My family members often laugh at the “obscure” bands I listen to, or at least know about. They’ll throw out a group name like Jars of Clay thinking it’s freakishly obscure and laugh when I say “Yeah, they’re a Christian rock band.”

But my secret is that I’m far from hip by the standards of true hipsters. Real music geeks (and I know a few of them) are familiar with bands that have never put out a CD, bands that have played only two gigs in the back room of a pizza joint.

I’m what I think of as “New York Times” hip. Meaning I know about bands that have been written up in the Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Now, my parents (who are decidedly unhip when it comes to new music) read The New York Times every day, but they don’t read those articles.

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