What is very interesting when talking about electronic music is that - I would say that rock and roll is called the ethnic music born in America that invaded the world. Electronic music is certainly kind of ethnic music born in countries like Germany and France that has invaded the world.
Punk rock, to me, was always outsiderness. When I first saw large-group-scene punk rock, I was repelled by it, because there were way too many people who agreed with each other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Punk rock embodies rebelliousness and individuality, rejecting conformity among its followers.
In this quote, James Murphy reflects on his perception of punk rock as a movement that should embrace 'outsiderness,' highlighting its essence of defiance against mainstream culture. He expresses discomfort with the idea of a large group of punks who seem to conform to a shared mindset, suggesting that true punk should prioritize personal expression and dissent instead of collective agreement.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about music genres and their cultural significance, you might say, 'As James Murphy put it, punk rock was always about outsiderness; it's about being true to yourself.'
Similar quotes
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When I think about country music, I think about America.
It was my 16th birthday - my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do - write songs and sing them to people.
When it comes to grunge or even just Seattle, I think there was one band that made the definitive music of the time. It wasn't us or Nirvana, but Mudhoney. Nirvana delivered it to the world, but Mudhoney were the band of that time and sound.
That happens every time I get behind a guitar, regardless of what I'm saying, 'cause music is freedom and being free is the closest I've ever felt to being spiritual.