Hyperlocal and Hypertopical

I hung out at the Brotherhood tonight with the kind folks from Oly Blog and felt a very satisfying kind of in real life community while being surrounded by internet peeps. I lurk there, don't waste your time trying to see what I post. I did get to share several ideas I have for Oly centric stuff, and some of those may be happening with my input or the assitance of more permanent locals.

But I came home and checked the indiepop list to see some YouTube links to the first gigs of a fine indiepop band in England, and it really made me feel like an amazing wee part of an international pop underground. I mean, this band just played their first shows in the UK and I can see it in WA without going through some super obscure VHS trading circle from some fanzine I got in the city?

YAHHHHH I LOVE THE INTERNETS!!!!!!!! (I'm old, this stuff hasn't always been here)

Since I'm moving to Philadelphia, I will no longer have to fool myself that falafel tastes like scrapple and fried Spam tastes like pork roll. It doesn't. Now if only Tastykakes would get Isolated Soy Protein out of their ingredients I may be able to eat like a normal person.
So here is the musical content since I can't find an mp3 of anything relative except for that damn irrelevant Burning Airlines song
"Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake!"

(do-da-da do do doo doo doo-doo doo doo do-da-do)

no-bo-dy bakes a cake as tast-y as a tasty-kake

Another online music award voting site. Write in Athens Popfest as the criminally overlooked vote.

I'm an archetype, not a stereotype!
Questionable Content
I read 1-100 but had to stop for sleep.

Best Shirt Ever

IMG_1425.JPG, originally uploaded by Courtoly.

I've noticed my entries tend to have thin threads connecting them unintentionally, as I should probably save up my ideas and make a rambling connected post instead.

Alas, I saw Rikky from the Besties had this shirt and I wanted one. So I ordered it from sorryimissedyourshow.com

best shirt ever.

The Besties

Vote for the Besties in this silly corporate contest so they can ride a tour bus around NYC instead of the subway.

I'm little

IMG_1151.jpg
Originally uploaded by lesabrisabri.

Sometimes I forget how little I am. This is from the Athens Popfest this summer when we were all singing Minor Threat's "Cashin In" with Bunnygrunt. Can you spot me? Hint: I'm wearing 3" heels.

Capitol Theater, March 16, 1997.

Some Gorgeous Accident
Tullycraft
Bunnygrunt
Kind Dog
Bis

Calvin got onstage with Amelia and Pete of Heavenly (aka Kind Dog) and performed Wanna Be. And here is my gift to you since I am finally digitizing these tapes.
Wanna Be

I'm a smart cookie. In procrastinating my homework I hooked up my iMac to my stereo and figured out how to dump cassettes to CDs. This means my very awesome 10 year old bootleg collection will be digitized. I'm wrassling with how to share this stuff, aside for making riot grrrl cds for the teenagers in Yelm. That should do the trick.

This is the modern world...and things I never imagined in the 90s

Kurt Cobain Dethrones Elvish as Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity

Movie about 1999 WTO Protests in Seattle in the works

Before I go to bed. I saw Calvin Johnson, D+, Karl Blau, and Mt. Eerie play at the Unitarian Church in Philly tonight. I have to take back some of the things I said in this blog earlier about Mt. Eerie, because tonight he sat down and played a straight set and it was lovely. Heck, I would have even liked a little more theatrics as long as it's not the stop start I'm writing this song onstage kinda stuff I'd been seeing him play for the past few years. I think Karl really stole the show though. He has such a big heart and an impressive vocal range and seemingly boundless creativity with the Kelp monthly label he runs. It was nice to see Washingtonians on the East Coast, so even if I'm here a while, I'll always feel like I have two homes.

So in my travelling woes I forgot that the last book in the series of Unfortunate Events came out last week, with a cd from the Gothic Archies of all the songs from the audio books + some. So I present to you, thanks to Paul Shrug for the bulletin,

Stephen Merritt on Fox Atlanta

Further Proof of the Wormhole between Mid 90s Mix Tapes and My Life at 27

Friday night was a bit surreal to say the least. I went to see Rose Melberg play with Pants Yell!!! and Brown Recluse Sings (I think that was Herbie's band's name). Andrea from My Favorite was singing with Rose. Now, I only got to see My Favorite once in their fourteen year career because they rarely made it to the West Coast and never played in Olympia, but after I saw them live last summer they went from "band with that amazing single that got me through high school" to "band I love for presenting me with the alternate view of what my life may have been like if I went to NYC instead of WA after high school". Rose holds a similar place in my heart, although I am guilty of using her lyrics as weapons of mass obsession and generally focusing on one song that I will listen to on repeat over and over and over again ("Golden Gate Bridge" and "Love You More"). The thing is, there were five years of me having adventures with boys who were obsessed with the Softies (and being obsessed with boys who had adventures with the Softies), ending in feeling like the coolest girl ever when she gifted me a t-shirt and cd at Ladyfest 2000, and then she dissapeared and went off to make babies and live in Canadia, and I was okay.

