Robyn Writes

Sexism And Music by ninthandash

Originally posted by ninthandash in 2009

I’m not very articulate about certain issues. I get certain feelings and I have problems expressing them. Personal issues, I’ve never had a problem with, it’s been almost therapeutic for me to write them out. But ideas about right and wrong in terms of general bandom issues — feminism, sexuality, etc. — I find harder. Which is why I like reading other people’s so much — I sit there going yes, yes, that’s exactly how I feel but I’ve never been personally able to express it.

Anyway, that’s my explanation to why this article might be a little awkward. I have a problem with something I’ve seen but I’m not entirely sure how to express it. So instead of a well-formed opinion, this is more an informal article of a teenager attempting to work through the issues that she finds herself confronted with. I find at this age, more than anything, there are so many things that you feel you should have an opinion on, but the information just isn’t within your grasp. Combine this with the ever-present media telling you constantly what you should think and feel, and it’s difficult to form your own opinion. Sometimes, things just don’t sit well, but you don’t know why and there’s just no one around you to discuss it with and allow you to fully realise your thoughts on the matter.

So I was over on a music website today — this was pretty much the first forum I ever joined, and the first time I became a part of an internet community; I’m not so involved these days but I still visit it regularly and feel loyalty towards it and the people there — and I was clicking around and I came across the thread entitled ‘The Hottest People In Music’. I don’t usually contribute to those threads — my thoughts are usually people who may not be recognised as talented musicians, but who I find good looking — and these sometimes don’t go down so well on a site like this one, and I’ve worked hard on there to avoid the stereotype of the teenage fangirl.

But I was looking through it anyway — because, hey, who am I to deny myself some hot people in music — and all was well. But then I saw this post and I was like, “wait – what?”

Basically, it had three photos of a girl in music, I’m not sure who, and ended with the line ‘I thought I’d make it fair and put live/pro photos. She should just quit the band and model I think…’

She should just quit the band and model I think.

Something about this just didn’t seem right to me. Some inherent belief ingrained in that just hit a nerve, and I found it offensive. You know, I’m probably overreacting to this but I kind of couldn’t believe it. First off, if someone was saying that about me? I’d be kind of really pissed off. I can understand enjoying someone’s looks more than the music they make and it’s probably inevitable that it’s going to happen sometime. Sometimes good looking people made bad sounding music, I get that. Seriously, I find people hot and probably can’t stand their music at all.

But I don’t think that person should stop doing something that they enjoy in order to, what? Model?

I have issues with modeling, personally. I’m not going to pretend that my opinions apply to everyone — they don’t. As with most things, my opinion is what I personally feel. And modeling is something I could never do. Forget about the lack of self-confidence in the way I look, that’s not even my biggest problem. What it comes down to is that you are, essentially, making money from the way you look. It’s a shallow business, all about aesthetic perfection, and I’m not into that.

Also in modeling, if your face gets damaged, if you have any kind of disability or imperfection, it’s near on impossible to make it. I want to make it in an industry where it doesn’t matter what I look like because it’s about a talent that isn’t to do with my appearance. That’s a personal thing. I realise I’m probably projecting a lot of issues onto this person that they didn’t originally mean. I’m using their post as a starting point, and I realise that.

It just seems like such a stupid statement to make. I think X is hot, therefore X should stop what they’re doing in order to please me. In these situations I like to think about what would happen if the genders were switched, if a girl said ‘hey, X is so hot, they should be a model,’ and I can’t imagine it. Maybe it’s because of my own opinions or maybe it’s because I’m used to the girls in bandom who are, in my opinion, usually more mature and intelligent than a lot of the fans you get outside of the internet or in different places.

I’m comparing this situation in a context I understand and that could be the problem. I initially tried to imagine someone saying, ‘Hey, Frank Iero is so hot, he should stop playing music and model.’ And I can’t imagine that. I tried to work out why that was and I think it’s because everyone knows how much Frank Iero enjoys music and everyone that knows what he’s like on that stage can’t imagine him without that. But maybe that’s the difference, maybe this poster barely knows this girl. In bandom I do realise we are more involved with the musicians than perhaps we might normally be.

