The album review in this week's issue of Student Weekly is a 20th anniversary re-release of an album called Frogstomp by an Australian grunge rock band called Silverchair. I must be getting old because I clearly remember when this album came out the first time around, and it definitely doesn't feel like it was 20 years ago!
Although I was never a fan of the band or the album, Silverchair and Frogstomp were a pretty big deal at the time in my home country of Australia. They were one of the very few Australian bands to have a hit album in countries overseas, and in the US in particular, where Frogstomp was in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
In my admittedly slightly biased opinion, Australia has constantly produced some of the best bands in the world, but for various reasons it has always been difficult for many of them to gain a large following outside of Australia and New Zealand. Many manage to build of a cult following in places like Europe, the US, Japan or South America, especially by regularly touring in those places, but few manage to crack the mainstream music charts.
I think that bands in Thailand usually face the same predicament — they can build up a large and loyal fan base in their own country but find it difficult to attract much international attention. That is partly due to the fact that English language mainstream music media is overwhelmingly focused on bands from the US or UK, with groups from other places usually treated as something of a novelty.
Thanks to the Internet, however, musicians from all corners of the world are in a better position than ever to promote their music and to get it out there for people anywhere in the world to access. Cyberspace has also made it easier for bands to meet other like-minded musicians and fans in different parts of the world and to set up small gigs and tours in those places if they're able to make the trip.
There are stories in the media constantly about how the music industry is either dying or dead, which is probably true, but the truth is that music isn't an industry. It's a form of art and expression. It seems that music has gone back to being like a folk art that can connect with at least a small number of people without the need of corporate money, support or exploitation. It might be harder than ever for a young band like Silverchair to get rich from a fluke hit like Frogstomp, but it's a great time for musicians to be able to cheaply record and distribute their music internationally. And no doubt the same also applies to filmmakers, writers and artists in other fields.
There's a wealth of amazing music and art being made throughout the world for anybody who wants to make an effort to find it, and your life is bound to be more fun and interesting if you do!
Ben Edwards
Editor
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