Bro-verheard

(an aside: I thought long and hard about hyphenating that "bro" up there. Would the world have understood me without the dash? Are we ready for an english language communication protocall wherein you don't have to explicitely punctuate anytime you change an "oh" sound to a "bro"? Do we live in that world? Do we want to? These are the questions all young people must ax theyselves.)

Anyway, heard some funny stuff these past couple day cycles. The reason I'm posting them is because they are specifically NOT funny to the reading eye. Just go in there with the assumption that what I write to you here is funny.

1:

Kid with a skateboard: So I like, thought up this tag name and I'm gonna, uh, like hella write it everywhere on campus.

His friend [is wearing a form-fitted baseball hat]: Tight.


2:

Tony: Ok, show of hands, how many of you in this car actually listen to internet radio? NOT DOWNLOAD IT! Are you sitting there and listening or not??


This second one is funny because Tony really cares about internet broadcasting getting off the ground. He doesnt think it counts if we are just downloading. Maybe he is right. Speaking of Tony I've been meaning to link the new SuperButton website (for those that don't know SuperButton is Tony Miller's net label that releases free shit that mostly sounds like a gameboy made it). Lookin good bro!

Doublespeaking of Tony, I don't know how many people from Olympia this post will ever actually reach, but we are getting busy on the rave party tip over at his house AKA Dad's Fortress. Nestled in the fertile bosom of the Pacific N-Dub rainforest, Dad's Fort is THE spot for brightly colored dance party noise bro/fem fests with mad projections. The next one is Feb 29th and there will be hella bass for that ass.

Alternative Indieground Distro-uction

I usually try to wait at least a week after I read something off the Fader blog to post my take or whatever, but this nugget tickled me just right.

Seems like States Rights Records are putting out their first "unofficial street mixtape". It's downloadable for five bones and they are podcasting it free in two installments. It's not like I've actually heard it or anything, but content-wise it seems like maybe some hipster carpetbagger kinda shit, maybe not really too exciting. Who knows with kids these days, thats almost beside the point.

What is the point, at least in my view, and what got me going about the release is the acknowledged cross-over in aesthetics between the mixtape circuit and independently released and distributed music of other genres (genres mostly enjoyed by whitey). Both are hyper-regional, work outside of the dominant power structure present in the music biz and sound H3LLA RAW. Both distribution networks make it a point to politicize the way they conduct business and in doing so make purchasing product from them an oppositional act (albeit a small one that still upholds the oppressive system of capital that enslaves us all, mind body and soul ;) ).

I've been thinking a lot about this connection over the past two years and putting in work on my Essential Slime tapes, but I'm just one man. It's exciting to me to see more visible labels in hip towns putting out "mixtapes" (despite their suspected cornyness) and using new, internet-centric distribution models for that product. What would REALLY be exciting considering how much common ground the two scenes share, is a direct crossover from one to the other. I want a limited edition Killer Mike picture disc with hand-screened covers. I just read (again in the Fader) that my man is looking for a "white audience" to help him reach that next peak on sales mountain. Duuuuuuuuuude, I'm right here.

Screwd Up

Shit is getting pretty slllloooooooow these days. Wintertime and all, nahmeen?