talking the talk/grimskunk

[bitsy]

anyone here heard of GrimSkunk (the band) or Indica (their label)? They’re this awesome hard rock/punk band from Montreal, Canada that have been around since the ‘80s and they started Indica in ’97 for themselves and to sign other up and coming groups.

they just released a new album called Fires Under the Road, first single "America Sucks" and I recently read that they're playing in toronto at lee's palace on dec. 16th, $13, starts at 10pm.

Awesome. I’m definitely going and if you’re in the city you should check em out.

Anyway, it got me thining. what does commitment to artistic freedom really mean? lots of bands claim to have it but are signed to huge, very hands-on labels. especially with rock/punk music, it seems pretty contrary to sing about f**king the system while collecting checks and taking direction from rich record execs whose main focus is the bottom line. If you're gonna talk the talk you should walk the walk.

[pen]

I don't really care about the band you're plugging, but I will say that while I see the point that being an anti-commercial band on a major label is hypocritical, I also think that in the long run it's a ridiculous position to take. As unnecessary as major labels are becoming in today's ever-changing musical landscape, a major label that actually backs a band can spread their songs worldwide, and the prospect of having a message sent all over can be incredibly appealing, especially if bands like Anti-Flag and Against Me are taking the plunge.

One of my favorite quotes is that it's more punk to be on a major label so you can spend all their money making an album that could be done for ten bucks. But overall, I think it's just not that important to think about. If a band believes their message, then they'll want to spread it, and they should be able to use whatever means are at their disposal. Being on a major doesn't make the message less true and it doesn't make their music any less effective. All it does is expand the range of people to which they're able to speak, which I think any true fan would be rooting for and not railing against.

And what you say is not entirely correct about labels always having their hands in albums. That's a generalization. It is true a lot of the time, but you're never in any position to make that call. In fact, it seems to me that a lot of fans want their bands to have freedom but also want their hands in their career decisions. Not very fair, if you ask me.