But in the same way, I can’t imagine showing a photo of, say, Frank Iero (MCR, Leathermouth) — using him as an example here — to anyone and them going, ‘Wow, he should be a model.’ But I can imagine that more if I showed them a photo of, say, Vicky-T (Cobra Starship). ‘She should be a model.’ But — and here’s where it gets complicated — I think, if it was a girl, it would definitely be meant in a different way. (I realise I’m stereotyping here and there are a lot of boys who would also mean this in the same way, I’m just generalising in order to explain this to myself.)

If a girl said, ‘Wow, she should be a model,’ it would be meant as a compliment. Maybe more along the lines of ‘She could be a model’, just, she’s really pretty. Whereas if a boy said ‘she should be a model’ they would mean it a lot more literally. Also, it’s less assumed that boys are models. When someone says ‘gorgeous model’ or even just ‘a model’, the person that springs to mind is usually female.

None of this is particularly important though, because the poster didn’t say she should be a model, they said she should quit the band and be a model and that’s what gets me the most. “She should quit the band.” Why is it his place to say that? It’s based on absolutely nothing except for the way she looks. If he had something to back it up, I don’t know, if he thought she wasn’t talented or the band wasn’t particularly good then I could understand it a lot more. It wouldn’t necessarily justify it to me but it would make more sense.

In conclusion, I would hope that my music would be taken seriously enough for people to concentrate more on that than my looks, and that they wouldn’t want me to give it up to concentrate on something else. I feel that if we let these kind of statements slip by without comment, we’re just reinforcing the patriarchal society that we live in, and it makes it OK for guys to say these kinds of things. The way we speak can, arguably, affect the world around us, and I don’t want my world to be determined by someone else’s opinion of what I should or shouldn’t do.

Interview with Tom Conrad (Empires) by ninthandash

In this interview, ninthandash asks Tom Conrad, guitarist for Empires, about his thoughts on the current music scene, the internet fanbase and how Empires are different to virtually every other band out there.

There’s been a lot of discussion over the past few years about the impact that the internet has had on the music industry, and the general consensus seems to be very negative. Especially with MySpace, it’s now so easy to be heard or to find new music that a lot of people aren’t bothering, and new bands are either generic, one hit wonders or people are just choosing to listen to whatever popular music is in the charts.

However, Empires have a very strong internet fanbase. Do you feel that the internet has had a positive impact on the music industry, and you as a band, or do you think that it’s still mostly a bad thing?

I would not say it’s negative, it’s just different than what we have known in the past. It is important for life to evolve and I believe the general state of music is in a transition period. Everything is so quickly and easily accessible because of the internet, so you really need to offer something different to stand out.

Also, the internet fanbase; it’s unusual for a band to build up such a strong community so quickly. The fans all seem very close-knit, and have taken gifts to shows to give you, or made lists of fans from all over the country to give you. Do you think your fans are different to a more mainstream band’s due to the fact you can still talk to them personally, and that one-on-one dynamic is important?

The five of us have been very lucky thus far. We try very hard to have direct contact with the people that care about Empires as much as we do. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is about sharing and hopefully sparking some sort of feeling in each other at the end of the day.

Putting ‘Howl’ on your website available for free download was a move almost like Radiohead’s release of In Rainbows. Coming back to the impact of the internet on the music industry issue, was this a response to that? Were you worried that no one would buy the hard copy of the album if you did this, or were you just happy to get your music out there, and this ensured that possibly more people would listen to it?

We released “Howl” online for free for several reasons. First, we did so because we could and not many artists can. The album was ours and will always be ours. Since the record was completely constructed by the band, we could do whatever we wanted with it. Second, it was important to us get our music out as fast and as easy as possible. We knew this way anyone in the world could grab it and we could know exactly where from. Third, we loved the idea of this being our
introduction to everyone. Knowing we initiated our relationship with you by giving away something we spent a lot of time and energy on is a great feeling. Now, we hopefully started a strong bond with the listener. “Howl” is the starting point for Empires and to me, feels like when the band truly kicked off.

Some of our readers have been asking about “Hayley”, and whether there’s a story behind it. Could you clarify this?

Sean writes all the lyrics for Empires. The story is true as far as I know.

Do you feel that being unsigned allows you a greater level of control? A lot of the reasons so many fans feel so strongly about you is that they feel a connection, due to the free download of Howl, and due to the way you can personally interact with them. Would you ever consider signing to a label, especially a major one, or do you feel that it wouldn’t be worth it for you in the long run?

