Noise has taken the place of punk rock. People who play noise have no real aspirations to being part of the mainstream culture. Punk has been co-opted, and this subterranean noise music and the avant-garde folk scene have replaced it
Interpretation
The quote compares the current state of music to punk rock, suggesting that true punk has been overshadowed by noise music and other underground genres.
Thurston Moore reflects on the evolution of music, arguing that punk rock, originally a form of rebellion and cultural commentary, has been 'co-opted' by mainstream culture. He suggests that in its place, noise music and avant-garde styles have emerged, representing a shift towards more experimental and underground sounds that reject mainstream acceptance and aim for artistic integrity instead.
In practice
During a music lecture discussing the evolution of punk rock.
There's been times when I've been standing in a line at a movie and someone's hit me with something really heavy about someone really close and how our music has helped them get through it. Even in our darkest moments we try and find something beautiful.
With the a cappella groups, every voice is like one string on a guitar, one note on the piano, or one cymbal, and you don't have the luxury of falling back on anything.
Theres no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, Im playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues - the blues we used to have when we had no money.
If wed known we were going to be The Beatles wed have tried harder.
Certainly tolerance and acceptance were at the forefront of my music.
I've always been obsessed with drums. They fascinate me. Any other instrument - nothing. I play acoustic guitar a bit. But it's always been drums first and foremost. I don't reckon on this Jack-of-all-trades thing. I thing that felling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts.
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