Sarah Palin, Ahmadinejad, and… the Reunion of The Crucified?

14 years after playing our last show, the Crucified has risen from the dead. (Kind of)
The setting: Calvary Chapel Golden Springs - church home to Raul Ries, the first and only guest vocalist on any Crucified album - in Diamond Bar, CA
The occasion: Musical accompaniment to the testimony of Sonny “Whosoever” formerly of P.O.D. (also formerly of dreadlocks that had to weigh like, 13 pounds)

We arrived at the usual rock club hour of *ahem*… 3:30-ish in the afternoon. In other words - 3 hours after my morning coffee. It was so early for me that after we played our set - which was separated into two parts by Sonny’s testimony and a brief altar call - I ate my lunch.
The sun was out, shining and actually… kind of a nice touch. That church is on a big ol’ hill in Diamond Bar, and actually boasts what might be the only nice view in Diamond Bar. (Unless dirt and weeds are your thing - in which case you could move to my home town of Madera, CA for a lot less Green $tuff) We arrived at different times but that was probably the only thing about the day that seemed unconnected.
It was a big day for me - but not because The Crucified is back together.
We’re not really back together, anyway - people can start talking about that when and (a big) if we start writing music again. Till then - it’s a lot of fun, but we’re mostly looking forward to putting out some of the music we always felt got the shaft in a way that all four of us can look back on without minor vurp sensations.
No, the day was special because… I got a little faith back.
(Just a little, bleeding hearts - don’t get all weird on me.)
Seriously, I wasn’t sure what to think about this trip straight into the Space Monkey’s gaping maw, rocking my Red Shirt and eager to show my sand. I had reservations - after all, it was at a Calvary Chapel, where I have had… let’s just say, history. Were they gonna corner my band and start praying over us or speaking nonsense that they’ll later tell us was tongues? Will some guy ask me how my “Walk” was? Will they stage a book burning upon my arrival? Will they say something crazy to a friend who’s never been to church before - or potentially worse - a friend who hasn’t been in years?
I wasn’t sure, and it started off a little shaky.
I came out of the “green room” - standard, pee-wee Sunday school classroom, little toilet and everything! It was hilarious but clean - and some guy came up to me, with that look…

Calvary Guy: “Hey brother. Listen, umm… we can’t have, uh, y’know… smoking on the grounds.”
Me: “Uhh… okay? Who… what? Where?”
Couldn’t think of who was smokin’ out there - this ain’t a Stavesacre show! (teehee)
Calvary Guy: “Oh, hey! No problem man… just… I didn’t want to offend you, you know? Some kids here are recovering from smoking and I’d hate to have this be any more difficult for them…”
Me: “Oh! Yeah. I gotcha. Well, let’s see.”

Outside, one of my old friend Klank’s circus buddies, named Sinbad, was havin’ a square. (Yes, I said: CIRCUS)
Slightly awkward conversation followed, Sinbad stamped his smoke and it was all good. Only slightly awkward. Seriously. Sinbad didn’t even get offended, he just said, “No problem.” I’ve had those conversations before - they can get uncomfortable. However, in a refreshing change, it didn’t mark the beginning of some downward spiral like these things have in the past, and I really appreciated it.
Dare I say that the entire event was… *American Cultural Christian-speak Alert* a blessing.
There were so many old friends and old faces that I literally could not keep up. (I tried to introduce my wife to everyone that came up and said hello, which was idiotic on two fronts - 1) She’ll never remember them all; 2) I didn’t remember a lot of the names myself. “Hey… brother. This is my wife…”)
That’s always tricky - There’s the faces you know and recognize but it might take a second for your gears to click - but you actually do know each other so it’s not big deal. Unfortunately, standing next to that person is usually a guy will roll up and start talking stories, reminiscing about people you never actually knew and giving one-armed hugs and knowing grins but who gets all butt-hurt that you can’t remember. My apologies to all who feel the fell under the latter category - my brain only holds so much.

“‘Member that? Those were crazy days, man!”
“No.”
“Aww, man… yeah. Crazy.”

