Bravo, Max.
Recently, an incredible musician named Tim Kinsella wrote a little article. The article pissed me off, to put it lightly. And today, Max Bemis of Say Anything responded to it. And his response is incredible. Bravo, Max. I agree wholeheartedly.
Couldn't have said it better. I bolded the parts that you should read over a few more times.
Listen To: Valencia
Hello Everyone, Max Bemis from Say Anything here.
Not that you would know, Tim, being that you are the kind of music-hermit who only listens to his own records, we are probably one of those bands you refer to, if not, we might as well be.
I'd just like to point out to everyone that Tim is old, jaded, ill informed and his very own bands not only submit for the tours of the bands he disses, but Tim is a member of joan of arc and make believe, both of which are still relatively poppy run of the mill progressive psuedo- mathy emo bands. he was on jade tree records which, though an indie, is still a COG IN THE EMO MACHINE HE CLAIMS IS CULTURE EATING ITSELF. To someone even more jaded, he would be the complete tool for ushering in the entire emo movement.
By refusing to embrace humanism and try to understand, rather than alienate the next generation and their choice in music or how they choose to express himself, he has become a fascist neo conservative of rock and roll: the worst kind of hypocrite. Don't let this asshole tell you what to do or even joke about the music your pour your passion into.
If bad bands exist, they exist so good bands can come and take their place: so art and expression can constantly evolve. Keep making music. If you don't like the music that's around, FORM YOUR OWN FUCKING BAND. MAKE A BIG FUCKING ROCK AND ROLL RECORD OR BETTER YET, SOME SUB PAR MATH ROCK RECORD ABOUT HOW CORPORATE AMERICA DICTATES FASHIONS, TRENDS, AND THUS, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Don't BITCH ABOUT IT and try and cross promote your own INFLATED SELF by writing AN ARTICLE in a youth cultured magazine that will only make KIDS FEEL SHITTY ABOUT THEMSELVES and WHO THEY ARE: something as disgusting as homophobia, genderism, or ignorance that you preach against. You are emophobic. Self LOATHING EMOPHOBIC. And the sick thing is, I love the music you make. It influences my music. And you are a part of this, not to mention the fact that you've been reviewed and mentioned countless times in Alternative Press. Of course you'd pick a fight with one of the smaller publications that exist. What about Rolling Stone. What about fucking TIME MAGAZINE, Tim?
If you're one Tim's six friends, send his this message:
FUCK YOU KINSELLA. YOUR REVOLUTION IS DEAD AND WAS BORN OUT OF LAZINESS.
P.S I RIPPED YOUR LAST RECORD.
Love Maxim
Couldn't have said it better. I bolded the parts that you should read over a few more times.
Listen To: Valencia
posted by JOJOFACE at
2:04 AM
5 Comments:
2 bands named after capn jazz song titles
1)scary kids scaring kids
2) we are scientists
By
Anonymous, at 2:03 AM, October 04, 2006
Yeah, and like I said, Tim's an amazing musician. Incredible. But, what he said was just unneccessary, and I'm pretty sure Max pointed that out. Still love Capn Jazz and American Football and friends. :D
By
JOJOFACE, at 7:44 PM, October 04, 2006
I'm a huge Say Anything fan, and truly believe Max Bemis to be one a of the brightest songwriters our generation will have, especially from the "scene" of 2002-present.
However, I think he was too quick to dismiss Tim Kinsella's points(as I was at first, too).
I believe Kinsella was writing a Swift-like "A Modest Proposal" (which in itself is ridiculous, its a music scene not an entire nation facing poverty).
Even though Kinsella was extremely melodramatic (big surprise from one of the forefathers of modern "Emo") his point was that the scene must stop eating itself and regurgitating itself for the masses.
Songwriting relies on taking inspiration from a previous work of music, and then adding to its style (or subtracting from it depending on the aim). In the 'emo' (for lack of better term) scene it is necessary to remember that the artists were exploring a relatively small base of expression. The bands Kinsella was expressing disdain for were the ones who choose to create their sound by mixing all of their sounds from within their same scenes.
Look at the number of indistinguishable bands that have emerged in the post MySpace/PureVolume scene. The genre is literally eating itself alive until it will be another form of pop-rock (if that hasn't happened already), and not indie at all.
American Football and Capn Jazz were original sounds, and while they certainly had their own influences they channeled. But the bands of Kinsella's generation are being blatantly feasted on by bands willing immediately sign on a Major, and repackage the scene as radio-friendly. When this happens the only thing that is remembered among the masses is the bands that made it pop-40. To most of the population, grunge wasn't around until Nirvana's Nevermind, or reggae until Marley. The influences of these artists are certainly as they are, and deserve recognition.
This is not new, and has happened over and over in the history of Rock, but I believe Kinsella's point is that it isn't too late to avoid this for the scene he loves.
Kinsella did not write his proposal out of laziness, but hope for the music he loves.
Bemis is correct that we are all free to produce the music we want, but its hard not to believe that better music would be made if the Kinsellas of the scene won this one.
Bemis basically proposes a laisez-faire model for the scene's music market, and Kinsella wishes the artists themselves would more carefully (and originally) engineer their sounds.
By
M.Adam.IUB, at 2:17 PM, March 05, 2007
dude, your in fucking say anything..
stfo>fo
By
Anonymous, at 6:48 PM, June 11, 2009
Hello. And Bye.
By
Anonymous, at 6:54 PM, March 02, 2010
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