a grammar

Anonymous asked: Ok so what's the difference between a style and an ethos?

Ah, yeah, I guess this distinction could have used some unpacking! In a music context, what I meant was basically this:

- “Style” is like the decisions you make, the way you do things: the sound, the aesthetic, the image. So, for instance, the way punk rock sounds would be a “style.”

- “Ethos” is more like guiding beliefs, the way you orient yourself toward the world — almost like the core stuff you’re using your style to convey. So, for instance, the idea of being punk (anti-authority, DIY, rebellious, whatever) would be an ethos.

I use punk as an example because I think it draws this split really neatly. Not all things that have the style of punk have the actual ethos/mentality, right? And most of the things people say have the ethos of punk aren’t actually using punk’s original style to convey it.

So that’s what I meant about those two words — hopefully the way I’m using them isn’t weird! The idea was that styles move around a lot, and can start communicating different things in different moments, but those issues of “ethos” often hang around a little longer. (See “punk” again.)