New Members = New Sound?

It has been a time of the year when new bands have exploded up like popping daisies and also the time of the year where you hear "This band's changed singer" or "that band has a new guitarist".

But then you also hear two arguments that contradict each other so much, you wonder which one is the right one, and realize the bands actually do have a lot of pressure in decision making when coming to having new members.

Argument number one: They sound so different now, they aren't even the same band anymore!

Argument number two: The new vocalist sounds exactly like the old one: copycat!

But hey, some people change sounds, yet still sound good, like Butterfingers with "Kembali" and even Seven Collar's new album "The Great Escape". What's the magic to that?

Well:

a) Experience - If you guys don't have enough years of experience to give yourselves time to explore a range of music or have around you a solid fanbase to fall upon... Don't dare to change your style.

b) Keep the 'old you' - There's one thing about changing musical style, but there's another to be completely different until the point where you might as well change your band name altogether, you know? For example, there has to be a distinctive vocals for example such as like Seven Collar, or distinctive constant insertions of inspiration (with Butterfingers, it was very much the Malaysian culture). So when you change the genre, or the sound of your band, some part of your band remains the same. That is a key you can't teach, it's just part of being in a good band. :)

Some people diss bands who change their sounds, and it's not always because they sound bad. Fans sometimes just cannot accept when bands change their sounds to something different, which arguably, can be understood. A note to new bands: If you haven't released a full album and gigged enough places, DON'T think about changing your sounds if your fans love you.

Then there's argument two, when bands find replacements for those who leave (mainly a problem with vocalists) and the sound remains scarily the same.

Example: Meet Uncle Hussain.

Heard their new stuff? It's great. But it was obvious that some people would have problems with the AF dude and Black for sounding too alike Lan. "Copycats, lah", some say. "Not as good as Lan", others laugh.

However, guys, try taking a look from this point. How many people loved Meet Uncle Hussain because of the vocals when singing Lalala Kerjalah? Everyone. So would you guys rather Meet Uncle Hussain get a new vocalist who sings Lalala in a totally different tone or a new vocalist yang boleh buat sama dengan Lan? Of course people would want the latter. I know I would.

So why complain?

Take a look at Bittersweet, for example. They changed vocalist (and almost everybody else!) and started producing new sounds, not the Brit-rock inspired tunes like Capital E. Did people love it? No. Were the fans confused, and asking "Where did Bittersweet" go? Yes.

So think for yourselves and judge bands properly for the music they play, not as to who does it, or what style. If it's good, it's good, if it's shit, well... we can see the consequences.

-------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

The Music's Forgotten

Okay, so, I've spent about a day thinking on whether I should post this up or not.

I guess you guys know what my decision was.

What this is about? Well, as the title is pretty self explanatory, I'll just skip the introduction and go into the details. Why are people starting to place preaching about subcultures and lifestyles before the music itself?

The music is where all these subcultures came from. But now people are placing the subcultures before the music. Ape benda tu, bhai? They pay so much attention to projecting their lifestyles and their outward behaviours that in turn, they're hiding their music away from the world because everyone are either annoyed or intimidated by them and are spreading word that these guys are not worth the listen.

Story?

Nazi Punks want to spread their lifestyle by getting more melayus to join them in the 'pure malays only' concept. Okay, other than the fact that they are living inside the stupid narrow-minded world of their own, and stopping other influences to broaden their music spectrum, let's stop and take a look at what you smartasses are actually doing.

Let's break it down and go step by step:

You guys want people to hear your music. Kan?

You guys want punk to live on. Kan?

But if you only allow your OWN Nazi Punkers to layan your music

- because your behaviour doesn't let any other subculture nak layan -

how the hell do you expect your music to be heard?

So in the end, whatever you guys are doing to create a scene, terpulang balik kat you, bros.

Oh sorry, I bukan your type, can't panggil korang bro. Lupa. Seriously, can you believe this kind of thing? You want music to live on, and you think music can keep living on, with you guys hiding away your own music? Come on lah, buka la minda.

