The Legend of Billy Hicks

But beyond wondering why someone would spend his free time crafting a shrine to a man whose name took me several minutes just to come up with, I wanted Summar's insight. As someone who appreciates the sound of a finely (or, in my estimation, merely competently) played sax, why does he think no one employs it anymore?

"I believe the ease of creating music (synthesizers/keyboards and sounds/beats at the touch of a button) has killed music that used to be played by real musicians," Summar writes. "To the producers of today, it's easier and probably more affordable to have a machine play music than a person. I'm sorry but computers can't play the same way a human can. You can't get Timmy's sound or any other known sax players out there that way; there's no 'individualism' to the music. Because any kid in their garage with the right equipment can make nearly any sound they want, I think that there are some people who don't care about playing a real instrument or even trying to learn. Plus, the majority of music out there today doesn't lend itself to sax performances, unfortunately."

That last bit is probably the real reason. But just because there doesn't seem to be a place for it doesn't mean it can't work. For example, who'd have thought a fey kid from Omaha, Nebraska, who basically sings the contents of his LiveJournal in a voice that cracks like a wicker chair and does so via a label without any major-label support could sell a million records? But Conor Oberst will probably do that before the year is over. You have to combine the sales of I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn to do it, but still. Point is, some things that sound like they wouldn't work probably would, if someone would just try.

So listen up, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers and The Futureheads and all you other retro-leaning bands out there. The gauntlet has been thrown. The game is afoot. Come next year, I want to see new albums with sax solos on them. Make it happen. Or don't, if you don't feel like it. I'm fine either way. Really. Couldn't care less. I played tuba in high school. My dream died a long time ago.