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The word "alternative" speaks to the concept of bland
otherness, a willingness to embrace the music industry, to sell the
music you make rather than just making the music. Alternative
isn't. I get letters and promos all the time from people I don't
know, people who blindly send out hundreds of them, hoping for their
"break" in the music industry. I don't know what idiot put me on
that mailing list, but I am no-one's break. With heavy promotion,
and all the work I can do, I'm lucky to sell 1000 of any release. I
only put out records of bands that I know personally, or will get to
know personally. I don't make any money. The bands don't make any
money. I hate the selling and packaging and imaging that goes with
all the industry stuff. So I make records so that they're
available, not so that I can push them on an unwilling or unwitting
world. I don't have pro gear or attitude. I hate the word "gig."
What I and thousands of other dinky underground labels do is provide
a real "alternative" The music is there if you look for it, but it
won't look for you.
I don't like much music, and much of the music I do like is punk.
However, I'd put out a record of twelve buddhists strangling geese
in E flat if I liked the people involved. I'll trudge over to every
lousy american steel show and put up my little display of records
and sell another two damn pist splits to the crusty kids who have
"the pist" tattooed on their tongue. My favorite genre is the "my
band plays music we like" genre. My best efforts and most forceful
wheedling will only end up in the band being able to say "..and we
have a cd we like" Nothing more.
I have no idea what tool sounds like. I did once see Nirvana play
at the burro room next to Hey Juan's burritos in Chico. They were
just like all the other sub-pop bands, sort of hairy and way too
serious in front of 20 stoned high school kids. My brother thought
they were sort of neat, but he has suspect taste in music, since he
likes poison idea AND credence clearwater.
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