How cool is your music?

Q Magazine has recently published a list of 'guilty pleasures'. Songs which are uncool, but we are actually allowed to listen to. In doing so they've inadvertantly come across one of my biggest bugbears.

You see music is popular because it's cool, not because it's actually good. This explains the popularity of Franz Ferdinand. It also expains the sudden boom in soundalikes of Franz Ferdinand. Let's be honest, apart from some highly simplistic pop tunes, there's no actual talent or ability there. There are a vast number of bands with far more talent, better lyrics, better ability in playing instruments. Just generally better all round.

The real key to music is to like it for the music. The sound of it, and how it makes you feel. Forget about who is actually singing it.

Of course, it's not easy to do this. In Japan, I was lucky enough to have this chance. I kept hearing a beautiful song being sung by a girl with a strong but musical voice. I fell in love with it, and had to find out who it was. Imagine my shock in discovering it was Christina Aguilera. I mean, come on!

This was the point at which I realised we base our decision on whether to like a song or not on whether we like the band. And worse, we we base our decision on whether to like a band or not on whether we like the band's image. Which is why image sells bands. As do preconceptions. Bands I didn't think I would like because of their name, and the preconceptions I had formed. I didn't think I'd like Tricky, but I love Evolution Revolution Love, another one I first heard in a bar called Apres in Kanazawa.

Without knowing who they are, Manassas is not a name that made me think I'd like their songs, but Johnny's Garden is a beautiful song. Bound to fall and Move Around are great too.

Faith No More's Stripsearch is a fantastic song that I listen to almost every day! Metallica too.

Something I like about myspace is that you can hear the music before you get the chance to form a preconception. Check out Karen David

So do me a favour, get someone else's CD or iPod, don't look at the cover, don't look at the player, and just stick it on random, see what happens. You might find a song you love, and if it's a band you think you hate, even Franz Ferdinand, love it for what it is.