (it’s really the “deathcore kids” who show up to something and are disappointed when there are no breakdowns, and they hardcore dance at tiny bars to songs that aren’t -core, ruining the experience for everyone else).

So, y’all can bash me, flame me, etc. about my hate for hipsters, but I really don’t give two shits, because I’m not going to get my panties in a bunch over comments on a blog. That would be fucking retarded. I just wonder how many of you live in a place where the hipsters and deathcore kids have saturated every metal show to the point where it’s become unbearable.

Biff- I’m in Los Angeles.

@stu1 — I’m sorry, that must be awful. Are you in need of a metal man hug?

show me proof that hipsters don’t love metal. really do I don’t think you can

where do you live, Stu ?? Come to Chicago and you will learn exactly what a hipster is. And yes, we do need a new word for these vapid wastes of oxygen

M_F Beard: Hipsters seem to be more of an American phenomenon, but I’m sure a similar type of individual exists in the UK.

A Hipster:

“Listens to bands that you have never heard of. Has hairstyle that can only be described as “complicated.” (Most likely achieved by a minimum of one week not washing it.) Probably tattooed. Maybe gay. Definitely cooler than you. Reads Black Book, Nylon, and the Styles section of the New York Times. Drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon. Often. Complains. Always denies being a hipster. Hates the word. Probably living off parents money – and spends a great deal of it to look like they don’t have any. Has friends and/or self cut hair. Dyes it frequently (black, white-blonde, etc. and until scalp bleeds). Has a closet full of clothing but usually wears same three things OVER AND OVER (most likely very tight black pants, scarf, and ironic tee-shirt). Chips off nail polish artfully after $50 manicure. Sleeps with everyone and talks about it at great volume in crowded coffee shops. Addicted to coffee, cigarettes (Parliaments, Kamel Reds, Lucky Strikes, etc.), and possibly cocaine. Claims to be in a band. Rehearsals consist of choosing outfits for next show and drinking PBR. Always on the list. Majors or majored in art, writing, or queer studies. Name-drops. May go by “Penny Lane,” “Eleanor Rigby,” etc. when drunk. On PBR. Which is usually.”

*************************************************************************
or, seemingly from the view of the hipster himself (“boy are we great!”):

“Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20′s and 30′s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. The greatest concentrations of hipsters can be found living in the Williamsburg, Wicker Park, and Mission District neighborhoods of major cosmopolitan centers such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco respectively. Although “hipsterism” is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses. Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs. Such styles are often associated with the work of creative stylists at urban salons, and are usually too “edgy” for the culturally-sheltered mainstream consumer. The “effortless cool” urban bohemian look of a hipster is exemplified in Urban Outfitters and American Apparel ads which cater towards the hipster demographic. Despite misconceptions based on their aesthetic tastes, hipsters tend to be well educated and often have liberal arts degrees, or degrees in maths and sciences, which also require certain creative analytical thinking abilities. Consequently many hipsters tend to have jobs in the music, art, and fashion industries. It is a myth that most hipsters are unemployed and live off of their parent’s trust funds.
Hipsters shun mainstream societal conventions that apply to dating preferences and traditional “rules” of physical attraction. It is part of the hipster central dogma not to be influenced by mainsream advertising and media, which tends to only promote ethnocentric ideals of beauty. The concepts of androgyny and feminism have influenced hipster culture, where hipster men are often as thin as the women they date. The muscular and athletic all-American male ideal is not seen as attractive by confident and culturally-empowered hipster women who instead view them as symbols of male oppression, sexism, and misogyny. Likewise, culturally-vapid sorority-type girls with fake blond hair, overly tanned skin, and “Britney Spears tube-tops” are not seen as attractive by cultured hipster males who instead see them as symbols of female insecurity, low self-esteem, and lack of cultural intelligence and independent thinking. Hipsters are also very racially open-minded, and the greatest number of interracial couples in any urban environment are typically found within the hipster subculture….”

Totally follow you ferocious.

What he meant by “drew the line” is he drew a line between
when the band had a breakout album. He is one of those guys
who allways claims he likes just the older stuff to appear
more tr00.

Biff: I actually thought Blackwater Park was more of a peak than Still Life; usually even people that dislike Opeth regard BWater as high quality…you are the first non-out and out Opeth hater that I have ever heard call BWater “OK.” I understand where you are coming from, even though I wholeheartedly disagree. I can see how if you didn’t like too much experimentation/lack of structure or convention you would hate everything post Still Life.

stu1: If someone doesn’t like Opeth BECAUSE of the growls, whatever, their loss. My point was that someone shouldn’t quickly discount something simply because of the vocals. I find that over time, sometimes I learn to like apects of music that I originally didn’t. I realize why the vocals are the way they are, and sometimes end of appreciating them for what they are. Sure it’s ok not to like something, I just think not giving certain music a shot because you don’t like one aspect of it is silly.

Maybe I’m just saying this because I too have Animal Collective next to All Shall Perish in my iPod, but I think that the state of “hipsterness” has more to do with motivation than what you’re actually listening to. There’s a difference between having broad musical tastes and accumulating a bunch of music in order to seem eclectic.

i get it now. sooo pretty much hipsters listen to the same exact music that i do, but for all the wrong reasons. word!

SonOF -

” I think that Opeth’s progression/evolution has been natural.” To my ears, they have not progressed at all since SL/BWP. I think they are treading water. They know their fans are going to eat up whatever they put out. Akerfeldt could take a dump, wrap it in tinfoil and put hooks in it and sell it as earings and fans would buy it. I think that where they REALLY ‘progressed’ is from Orchid to Still LIfe. Each of those 4 records was an evolution of the highest order, rarely seen by any band. I think they began playing it safe on BWP

“Isn’t it the lack of structure and unpredictability part of what drew you to the music in the first place?” Thats my problem with modern Opeth…it has become VERY predictable. NONE of the riffs stand out anymore (except maybe a FEW on the Deliverance album). Where are the great riffs like those found in “The Moor”, “The Drapery Falls”, “When”, “Black Rose Immortal”. They just aren’t writing great riffs anymore…they all sound very much the same,song after song,album after album.

Also, Im not a big fan of either Orchid or Morningrise (I do like Orchid better if it matters).

I am not an Opeth ‘hater’…. Im a long time fan that has been very,VERY underwhelmed by their output this decade, barring a few moments/songs on BWP.