Retro discs like The White Stripes
May 26, 2009 9:09 AM   Subscribe

"Field Middle School student Max Timander, 12, has taken blogging's egalitarian spirit to a new height, despite his lack thereof. He runs areyourockin.com, a reviewer-centric rock blog covering a smart mix of hot albums (the new Green Day "is so addicting," he says) and "retro" discs -- by early-'00s acts such as the White Stripes and David Gray."

Right now, the site is streaming Glasvegas. He's also into Husker Du. I think he's totally the kind of kid I wished went to my school when I was his age.
posted by mippy (33 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
It was more than half his lifetime ago, mind. I loved Pet Shop Boys at his age - their first single came out when I was one, and so friends teased me for liking Old Music.

But do they still listen to 911 now? NO. THEY BLOOMIN' WELL DO NOT.
posted by mippy at 9:14 AM on May 26, 2009


They make jokes about this kid being short - shit, I'm only 3 inches taller than him! And I don't think I'm gonna hit another growth spurt.

goddamn tallies
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:15 AM on May 26, 2009


Well, good on him for having a music blog, but I'm a little confused about the "new heights" claim. What's interesting or unique about this?
posted by Aquaman at 9:16 AM on May 26, 2009


Reckoning by how many years passed between the artist's best work and the listener's enthusiasm for them, I figure that this kid being into Hüsker Dü would be the rough equivalent of my having been into Buddy Holly.

"nowifeelsoveryveryold" indeed.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:16 AM on May 26, 2009


Kid uses internet, seeks fame. Film at 11.
posted by bjrn at 9:19 AM on May 26, 2009


Field Middle School student Max Timander, 12, has taken blogging's egalitarian spirit to a new height, despite his lack thereof.

Max Timander has no egalitarian spirit?
posted by dersins at 9:19 AM on May 26, 2009 [2 favorites]


Max Timander has no egalitarian spirit?

Haha - that's how I read that, too.
posted by Pecinpah at 9:22 AM on May 26, 2009


So does Kerry Timander work for the Star-Tribune or is it Kerry Timander's friend who works for the Star-Tribune? Place your bets, folks.
posted by dydecker at 9:24 AM on May 26, 2009


dydecker, Must be a friend of his (unless Kerry's co. does outsourced graphic design work for the paper).
posted by adamms222 at 9:29 AM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


So does Kerry Timander work for the Star-Tribune or is it Kerry Timander's friend who works for the Star-Tribune? Place your bets, folks.

Spot on.

It's a blog, folks. A freakin' music blog. I'm glad the kid is writing, and all, but this is just a feel-good lifestyle piece about a 12-year-old with a blog. It's not a popular blog, or the new pitchfork, it's just a blog with a domain name. Congrats!
posted by graventy at 9:31 AM on May 26, 2009


I'm really sick of the 'film at 11' meme. Not digging at you, bjrn, you just reminded me :)
posted by mippy at 9:31 AM on May 26, 2009


Yeah, you're right. Meme gets over-used. Film at ... okay, sorry.
posted by bjrn at 9:48 AM on May 26, 2009 [3 favorites]


"nowifeelsoveryveryold"

Read that as "no wife eels overy very old".

Isn't that a White Stripes lyric?
posted by Lucinda at 9:53 AM on May 26, 2009


if timander and company wrote more about themselves, album covers, and nyc instead of their enthusiasm for music they could be pitchfork writers right now.
posted by the aloha at 10:01 AM on May 26, 2009


yeah, but what "cool" stuff comes out of chicago that isn't on touch n' go?
(a fair amount, actually, but not within the small world pitchfork inhabits.)
posted by the aloha at 10:23 AM on May 26, 2009


Field Middle School, pounded by budget cuts, offers no classes in composition or grammar. Sadly.
posted by littlerobothead at 10:32 AM on May 26, 2009


Kid likes Coldplay, and used the word "addicting." Both his mastery of the English language and his favorite bands suck.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 10:58 AM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


Andrew Bird is a musician who plays violin but instead of what people usually do he likes to pluck the strings and play it like a guitar. He also likes to whistle during his songs. I think the reason he whistles is because his name is Andrew 'Bird.

Actually, Andrew Bird is fantastic for so many reasons, well beyond the fact that someone who edited his wikipedia page considered him proficient at whistling.

