Against The Grain: The Doors continues to influence music

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY BRENDAN HORNBOSTEL AND PUBLISHED BY DAILY BRUIN ON JANUARY 9, 2013.
No one ever asked them to change their name, let alone change the world of music.
They lived their lives, many of them tragic, against the norm, standing up for what they believed in – living against the grain.
Songwriters hailing from the City of Angels, from rock n’ roll heroes to punk rock exhibitionists to hip-hop icons, they transformed their genres and eras; their voices moved politics and social causes, and continues to influence American music today.
This attitude that led The Doors, a group of well-read and educated musicians who brought intellectual defiance to the masses, to usher in a dramatic shift in American rock music. Many artists today, including The Airborne Toxic Event, embody the same rebellious yet educated musical spirit as The Doors. To respect the revolutions of the past, we must pay witness to how new music pays its dues to those against-the-grain musicians.