NEWS: EDITORIAL: The Beard

In recognition of my own indefinite hiatus from shaving (effective February 1, 2007) The List takes a look at my favorite bearded artists of the day and the rise of Beardcore.

It should be acknowledged that The Beard is not only a product of testosterone and free will but also a sociopolitical climate.  The Beard made its most prominent modern appearance at a time when the expression of personal freedoms turned the Burma-Shaved 50s into the musical Hair by the end of the 60s.  The 70s saw a slow trimming of The Beard until it was rejected outright in the 80s by parallel counter and uber cultures whose respectively punk and yuppie values saw nothing but sloth and hypocrisy in the beards of their hippie forbearers.  The 90s offered a mild reaction to yuppiedom - the goatee - a trend co-opted then washed away by the silicon tsunami that closed the decade.  Finally, mid 00s, we find ourselves at a confluence of important social events.  The bottom dropped out of a promising, everybody-plays Internet economy returning power to The Man, always clean-shaved.  The Man also seems to be starting wars without much concern for the people on either side, fostering an environment ripe for protest, which has so far been ignored.  Musically, The Man is stacking the deck with recycled pop tripe as hairless as the prepubescent audience for which it is intended.  The frustration of feeling powerless to change the economic, political or entertainment world through participation or protest forces the disenfranchised to internalize the problem and seek a more personal expression of independence.  What's an artist to do?  Grow a beard.

Here's why:

1.  The Beard can create a greater sense of depth and commitment to one's creative pursuits, as if to say, "I'm a Genius and this is important, I can't be bothered to shave."

2.  The Beard offers a direct connection to the spirit of rugged independence that spawned Rock-n-Roll in the first place (not to mention the American Revolution, Civil War, Civil Rights movement, etc.).

There is plenty of evidence supporting #1.  Look at landmark Beatles albums Abbey Road and The White Album, both recorded during the band's bearded years.  Brian Wilson's mental fugue produced what turned out to be his most stirring work... and a beard.

There are a few important variants of #2: the Southern Independent (Little Feat, Allman Brothers, The Band); the Free Spirit (Jerry Garcia, George Clinton, Frank Zappa); and the Outlaw (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings).  Each subgroup associates itself with a unique sense of nostalgia and/or optimism for The Beard and finds itself opposing the status quo within a genre of music when the climate is less than conducive to independent expression.

Socially relevant icons and occasional beard wearers Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan seem to equally support all of the ideas enumerated above, becoming models for generations of younger bearded artists.

Sure, The Beard has been used by some to claim a mature edge in spite of adolescent pop leanings or boyish handsomeness (see The Killers), while other genres never let The Beard go (bluegrass, heavy metal).  But now, in this moment of merging economic, political and musical climates, The Beard has given birth to its own scene:  Beardcore.

As defined by urban dictionary.com, beardcore is "a subgenre of indie music characterized by folk or country-twinged songwriters who intertwine wistfulness and irony in such a way that each element cannot be plucked from the tune.  They also wear beards."

Skipping over the erroneous "w" in what I'm assuming was meant to read "country-tinged," this definition lacks the musical breadth and conceptual specificity needed to properly situate The Beard in the music.  Post-rock guitar acts like Built to Spill and Band of Horses may sound different than beardcore poster band Iron & Wine but they share a dedication to the ideals of The Beard.

So from now on Beardcore will be defined as follows:  A subgenre of independent music sonically drawing on Americana, folk, and indie-rock committed to depth and creativity in songwriting, an earthy sense of individual independence, and beards.

Enjoy.

Today's Top 20 Bearded Artists

1. Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)
2. Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace)
3. Doug Martsch (Built to Spill)
4. Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
5. ?uestlove (The Roots)
6. Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses)
7. Devendra Banhart
8. Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips)
9. Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers)
10. Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio)
11. Matisyahu
12. Brent Hinds (Mastodon)
13. James Mercer (The Shins)
14. Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)
15. Common
16. Rivers Cuomo (Weezer, Harvard)
17. Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)
18. Ryan Adams
19. Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar)
20. DJ Danger Mouse