Great post Grant. Another way to look at it: the formation of musical subcultures (and really, they’re the key driver of identity if music is to “matter” from a cultural perspective) has slowed down gradually since the early 90’s, coinciding with the emergence and growth of the internet. Digital media, distribution and “disruption” replaced scarcity (something that subcultures rely on) with abundance. Everything is available, to anyone, everywhere. Culture doesn’t form around musical scenes in nearly the same way.

And the generation gaps that used to be marked by music have been replaced with the gaps that now exist in older generations (parents) not getting what the kids are doing with technology/social media (snapchat, musically etc. are powerful identity-forming tools).

Hadn’t heard of the book, need to read asap!