Well, in a little over a year I've seen her play seven times:

1. that gallery in Vancouver with P:ano (since she hadn't played in five years it seemed like a wonderful occasion)

2. Bellingham Pop Fest spagetti dinner (Tullycraft were playing the fest, so of course I was there!)

3. Olympia Eagles Hall ballroom with Math and Physics Club (Charles and I set up the show)

4. Vancouver BC opening for Belle and Sebastian (because I wanted to see Belle and Sebby three nights in a row and Rose opening was the deciding factor)

5. in store with Calvin Johnson and mini-Softies reunion (because I love Calvin too)

6. Olympia Midnight Sun with Jenny Jenkins and Onyx (I put on this show!)

7. Tritone in Philadelphia, Friday night

So living out in the middle of nowhere (literally, about ten miles away from the nearest Starbucks, which I know is not like the Midwest or something) as a fangirl teenager a typical fantasy of mine would be something like "Bikini Kill's tourvan breaks down in front of my parent's house and I get to sit in the kitchen with Kathleen Hanna drinking coffee while phone calls are made to try to get the tour back on the road".

So somehow during the night it was decided that Rose and her entorage would like to stay at my house. So around two a.m. we pulled into my parent's driveway and I snuck the band upstairs past my sleeping parents to the guest bedrooms on the second floor. And after we settled in, it was a little wierd to think "Dear God, these women are my riot grrrl heroines, and we're all grown up and things are going to be okay, even in this corner of suburbia. Thank you."

Unfortunately I had such a busy day ahead of me I didn't have time to make breakfast so we made do with fancy coffee machine coffee. Then I was off on other adventures....

(My inner 17 year old is so jealous of me, now if I could only always look as cute as these ladies and get through library school like Andrea)

WTF? Okay, you may know that among my many passions for music, the intersections of copyright law and online media is one area that I really would love to work in some day. So Soundexchange is an organization that has been collecting royalties on behalf of musicians for streaming music that is used online. The bullshit is they "can't find" some of the musicians to give them their payments. So please, if you know musicians or the people who support them, check the list of who is owed money from Soundexchange and makes sure they get their due.

Hope all is well out in Tweevil land. I've got sixteen boxes of cds to catalog for a massive sale, I'll post about it here so I can collect my affiliate fee :)

Yadda Yadda Crayon cd yadda yadda Lois in the library yadda yadda Yoyo is moving out of the Capitol Theater yadda yadda....come on, is anyone reading this?


-------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: jack endino
Date: Sep 25, 2006 11:46 AM

FYI, any musicians out there who released records in the past decade or so... Soundexchange is an entity set up by act of Congress some years ago to collect streaming royalties on behalf of recording artists (internet and satellite radio, NOT downloads). Hardly anyone knows how it works, and they don't make it easy. There is info at Soundexchange.com but you'll need patience to figure it out. However... you may be owed money. It's total horseshit that they JUST published the list of unpaid artists on the website. Here's some info. Good luck.
Jack Endino


An Exchange with SoundExchange on Unpaid Artists

By FRED WILHELMS

SoundExchange is the sole entity that collects and distributes license fees for digital distribution of recordings; primarily satellite radio services and Internet streaming broadcasts (but NOT downloads). Over the years they have collected money for thousands of artists who don't know about it.

Several years ago, John Simson, the Executive Director of SoundExchange, asked for my help in finding these people. I work primarily with veteran artists and have proven pretty proficient at finding people. Despite my constant prodding, SoundExchange never put me to work, and I finally washed my hands of the project when John told me he could give me the list of "unfound" artists, but only if I agreed to a Non-Disclosure Agreement. In essence, I could find out who they had money for, I just couldn't tell anyone they were on the list.

What happens to the money they can't pay because they can't find the person to pay?

They get to keep it themselves. Nothing succeeds like failure.

