marcus mumford, the main singer/songwriter and namesake of the band mumford & sons, is the son of john and eleanor mumford, who founded an organization that runs over 100 evangelical churches in the UK and ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

bain, which counts mitt romney among the men who founded the company, took control of iheart in 2008. try to imagine what that company using radio to advance a cultural/political agenda would look like. it looks exactly like this, doesn't it?

the other culprit is american radio's ad-based business model. "rousing," "uplifting," "inspirational" music appeals to advertisers more than darker or more emotionally complex music because their only goal is creating a "call to action" that will compel you to buy a product

music can soothe people who are suffering from pain or anxiety. it can connect people to others who are going through similarly complex problems even if they don't have the words to explain it. it can expand consciousness. it is not allowed to do any of that on ad-based platforms

this constant toxic faux-positivity in ads and media corrodes our sense of self-worth and our relationships with one another. it teaches us to see every part of ourselves that does not fit into the narrow spectrum of acceptable vibes as a disease https://www.instagram.com/p/CR...

liberals love to dismiss this stuff as unimportant, which is part of the reason why the right can pour so many billions of dollars into shifting culture in their direction without anyone expressing concern that it will work. i'm sorry to have to tell you that it *is* working.

@elite_gz Uplifting music bad because I'm a lefty doomer.

@elite_gz It was especially funny that they had local stations keep their branding, so you'd get "YOU'RE LISTENING 105.7 THE EDGE, YOUR HOME FOR ALTERNATIVE ROCK *sick guitar riff*" followed by the tamest Lumineers song imaginable

@elite_gz It was fucking IMPOSSIBLE to listen to music on the radio without hearing this shitty genre I fucking hated it so much it was like the same 5 bands of the same genre too which made it so repetitive it was legit the only reason why I downloaded music rather than use a radio

@elite_gz Crazy alternative theory - Bain Capital-owned companies simply want to make money, and figured out playing music that was popular was a good way for radio stations to do that

@elite_gz didn’t they also had a thing about how audiences don’t want to hear female voices?

@elite_gz @atty_boy It also rocked the video game Planet Coaster. That sound track is the stompiest clappiest set of music ever.

@elite_gz Fucking Iheart. They don't deserve Robert Evans.

@elite_gz @PositronicWoman ... does this count as scabbing? Did they gentrify scab music?

@elite_gz @CaseyExplosion Well that explains everything. The radio in my car is on an alt station and I swear it's more fringe-pop shit from when I was in high school (99-02)

@elite_gz or: FLEET FOXES pwns

@elite_gz @offbeatorbit I remember noticing a shift in rock alt music at the same time when I felt like I got tricked by Christian bands - this song is about Jesus not a breakup (ahem Switchfoot). How would anyone know that before when you might just like a song, hear it on rock radio, and not know.

@elite_gz Me: I enjoy something You: You're not allowed

@elite_gz Excellent thread.

@elite_gz @AaronFlux As someone who has genuinely loved bluegrass, blues, and outlaw country…this music made me so angry. Only because there were SO many other bands doing it better. And not in ‘outfits.’

@elite_gz it even got the old guys

@elite_gz This is where brains went to die.

@elite_gz @Catwitch53 Honestly that was like two years where I actually enjoyed listening to the radio though. I like stomp clap hey music.

@elite_gz Kids don’t listen to iHeart radio.

@elite_gz Is this just the latest iteration of what the cia did to writing during the cold war ?

@elite_gz Have you considered naps

@elite_gz I am so glad I found @KGNU and @TheColoSound because of this shit. iheart owns pretty much all the raido-stations and then they bought up all my major podcasts.

@elite_gz The revenge of WAP

@elite_gz @readwise save thread

@elite_gz Holy shit this explains my deep seated hatred of this stuff

@elite_gz It is time to change your tinfoil.