One if by land, two if by sea—MAGNET’s Mitch Myers says let’s blow yacht rock out of the water!
That’s it. I’m hereby calling for mutiny and urge that we band collectively to push again in opposition to the rising yacht-rock phenomenon. I objected after I first heard the time period and have grown much more against the idea since then. My actual remorse is that I waited so lengthy to talk out, and now it simply could also be too late. There’s been a yacht-rock channel on SiriusXM for practically a decade, however the brand new HBO “dockumentary” has made this contrived fake-genre all too actual.
Newer and older yacht-rock performers have develop into emboldened and are actually plowing full steam forward, reserving summer time excursions and different inevitable live performance revivals. My conclusion is that in case you’re being advised that it’s yacht rock, then it’s in all probability not rock, and it has to cease. This can be a unhappy looming image of one more cultural divide, and we should endeavor to show again the tide. In fact, you may’t count on to cancel something with out leaving a void within the nice American psyche. What we actually have to do is substitute it with one thing somewhat extra all the way down to earth.
So, folks: Are you prepared to hitch within the Birkenstock-rock revolution? We’ve received extra toes on the bottom than yacht rockers have arms on deck, and we’ll finally outnumber them. No worries about confrontation—Birkenstock rockers aren’t uptight like these captain’s cap/ascot-wearing varieties demanding precision within the recording studio or no matter it’s. We simply dangle free and are nonetheless extra grounded than our yacht-rock rivals, who’re principally all moist.
This previous 12 months really noticed the 250th anniversary of the Birkenstock shoe model, and with that form of momentum, we must always be capable of supplant a manufactured music state of affairs that peaked someplace between 1978 and 1982. Hear, I like Skunk Baxter as a lot as the subsequent man, but it surely’s time we let our toes take us again to the place we as soon as belonged and head towards dry land.
In fact, Birkenstock rock is extra than simply music—it’s a way of life—and company re-branding is most actually within the offing. I perceive a number of trade insiders have already been calling it Birkenrock, and that will grow to be an excellent factor, as a result of we don’t need any lawsuits concerning copyright infringement. We’re not being proprietary about it, but when we do get a Birkenrock channel on SiriusXM, we wish to receives a commission.
Sure, yacht rock’s crunchy counterculture cousin has come marching residence, and we’re able to take a stand. If we will simply settle this branding challenge, we must always be capable of make Birkenstock rock a factor very quickly. We’re extra inclusive than our yacht-rock counterparts, and meaning we will get behind all types of music from the final six or seven a long time and nonetheless preserve a powerful sense of identification and tribal belonging.
In effort to stay totally knowledgeable, MAGNET solicited greater than 50 civilians to report what their prime Birkenstock-rock tunes could be. A number of the folks we requested didn’t “get it” and wanted extra info or had been fully unable to wrap their heads across the concept. We suspect that these rigid people establish as yacht-rock sympathizers, however regardless of.
Those that did reply to our ballot had been apparently hippies at coronary heart. We’re not entering into the small print, however relaxation assured, solutions included artists like Phish, the Grateful Lifeless, Neil Younger, James Taylor, Janis Joplin, Struggle, Nick Cave, the Yardbirds, the Allman Brothers Band, Bob Dylan, Buddy Miles, Lou Reed, Jefferson Airplane, Blackberry Smoke, the Doorways, Massive Star, Blues Traveler, Spirit, the Conflict, Joni Mitchell, Visitors, Todd Snider, Van Morrison, the Lovin’ Spoonful, NRBQ, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills Nash & Younger, Sly & The Household Stone, Bonnie Raitt, the Band, Bob Marley, Warren Zevon, Little Feat … You get the thought.
Removed from being mutually unique, Birkenstock rock is so inclusive that it subsumes yacht rock, which permits for some Doobie Brothers (and others) to pop up in your prolonged Birkenstock-rock playlist. No hurt, no foul, however not will these yacht-rock warlords be manning the helm. We’ve given them large berth lengthy sufficient, and their complete idea is useless within the water.
So then, Birkenstock rock is a frame of mind for the lots—are you prepared? Keep in mind, in case you don’t stand for one thing, you’ll fall for something. Even this.
