Chipmunks

I find myself wondering why it is that many teenagers are to be found (and sadly difficult to avoid) listening to what can only be described as bizarre dance music, overlaid with singing chipmunks. I think it probably falls into the hardcore category music-wise, although it’s difficult to get a handle on something that makes my ears hurt. Generally, I enjoy dance music and have danced to everything from drum and bass to breakbeat but what is it that they find so enticing about this music. It sounds as if the vocal has been recorded then speeded up to an unnatural pitch. Each to their own you may say – and I would agree but why oh why do many young people find it necessary to play this music really loud, with the unavoidable outcome of people quite far away from them being able to hear it. Yes they want to share it with their friends, yes they are enjoying themselves but do they need to share it with everyone? I have to turn my MP3 player up to a deafening level, just to drown out the chipmunks. I’m all for spreading musical joy and often feel like sharing the music I’m listening to with people on street. I feel like saying, listen to this Sucioperro song – it’s really good but due to some sense of decorum, I don’t. I have no doubt that many people would enjoy a good listen to ‘Grace and out of me’ but they probably wouldn’t want it forced on them, no matter how good, it, in fact, really is. What happened to the concept of the personal stereo – where the music was played personally to you and you alone (unless you shared an earpiece with your mate)? Or at the very least, couldn’t they wander of into some uninhabited area and happily listen to chipmunks there? All this being said, I’ve commented before that music is a very personal thing (though to be honest, I’m struggling to classify the sounds they play as music – which makes me sound a generation older than I am but still), clearly they find joy in something I cannot comprehend. Good luck to them I say – but please, please, please where a headset or visit a field with your buddies! I do not wish to take part in your odd chipmunk appreciation.