Outro:

I'm going to name the Nazi punk bands because I believe their music is still music, and if people who aren't part of their group stumble upon their music, they too have the right to listen, so I won't post the band names up just to tell people NOT to listen, but I'm posting the bands up so everyone can have a listen.

http://www.myspace.com/spiderwar

http://www.myspace.com/brownattack

http://www.myspace.com/baldsyndicate

http://www.myspace.com/bloodybootsband

http://www.myspace.com/hujanacid

http://www.myspace.com/virusattackchaos

http://www.myspace.com/therevival98

http://www.myspace.com/jalanandistro

Listen to them, and show them what the universals of music is all about. You don't need to be a Nazi Punk to like their music.

No Dogs Body - http://www.myspace.com/nodogsbodyndb

Verbal Chaos - http://www.myspace.com/makihamon

Vixxen - http://www.myspace.com/vixxenkl

Steel Crescent - http://www.myspace.com/steelcrescent88

Revolt - http://www.myspace.com/therevolter

Huru Hara records - http://www.myspace.com/huruhararecords

Vetis - http://www.myspace.com/vetis88

Bintang Batu - http://www.myspace.com/bintangbatu

The Afflicts - http://www.myspace.com/theafflicts

Generation '92 - http://www.myspace.com/streetrockskin8

al azazhil - http://www.myspace.com/alazazhil

NSDM - http://www.myspace.com/448321025

Malay Power botherhood - http://www.myspace.com/malayanbrotherhood

JBH - http://www.myspace.com/399375788

http://www.myspace.com/spazzticcaoS

The Overdose - http://www.myspace.com/overdoseriot

Backlash - http://www.myspace.com/backlashattack

If you guys want to beat me up, it'll just go to show how extremely immature you guys are. I'm doing you a favour. Just criticizing you along the way. Nothing personal.

---------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

The Theory of Conflict

It's a funny little thing; conflict.

No matter how many excuses people come up with to fight with each other and shit like that, it still comes down to one thing: ignorance.

Come, come, let me share you a tale I've been conjuring up inside me for quite a while. If I get slaughtered after this, well, I die proud. HAHA.

Let me begin: The Nazi Punk Theory

So. You get Nazis all over the world now, not just Hitler's time. Sadly. So it roughly goes along the theory of 'pure-bloods' and only the best should be able to reside in their country. Example, only Russian purebloods can reside in Russia, only Malays can reside in Malaysia and only White Americans should reside in America. Yeah you get the point. It's like how Hitler thought only White Germans were allowed lah, kan?

I was just thinking then. If they succeeded in washing away the rest of the humans off the planet, and they had their country to themselves, what if the lack of humanity makes it a necessity to conjoin all the countries to make one big country as a whole? Which blood will be the purest for that country?

Or have you guys never thought that it's pretty hypocritical, that all of you are wearing the swastika on your jackets and hating other races when you have other races wearing the swastika as well? LOL!

So you're all part of this lifestyle that basically doesn't exist because it cannot be shared amongst other countries as a whole, because you guys only believe in your own type. That's my theory. So good luck with your work... and well, see you in hell. :)

Conflict in general

I find it a waste that we have all these different subcultures and lifestyles and ways of living, that makes everybody want to be different to be everyone else, and feel that it is a need to dislike other people who don't share your same views. Looking at it from a point of someone who's not part of any group in general, and is friends with people from conflicting group, it's a real pity.

People say music unites, and everybody who loves music is one big family.

Then we get people who diss other people's taste in music

or diss their clothing

or diss their way of life

and I go; what the hell?

There's so many loops to the things people say, how do we know what's true and what's right, if so many hypocrites are still standing screwing up the music scene?

-----------------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

Stay out of the gig if you like fighting.

SUMPAH BODOH SIAL. I am so fucking disappointed in the crowd right now. So disappointed. It's bad enough that we get a lot of annoying and rude kids in our scenes who have no respect for each other and the bands, but this time, things really ticked a nerve in me.

a) It is a complete disrespect to the music lovers and to the bands by just ditching a gig and ditching the music you came for in the first place to put your noses into people's businesses. To layan people who aren't even worth layan-ing. If people want to start a fight, if people want to cause trouble, you're not better than them by making it worse by joining in.

