File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_2001/aut-op-sy.0107, message 96


Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 14:39:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Another Brick at the Gap <satellitecrash-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: AUT: Re: Re: punk ruckus


> 
> this is a simplistic rendering of kent's argument
> from hac #20:
> 
> "I fel threatened, and I also felt that the whole
> idea of exclusive
> distribution when against eh spirit of DIY. But
> after talking to some labels
> about the whole  idea of exclusive distribution, and
> after spending a lot of
> time thinking about the whole distribution network
> and the tremendous amount
> of theft and dishonesty I realized that while
> exclusives may have some
> drawbacks, getting paid and not getting ripped off
> may outweigh those
> considerations. ..... I think the trend to do
> exclusive distributions can be
> blammed almost entirely on the dishonesty and
> irresponsibility of the
> hardcore community. The minute Ebullition took on an
> exclusive distribution
> I was bombarded by labels looking to get on board
> with Ebullition. The
> number one reason? They were sick of getting ripped
> off. My goal with
> Ebullition has always been to try to support the
> hardcore community by
> concentrating on offering fair prices and honest
> service. I can honestly say
> that Ebullition is now in a position to help out
> some smaller labels by
> offering exclusive distribution deals. It isn't
> perfect, but in a world
> where hardcore mailorders, distros, and labels are
> constantly ripping each
> other off it is a reality."
> 
> --kent mcclard, hac #20
> 
> and having personally talked to quite a number of
> labels who do exclusive
> distros thru ebullition (and you have to see the
> qualitative difference
> between the labels that go thru eb, and the labels
> that go thru lumberjack,
> et al.), it was an entirely sink or swim dicision.
> they could either quit
> doing the label, or they could ask kent for help.
> and these folks were all
> already working 40+ hours a week just for the love
> of hardcore.

yes for people that are into punk as businesspersons
this makes great sense. i have friends who are in
bands who will only do records with friends labels...
i don't plan to get into signing contracts at all as
far as releasing records. that's corporate or big
indie rock stuff not diy...

> 
> there is a lot more complexity to this issue, and
> again: i think it is a
> symptom, not the problem. the problem is that people
> act in intensely
> capitalist ways (ripoing one another off, etc.),
> which forces the need for
> somethng like exclusive distro. you're trying to
> fight a problem by
> attacking a symptom... if you really want to get rid
> of exclusive distro in
> hardcore, you have to attack the source... and this
> is something i would
> fully support and and do already engage in at some
> levels.

i just don't have any delusions of grandeur... i have
always been involved with other movements besides
punk... also ppl act in "capitalist ways" b/c of money
that's why we shouldn't have it in communist society,
but we are going to use money we should find ethical
models for it's use... pre-exclusive distro was better
if you ask me...
> 
> as far as "white male hardcore", i of course agree
> to some extent. but this
> has become just another excuse to give up on
> hardcore, and totally ignores
> the fact that the bulk of hardcore kids in the world
> are NOT white, and that
> even in the us and western europe some of the best
> and most influential
> bands in the last 10 years have been bands that have
> been non-all-white (los
> crudos, born against, bread & curcuits, spitboy,
> etc.). and while i can't
> deny that the bulk of hardcore kids seem to be male,
> i can also see that
> this is rapidly changing. the last 10, at least,
> shows i have been to have
> been majority female, and again: many of the best
> and most influential bands
> in recent years have had girls in them or been all
> girls: spitboy, project
> hate, bikini kill, tribe 8, ashes, discount, turn
> around norman ( ;) ),
> lincoln, etc.
> 
> i'm in no way arguing that there is no
> (institutionalized and even overt)
> racism and sexism in hardcore, but that, along with
> much else, this has been
> changing for the better. lots of work still needs to
> be done in hardcore as
> in the rest of society... but its not as bad as you
> seem to want to make it
> for some reason.

i just think a lot of movements complain about not
being diverse enough but that there are serious deep
rooted problems with why many movements are white or
male dominated... i think hegemony plays into it
extensively, all we can do is talk to people tell them
what we're about when building any kind of movement if
a particular group is underepresented by any minority
or even majority group, unfortunately there may not be
a whole lot that can be done... different people are
attracted to different movements, styles of music,
dress, religions, etc, etc, there are cultural bases
to these things that we can't change and probably
wouldn't want to... a lot of activist campaigns i have
been involved in have been very multi-cultural and
racial such as free mumia stuff, organizing for public
funding of higher ed, protesting marriot's involvment
with my college's dining facility, etc... punk on the
other hand, well we've already addressed that... i
don't understand why ppl want to devote a lot of their
life to something that's just stagnant in so many
ways... hardcore/punk is a kind of music i like and
many of the ppl and bands involved tend to be a bit
more ethical in many areas (probably moreso before
exclusive distro) than in other businesses or
subcultures, but that's it... i mean there's no purity
for communist politics and it's clear if there were a
revolution a lot of punk people would be involved, but
at the same time we shouldn't allow the movement or
subculture or whatever you want to call it to be
mainly about profit and hierarchical power...
 
> 
> as to class: be careful not to try to insinuate that
> "having things" is some
> kind of basis for class. capitalism must get us to
> live above our means, and
> buy all of its useless crap, if it is to survive.
> the majority of working
> class people who make tons of money, still can't
> afford all the shite they
> have, don't actually own their home (the bank does),
> etc. etc. but have to
> make it look like they're doing well by driving
> suv's, living in posh
> suburbs or neighborhoods, etc. its all illusion to
> make people feel like
> they are okay. don't fall for it...
> 
yes but the stuff they accumulate, wear, the
restaurants they eat at, these are all status symbols,
someone who falsely acts, dresses, etc, in a ruling
class manner is more likely to be a class collaborator
than a revolutionary... i even read a revolutionary
pamphlet not that long ago that suggested never
wearing a tie... also remember i did agree with you
that virtually every student once out of college is
proletarian, my father told me yesterday there are
lawyers that leave law school with $100,000 debt...
many of these people would never identify as
proletarian we also have to realize that, in addition
even if they do realize they are proletarian many
believe they will be on top someday anyway...
in struggle,
-Sean

p.s. let me close by saying the only thing good i can
see about exclusive distro is that more people seem to
be staying involved with punk longer b/c of it... but
it hasn't happened for an altruistic reason just b/c
they are making money off the scene (i think probably
some ppl are staying involved as "fans" of bands and
such too b/c there's more money for advertising, nicer
packaging, most stuff is coming out on cd now, etc)...




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