The best thing about being unsigned is that our path is unwritten and unseen. Anything could happen. The downside to not having a home for Empires is that it does make things much harder for us and can be a cause for distractions while trying to achieve the main goal. I’m not opposed to signing with an indie or a major at this point but obviously whatever is in the best intention for Empires, we’ll decide to do. Max, Sean, Ryan, Alfred and myself do everything we can to make Empires as self-sufficient as possible and I don’t think that will change. It’s very important for us to be “hands on” with anything we do together. The more we can do on our own, the more accurate of representation it will be.

Your music is very different to most bands around these days and definitely stands out, especially the way all your songs have a different sound to them. Do you think this is important? What do you think about a lot of the bands that seem to have made it big these days, as some artists have labeled them as talentless and generic?

I think it’s important to be yourself and pursue what makes you happy, which is what “Howl” is to us. It’s not my place to judge or to call someone else’s work generic. Though I have been finding myself digging deeper through more experienced and educated artists to find inspiration lately. You need to have something valid to say to get my attention.

Emotions by Nox

Originally posted by Nox in November 2009

I have noticed over the past few years how several people handle their emotions. Every person is different and has their own way to cope with situations; however, these methods are not always healthy. For instance, being introverted is just fine except when a traumatic event occurs. In such a case, you cannot expect to handle all those emotions alone. If you feel like you need to get those feelings out then do it. Do not let shyness or fear stand in your way. When you hold so much in, it starts to tear you apart inside.

I know the world may seem like a terrible place, but trust me when I say there are people willing to listen. There are people in the world that have big hearts and open minds. Sure, they may be harder to find, but they are truly out there.

Now, let me make one thing clear – expressing your emotions does not make you weak. Given, wearing your heart on your sleeve twenty-four seven is not the best idea, but in moderation, it’s okay!

If strong emotions are suppressed they will find other outlets to make themselves known. This can be anger, hysteria, abuse, and stress.

It can feel like having a monster inside or maybe you just have not noticed yourself holding back. Either way, if you notice you are unusually lashing out or becoming overly controlling in any aspect of your life then you need to find yourself a healthy outlet. This doesn’t mean you need counselling. Although it is an option it is not the primary one. Exercise and extracurricular activities can be some of the best therapy for your heart and mind. Also, utilize your friends; they care about you and what you are feeling. A day out of the house with your best buddies can do a world of good for your emotional stability. Besides, it’s always good to escape and catch a break every now and then.

All in all, don’t hold back. Let it out, but be careful about it. Channel it into something creative and enjoyable or just say it out loud. Either way, get it out. Don’t bottle it up and stow it away. Life is too beautiful to be torn apart from the inside out.

Contrary To Popular Belief…

The other day, fightclubsandwich pointed something out to me during a conversation about music elitism. She said “Ripper, you’re pretty non-elitist, because you don’t go off a band when they release something new.” It’s not an entirely true statement – My Chemical Romance are a no no since The Black Parade, but maybe it’s their fans I hate more than the music – yet she makes a good point. It’s rare that I start to dislike a band based on their latest efforts.

Admittedly, in some cases, after years of glory, bands go shit. It’s the sad, but honest truth. New Found Glory, although one of my favourite bands, are a good example of this. From ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ to ‘Catalyst’, NFG released nothing but pure pop-punk gold. And then ‘Coming Home’ came out. It was okay, but nothing special. It didn’t make me jump around my bedroom like a five year old on a sherbet craze. However, I never stopped loving New Found Glory because of those earlier albums. My favourite band, AFI, have released a series of ‘okay’ albums since they crossed over to major label territory, but no matter what, I’ve found something that I love about those albums. They sure ain’t punk any more, but who gives a shit, it’s still great music! It’s really rare that a band is going to produce a perfect album every time – it’s totally possible because Jimmy Eat World have done it, but I find that’s probably Jim Adkins’ non-changing haircut that probably has sway over that – but no matter what, there’ll be something good in there.

