In this exchange, we join a Skype conversation deep into the workday. There’s nothing incredibly insightful here. I just wanted to share a bit of our back and forth on a topic that’s often relevant to something my peers encounter on a daily basis.

Me: Here’s where “weird” just sounds hilarious as a pseudo-criticism to me: in 2004 I was way into Arcade Fire, and many of the somewhat related Canadian indie rock bands. They were so weird to top 40 pop fans. So alien, so ugly.

In 2014 I’m hearing an unending stream of bands that sound exactly like those 2004 bands, right there on Top 40 radio.

So here’s hoping that in 10 years the spacey jazzy synth shit I’m into is on 104.5! (Note: it’s a local pop station)

Jzn: Assuming that commercial radio as we know it it still around by then.

Me: Oh god, it’ll just keep smashing headlong into a future that doesn’t want or need it. All the same shit, no matter what city or state you’re in! Which is the true death of radio. It’s no longer vital, it doesn’t champion local sounds or spread the news about a regionally popular band.

Because now you’re either popular everywhere, or “underground.” There’s nothing in between.

So now you get the same garbage here as you do in Arizona or Alaska. How insanely boring.