Re: OT(minutemen)

[Dave Trenkel <improv@peak.org>]

>On Tuesday, March 4, 2003, at 02:42  AM, Daryl wrote:
>>Minutemen were so great...and perfect antidotes for those who think 
>>punks can't
>>play their instruments.
>
>punk. hmm ...
>
>if we get to call them a punk band, i get to call the Nice a punk band.

If you get to call The Nice a Punk band, then I get to call Magma punk :-)


The Minutemen epitomized the early American punk scene. Look at all 
the first wave of bands: Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Husker Du, Sonic 
Youth, etc. They all had completely unique sounds, and most 
importantly, they were allowed to grow as musicians. The Minutemen 
were completely outside of the "music industry", and worked their 
asses off to get their music out (as Watt still does, though he's 
moved a bit closer to the mainstream). This was a huge inspiration to 
me, and still is. It was only later, when punk became doctrinaire, 
that I lost interest. It became all about who could sound the most 
like 1977, and a bunch of bearded talmudic scholars at Maximum Rock 
'n Roll got to declare who was punk and who wasn't. For me, punk 
meant doing it yourself and doing your art regardless of public 
interest.


>
>btw, nels is supa cool. i'm waiting for his EH delay to crap out 
>though, as much as he uses it. i can't believe it hasn't erupted in 
>flames yet.

Nels is constantly amazing, a true inspiration and seemingly a 
genuinely nice guy.