Anyhow, the truth is… most of the people I saw were sights for sore eyes - so much so that it was at moments overwhelming. Lots of the old Garden Grove/Church-of-the-New Order to South Bay/Sanctuary-era-of-the-Crucified worlds colliding. Lots of faces I remembered from shows that happened over 15 years ago, now with little ones in tow. Dirk is old news, but seeing him along with his old Focused buddies Tim Mann, Jason Parker and Mike Merryman - plus multiple members of the various Ed’s-era hardcore bands (ask Bellew if you can’t figure it out yourself) made me a little dizzy. And while the show was great, I think the reunions were special. And… hanging out in a church all day with people who actually mean you no harm wasn’t bad either.
Then…
The C.H.U.D.s came out. (it will never get old)

I came home and checked out my facebook page to see if any pics or videos from the show had been posted, only to see legitimately worried posts from friends with families and loved ones in Iran, where riots were erupting all over due to the rigged “re-election” of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I asked Wifey to turn on the news, hoping that the shining beacon of American Media would save me from an ignorance-fueled near future, but couldn’t find anything.
I mean, of course not. There was something far more pressing:
Bwave Sawah Pawin got her widdle feewings huwt and she wanted mean ‘ol (genius) Dawid Wettewman to apowogize for being such a big, mean nanny-boo-boo.
That was it.
Iran?
Nowhere to be found.

And the narcissistic Americans all screamed:

Who cares about those loonies, anyway???

A brave woman’s, *ahem* unscathed family name has been tarnished! STOP THE PRESSES!
So let’s get this straight: The most powerful country in the world (…right?) with the single most powerful media in the history of mankind is being held hostage by a failed Vice Presidential candidate who is up in arms about a (misappropriated) joke from a late night comedian while the very same genocidal dictator she was so concerned about when there were still votes to be won, has taken by force an election from an entire country who is desperately trying to exercise the democracy we’re attempting to establish by means of the war she supported in the country right next door - and she wants to talk about getting her feelings hurt from a joke?
In the middle of a massive recession, there is a movement to Fire David Letterman - who still has a job entertaining us by keeping her name in the press - for a joke?
Sticks and stones are literally breaking bones and she wants us to care about a joke?
And… we do???
Do I have that right?

During the election, when votes were needed stat, Sarah Palin:

Ahmadinejad may choose his words carefully, but underneath all of the rhetoric is an agenda that threatens all who seek a safer and freer world. We gather here today to highlight the Iranian dictator’s intentions and to call for action to thwart him.
He must be stopped….

The world must awake to the threat this man poses to all of us. Iran is responsible for attacks not only on Israelis, but on Jews living as far away as Argentina. Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are part of Iran’s official ideology and murder is part of its official policy. Not even Iranian citizens are safe from their government’s threat to those who want to live, work, and worship in peace. Politically-motivated abductions, torture, death by stoning, flogging, and amputations are just some of its state-sanctioned punishments.

And worth noting:

It is said that the measure of a country is the treatment of its most vulnerable citizens. By that standard, the Iranian government is both oppressive and barbaric. Under Ahmadinejad’s rule, Iranian women are some of the most vulnerable citizens.
If an Iranian woman shows too much hair in public, she risks being beaten or killed.
If she walks down a public street in clothing that violates the state dress code, she could be arrested.
But in the face of this harsh regime, the Iranian women have shown courage. Despite threats to their lives and their families, Iranian women have sought better treatment through the “One Million Signatures Campaign Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws.” The authorities have reacted with predictable barbarism. Last year, women’s rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 20 lashes and 10 months in prison for committing the crime of “propaganda against the system.” After international protests, the judiciary reduced her sentence to “only” 10 lashes and 36 months in prison and then temporarily suspended her sentence. She still faces the threat of imprisonment.

So we’re all clear: Iran is attempting to rid themselves, by way of democratic vote, of the monster named Ahmadinejad - the main contributor to the threat we all heard about when votes could be won by warning people of threats. That very same Ahmadinejad, whom Sarah Palin said herself was one of our biggest enemies, rigs the election and sends his police out into the streets to kill anyone who opposes him. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin - so aware of Ahmadinejad 9 months ago - says nothing.
Well of course, she’s been busy: Who else is gonna cash in on the Victim Ticket because David Letterman did what he’s been doing 5 nights a week for decades?

