| Supporting Radical Music: Temple 8 |
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 04:40 | |||
Dear Subscriber, I hardly ever forward anything to this list that someone else wrote, but today I must make an exception. This is from Kurt Tischer--my webmaster, an accomplished musician, and an all-around swell anti-authoritarian, trouble-making guy. Because of my own situation, I do a pretty bad job of paying Kurt for all the work he does on the web site. So whether you want to fling him $5 (or more) as a "thank you" for making the web site works, or because you want to help his band (Temple 8) do the touring thing, he and I would both greatly appreciate it. I realize that people's taste in music varies widely, and those who prefer classical, or country, or rap, or whatever, may not "get" the music of Temple 8. Personally, I love it. But whatever type of music you prefer, keep in mind that lots of younger people DO listen to "progressive rock," and they can either be listening to "yeah, baby baby," or they can be listening to music with a message that actually matters (e.g., self- ownership). But whether they ever HEAR it might depend upon all of you making it so Temple 8 can be out there doing its thing. If you're not familiar with Temple 8, here are some links worth checking out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCqyiJS6IhE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbkYbYgvitM http://www.temple8.net/audio.html To buy the CD, or to donate to the touring fund, go here: http://www.temple8.net/merch.html - -----< begin message from Kurt >------- The hardest thing in the world to do is start a band that no one has ever heard of. In this case, Temple 8. Even harder is getting gigs when the message behind the music is more controversial or anti-state than the typical "Hey baby, let's make it" or "You dumped me and now I'm sad" pop lyrics infesting most mainstream radio. And even the so-called "pro-freedom" songs we hear on the radio are mostly pop-country songs praising the good ol' USA and supporting the troops, which does little to actually address the sorry state of affairs in this country and, I believe actually helps to ensure that there is no real change in the status quo. In 2003 I released a CD that has done fairly well and received many excellent reviews from independent reviewers, as far as self- produced, independently released music is concerned. Some reviewers have even scored it higher in some reviews than other major label competitors in the same genre. I never had to pay anyone for any of the good stuff anyone has ever said about my music (nor any of the bad stuff, which has been very little). But it's now 2010 and the time/interest factor is pretty much tapped out on sales of my first CD, except when playing shows (which as a small independent artist, are difficult to get as it is). Having been even further radicalized by events, I do have another CD coming (which will probably contain at least ONE Larken Rose song on it, maybe two), though it is still some time before those songs will be released. On the other hand, Temple 8 has become something of a focal point at certain festivals and conferences around the country, especially in the Midwest and Northeast. This allows me to continue spreading a real pro-freedom message while working the kinks out of new material and teasing crowds with it to drum up interest. That said, the Temple 8 summer show schedule is beginning to shape up and even though the economy pretty much sucks, I'm hoping the people on Larken's list might be able to see their way clear to helping us meet some of our tour expenses so I can continue to keep spreading the word in the way I do it best -- through music. I have a general idea of how many people are on this list and if everyone on this list purchased a copy of the current Temple 8 CD, we would actually have all our tour expenses covered, as well as have some left over to deal with the expense of finishing the next CD, or buy our way on to at least one major show as an opener. If everyone on the list simply donated $5, we'd still have our tour expenses covered. Our first show is slated for Spring Break weekend in Orange Beach, Alabama, which is only 5 weeks away and from there are shows in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, among other places. Lately, my web design cash flow barely helps me cover the cost of our rehearsal space. I don't want Temple 8 to become some quaint anachronism to be rolled over in the face of a burgeoning police- state. On the contrary, I want Temple 8 to become the next big musical ANARCHronism in spite of all forces to the contrary. Won't you consider helping me move this thing forward and increase our visibility? Please consider purchasing a Temple 8 CD and/or other Temple 8 merchandise, or make a donation. Both can be done at the Temple 8 official web site: http:www.temple8.net Sincerely, Kurt Tischer Temple 8 - http://www.temple8.net and webmaster for LarkenRose.com
|