Whew! I just finished editing a fun letter that a reader sent in regarding our Top 50 of the "Second Half" list. My current browser (Opera) doesn't have the nice bold and italic buttons, so I have to paste in html code; plus the single and double quote marks translate into question marks with this program. So I have to go back in and re-insert that punctuation in order to make it look and read better.
Enough editorial banter! Alright! Since I have a blog I can comment here on some of the questions that letter raised. It was implied (indirectly) that HM chose Dashboard because of MTV. Ha! What? All MTV has proved is that I'm not the only one who has been blown away by the Dashboard album. I'm fresh off spinning the Delusions of Grandeur album by Fleming & John. Truly one of the best albums of all time.
Anyway, everyone has an opinion; so let the arguing begin! Let's discuss this list thing...
"Big Allen"
That's what wuv called him. Anyway, David got the new issue up on the site. Great timing, as yesterday I rec'd two "dummy" copies I mail to myself (to see first-hand the timing of the mag delivery via post...)
Had a great lil interview, catching up with Wuv of P.O.D. The bands sounds like they're doing great. I got a peek at the new video (it's up at Yahoo.com) and it's hot.
I interviewed Evan of Biohazard for this next issue.
Man, I'm loving The Agony Scene album. I can't wait for it to come out so everyone can have a communal freak out together. The tour they are on with Extol and Demon Hunter is THE amazing show to see this summer. Drive any distance to see it, as it promises to be jaw-dropping amazing.
Out. (The lawn tractor, by the way, is back in action at the offices here.)
I don't know...really.
But I have a few ideas.
One is he's busy meeting with lawyers due to the anti-bigotry lawsuit that a guy named Rick is filing against a major CBA label. He's also threatened to get HM Magazine placed in naughty alternative lifestyle movies if we're not here to answer the phone the next time he calls (seems like he always calls late at night). We're really scared. (I'm not kidding about this guy who calls us, though)
He's scared.
As a boy, he was picked on for posting blogs, and something triggered that phobia again.
He's too "busy" designing HM t-shirts, wallpaper, etc.
When we pass him in the hallway, he puts up his hands and shouts,
"No autographs! No photos! No unsolicited conversations!"
It's weird.
He saw that movie Fear Dot Com
and it's spooked him from the internet.
He's being initiated into a post-college fraternity
and part of his hazing is a "No Blog" policy during the rush...
He thinks Elvis Costello is speaking to him from a poster on the wall,
and he's receiving instructions about not using the internet to post anything personal, fictitious, or anti-Irish.
The doctors at his hospital are giving out "Hate Pills" to the staff,
and someone's installed a meter bar in his brain, which receives messages.
His left lung was removed and replaced with a #10 sack.
Staying massively busy with the magazine. The next issue is shaping up really well. John J. Thompson, for example, nailed a great 1-2 article on Robert Randolph & The Family Band and The Blind Boys Of Alabama. Matt Morrow relays the latest on a slew of great new metal (Immortal Souls, Pantokrator, Crimson Moonlight, and Narnia). And there's a ton more, too.
Woke up at 4 am Saturday morning, as I had to write down the details of my dreaming. I have to write a novel on time travel, motivated by my own desire to go back and "unfix" a high school football playoff game. It'll be funny, but there are a million complications that time travel brings up. Fun stuff. No wonder I couldn't sleep. My brain was having to work too hard dealing with the complexity of it all...
Watching CSI and updating content from the latest issue. It's always weird being several steps ahead on the next issue, while the most recent is still en route to subscribers and newsstands.
I saw something really cool today. I saw something that I don't think has ever happened before in the short but over 30 year history of the contemporary Christian music industry. I saw a letter written by the CEO of Wind-Up Records. In it he authorized the return of all Evanescence product from Christian radio and retail, making provision for refunds and other redemptive-oriented offers to those in these sectors of business.
Those kids in Evanescence -- God bless 'em (they're allowed to be passionate, young, enthusiastic and opinionated). They made it clear that they'd rather not be associated with or labeled as a Christian rock band, thus making it somewhat awkward to sell or push their art within the parameters of this subculture called "Christian." Rather than letting the situation get any worse, and rather than muddying up the relationships that other artists on the record label enjoy (12 Stones and Big Dismal, to name two), Wind-Up has chosen to pull Evanescence from this business relationship.
Sure, it was a wise move. Sure, it makes sense in the long run to cut their losses here and secure the future. But cut through all the suspicion and jaded mistrust and you'll find a company that stood up and made a tough decision in the face of financial consequences. Have you ever bounced a check? Have you ever owned a lemonade stand that got someone sick and had to refund everyone's money? Have you ever worked for a company that announced a recall or a "no questions" return/refund? We're talking big fat hassles here. It is no small thing to step up to the plate, allow mud to be slung in your eyes, and face the music of angry and disgruntled customers -- smiling and standing on the platform that they are "right" and you are "wrong." Make no mistake about it -- you can try to balance these details out with a lot of "but's" and "however's" and question the motives all you want -- what Wind-Up did in this situation was a big-time humbling experience in doing the "right thing."
I don't notice big companies making decisions in this manner every day. This gets my attention. We may all forget that this ever happened in a few months from now, but maybe right now we should stop and pause. Reflect. Maybe even applaud out loud with no explanation in a public place. Somewhere in New York a human member of a multi-million dollar corporation did something significant. I think that's cool.
I had a great time last week in Nashville at the annual GMA convention -- really! Had some good business meetings that might substantially help HM grow, and saw some great live sets. It was no surprise that mewithoutyou put on a stellar show -- complete with 100+ rose pedals. What was a shock, though, was hearing that the guys in a certain band had change its sound to reflect more of an Eastern and Middle Eastern vibe, courtesty of the guitarist purchasing a sitar and learning to play it the last 9 months or so. When they came out and immediately launched into two new songs, I was floored. It was simply fantastic -- Benjamin's low Layne Staley-like vox, ocassional chant-like atonal yowls and 12-string bass super low end accompanied by that slippery and twangy sitar were just dreamy and rockin. GS Megaphone has given itself a facelift. It worked, baby! Robert Randolph & The Family Band proved to be another HUGE highlight. I wish his set could've been 3+ hours long! More later. Gotta get back to work on our July/August issue...
My wife and I are going to see Pearl Jam tomorrow night. Should be interesting. I hear vocalist Eddie Vedder stomps on a Bush head in effigy. Sigh. Maybe I'll be that guy that throws something at him (!). Should be a rad show, musically. Lonny was off to Memphis this weekend to judge the LIME new band showcase. If I can assume anything by last year's talent, he surely saw some great bands. I head off to Nashville for the infamous GMA convention. If you're on our email list, you rec'd a humorous take on Dove Award predictions by our own Kern County Kid. Funny.
This year's Gospel Music Week should be fun. We're staging a press conference on Monday morning at 9:30 am on the new expansion and growth at HM. Looking forward to that, multiple great music showcases (too many to take 'em all in...) and the 9th Annual "Artist vs. Industry" Flag Football Game on Thursday; and I plan on covering the backstage action at the Dove Awards later that night.
If I have a chance, I'll blog here while I'm there... Take it easy.
Just got word that some really good albums are on their way here...
Crimson Moonlight and Pantokrator. Can't wait to hear what everyone's been drooling over in anticipation.
Our copies of the May/June issue... The ones that were supposed to arrive on Friday morning? Well, SURPRISE! There was a delay at the printer and we won't be seeing them until 5 pm today (I'm not holding my breath). Sometimes life in the magazine world throws us curve balls. Oh well.