Look: I get it. The media follows the story. I understand that. My focus here is what’s happening with the benevolent Mrs. Palin. The audacity required to make a mountain out of a molehill while there is a literal volcanic catastrophe happening across the street is the stuff of legend!!!

For every person who’s given me that blank, stunned look when I say Sarah Palin is nothing “like me” - here’s why.
She says what her demographic wants to hear. And while the politics of fear weren’t powerful enough to win her and McCain the election last year, there’s no time like the present to start the campaign trail utilizing the politics of martyrdom in order to get back to the spot where the easier, more prefabricated politics of fear can take over.

Well, now I have something I’m offended about: I had a great show and this narcissistic fraud derailed it while she spun some “insult” to the very same family she’s used to advance her career into the beginning of a campaign that won’t start in earnest for 3 more years!! You haven’t heard the last of me, Palin!

Do Americans - including Christian Americans - actually care that another group of human beings are having their liberties stolen by force? Is it possible that the change we’d all feel safer to see happen is being thwarted by The Tyranny of Evil Men, while we’re over here misapplying poorly executed jokes and throwing fits?

Okay, enough.

Briefly:
Why does Taco Bell give you no Hot Sauce unless you ask, then… 3 pounds of it when you do?

Now that Kobe has his ring without Shaq, all you Lakers-goggle wearing fair weather fans might as well start counting down to the day when you’ll forget why you stuck that goofy flag out of your SUV window so long ago. He’s gone.

So You Think You Can Dance? is the best reality competition on television aside from The Amazing Race. Dudes do watch it… but why don’t they feel comfortable admitting it?
Well:
I’m an out of the closet SYTYCD? fan - and PROUD OF IT.

Speaking of television that no one watches: Pushing Daisies is officially doneski. Way to blow it, world!

I thought that Benjamin Button movie was great until hey had to use an actual little kid and the whole illusion was lost, but Blindness is the worst movie I’ve ever seen. Do not watch it in an attempt to prove me wrong - you’re welcome. I’m certain it qualifies… for this.

Heavy Rotation: White Lies‘ To Lose My Life; House of Heroes‘ The End Is Not The End - particularly the songs “By Your Side” and “Ghost” and… Jim Gaffigan’s King Baby - you will laugh, hard.

Blame American Idol

I subscribe to exactly two magazines.
Ligonier Ministries’ devotional study guide, Table Talk and the mildly sarcastic but highly entertaining, Entertainment Weekly. I get the occasional episode of HM in the mail, but as regular subscriptions go, Table Talk and EW are the only staples in the home of the Salomons. Salomen, if you will. Anyhow, Table Talk is what I read with my coffee, EW is what I read… when I feel like reading magazines.
I enjoy it because it’s quick and funny, with sharp humor and in my humble opinion, pretty decent taste most of the time. I share a lot of their opinions on movies and music. I’ve even been turned on to some solid books The Terror, Lush Life and Island of the Lost. (It was the first place I heard about that gigantic downer that landed on Oprah’s Book list for like, 3 years, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which was a lot like watching this:

- only with better writing and a lot more sadness. Thanks for that - ’cause the world needs more sadness.)

Anyway, I usually read each weekly edition from cover to cover, looking forward to the next week’s edition about two days after the one in my hand showed up in my mailbox.
Usually.
This latest edition has me… uncomfortable.
It started with the cover:

And followed with the story inside.

… Once in a very long while, someone arrives who doesn’t just dominate American Idol, but challenges and even changes it. Idol has always positioned itself as a portal to what ”America” (meaning, its particular viewers) desires in a newly anointed star. It’s no accident that each episode’s opening credits showcase faceless CGI humanoids striding toward their destinies. Idol stars are supposed to be blank slates, ”relatable” folk with extraordinary talent whom we elect in an orderly fashion and elevate to success.

Meet Adam Lambert. Adam has messed all that up. Adam is nobody’s idea of a blank slate. Adam is a surprise.

Essentially all that is a lead up to the “big” controversy: Adam Lambert might be gay.

“Wait a minute! This guy is… g-g-g-gay??? Well I NEVER! Somebody grab a rope!!!”

