Monday, December 7, 2009

Boycottage - You Suck, You Dirty Pirates

who: Roger Manganelli (Less Than Jake and Rehasher)
why: was quoted on Punknews.org with the following statement concerning piracy:

"If you had to guess, how many Rehasher CDs were sold in the first month? The actual number is 60 CDs. Illegal downloading is killing bands, and a band like Rehasher feels it. I have found some download sites and added up over 3000 illegal downloads of the new record. With over $3600 invested in the making of the new record, the light at the end of the tunnel is very, very dim.

So, why don't we tour? Because, we would not be able to pay our bills. No one buys music, it's just accepted that you pay for your iPod or your computer, but the content, the music and movies,, Everyone just accepts that as "free" and there is no way to stop anyone from breaking those laws.

If you were one of the 60, thank you. i hope you enjoy the record. If you were one of the 3000, i still hope you enjoy the record, but, fuck. you suck."

I could potentially take some heat for this... but fuck YOU Rehasher, okay? You just made the worst move possible, by basically telling any of the 3000 people who have actually HEARD OF YOU that they suck. Do you think that's gonna make em buy your next record? No, so shut the hell up and remember that your music is nothing unless you're making it because you're doing what you love. I understand you need to get paid, and I do think something needs to be done about the music industry. Something needs to be done so that bands like yours are getting paid and Lady Gaga is left in the streets to shoot heroine or whatever drug it is she HAS to be on, but telling your fans they suck is plain uncalled for, dude. Who the hell do you think you are?

Where do you think you would be if something COULD be done about piracy? Do you honestly think more people would be paying to hear your shit? I mean seriously give it a rest... the bands that are successful are the ones who love what they do, don't bitch about how hard it is, and find their success through doing what they love and rocking the shit out of it. Not everyone gets to live out their dreams, do you see me making music? No. Because I don't have any talent... But I'm not gonna put out a shitty record and cry about how no one's buying it. If I bought every album I've ever wanted to listen to, I wouldn't be able to eat, clothe myself, or put a roof above my head... so I prioritize. And so is everyone else. You should feel lucky 60 people found the $10 to give you. If you're not making it, and you're gonna come out and tell your own fans that they suck, then go get a different job you dumbass.

A lot of bands today are getting the chance of a lifetime to live their dreams of playing music for crowds. I was just at a show a couple of weeks ago where after the show the bands were asking for donations so they could eat, but they put on a stellar fucking show and they appreciated that we were all there. We had to pay to drive there. We had to pay to buy the ticket for admission. We had to buy our own food. If they would have told us we sucked because we didn't buy their record, I would have punched them in the face, but I didn't have to - because they're musicians who love what they do. You should feel disgraced for your comments, Roger. It's pathetic.

Here's Rehasher's 2009 album 'High Speed Access to Brain'.
Check it out for yourself and see if it's worth it. If you don't like it, tell Roger you think HE sucks.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

In the Fresh - December 5, 2009

who: HORSE the band | The Chariot | Arsonists Get All the Girls
why: because last night at Reggie's Rock Club I was fortunate enough to see these three bands tear shit up.

Arsonists Get All the Girls - #21 on the list of bands I've seen live

First - These dudes opened the show last night only a few days after they were involved in a vicious car accident in which luckily no one was seriously injured. Second - they're talented. You've got a guitarist sweeping like a high school janitor on one side of the stage while the other is playing rhythm behind his back, the combination of highs and lows from their vocalists is intense, and their sound is a unique mixture of key leads, heavy beats and chorus-driven screams. This band has been through hell in the past few years with member changes, the untimely death of bassist Pat Mason... the list goes on and on - but they continue to make music and play it like they're on the top of the world.

The Chariot - #14 on the list of bands I've seen live

I'm going to be honest - I thought they were gonna suck. I'm not the hugest fan of their albums, but these dudes are gnarly... I now consider the bassist to be one of my idols. He was throwing his bass around like it was nothing, going completely ape-shit on stage and it was ridiculously entertaining. Come to think of it, everyone was acting crazy, but it was hard to focus on everything at the same time - their fans are die-hards and the pit was crazy. You need to see this band.

HORSE the band - #2 on the list of bands I've seen live

This is HORSE the band. They don't care what you think and that's what makes them awesome. This is the third time I've seen them live, and I have the time of my life every show. It's hard to explain why I love HORSE, so I'm not going to try too hard... but it's not because they're ridiculously entertaining, or their live sound is outstanding... I think it's just because you know they're giving you the best show they possibly can, and they're sincerely happy to play for you. Go check them out if you don't already know who they are.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Watch Out - The Avett Brothers

who: The Avett Brothers
why: because I never knew who these guys were until last night when they had a performance of the video posted below ("A Slight Figure of Speech") on Jimmy Fallon, but I like 'em and you should too.