I give the kid credit for digging into all sorts of music, not just radio hits, and maybe he'll learn to master the written word in high school.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:12 PM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


"The CDs characters in this story are Christian and Gloria as of like on American Idiot it's Jimmy and Rebel Girl. This CD will rock over any CD in Rock Opera history! Yea, that's right, I said Rock Opera."

I mean I've got friends there and all; seriously, though, how boring are the Twin Cities that a news day could be so slow this seems exciting?

But then maybe I spoke too soon.
posted by The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal at 12:15 PM on May 26, 2009


T-minus 5 years and counting until he's complaining about how "the kids" don't know anything about "real" music.

And then I'll laugh....
posted by stifford at 12:16 PM on May 26, 2009


I assumed all music review sites were written by 12 year olds.
posted by dydecker at 12:23 PM on May 26, 2009 [3 favorites]


Per Joe Beese's observation, I'm really curious now. If there's anyone in this thread who is 13-21 years of age and you've listened to Husker Du, please tell me if their music sounds old or dated to you. (One of their better songs.)

I ask because I was 16 when Husker Du was at their height, and at the time, to me, Buddy Holly would have been just crap played on the oldies station, hopelessly dated. The gulf between Holly and Husker seems immense, even to me now, while the gulf between Husker and current times, seems much less.

Just wondering if I'm delusional due to rapidly advancing age and nostalgia, or if someone in that age range would agree with me.
posted by pandaharma at 12:54 PM on May 26, 2009


Paging Cameron Crowe...
posted by futureisunwritten at 1:02 PM on May 26, 2009


I wish that I could write a half-assed blog that didn't have any semblance of credibility / didn't check its facts (Green Day was known as Sweet Children when they played Woodstock in '94, and no one really knew them? They only had an album and 3 EPs out by then? Color me surprised), and get any sort of news attention for it. I appreciate what the kid's trying to do but someone has to encourage him to actually do his research (that "Green Day is known for their nice, soft songs" thing nearly made me vomit).
posted by Mali at 1:23 PM on May 26, 2009


They make jokes about this kid being short - shit, I'm only 3 inches taller than him! And I don't think I'm gonna hit another growth spurt.

goddamn tallies


He's FIVE INCHES taller than I am, and I'm done growing too. Feh.
posted by Night_owl at 1:52 PM on May 26, 2009


I ask because I was 16 when Husker Du was at their height, and at the time, to me, Buddy Holly would have been just crap played on the oldies station, hopelessly dated.

It's worth pointing out that you were wrong.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:33 PM on May 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


It's worth pointing out that you were wrong.

I'm sorry, that was snarky. What I meant was, there were plenty of people who could appreciate both Husker Du and Buddy Holly back then. I certainly liked Buddy Holly even while in the depths of my teenage years (which was the Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers years).
posted by Bookhouse at 2:40 PM on May 26, 2009


Of course I was wrong. I was sharing the mindset of when I was 16, not current opinion. Since I was looking for the opinion of someone currently around 16, I thought I'd share how I felt back then. Besides, Buddy Holly didn't even remotely fit the aesthetic I preferred back then. To be honest, he doesn't fit my preferred tastes now either, but I can appreciate what he accomplished and how he influenced bands that I do like.

And, growing up in Little Rock and with a strong interest in discovering new music, I had a strong resentment then of anything played on the radio which was almost entirely country, oldies, classic rock, and hair metal. Punk/alternative was relegated to 120 Minutes every Sunday on MTV and a few hours very late at night on the community radio station. This led me to ignore things I'd later appreciate..
posted by pandaharma at 2:53 PM on May 26, 2009



Just wondering if I'm delusional due to rapidly advancing age and nostalgia, or if someone in that age range would agree with me.


No one between 16-21 posts on Metafilter.
posted by dydecker at 3:19 PM on May 26, 2009


The kid is an enthusiastic Green Day fan.

I predict he doesn't lose his virginity for at least two more decades.
posted by bardic at 9:29 PM on May 26, 2009


the fact that he isn't already in a band as awesome as LIVE SKULL reflects poorly upon his upbringing.
posted by Hammond Rye at 11:43 PM on May 26, 2009


i meant OLD SKULL. LIVE SKULL were grown ups.
posted by Hammond Rye at 11:50 PM on May 26, 2009


I wish that I could write a half-assed blog that didn't have any semblance of credibility / didn't check its facts

Hey! You still can!
posted by mippy at 3:44 AM on May 27, 2009 [1 favorite]


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