I live in Southern California - lived in Long Beach for a couple years. I worked in Hollywood.
Gay is not shocking. Gay doesn’t even strike me as especially… special. You want shocking and special? One night outside the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, a man ask my friend Margaret for a cigarette - when she held one out to him he got an exasperated look on his face, huffed and then lifted up two stumps. He was born without hands. “Can’t you light it for me?”
(How does one begin to…? Never mind)
That was kinda shocking. Gay? Not so much.

I could care less if dude is gay, straight or capable of card tricks. Seriously. It’s not my concern - I love everybody. I am uncomfortable with people telling me what I’m uncomfortable with, but this isn’t about whether or not I need some total stranger defining my character - we’ll save that for another day. The cover declares this guy the “most exciting” contestant in years - that’s what’s burnin’ my butt. For those involved, the conversation has officially changed and music has nothing to do with it. So… just what we need: Another image first, talent later scenario.
I liked it better when the artist had a great song, then I cared enough to actually find out that artist’s life beyond the music. Now we switch that around, and the reason we’re supposed to buy this kid’s albums is because… he’s “different.” Something seems fishy here.

He’s exciting, why?
Why, on this “singing show,” is this guy so exciting? I thought American Idol was about the singing, I had no idea it was a “portal” to the American soul. Why didn’t anyone tell me this?

This talk of Adam Lambert’s “specialness” and verve has very little to do with singing. On a show purportedly about undiscovered singing talent, at issue here is image and fashion… otherwise known as something other than singing. Again.
When are these people gonna learn?
“He has a big voice.”
Y’know, so have like 90% of the people who’ve ever made it to the finals for the show. The celebrities on TV shows talk about their charities in the same way: it’s an afterthought. Why is he any more exciting than anyone who preceded him? Because he looks like Pete Wentz with way too much foundation? Peter Parker with way too much foundation?

Appearing right before us is a very convincing example of why the music industry sucks.
It starts off being about music, gets sidetracked on image and then, like a child that sees a pretty butterfly, completely forgets the original point, too busy chasing after some irrelevant “angle.” Next thing you know, music is not even what we’re talking about anymore.

I used to watch American Idol all the time.
First it was kind of exciting - watching singers who’d never really had a chance before get the opportunity to be successful. It was occasionally hilarious, watching those people who sincerely thought they were great singers prove to America that they were not. Every once in a while you’d get the entitled kids, so sure of their future Star Quality after being fed years of lines from their stagemothers/snakeoilsalesman/stalkers “vocal coaches,” only to be systematically and irrevocably shut down. It lost some of its luster after the second or third idiot who showed up wearing a diaper or dressed like an androgynous wizard in order to get a shot at 15 seconds of utterly willful self-humiliation disguised as “fame”; the excitement was in full wane when all the actual singers with actual vocal coaches and a couple actual failed record deals (… or photo shoots) started lining up. Like most aspects of the music industry, it turned into a lot of posturing, a lot of “playing the game” and so forth.
The final nosedive into Lame Pond? While this “singing competition” devolved into a popularity contest that parents would feel comfortable allowing their 9 year olds to become involved with, it somehow remembered that it was at one time a “singing competition” - and as a result, it sort of half-assed it back to music. Quicker than you can say “Kelly Clarkson” we had a popularity contest for the kids and an Adult Contemporary Orgy for the parents.

AHHH! What they’ve done to the music… I’m sorry, but I call it quits when Barry “Staple Face” Manilow is supposedly giving people advice on how to be a Pop singer today. Add in those same 9 year old girls out there screaming their brains out for a man whose smile starts behind his earlobes? Gimme the remote.
(You wonder why every other one of them does lousy after they win this show???)
I mean… Andrew Lloyd Weber? Plus: At a certain point in one’s life, one must ask oneself, “Am I really entertained by the latest poorly executed Jim Morrison wannabe, especially when he insists upon staring ever-so-longingly into a camera?”

That’s a lot of dork to deal with on purpose.
After last season’s über Adult Contemporary, “Yay-We-Got-Chris-Daughtry-After-All!” finish, it just wasn’t that fun anymore, honestly. David Cook may really be talented, but he’s now contractually obligated to the dimwits responsible for this.

Oh hey, check this out.
(teehee.)

