Would you like some hot air with your coffee?
Someone emailed me this morning and asked me to comment on his essay thesis that the Internet was killing punk. As I drank my coffee and watched a horrible reprise of the He Man cartoon I wrote the below rant. It wasted too much of my time to just throw away, so here it is:
Well suffice to say I’ll be arguing against that thesis. I’m not of the opinion that a type of music and culture can be “killed.” Of course bands can loose their direction, but to condemn a genre is far too black & white a way of thinking.
As with all things there are positive and negative effects of the internet. Through volunteering on Punknews.org I’ve come to know of amazing bands that I would have never experienced in the small-town background I was coming from. We’ve helped regional acts get the word out on tours and upcoming releases, effectively expanding the reach of these independent bands so they can connect with people outside their local areas. Through the community-based news, reviews and comment sections of our site we’ve brought together people who may not be able to participate in scenes locally.
Do you want a personal example? We posted news on a Slackers tour last year. One of the shows was in my adopted-hometown of Guelph, Ontario. A fan from northern Quebec from a small town that never gets shows saw the news and contacted me. He and a friend had decided to drive all the way here (quite a distance) for the show and to support the band. If this isn’t a positive effect of the internet, I don’t know what is.
Or take The Exploding Hearts, one of the most exciting young voices in punk rock prior to their tragic accident. They were signed with Seattle independent Dirtnap Records, which doesn’t seem to have much of a reach outside of their region. I’ve never heard them on the radio or TV and their releases aren’t available in stores here. Without the efforts of websites like Pitchfork and others I would have likely never known of the band. Similar stories could be told about the rise of Against Me!, Strike Anywhere, The Bronx and many others.
The internet’s the great equalizer in punk music. It allows scenes that are separated by geographic distances and bands that are ignored by the mainstream press to connect.
Of course this is applies to bands and fans that some would say are “killing punk.” Their fans can also use the internet to create the bonds of community and promote their causes. Opportunist labels can prey on the free online press to get exposure for their product. However for every webzine out there promoting one flavor of punk, there’s one featuring the opposite. The important thing is that choice exists.
Is the internet killing punk? No, it’s just a medium that reflects trends in the overall scene. Punk dies when we stop enjoying the music and start over analyzing it. For every band or website you think is “killing” the scene, there’s one out there keeping it alive. You just have to know where to look.
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Boom! Instant rant. I’m getting a sandwich.
Spinning:
The Rapture - Echos
Horrorpops - Hell Yeah
The Distillers - Coral Fang
Jimmy Cliff et al. - The Harder They Come
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January 27th, 2004 at 10:18 am
you made refference to JS in your response, heh.
i agree alot with what you said in your response…i think one way of summing it up is that the internet magnifies everything about punk…the good and the bad. you hear much more bad things than you would if you were isolated to just being local and you hear more good things too. well written response.*applauds*
January 29th, 2004 at 1:59 am
Good points. I’d even go so far as to argue that the internet, through sites like the late Mp3.com, PureVolume, HXCMp3.com, Punknews, Pastepunk, Punkrocks, Pitchfork, etc. have given rise to a greater number of small punk bands being popularized. I have tons of mp3s that I’ve acquired legally that have led me to buying cds, going to shows, or just plain enjoying their music. The internet has brought DIY to a whole new level, allowing people to trade music nearly instaneously across city, state, national, and continental lines. Hell, you’re in Canada, but I always forget that, because of the immediacy of AIM and the web.
In short, like you said, you can’t “kill” a genre, and I would add a set of ideals. If anything the internet is boosting the ability of up and coming bands to get known, get signed, and get people listening to their music.