If people just learnt to ignore those trouble makers, then the gigs would go on, they would eventually just leave because they're bored, and can't pick a fight. Why must you guys sebuk2 go and join the anger? Join the nonsense?

Okay, readers, some of you are probably confused. Let me just set the story out straight. Two skinhead posers (I am going to talk about this in point b) came to a gig I went to this weekend, and they broke up the whole crowd to just make space for themselves. They showed us the middle fingers, they shoved us around. Then when the giggers decided 'lantak ar' and moshed, one of them accidentally kicked one asshole's face.

So what happens? They want to start a fight, because they're too damn pussy to just understand that these things happen in a moshpit. SO they start blaming every guy for kicking them, and then the next thing you know, everyone goes out. Leaves the gig. To watch the fight.

Look. Situation collision course: they want to fight. You watch the fight. This makes them feel cool. SO? The fight won't stop bodoh. Then the people watching say "jangan la!"

Well kalau korang tak nak diaorang gaduh.... don't watch in the first fucking place! -_- If everybody just stays in and IGNORES the idiots... sudah. Problem solved.

Which takes me to point b

b) A message to those two botaks a.k.a assholes... you guys totally trashed the meaning of skinhead subculture. You guys think by doing what you did, that's true 'skinhead behavior' ke? Suck me, man. So not true. A real skinhead won't go into a gig that isn't even a gig they enjoy. Lagipun skinhead minat punk, what the fuck were you guys doing in a metal gig? Saje je nak cari pasal kan?

What did we ever to do you guys? A real skinhead won't pick fights for no reason, because they don't have to prove that they're aggressive. Skinheads are known to be aggressive, they don't have to pick on random people over a SMALL pathetic, loser-ish reason like "kena tendang in the chin". Lagipun that kick wasn't even on purpose. It was a stupid accident.

You think by doing that, you seem macho? You seem aggressive? You seem hot and strong? My ass, lah. That just makes you guys:

- pussies

- kids

- and ouch! I know it hurts.... NOT a skinhead :D

So two messages for the giggers out there.

Next time there's a fight, don't fucking encourage it. Just ignore it. Just let the idiots have their fun and pretend they're not there. Don't tell me you guys suka ke, tengok your own friends and stuff get hurt by creeps like them? Tak kan? So? Stay out.

Second message?

Next time you guys decide to be part of a subculture, shave your heads and wear leather boots... actually KNOW what it is all about. KNOW the history of the subculture. KNOW what you're like.

Skinheads does not mean REMPIT. Okay? Tu benda lain. So learn your facts, dumbshits.

-------------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

"I have to see that band..."

"..... even though I don't know them!"

or those people that say:

"I love that band! I love that song __________!"

Oh wow, loving a song that's currently playing on the radio ten times a day makes you SUCH a fan, man...

-_- Bapak xcool doh.

What triggered me?

THE BUZZCOCKS ARE COMING TO MALAYSIA!!!!!

WOOHOOOOOOO!!!

Okay, but how did that make me get all pissy and annoyed? I don't know really, but you know me by now, I find faults in everything. I'm like the mother of the music scene that never gives it credit, just criticizing non-stop.

Well, like any mothers, I just want what's best for them.... LOL. Mengarut je.

Enough crapping. Okay. So the Buzzcocks are coming, there's going to be a huge uproar, everyone's going to love it, loads of people are going to go... but out of the 'loads of people', how many would actually know enough about the Buzzcocks?

How many are actually familiar with the fact that they were the leaders during the Joy Division new wave period. Sidekicking with them were The Drones, Warsaw (pre-J.Division)... the places that stunk of punk and sex and music spots like Electric Circus.

Damn, I wished I lived through those times. But back on the subject, I just get very frustrated when people say the LOVEEEE a particular band, when they don't even know the roots, the base, and some people, even the goddamn music.

So I'm just hoping that everybody who's going to roar and thump their fists into the air singing along to "Ever Fallen In Love" and "Orgasm Addict" are really passionate with it, not just because they want to say "Yeah I've seen Buzzcocks, I love them soooooo much" (when really you don't).

And this applies to every single gig.

------------------

With Love,

KL Mosher