I’ve heard Randy Jackson say it over and over: “This is a singing competition.”
Really? ‘Cause it seems more like a high school election.
I’ve been aware that the show was more about image than it was about talent for a while now - one need only check out a couple seasons ago when this chick with a decent voice:

Finished ahead of this strange little dude with an amazing voice:

And yet here we are, with magazines like my beloved Entertainment Weekly giving their valuable cover space to Adam Lambert. All this stuff about the dude’s flamboyant personality and so very little about music. The article asks the question:

Can an openly gay contestant win American Idol?

The conversation has officially changed.
What if the dude is actually… good? Will we ever know?
What if he wins and his album doesn’t sell? What if he doesn’t win and it sells like gangbusters?
See the dilemma we’ve got on our hands? Music really has nothing to do with it anymore so essentially no matter what happens, this guy’s story is gonna be about whether or not he’s gay - with some singing sprinkled in for color.
It’s not exclusive to American Idol, by the way - but they’re an easy target so… I say blame them.
Someone’s gotta pay. Someone’s gotta set an example.
Someone’s gotta be the example if we’re ever gonna get music to matter again - why not them?

MERCH WAR - IT’S ON.

Attention Record Labels: I would like to cordially invite you stand up to these accusations.
PLEASE, be my guest. By all means, defend the 360 and tell us what you really do for the bands in return.

I dare you.

From, MerchWar - and in full support from d2t:

Open Letter To The Record Companies – Why You Should Leave The Merchandising Industry

1. Merchandising is not the music business, it’s the apparel business. Besides, no matter how much the lop label executives try, they will not be able to swallow their pride enough to embrace a business they would have rather pissed on 10 years ago. And to those conglomerates who owned themselves a Giant, Winterland, or Niceman back in the day - that doesn’t count towards the new paradigm.

2. You have less leverage than you think because you are increasingly becoming unnecessary. Very soon, even a monkey will be able to effectively distribute music online. So why would a band trade an additional 359.5 “degrees” of themselves in exchange for a record deal? Besides, the real merchandise companies have always been happy to cover a bands short term cash needs with less exploitive terms.

3. If I could be a fly on the wall and watch a major label merchandise strategy meeting, my guess is that it resembles a 12 year old dousing an anthill with gasoline and lighting it on fire.

4. Labels: Do you really think that your best case fractional ownership of the merchandise market will come close to equalizing your loss in music revenue?

5. The real merchandise companies will push back and win. They have the tools, the drive, and quite frankly much more experience in many aspects of the industry. Maybe some of you will be lucky and they will hire you to administer their publishing companies.

What I found bizarre, was that one of the first actual comments about this was from… someone defending the labels. What are the odds some “kid” would read the above statements and take your side? Amazing.

Dumb Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 9:05 am
This is a dumb argument. Record companies are much more important and relevant to any artist than any merchandising company. Merchandising companies don’t pay to record/release an album or to publicize and market the artist (aka “the brand”). If a record company is willing to pay for the merch, pay for the design, store the merch and sell the merch, along with provide funding to actually make people know who the artist is so people then BUY the merch, then they have every right to make some money off of all the work they just did to make the consumer buy that merch. Without their initial investment (risky investment) into the artist, noone would care enough about or know who that artist is to want to even buy the t-shirt. I definitely think some record companies aren’t very smart and try to merchandise artists that maybe don’t require merchandising, but they’re pissing away their own money. All in all, if a record company is willing to do the work to make the artist known and to handle their merchandising, then they deserve payment for their work. If this puts merch companies out of business, then oh well.

Heaven help you poor schmucks if this is who you’re expecting to support your dying industry in the future. My comment is awaiting moderation as of this moment, but I’d say it’s a little more reflective of how us silly band types feel.

Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? I’ll take a Grande Coffee, no room for cream.

p.s. Visit despair.com - maybe you can pick out a gift for your favorite record executive.

Emo is… Scary?

Well, I’ve had this story from PunkNews in the can for a couple days but figured I’d just get on with it:

According to a recent Guardian report, the fourth scariest word for parents right now is “emo.” The word is among the ten most common words that parents are blocking their children from searching for. Other words include “suicide” and “depressed” and “skinny.”

The source of the paranoia about the otherwise innocuous word likely stems from media coverage of a recent suicide and similar incidents.



