I really love their music. I honestly think Jesse Lacey is one of the best song writers to come from my generation. My problem is in his inability to be a good performer and service provider.

Because weather your artistic credibility will allow you to comprehend it or not, music has become a product now. When you make a conscious effort to provide music to the masses via financial support from a label, non profit group, or radio you’re agreeing that your music is no longer for yourself but for the entertainment of others. You can equally choose not to cater to the market nor your audience and run a web page with all your music or give out demos at shows. What Brand New has done is sign contracts that obligate them to provide music as a service to the customers of their label. It isn’t noble to encourage with your influence theft from the people who help make your music your career. When they tell their fans to steal their music and make their own t shirts, they are basically saying we want to have the coolest job in the world but we don’t want anyone to tell us what to do. Record companies, however evil you might see them, invest millions of dollars into snotty, spoiled, brats like this all year long. The least they can do is support the product they sell and encourage a MARKET. Without a market, YOUR band is never going to sustain it’s self, nor my band or any other band. I think it’s noble that fans want to show loyalty to their favorite bands, but the idea that we can just steal because our heroes tell us too should open up our minds. Maybe our heroes are just stupid, ignorant kids who happen to write really good tunes and thoughtful lyrics.  I think what is more important is that they don’t really respect YOU. Let me explain:

They don’t do meet and greets. They don’t sign shit. They don’t do interviews.

FOR REAL!

I have supported Brand New for almost eight years. I bought Your Favorite Weapon when I was a sophomore and have purchased every record afterward on one media format or another. I did my best to spread the word in my small town of New Lexington and influenced a lot of people in my area to listen to them. I covered their songs in my bands and still relate to a lot of the things they say.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not really into autographs and the like, BUT because I supported them financially for so many years I feel like the least they owe me is a 5 second thank you and signature.

MATH:

Three albums @ 15$=about 45$ plus tax.

Seriously. Your too cool to talk to me. Sign my CD. Do interviews so I can learn more about you.

That’s hip and knarly that your so “F the Man”, but you are the man.

Your just like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dog. You’ve shared the same offices and business contacts.

Brand New. Your not that cool. You know your dorks and you know you got lucky.

You sold yourselves to play music and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

But you owe kids some time. You own them tours, signings, and magazine spreads.

You could have easily made the decision to go to college and do something else.

Millions of people play music for fun at home and do just fine.

So folks, please. Buy Brand New’s new record and buy a shirt from Hot Topic.

That’s all I have to say about that.