P.S. - Don't be worried, I didn't post the wrong video on accident - they released their video through Funny or Die which I think is hilarious. If you wanna skip the comedy in the beginning and get to the song, fast forward to about 3:00

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Read All About It - August Burns Red

who: August Burns Red
why: because they made a couple heavy renditions of some Christmas classics that I thought were interesting enough to put up here, and everything else I've been reading has been kinda lame... so I gotta give you something.

Q&A - Glassjaw

who: glassjaw
why: because I almost wet myself when I saw this interview on Ryan's Rock Show. Glassjaw is one of the most influential bands of this decade, and probably one of the most influential of all time for me personally... and they're notorious for gaining their popularity through hating popularity, so interviews like this are extremely rare. In this interview, the band dives into what their past has been like, why they hate the music industry and how it's made them appreciate music in general. It's a must watch for sure, and a definite upgrade in comparison with a typical Tuesday Releases post that I could have done - because absolutely nothing of interest was released this week. Check em out and go support gj!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Premature Infatuation - Motion City Soundtrack

who: Motion City Soundtrack
why: have released another single from their upcoming 2010 release 'My Dinosaur Life' entitled "Her Words Destroyed My Planet" available for streaming on SPIN.com. I know this is like the third recent MCS post, but deal with it - because the end of 2009 has been shaping up to be pretty boring and it's one of the only things I'm looking forward to.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

... - Adam Lambert

I would first like to start off this post by wishing everyone a Happy Belated Thanksgiving. I haven't had the time to read news or even watch much TV this past week since I've been home on break - and I hope you enjoyed your holiday!

who: Adam Lambert
why: because we don't need two Lady Gaga's you moron.

Tip: Quit terrorizing our eardrums with your ridiculously high voice and change majors from pop-idol to Broadway-slave where you'll also be more likely not to be criticized for your extreme over-the-top gayness.

Monday, November 23, 2009

WE'LL DO IT ACOUSTIC! - Jack's Mannequin

who: Jack's Mannequin
why: was recently on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and performed a couple songs I'm deeming blogworthy. Look at that beard!

"Swim"


"The Resolution"

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Watch Out - Motion City Soundtrack

who: Motion City Soundtrack
why: have posted the first video for "Disappear", the first single from their anticipated January 19th, 2010 release 'My Dinosaur Life'. If you haven't heard the song yet, you should check out the video, because I do at least like the song. If you HAVE heard the song however, you'll probably wish I hadn't posted this... it's a pretty boring video. I expected more.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Fool for Thought - Fired for Facebook

who: Ashley Payne
why: was a high school teacher in Georgia before being fired for pictures she posted on Facebook the school's principal and superintendent deemed inappropriate. I don't really even know where to start - this whole thing is just ridiculously unnecessary, unconstitutional and people shouldn't have to put up with it.

Let me start by saying I realize you can have a social life without having social media accounts like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. I also realize that you can have these accounts without posting photos, crude comments, or just random information your bosses may not approve of... but why is any of this even a problem?

They're basically saying that you could be a pedophile as long as you keep it to yourself and nobody knows about it. You can be a drunk and teach six-year-olds as long as you're a good actor. You can sleep with your students as long as you don't get pregnant - but DON'T, under any circumstances, put photos of you casually drinking (which let's remember is a legal action for an adult) on YOUR OWN PERSONAL websites.

Let us now imagine the effects that could be felt because of this ridiculous firing. Ms. Payne is obviously going to file charges against the school - which is ultimately going to produce funds from the school district. Now, all because you fired a completely qualified, educated, dedicated employee for treacherously dumb reasons, the kids in your district are going to be put at a disadvantage. Presuming this district is like many of the ALREADY underfunded districts in our country, where are you going to get the money now to hire replacement faculty, supplies or whatever? I'll tell you for certain they'll start by cutting funding to extracurricular programs, and probably finish with teaching broken curriculum by less educated (and more desperate) applicants.

I can't assume this butterfly effect will happen for certain, but taking the risk of this firing given even the slightest probability is still ludicrous and people need to fight for their rights to whatever it is they want (all be it legal) when they're out of their workplace. It's becoming a joke, and I won't be unrightfully censored over a drink.

Listen to this CNN douchebag in the beginning.