As Punknews.org has mentioned before, we urge
people facing depression or suicidal thoughts to consider calling 1-800-SUICIDE where they can speak to a counselor. Prevent children from searching for words like “depression” and “suicide” does absolutely nothing to prevent tragic incidents from occuring.

No kidding.
This is just… pathetic, really.
Dear Parents: Time to watch some of those old John Hughes movies so you can remember what it was like… and what you swore you’d never do.

Countdown - Hannah Montana: The Movie

Yes, a countdown was necessary for this. There is no hope.
And you people ask what’s wrong with the music biz. HOW DARE YOU.
Summary

In anticipation of the upcoming theatrical release of Walt Disney Pictures’ feature film “Hannah Montana The Movie,” Radio Disney AM 990 Miami will host a countdown to “Hannah Montana The Movie” on SATURDAY, MARCH 21 (1:00 – 3:00 p.m.) at The Promenade at Coconut Creek. Radio Disney’s Road Crew will entertain the crowd with sing-alongs, interactive games and prizes. The station will also sponsor a national sweepstakes where kids can enter to win the National Grand Prize, a 4 day/3 night trip for four to Los Angeles, California to attend the Red Carpet Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures’ “Hannah Montana The Movie.”

Pitchengine… or Machine of the Apocalypse?

Radiohead, Billy Bragg critical of YouTube royalties

PunkNews’ recent article on Radiohead and Billy Bragg should serve as a pre-earthquake tremble to the Record industry:

Radiohead, Billy Bragg and others have come out strongly against the relationship between their record labels and video streaming super-site YouTube. According to this cnet report. Billy Bragg noted:

Google, YouTube’s owner, is a company that makes billions in profits,We think they should be paying artist royalties from the advertising revenue they make. A dispute like this illustrates the needs for the creation of the Featured Artists Coalition, so we have a voice and the public understand that sites like Google should be paying for music.

YouTube responded with this statement:

We absolutely agree that artists and writers should be paid from the advertising revenue earned from their content on YouTube. That is precisely what we are offering the PRS.

Much of the controversy in the UK stems from a failure of the PRS (”Performance Rights Society”) reaching an aggreement with YouTube. As a result, music video content was recently yanked from the UK version of YouTube.

There is too much happening here to be ignored - and if things take a turn the artists way, more changes could immediately follow. This could climax with a nice little collision between the Monopoly Men, Google/YouTube and the artists actually providing the content that all these middle management types rely so heavily on.
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! Is it too good to be true?

Shocker: Warner and Youtube talks break down

PunkNews is reporting:

 

While it seemed likely that all the major labels would be providing their music videos to Google’s YouTube, talks with Warner have apparently broken down.

The two companies failed to come to an agreement and Warner will be pulling their music from the site. According to A Wall Street Journal report, Warner executives are unhappy with the amount of money they receive from YouTube, saying the site’s payment levels are below those of competitors like AOL or MySpace.

The result is that popular videos from acts like Green Day , Against Me! , Dropkick Murphys, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Mastodon, Flaming Lips, Avenged Sevenfold and others will soon be pulled from YouTube.

Yahoo! also has a report on the story, but there’s a whole bunch of words on that page so… you can click here if you’re into self-abuse, or just read this quote from some Warner executive (who is no doubt speaking from years of experience touring and being in bands) which I found to be particularly hilarious:

“We simply cannot accept terms that fail to appropriately and fairly compensate recording artists, songwriters, labels and publishers for the value they provide,” Warner said in a statement.

So let me get this straight: you’re not getting enough money from the fans and potential fans watching videos of your artists, videos they can’t actually download or own, so you’re not going to let them watch these videos anymore. And you’re doing this because… you love your artists, songwriters and publishers so much?

Is that because of this gracious gesture back in 2003? Or this back-stab from back in 2004?

Look, let’s skip the formalities.
1) New bands are now required to sign 360º deals in the hopes that you will fulfill your promises of promotion for your bands and “everybody wins” - including you, who now get a cut of t-shirts, shows, and pretty much everything else. 
(You don’t live on a square gameboard and drive a shoe do you?)

