mrow

safest spaces pt. 2

It was just a few weeks ago that a man in the next aisle over at Newbury Comics was changing all the words in a Steven Malkmus song to "homo". Paying no mind to the fact that it was a public space. It probably didn't cross his mind and if you ask him he'd probably say that he'd just grown accustom to saying words like this. As this has been the response from just about anyone whom I've had to confront due to the abundance of derogatory language they used in front of me. The good thing to know is that these people, more often than not have admitted their wrong and agreed to try and avoid these words in the future. Growing up in a town sheltered from much of the worlds diversity- I was shocked to see how much ignorance was inbred in society when I moved to Boston. The racism and homophobia was a little more blatant as cultures from across the country converge to attend the many universities in town. But what really scared me was the slow onset of the realization that sexism is bred whether we are aware or not in our everyday actions. Evin in certain musical communities who profess their beliefs against these thoughts that cripple basic human empathy, we find people, who unbeknownst to them are alienating others whether they realize it or not. Lets take a second to think about how many times we've seen "female fronted" attached to the promotion of a group, which only perpetuates the fact that there is something novel about it. Or how many times you've seen a group with a female member and when you tell your male friends they ask "is she hot?". Sure it is a part of human nature for people to be attracted to others especially when they are bold enough to get in front of a crowd and display their art. But when these impulses take priority over the music itself in a chain of thought you might be able to understand why this might make someone uncomfortable. So I urge you- the reader, to let others know who might not be aware that these thoughts exist and are quite destructive. If you know of a space that can be utilized to meed and create awareness whether it be an artistic setting or just your community, let it be known, If you don't have the resources to do so, maybe someone else does. Though the new age of technology has helped breed positive empathy, don't let your action stop at this. Live it out in your day to day life and if you hear someone spouting ignorance- SPEAK UP, sebaceous you might be able to feel like the world they live in is a safer space.

safer safest spaces pt. 1

there are an increasing number of bands in the past few decades who have chosen to play only all ages shows with the argument that there should be no age limit for enjoying live music. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment and try to abide by it between all the groups I've played with over the years - with only a few exceptions. These rules are usually put in place so that a venue may ensure that they are within the limit of their liquor license. In turn, a common response is the establishment of "underground" venues (most times quite literally) which don't concern themselves with underage drinking or whether or not a touring band can draw "heads". For myself and many others, this is the optimum setting for certain performances, not to say that I haven't enjoyed any 18+ or 21+ venue shows.. But more often than not I am conscious of some hindering aspect of the age restraint. As I get older it happens less frequently but when I became of age, I can recall many instances when my thoughts would dwell on the fact that someone whose life could've been changed by a performance- wasn't there, because of how old they were. I can say that I've personally been drawn to a community that shares a similar ethos in and around the Boston area, regionally, nationally and internationally. Though I don't find it as important to profess these beliefs as much as simply standing by them, I can say that figureheads such as Ian MacKaye have helped draw me closer to a number of great people. In many ways the internet has helped me empathize with many people, whom I wouldn't normally on a daily basis. It's exposed me to new people, places, thoughts, and ideas. Though the ability behind words often breeds ignorance (see: youtube.com), I believe that this is an important example to learn from.

let the printing commence

<3 long arm staplers

collating can be fun

friendszine mixtape vol. II

spring 2012
matty pop chart - everyone does everything
black wine - through the foam
kimya dawson - twentieth century fox fanfare
dillinger four - maximum piss & vinegar
bikini kill - carnival
for science - soledad
julie ruin - the punk singer
norah jones - jesus, etc.
the sidekicks - grace
the weakerthans - the reasons
punch - do it yourself
big eyes - pretend to care
good luck - all good people
jonathan edwards - everybody knows her

LISTEN NOW AT SPOTIFY
[mediafire available upon request]

i will share my thoughts on these songs in my FIRST
physical copy of friendszine due out Spring 2012
I am pleased to announce that I am almost finished with all my layouts
and will be printing very very soon!