United Breaks Guitars

Whether or not you like country music, you gotta appreciate this video. This guy, Dave Carroll, witnessed United Airlines baggage handlers throwing his $3500 Taylor guitar around when he was flying from Chicago to Nebraska for some shows. When he got to his destination and pulled out his guitar, it was busted. For the next year or so, dude got the total runaround from United's customer service, until they finally just flat out refused to compensate him in any way. So he vowed to write, record, and film videos for three songs all about how United sux.

The first video, "United Breaks Guitars," is online now, and has almost 3.5 million views so far. Suck it, United.

It's funny cuz it's true

Obama is not providing the leadership he promised

Obama is playing politics on several of the key progressive issues — gay rights, the environment, national health care — that he talked a good game on during the campaign last year. We elected him because we though he was a leader, turns out we just got a savvy politician.

So Greenpeace hung this banner on Mt. Rushmore to urge him to be a leader.



Working on this project was very exciting. Also, I personally got two media hits out of it, one via Twitter, and the other (in the Christian Science Monitor, no less, who praise our social media strategy!) via a blog post. Aw yeah.

Amy Winehouse + singing fish = hilariously good times and a new Greenpeace campaign

I'm not making that up. See:

Fluffernutter

Just watch... and laugh.

Seen today's International Herald Tribune?

A very special edition of the International Herald Tribune has hit the streets today. It's dated "Saturday, December 19, 2009" — the day after the UN climate talks end in Copenhagen — and it reports the news we're hoping to see that day. Check it out:

(Click the image to view the online version of the paper; click here to download a low-res PDF.)

Personally, I'm especially fond of José Chingu's piece on the Amazon. (Because I wrote it.)

Bay Area venues under siege

All ages clubs in the Bay Area are under attack from state regulators at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). At issue is a regulation — that is not even part of state law and has never been enforced before — stating that all-ages venues have to get half of their revenue from food sales. And of course these being venues, that isn't always feasible.

This SF Chronicle article spells it out:

Bay Area natives probably can recall their first show at the Fillmore, one of San Francisco's most famous music halls and the site of performances that span generations of music - from Jimi Hendrix to The Roots. These days, music fans might go to Potrero Hill's Bottom of the Hill club, the Tenderloin's Great American Music Hall or Cafe du Nord in the Castro.

Those venues could be forced to close, owners say, if the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, better known as ABC, continues to impose rules that club attorneys argue are legally questionable and often unrelated to booze or safety issues.

Those are absolutely some of the finest clubs in the city. The Great American Music Hall in particular is one of the most beautiful venues in the world, at least in my opinion. I've seen everyone from Neurosis to Explosions in the Sky and Joanna Newsom there, and the time I got to play there was one of the highlights of my life to date.

From the standpoint of a 7-year resident of San Francisco, it would be tragic if these clubs shut down. It would certainly lessen the appeal of this fantastic city.

And on another tip: Where the hell do these nosy ass bureaucrats get off trying to make life harder for small businesses in these economic times? Talk about tone deaf and heartless.

This video explains the case well too (or in case you can't read):



The Great American Music Hall is asking folks to email the state legislator interviewed in the video, Mark Leno, and "let him know that you support all-ages clubs in their fight against the ABC." Email him here: senator.leno@senate.ca.gov.

The venue is also asking people to buy their "Rock-n-Roll is not a crime" shirt (pictured above) to help defray their considerable legal fees resulting from this nonsense. If you live here in the Bay Area, stop by the GAMH box office to pick yours up — and if you don't live here but want to help out by buying a shirt, email here and arrange to have one shipped to you.

Personally, I'm buying eight. I'll do anything to keep these places in business. I wouldn't recognize this city any more, or feel nearly as comfortable in it, if these places were gone. They're bona fide San Francisco institutions.

This video is totally dope

If you wanna take action to save the Amazon: www.greenpeace.org/everystepcounts

My new show on BTR! Plus, musings on political music (I couldn't help myself)...

Well, my new show is actually just my old show, Bay Area Music, with a new name and a slightly new format. We're calling the show Wiretap Music on BTR cuz I brought in my partner in running WiretapMusic.com, the Bay Area's music resource, to help DJ my show. Her name is Olivia Parriott and she extends the reach of my show even deeper into the scene.

If you didn't catch the first ever Wiretap Music on BTR show, click here and check it out. We featured an interview with Bonfire Madigan, an inspiring musician who is equal parts activist.

As a web editor at Greenpeace and musician myself, I am impressed by just about anyone who melds the worlds of music and activism. People criticize groups like Rage Against the Machine for putting their politics into their music, but to me that's asinine. Not being political is a stance with political implications all the same.

There's a really cool project here in the Bay Area called ArtfulChange.org that I think is doing cool stuff. I got me one of their t-shirts, yeah boy.

So check out our first Wiretap Music on BTR show for the interview with Bonfire Madigan and check out WiretapMusic.com if you want to see the full interview/profile video that Olivia made.

And remember to listen locally!

What are the limits of sound?

There's a great remix of TV on the Radio's "Shout Me Out" up on RCRDLBL.com today, check it out: "Shout Me Out (Willie Isz Remix by Jneiro Jarel)".

The remix takes the track in a very interesting direction, stripping the beat down to a playful hand-clap minimalist vibe, and adding in a bunch of trippy noise bursts. RCRDLBL's "MP3s of the Day" email newsletter is so worth it, for little gems like this.

PLUS, when I went to stream the track (it's not downloadable, unfortunately, I'd sure like it on my iPhone), I noticed this quote from TVOTR's Dave Sitek in the band's bio: "A lot of bands have something to say," explains TV On The Radio producer/multi-instrumentalist David Sitek. "We have something to ask."

Brilliant.