2) YouTube would pay Warner Brothers to provide streaming video in a format the entire world is comfortable and familiar with, in effect being paid by someone to advertise for you, instead of the traditional way you used to complain cost so much.
3) You shut the deal down because you weren’t going to make enough money… off of advertising you were not only not paying for, but you were already going to money from? What the…?

And how much of what you were being paid would end up in the pockets of your artists again? Yeah.

It’s so difficult to understand why the demographic you’ve forsaken all others to capture now feels a sense of entitlement whilst RIPPING YOU OFF.

Congratulations, Idiots of the World. As long as there is a music business, you have job security.

What the World Needs Now is Edge - Straight Edge

John “Porcell” Porcelly of Youth of Today, Judge, Bold, Shelter and more, has launched a new straight edge clothing line appropriately titled True Till Death. The company explains it’s manifesto:

Straight edge. It’s a choice. A conscious decision not to let chemicals or popular opinion be your ruler. In a world where being “cool” means intoxication and excess, it’s a stance against.
Let them call it a trend. We know it’s more. It’s a common sense lifestyle that frees the body from toxic control and releases the mind from clouded thoughts and dependency.
The X. It’s more than fashion, It’s a statement. Wear it proudly.

You can check out some of the company’s gear here.

Source: Punk News

Hope no one told the investors about the whole, “free from popular opinion” stuff - whatever. Also, I hope for their own sakes that Dischord is cool with the intro…

This is the thing: Minor Threat was probably my first favorite Punk band. As a Christian kid the model was perfect for me and gave me a little pride in the fact that I wasn’t a screwball or a whore. But then… I grew up.

I didn’t grow out of my convictions - I grew into self-control. And… I moved to Huntington Beach. This is a town where you could literally watch a guy get beat up for coming out of a bar because 50 little Straight Edge dudes with skateboards would wait around on Main Street for just that purpose! I’m trying to picture any of those little fascists wearing this stuff - not sure I like the picture.

Last I heard, one of their icons ran a bar down on Main Street. I say we get Dan O’Mahony and Porcell in a room to discuss fashion - Gavin can be the mediator because I think he’d make it funny. Jus’ sayin’.

Harvard Law Professor Needed to Clearly Define Stealing

This is an actual book by someone named Eddie Joseph

 

Nesson, Harvard Law Professor, Sues RIAA

 

[Update Just in time for Christmas! Yay!] On second thought, the RIAA says… never mind.

Bratz™ Dolls Now Punk. Seriously.

 

 

Bratz™ Pretty N’ Punk™

The Bratz™ are hitting the home of punk with the most devastatin’ street styles ever, and they are ready to rock! Available in four collectible styles (Cloe™, Yasmin™, Jade™, Meygan™), these girls are showing everybody how to be Pretty ‘N’ Punk™!      Includes: • Bratz™ Pretty N’ Punk™ Doll • 2 Fashion tops • 2 Fashion bottoms • Jacket • 1 Pair of Shoes • Hand Bag • Star Hair Brush • Travel Suitcase • Stickers for London • Collectible English Dog  • Sticker Features: • Mix ‘n’ Match Fashions Mean Tons of Kickin’ Style Combinations  • Travel Suitcase Holds Extra Fashions for These Stylin’ World Travelers

In other news, Barbie is now Goth. There is so gonna be a cat fight.

Warner requiring 360 deals from everyone

Well…. like we didn’t know this was coming.

Punknews Reporting:

As record labels continue to struggle in the face of file sharing, free music and digital music sales, Warner chief exec Edgar Bronfman explained that all Warner-signed artists will now be required to join in so-called “360 deals.” Under traditional labels, bands are primarily involved with record labels for recording and sales of their albums, but touring, licensing and merch revenues are completely separated from that relationship. Conversely, under the “360 deal,” the label will receive a cut of all those different areas.

It is not completely without justification labels argue, as they are responsible for marketing and promotion of the bands and advertising can boost touring as well as CD sales revenue. Still, the move is particularly controversial since it ties the label and band together so tightly and bands with established touring careers… may be giving up revenue that the label has not really earned, some argue.

In an interview with the label executives who came up with this brilliant and revolutionary idea, it was found that good old fashioned Evil was the motivation.
“Nothing to see here. It’s just what we do. Thanks. No more questions.”