this is really long but i haven't posted anything in ages and this has
been in my head for a few months so come on, at least glance over what i
have to say cause i think this list needs some serious discussion once in
a while.
last night's MuchEast got me thinking about a lot of things. people have
already talked about Mike Campbell and the whole problem with how he's
covering events out there. it makes me sad that he has such poor
judgement and the bands and people who are working hard at putting out
music mainly because they love it aren't getting any sort of recognition.
mucheast is turning into an even sadder joke than it started out as.
talk about missing a scoop. what a moron. on saturday and sunday
afternoons, he could have interviewed people from what i consider to be
some of the most important record labels in canada ie/ derivative,
bubblegun, sonic unyon, sappy, mint.... but no. he could have gone to
some of the all ages shows and picked up on some of the lesser known but
just as cool (or cooler but anyway) bands...but no. i didn't see him at
the no-cases on friday night. in fact, i only saw him at the BAR shows.
anyway, if that's all the coverage the halifax pop explosion is getting
from muchmusic, i'm very sad. last year's coverage was really interesting
i thought. they even went up to the cinnamon toast brunch, which was
great this year and in addition to the food and music, there was the only
form of protest for the sponsorship of export a. hooray for piggy.
something else really got to me last night, and that was during len's
interview. i know that marc really likes to put down the whole
incestuousness of the halifax scene but i'm beginning to think he's going
about it the wrong way. feel free to criticize me if you think i'm wrong
but here's what i think....(and i still like len...)
there's already a halifax/east coast scene backlash going on in the rest
of canada. i'm not sure if people outside of that area are aware of it or
not, they probably are. it's stupid in my mind because all bands and
people in the music industry do is bitch about how toronto oriented this
business is, and then when a small isolated city finally gets noticed for
what it's been doing on its own all these years, people in toronto get
bitchy which is to be expected but then people in vancouver get bitchy
and then people in other cities get bitchy and you end up with people
summing up halifax as this sugarpopincestuouscuteness thing and
dismissing it completely. fuck man, all that is going to do is HURT
canadian music in general. i doubt anyone will take my opinion seriously
since i'm obviously such a devoted sloan groupie or some such stupid
thing, but i just think it's going to hurt everyone in the long run if
all we do is knock down people who (as far as i can see) have done
business in an ethical, helpful, and productive manner ie. cinnamon toast
and murder. sure murder usually has murder bands on tour together, but
don't you want to help out your friends? come on, a lot of those people
went to high school together, of course they're going to want to work
together. blah blah blah.
i do know from being in halifax for a few months that a lot of really
good bands and artists are being ignored because they are in the shadow
of the success of murder and cinnamon toast but geez, quit blaming them
and try to do your own thing. i have to say, waye mason gets dumped on a
lot and while i don't claim to know him as well as some of you might, he
strikes me as a good, hardworking guy who doesn't get very much
recognition and he doesn't always work with the "cool" bands but there he
is, putting on the no-cases, telling the big industry schmoozes that
sorry, they do have to pay four bucks to see some of the "lesser known"
bands. in my books, that makes him amazing. i also think that colin
mackenzie (the only one from cinnamon toast that i sort of know) is
amazing and he does little things to help people out and people probably
don't even realize it.
i guess my point is kind of this...i think the reason why there's such a
backlash against halifax and murder and cinnamon toast is partly because
of lazyass journalist types who just want to talk about cinnamon
toast/murder bands (if anyone ever accuses me of that, hey, fuck you!! i
play and write about bands like preppy relatives, steaming toolie,
christopher robin, and WAY before this whole daydream nightmare began,
the state champs/raleigh sport...) and then the other bands/artists get
left behind. instead of talking shit like marc (flame away, kids!!) why
not keep on doing your own thing and be proud of what you've done instead
of trying to knock down murder/cinnamon toast who at one point were just
smalltime, too? it's not going to help ANYONE if you keep trying to keep
this myth alive, this myth that it's murder/cinnamon toast vs. everyone
when in fact there is no real schism, at least in my naive eyes. and in
the eyes of mr. counter pop explosion/anti murder/anti cinnamon toast
(yes i'm being facetious), waye mason.
discuss.
tara who isn't some flakey fangirl EVERYDAY...
--
"A lot of people think Matt's Kato Kaelin."
- Drew Yamada, the Super Friendz
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