P.O.D.'Satellite'Atlantic Records
Generation X -- n. 1. Those between the ages of 13-19 who are prone to disrespect, laziness, irresponsibility, drug use, sex and crime. 2. In the opinion of many adults, most teen-agers.
Teen-agers today have a bad reputation. Although we're not all shooting up schools or joining gangs, adults who don't know us can't help but think so, given that there is more apt to be bad information about teen-agers in the news or TV than good. After all, it's common knowledge that a story about a drive-by shooting will draw more attention than a feature about a scholarship awards ceremony.
Yet, the belief that all teens fall into the Generation X category is wrong. Most of us don't spend our time failing school, doing drugs and going to jail, due to the fact that we have morals that keep us away from these things. One place to look for an example of these morals is in the music we listen to.
Currently, the No. 1 song on the Modern Rock Billboard is P.O.D.'s hit "Youth of the Nation." At first glance, this rap-rock band seems to be just like all the others on the chart -- loud, rebellious and intense. Yet, the P.O.D. band members and their music once again prove that a book should never be judged by its cover. Despite their dreadlocks and ear-splitting guitar chords, P.O.D. is without a doubt today's deepest and most introspective music group.
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To begin describing P.O.D.'s unique style, one must start with the band's name. The initials P.O.D. stand for "Payable on Death," a phrase based on the band's Christian beliefs that God promises them everlasting life in heaven after they die. P.O.D.'s religious beliefs run throughout their entire CD, but one does not have be a Christian to appreciate the morals and values the band is trying to express.
In fact, anyone can relate to P.O.D. when they sing out against school shootings in the haunting ballad, "Youth of the Nation," when they advocate the importance of being responsible in "Thinking about Forever," and when they claim that the world really is a good place with lyrics such as, "I believe that this world believes in love," from the single, "Ghetto."
Obviously there must have been some mistake when calculating this week's No. 1 band on the Modern Rock Billboard. After all, the majority of the fans of the modern rock genre are teen-agers, and Generation X-ers like us could never be mature enough to appreciate the strong values of a band like P.O.D. Or could we? A challenge for unsure adults: Decide for yourself the next time you visit a sports game, academic competition, or any other place where real teen-agers have the chance to prove themselves as more than just Generation X.
Jenna Christopherson is a sophomore from Rochester Century High School. To respond to reviews in Sound &; Vision, call 252-1111, category TEEN (8336); write Teen Beat, Post-Bulletin, P.O. Box 6118, Rochester, MN 55903-6118 or send e-mail to teenbeat@postbulletin.com.