In my email this morning was the following note from Simson:

Fred:

Given your concern on this issue I wanted to notify you that, after SoundExchange Board approval, we have posted a list of all performers who are oweð royalties from the period February 1, 1996 to March 31, 2000 and which are subject to release under Copyright Office regulations regarding undistributed royalties.

The list is on the website. Please call me if you have any questions or any ideas regarding our continuing efforts to locate featured performers.

Thanks in advance for any assistance in locating addresses or other contact information for any of the performers on this list.

Regards,

John

This was my reply:

John,

Thank you for the note.

I have already seen the list on your website. This is truly a prime example of "too little, too late." I understand why SoundExchange waited so long to publicize the list. It is, or at least it should be, a major embarrassment to the organization, and to everyone who has publicly said what a good job the organization has done finding people.

If my comments sound harsh to you, they should. You and I know how SoundExchange has failed to keep its promise, and how much more could have been done to prevent this injustice, and I just cannot put a positive spin on this.

In the first two hours after I had the list, and even before I had gotten completely through the "A" entries, I found five people you and your staff were not able to find in six years. And just so I'm clear on this, these were people I did not know when I started the search. At most, it took three telephone calls to find a current contact and pass on the information about registration. I actually came up with one by checking Directory Assistance in his hometown.

Sadly, there is no way I can spend the time necessary before the deadline to do everything I could to see that SoundExchange does the job it was given. There are just too many people on your "unfound" list, and I have clients who need my immediate attention. All I can do is reach out to as many people as possible in the limited time left and hope that my efforts start a landslide that swamps your office before December 15.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that, with the publication of the list, SoundExchange has abandoned any proactive efforts to locate the "unfound." I hope, for your sake, that after the deadline, you never hear one story about an artist being unable to afford a prescription, or getting evicted, and then you discover they were on the forfeited list. That prospect haunted me during my AFTRA days, and it still bothers me that I didn't do enough to prevent it from happening over and over again.

I truly wish there was some penalty that SoundExchange would have to pay for not finding people. Instead, the organization profits from its own failure by getting to keep the money it should be paying out.

That's a disgrace. Every time you deposit your paycheck, or get a bonus, or give one to someone else for a "job well done," or even expense a lunch, some of that money is coming from artists who never knew it was there because SoundExchange didn't find them in time.

I know the search was not easy, and that there was really no possibility you were going to find everyone, or even almost everyone. You and I know, however, that SoundExchange didn't do all that it could to cut that list to size. I think you are a good enough man to realize the scope of this failure, and I hope that it eventually impels you to do whatever it takes to make SoundExchange responsive to those it is supposed to serve. Today, for artists, the organization is nowhere close to meeting that goal.

Fred

Here's the list of the people they can't find:

http://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp

I've been circulating the following message. Feel free to forward it to any mailing lists, message boards and telephone poles in your neighborhood.

AN URGENT MESSAGE TO RECORDING ARTISTS

SoundExchange is the entity that collects and distributes broadcast royalties from digital distribution of music. This includes streaming Internet broadcasts (not downloads) and satellite radio services. These royalties have been payable since February 1, 1996. If your music has been played on the Internet since that date, you are entitled to a share of the royalties.

On December 15, 2006, any royalties that are unclaimed for performances up through March 31, 2000 WILL BE FORFEITED.

If you, as an individual or as a member of a recording group, are not registered with SoundExchange by December 15, 2006, you will lose all rights to your royalties earned before March 31, 2000.

There are thousands of identified artists who will lose these royalties unless they act before the deadline. SoundExchange has listed these "unfound" artists on their website.

http://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp

Take the time to read the list. If you are on it, follow the instructions for filing a claim. It costs you nothing and it does not take much time. If you register now, you will receive the unclaimed royalties and will received future royalties automatically.

Friends and families of recording artists should also check the list. If you know anyone on there, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW IMMEDIATELY. You will note that there are a number of deceased performers on the list. If you know any surviving relatives, let them know about this.

This money belongs in the hands of the artists who created the music.

http://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp

Fred Wilhelms is a lawyer who represents musicians and songwriters. He can be reached at (email deleted by JE)

Pop Show Oly Sunday

tigerflye
Originally uploaded by Courtoly.

Yeah I know it's during Bumbershoot, but the Sunday lineup really isn't that good. I mean, if you go Saturday and see Of Montreal, and then come to Oly Sunday and see these bands, it's like full out pop bliss weekend waiting to happen.

