At risk of being called an uniformed nodick, I wanted to ask about Code Orange. I feel that younger kids think they are the first to ever put out a record that's this heavy just because they write metalcore off as hot topic music and don't know what Turmoil or 7A7P is. These kids will go to topshelf records shows wearing I Am King jerseys but will disregard that that record is completely biting prior bands. Is this similar to Backtrack superfans making fun of Breakdown's band name on boards?
As the band gets bigger, I’m sure you’ll find plenty uninformed fans. That’s the nature of the thing.
But at the moment, they are still playing hardcore shows where everyone in the room has heard the bands you mentioned. And, I don’t think anyone can accuse Code Orange of not citing their influences. They wear shirts of the bands they worship like any fan does.
Speaking to your larger point of people taking a new version of something over an originator, yes, sure. Kids missed out on aggressive mewithoutYou, so they’ll take La Dispute. No one at a Give show was in the audience at a Swiz show, so this is the next best thing. And it goes that way for all crowds at all times, and all bands at all times.
We’re all just the sum of our influences. That absolves the bands, not that they need it. We’re releasing a song that could’ve been a Lungfish track. If anyone says anything to me about it, I’ll smile broadly at the comparison and thank them. Sometimes shadows are hard to get out of, and other times you may like it there.
And so far as listeners, well, you can’t expect a kid who wants to go off at a hardcore show to say, “no, you know, I will do the moshing at my mom’s house. She has a nice stereo and I would prefer to listen to Swiz on MP3 tonight.” That kid can have fun at the Give show and listen to Swiz when ze gets home. It’s not an either/or scenario.
I get where you’re coming from. If something feels like you’ve seen it before, and you preferred the original, then it’s hard to get pumped on the new thing. OK to feel that way, but confess you’re being a cranky old turd. I think La Dispute a limp take on mewithoutYou, but who cares what the fuck I think? A kid who wants La Dispute thinks I’m the ancient creep he doesn’t want at the show anyway.