If you read Brett Jensen’s superb post on rock and exclusivity you might think he has a point. Or you might think anybody who expects Green Day to be important is grasping at straws to begin with.
But anybody who has followed the music scenes in New Brunswick and North carolina might wonder where Jensen’s “exclusivity” leaves them.
Here are two names to make you believe in rock: not as exclusive but inclusive -inviting everybody to share.
Paul Finn runs Odessa Records, produces and releases music by kids like Americans In France and his own band Kingsley Manx. And they play local clubs and release Spider bags -surely the greatest rock band in the world- seven inchers. Finn cowrote “Waking Up Drunk” with Spider Bags leader Dan McGee and that would be enough to get him into rock and roll heaven.
McGee’s Spider Bags played a kids house in North carolina and gave their (minimal) fee to the opening band.
Finn has a full time job -he does this out of love for music. No, he isn’t Green Day -thank God, he’s a believer.
Besides having played for one of the greatest punk rock bands ever, For Science, Joe Steinhardt runs Don Giovanni records, the recording arm of the New Brunswick scene where bands play each others basements. That’s right -because you can’t get into clubs if you’re under 21 years old so they play for each other and for their friends. Helen and I are interviewing Joe tomorrow after spending a coupla weeks searching for him.
Isn’t this the spirit of roc? It’s not about being allowed in, it’s about allowing everybody in. We are all cool. we are all exclusive and every one is invited to the party.
Don Giovanni act Screaming Females opened for Arctic Monkey’s and have moved forward. They’ll lose stuff, they’ll gain stuff. But their spirit is true and it still exists and you are welcome to join.