No Rock And Roll Fun

THE SOUND OF THE MUSIC: The tight corset of msuical pigeonholes is a constant source of angst in the rock world - "we're not goth/emo/romo" - but, according to Alex Ross in the New Yorker, being pegged as shoegazing is nothing compared to having the weight of 'Classical' written in chalk on the back of your blazer. Ross takes the opportunity to call the abanondment of the term in the interests of greater cross-cultural fluidity. It's a nice thought, but if you don't ring-fence "classical" then the more venerable end of the music spectrum will find itself becoming more and more like the pop market, where talent and originality lose out to a bright smile and a firm set of breasts. And what would Bond, Vanessa Mae and Mylenne Klass do then... oh, hang on...