KJA and Casper are on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records, full of spirit and kindess alongside their musical prowess. That's why the tiger, they are cute and fierce, and boy can they sing. Go listen to their musics please because I can't write it justice. Josh and Jordan are the local boys sure to bring joy and song to you as well. Altogether it's going to be wonderful, of a caliber you dont' get to see every week in Oly. Maybe once a month a show this amazing happens where everything just comes together for fun and friendship and magic, I know this is going to be it.

Josh Kane
Jordan O' Jordan www.myspace.com/jordanojordanmusic
Keith John Adams (UK) www.myspace.com/keithjohnadams
Casper and the Cookies (Athens GA) www.myspace.com/casperthecookies

Sunday, September 3rd
8PM $5
All Ages
Olympia Eagles Hall
4th and Plum Streets

bah. i'm supposed to blog about every amazing moment but right now i'm drinking a sparks between circulatory system and the apples in stereo and i'm so not up to writing anything of note. however, the first few nights of popfest are photographed here. and there will be more in a day or two. And maybe i can summarize the amazingness of the fest or maybe i'll let the pro journalists take their shot at it first. whatever. I fucking love popfest and this is the most amazing festival. It's not just indiepop, but there are a lot of pop bands I"ve seen. John Darnielle said this was one of the last vestiges of indie rock culture and I couldn't have put it better. There is no difference between the most amazing bands and the fans here. We are all hardcore. Maybe it was singing Minor Threat's Cashing In with Bunnygrunt or just the MOMENTS that can never be analyzed or summarized . The energy, the buzz, the creativity that is apparent in every second. Athens is my third home. "okay," pierre pauses here, he has to come up with an exciting conclusion, "did you bring up the fact this is a family reunion? I forget your name but I remember you, but the first night at the 40 Watt was a lot of people that were hugging because they are fans or people in bands who are no longer in Athens but they're coming back. This is a family reunion. I can't believe how fast you can type without looking. Okay, 90 words a minute. Perfect, it's really perfect. And Mike and Eric have done a wonderful job. They're gonna break even, and fuck, maybe there won't be a popfest next year" "no, they're already planning it." "I talked to mike about the future of popfest is still to be decided tomorrow, popfest next year. I have to be careful because courtney is typing everything I say. And we're chatting about old friends all over the country, which is the type of converstaion you can have at popfest..."

"and I love your natural editing."

XXXOOO

Once again, boy bands bring me joy whent the real world makes me weep.
Lance Bass admits he's Gay
Washington Courts Uphold Gay Marriage Ban

Actually, the headline made me weep, the article made me nauseous. "...limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers the State’s legitimate interests in procreation..." and "in this case the State has established that DOMA was enacted to codify the common law, to promote procreation, and to encourage stable families."
FUCK PROCREATION! Seriously, raise kids if you want them, but the state's interest in procreation is just a fucking front for nepotism, racism, sexism, homophobia and the whole lot of real social ills. Ideally I want the government out of marriage altogether, no fucking benefits for anyone because they're a couple. Make it really easy for individuals to make designations and benefits to whoever they want, but stop tying it up in the whole barfy coupledom.

I'd considered marriage once. I was overwhelmed with the penalties and benefits turning a relationship into a contract would incur. I could easily procrastinate the issue as long as heterosexism in marriage prevailed. Now I see that whole time in my life as one where I was trying to fit into a space that just wasn't my size. I'm gonna go listen to the Decline and Fall of Heavenly again...

All Ages Music Forum
Originally uploaded by Courtoly.

This is my attempt to move these conversations out of the bar and internet and into a place where everyone is welcome. It is a shared teaching/learning experience and if you have ideas/comments/questions/concerns and aren't coming to the meeting, I would be happy to take them via e-mail or phone and ask for you. My biggest inspiration here is the awesome class Barbara Zelano of the Midnight Sun used to teach at Evergreen called "Marketing the Arts" and the practical knowledge I got from her.

Flyer here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/courtoly/194888329/

I want to say this is a one off event and I'm not trying to start any kind of organization. I'm getting copies of the contracts from local venues and updated Olympia Music Directories. People can bring food to share.

All Ages Music Forum
Wednesday July 26th
6:30 PM
in the Olympia Library Meeting Room
313 8th Ave SE Olympia

Come talk about how to organize an all ages show, why these shows are important, and what local resources there are to help you.

never die never die never die

I don't care how small you are. I don't care how much time passes between your projects. You are genius and I love you and I can't live without you and I would rather die that to hear you are gone.

