Inspiration Strikes

Meg White can't drum.

A fair statement? A lot of indie folk and hipsters would say so. It's a judgement constantly passed on The White Stripes. Being pretty taciturn about all things, neither Meg nor her guitarist-demigod-counterpart, Jack White, have never really responded to these "allegations". Until now.

In a brief article I read today on the NME website, Jack White has been quoted as saying to the New York Post:

"Her femininity and extreme minimalism are too much to take for some metalheads and reverse-contrarian hipsters...She can do what those with 'technical prowess' can't. She inspires people to bash on pots and pans. For that, they repay her with gossip and judgement."

I loved this. I've never been in the Meg-bashing camp, and Jack White has said it all really. The White Stripes have undoubtedly produced some of the greatest and most accessible rock music of the 21st century, and Jack White here points out the inspiration Meg induces.

This got me thinking about the musicians who have inspired me the most, through both their music and character:

1. Kurt Cobain
Sift through the heroine and mythos. You'll find a man with a heart on his sleeve. He plugged unkown bands he loved. He was the figurehead of alternative rock's breakthrough. Another reluctant voice for a generation. He stuck it the man when need be, playing the intro to the forbidden song "Rape Me" on MTV, nearly causing MTV to cut transmission. And he wrote some incredible tunes. Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium still sound immense.

2. Beck
Music's eternal magpie. Country to hip-hop to metal. He's experimented, spliced, sampled, collaborated. Listen to his album 'Odelay!'. Unlike most experimental artists, he's also a hugely gifted songwriter (listen to his 'Sea Change'album). His latest project is The Record Club. He gets together a load of musicians (including MGMT and Wolfmother) covering an entire classic album in a day. Genius idea. Shame he's a Scientologist though.

3. Ezra Koenig
Who? The frontman of Vampire Weekend, that's who! Self confessed geeks, lot is made of Vampire Weekend's squeaky clean image. I don't think this is any point for criticism. They've shown illegal substances aren't necessary for making exotic, exciting music. Ezra Koenig just seems so sincere whenever I hear any interviews. I saw the band live in July; Koenig clearly wasn't inebriated but was still a fantastic onstage character.

Those are three musicians I quickly thought of who inspire me, for various reasons. How about you?
What musicians inspire you and why?
Are you even inspired by any? If not, you're listening to the wrong ones.