Like the introduction states, no matter how much of a tangent I’ve gone off on, I tend not to go off bands when they release new records, like a lot of fellow music aficionados that I know. More importantly, I actually tend to prefer new material that others shun. The best example of this is probably my love of ‘Good Mourning’ by Alkaline Trio. It’s one of their darkest albums in terms of demonic metaphors, but is lacking the edge of some of the older material. However, it completely makes up for it in subtlety. There are so many hooks and lyrics in it that totally knock you by the wayside and you don’t even realise first time round. And that’s a pretty awesome quality in an album. It really kind of shocked me to find out that a fair few hardcore Trio fans actually don’t like ‘Good Mourning’ very much, nor anything afterwards. Alright, I didn’t like ‘Agony and Irony’ very much, but if we follow the ‘Less Than Jake Theory Of Awesomeness’ – which is, if we take ‘Hello Rockview’ as the starter for LTJ and ‘From Here To Infirmary’ for Alkaline Trio, awesome album, awesome album, awesome album, sucky album, awesome album – then the Trio have a lot more to offer.

Also, just because something has a more poppy sound or slicker production doesn’t make it instant sellout material. For example, whilst Against Me!’s ‘New Wave’ doesn’t sound as raw as ‘Reinventing Axl Rose’, the message hasn’t changed. If anything, Gabel’s trying to reach more people, which is something that I’ve found fans really don’t respect. I know that joy of finding a favourite band, and I also know the irritation when it gets played on Kerrang! TV. But, music’s meant to be universal, right? So we shouldn’t be selfish with our favourites if it helps the band be even more successful…

…that said, I’m not telling ANYONE about Cobra Skulls. No way.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you love a band, don’t stop just because they’re not ‘yours’ any more, and appreciate the fact that bands can and will move on because let’s face it, it’s kind of boring to play the same kind of stuff over and over. Well, if you’re not Rancid, anyway.

Elitism Is For Cool Kids

We at TBO decided a while ago that we were going to do a series on ‘show etiquette’ and the types of people you might find at your local punk rock show. This is a slight departure from that notion, but essentially, this article is about the elitist. You know who I mean. The cool guy who stands at the back, appreciating the band, but hating every other fan in the room. If we’re being honest now, depending upon what show I’m at, I am that guy.

Being elitist can be extremely fun. In a way, it’s fun because you actually know what you’re listening to and you’re not just there because your friends dragged you there or because you think the lead singer is highly attractive. Elitists aren’t really as dedicated as the fangirl, but they quietly own every single album that the band’s released in some form or another. They like to wear shirts featuring bands that the vast majority of the population has never even heard the name of. More often than not, the elitist owns vinyl. If you don’t own vinyl, you’re definitely not cool. For the ultimate in cool, I don’t even have a vinyl player and I own vinyl. There’s also that smug satisfaction of knowing that if you met the band, you would be totally chilled about it. You’d sit and talk music, being complimentary but not over the top. Maybe you’d get a picture with them, but you’d be cool about it. And no, the elitist would never put it as their Myspace picture, not at all.

There’s a few downsides to elitism as well. For a start, you can’t just lose it at a show and not care what everyone else thinks. After all, there’s a reputation to uphold. And sometimes, that can mean missing out on having as good a time as you might have liked, especially at a punk show. Another one is having your feelings of superiority clearly on show which definitely results in animosity. Of course, elitists shouldn’t give a shit, but really, in their heart of hearts that still listens to those first two My Chemical Romance albums, they do. Also, that music habit can be damn expensive. That one where you have to pick up everything on special order because the record store doesn’t stock the kind of music you like? After all, ordering from the internet… it just doesn’t beat that indie music store down the back alley now, does it?

However, elitism is still the preferable option to fangirlism. During my teenage years, I’ve probably gone through all of the different stages of fandom – ignorant poseur, casual listener, regular fan, obsessed fangirl, ashamed fangirl and then finally, to hip elitist. The fangirl angle definitely limits your credibility. First of all, it can be kind of creepy. No, excessively creepy. I’ve never been this bad, but you know those girls who own every Clandestine hoodie, probably have Fall Out Boy lyrics tattooed in some horribly visible place and have met the band four times through persistent waiting and hounding? Yeah, would you want to associate with them? It’s like that friend that finds a new favourite each week, instantly knows everything about them and won’t shut up about them at all. Not your favourite person. Secondly, fangirlism is so consuming. Looking up all those photos, learning all those lyrics purposefully, posting all those blogs and contributing to all those forums… before you know it, you have no life and your best friend is helenaxxloverxx666xxOMGGERARD from some bad MCR fanfic website. Thirdly, how many fangirls over the age of 16 do you know? Not many. It’s just not cool.

Of course, elitism isn’t something to be proud of. You’re snobby, hard to please and you probably irritate all the fangirls with your eye rolling. But goddamn, it feels good to be cool.