I will do whatever I can to keep your name on the lips of ladies and men. I was going to name names, but sometimes projects do fade...it's just, it is injust, you are so bright and beautiful.

I think about our detective agency and that queerpunk festival and how the people grew up grew on without the agency or the corps to keep them connected. I know things change, I don't beat the dead horse so much as mush the apples to applesauce so she can still eat the sweetness from my hand.

I love you til your dying day.
Don't ever go away.

Nostalgia is killing me.

EMERGENCY RALLY to Stop US Support of Violence in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel

Percival Landing
Wednesday, July 19th
5pm
(From the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace

Stop the killing of civilians in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.
Call on the US Government to support the international intervention
and negotiations to end the intensifying war in the Middle East.
End US support of Israel's disproportionate response of attacking
civilians and infrastructure in Palestine and Lebanon.

The current situation

In Lebanon...
Over 150 Lebanese were killed by Israeli air strikes. Israel
continues to bomb civilian infrastructure including factories, power
plants, grain silos, and the only international airport. There is a
sea blockade and Israel is targeting roads and border areas used by
refugees and internationals attempting to leave Lebanon. This is the
worst bombing in 24 years in Lebanon

In Israel...
25 Israelis have been killed, including 13 civilians. Numerous
Israelis have been injured. Towns in northern Israel have suffered
rocket attacks from Hezbollah. One soldier was captured by Hamas near
Gaza and another two captured by Hezbollah near the Lebanon/Israel
border.


In Gaza, Palestine ...
89 Palestinians have been killed in Operation Summer Rain since June
25. Of these, 44 are civilians, including 19 children. Nearly 300
Palestinians have been injured. The foreign ministry office, the main
power plant, a university, roads and bridges and homes were bombed.
Rafah crossing has been closed - resulting in at least 6 death and
600 illnesses. Elected officials are being help without charges by
the Israeli military. While international attention is focused on
Lebanon and Israel, the siege on Gaza continues Ministry offices.

In the US....
The US vetoed the UN Security Council Resolution to end the siege in
Gaza. At the G8 summit, the United States severely limited the scope
of participant's ability to act on behalf of all civilian casualties
in Palestine and Lebanon. The US has failed to call for an end to
violence from all sides and has yet to voice support for multilateral
negotiations. The US continues to supply weapons to the Israeli
military in violation of the terms of the US Arms Export Control Act
and Foreign Assistance Act., while suspending humanitarian aid to the
Palestinians because of the results of a democratic election.


Please join us this Wednesday to stop the spread of violence
throughout the region and call on the US to support international
intervention and negotiations.
*****************************************************************
On Wednesday, July 19th the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace
(OMJP) will be hosting a forum entitled The US Crisis with Iran. The
event, which is open and free to the public, will be held at First
Christian Church at 7th and Franklin in Downtown Olympia, beginning
at 7 p.m. and lasting until about 9 p.m.

The panel will include a presentation by Professor Mark Jensen from
Pacific Lutheran University of a historical survey of Iran, with
particular emphasis on relations with the United States. Professor
Char Simons of The Evergreen State College, who has recently visited
Iran as a member of a delegation traveling with local peace and
justice group the Fellowship of Reconciliation, will provide a
testimonial of her experience along with photos from the delegation.

This will be followed by a an open discussion, facilitated by
Professor Larry Mosqueda of The Evergreen State College, where the
panelists will field questions and comments as well as having an open
discussion among the attendees.

Iran has been identified by President Bush as a member of the "axis
of evil" and as a critical battlefield in the global "war on terror."
It has long been a focal point of U.S. geostrategic policy, being
located in a region of vital significance to US 'interests' and
because of vast oil reserves. Currently Iran has been receiving
increased attention within policy circles, presumably due to their
attempt at developing a domestic nuclear enrichment program.

As a result, OMJP feels it is crucial to engage the community about
the possibility of future military assaults taken by the United
States. We seek to find peaceful solutions to international affairs.

We are anticipating a productive evening of historical and political
exploration, hoping to increase community awareness and knowledge
about the Middle East, specifically Iran. This event is designed
with the intent of providing attendees with the tools to participate
in sustaining a vibrant peace movement that clearly conveys that
foreign matters must be resolved peacefully and diplomatically, with
attention to securing economic, social, and racial justice.