Team Puscifer Email

blksun posted this email from Maynard to the Puscifer Street team on Toolarmy the other day.  It’s an interesting read:

dearest supporters, street teamers, and mailing listers.

thank you for signing up to help.

re: puscifer “v is for vagina” music…

first and foremost, if you don’t like what you’re hearing from this project so far, don’t lie about it out of respect.
if you’re compelled to support it in spite of what you’ve heard and not appreciated, then support it because you believe in the precedent of independence i’m attempting to set.

promise me that much and then we can proceed from here.

this project for me is one part fun, one part learning experience. trying to go it alone, without a label to convolute my efforts is very terrifying, chaotic, and challenging. but all in a very positive way. many many dark corners and unknowns. it’s liberating but still pretty damn scary. this is a very very expensive education. i could very easily lose my ass on this whole thing. but it’s sort of ok. i can afford a new ass.
anyway…

lot’s of controversy flying about regarding downloading. time to throw my 2 cents in. downloading wont effect me TOO much. but it will affect those bands right on the edge. bands who could use the hundred bucks to make it to the next town to play a show (gas and food aren’t free. go figure) . or could use some cash to record a new record.( imagine that. it actually takes money to record a record.) i can afford to pay for the recording of my record. i’m one of the lucky ones. (thanks to nirvana and the label feeding frenzy, i won the early 90’s grunge lottery.) but those days are history. in order for young bands to survive nowadays, they need to get paid for their efforts. touring costs money. recording costs money. unless you’re ok with bands recording their songs on their Palm Treo. personally i went the extra mile and tried to incorporate that ancient and illusive medium known as “analog tape.” because, and i can hear the yawns welling up as i type… because it sounds better. the machines are expensive and a pain in the ass to maintain but they’re worth it. that is unless people are just gonna steal your efforts. then it’s a big fat FUCK NO, IT”S NOT WORTH IT. so don’t be douche bags. support the process.

devils advocate… it feels like the digital landscape has widened peoples appreciation of new music. it’s placed alternative forms of music in front of those who may not have been exposed otherwise. it feels like people are more excited about music than they have been in a long time. but for fuck sake… pay the man for his song and dance. otherwise the only people who can afford to record quality music are the cookie cutter boy bands with their corporate sponsors and media machines.(Dick In Box Excluded, of course) please do your best to support bands like Autolux, the Burning Brides, Isis, etc… they need you. i need you, but they need you more. having said that…
i’m doing this pretty much on my own. no label support aside from the distributor. it’s a HUGE learning curve. but if i can navigate it, i will be able to share what i’ve learned. i can make it easier for other bands that are trying to do it on their own. make it possible for us all to survive in our little microcosms rather than fall victim to the seductive song of the sirens… the expensive and impersonal macrocosm of the major label dog and pony show.
once again, thank you for your efforts.

m j keenan
professional dumbass

Nice to finally hear Maynard’s take on the whole downloading thing.  I’m pretty much in agreeance with what he says there.  Make sure you support the artists you enjoy buy actually buying their music, attending their concerts, and buying their T-Shirts.  You do want them to keep making music don’t you?