2007: The Return of the Teenager

In recent months there have been a number of articles ruminating on the 're-emergence' of teenagers within popular music. For years now, 30somethings have clung onto heritage rock and attempted to colonise gigs from its traditional teen constituency. In Friday's Guardian, Alexis Petridis was right to breathe a welcome relief on the generation gap re-appearing, likewise Miranda Sawyer in the OMM provided a compelling overview of how teenagers are forming bands, clubnights, fanzines just in the way we once did some 20 years ago.

What's also noticeable, is how it's done in defiance of usual Dadrock sensibilities. One of my 18 year old tutees, for instance, uttered the immortal line 'I used to be into the White Stripes when I was 14, but I've grown out of them now'. Indeed, this is why the likes of the Klaxons, New Young Pony Club, CSS and Calvin Harris have emerged and taken off: it's a sign of a generation bored to death with the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

Outside immediate pop cult. fripperies, the development is positive in the sense that the Culture of Unfreedom hasn't dominated all just yet. We can be cynical about Myspace and txt msg speak, but there's no denying that it has provided a non-regulative space for teenagers to explore and develop. This is why so much creativity has emerged in the past few years, such technology has become a lifeline away from state regulation and the 'hey kids' high fives from 40something DJs and music writers.

What's also sneakily mischievous is that by re-claiming ground lost to the post-punk and post-rave (de)generation, teenagers are in effect telling 50quid bloke to get lost and grow up. It's the equivalent of when Bow Wow Wow's Anabelle Luwin berated duff singer-songwriter BA Robertson for being an 'aging hippy' on TV. Hooray for that.