I feel that a lot of musicians in places like The US and UK reflect those who have good ideas or at least a good basis for their music but have that button marked "Career" in their minds. This goes for a lot of music today - there has to be an inner CEO in blue jeans in your mind once you walk out into the music circus. This usually takes a lot of the edge creativity out of your system that's replaced with calculated moves. There are some good bands out there, but you have to seriously go through a lot of half-inspired stuff to get to them.
The Hot Topic era did a lot of damage - it lowered a lot of the alternatives to Kiss level, and possibly made a lot of people think in terms of Markets and Focus Groups - not in the way that a Marketing person would usually do, but close. Thankfully, there was a little room for those who seriously meant it that may have sparked a few ideas in people who were really listening. Mind, a little know-how and spirited promotion is great, but it was like walking in to The Machine which was the focus of a lot of diatribes through the years.
Today, I feel a lot of the music rebellion around will be formed by Electronic music (although the glut of people just pushing buttons on their laptops has weakened things a hell of a lot) or anything that has an experimental edge with emphasis on the mental, but I'm convinced that there will be good Punk bands here and there keeping up the spirit for those who want to hear it like me who's in the occasional mood for some great brain slamming guitars and serious street level attitude.
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