Hehe, well, I am directly related to the band, so you can roll your eyes forward in the face of truth.

As per yer note about being "high up enough" its not actually true. We started playing in January 2004. We are all unknowns. Abbey learned the drums to join the band so she is a miracle kid. Our bass player Lee Moretti is just out of high school. Its a miracle that we are on the grammy ballot at all, and anyone that would listen to the songs we play would know that we're not about popping boners or about performing to computers or singing lines written by a team of songwriters.

The point is that we are a real band, trying to win a real grammy, and if you don't want to see all the regular old marketed promoted produced music in the list of nominees, vote for Hooker Street Band.

Is that too much or too wrong to ask?

I'll listen to it and if I believe your music is good enough I'll vote.

But I kind of resented the use of "If you want to break the music industry do THIS!!!" when in all honesty you are after more votes for your band. I could do that.. "IF YOU WANT TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF MANUFACTURED BANDS, BUY MY ALBUM". But it's self serving.

**Edit**

I listened to some of your stuff and it's well done, but very normal for my tastes. If you did get big then it wouldn't even hiccup the industry, never mind shake it.

It's very american pop music. Do I think it's worth a grammy? Not really, but neither are most bands who get them.

Yeah, I dunno if its worth a grammy. I'm simply looking at the spread of opportunities that have been presented to me, and going for this one. I know you can respect that.

If you think the songwriting and the performances are "very normal", I'd be very interested in a list of what you would consider "great" or maybe just a list of what you've paid the outrageous $16.99 for.

Regardless, if you vote for Hooker Street Band, its a vote for honesty, its a vote for New York and New England, and its a vote for real live music. And if you think any marketing isn't self serving, ummm...read the news!

Peace Keef,
Peace All

I think you miss my point, I meant stylistically very normal. You are a good band for what you do, but what you do isn't my bag, yeah?


Whether I vote or not all four of those things will continue... I'm sure there are other artists up for the grammy that are "real live bands" too.


Oh yeah, I promote as much as anyone, but NOT nefariously. I DON'T do a DJ Dangermouse and tell people to download my album because it makes you anti-establishment.

Promote till you're blue in the face, it's fine by me but if you use underhand tactics by implying that voting for you is "fighting the big fight" then I'm not going to like it because it's deliberately manipulative.

Anyway, aside from that good luck with your band and I hope you manage to succeed.

Gotcha.


Including Al Green with his comeback album. I'd vote for him if I could.


I suppose it'd be easier for you to understand if you met me, and looked in my eye. My message is not about who you are if you listen to my music. You are you. I cannot change that. My message is about sincerity. If you found it disconcerting that I intruded on your thread to try to get people with influence to vote for the underdog, I'm sorry. Let me make that more clear:

I'm sorry for barging in on your thread!

As for being anti-establishment...I don't feel I'm anti-establishment, I'm for anti-exploitation. I'm for changing the titty shots and airbrushed photos into images of people emoting and playing their instruments from their heart. I want people to respect and cherish sincerity. I believe that music is about being honest. Its about recognizing that the music industry's psychological manipulation with their "love me" lyrics and their constant -0.5db blaring of 1-6-4-5 is NOT NEW.

Just because the record companies were able to take advantage of the free loving artists and leverage all the people stapled to the feeding TUBE doesn't mean that performers cannot actually explore MUSIC in the main stream. How hard would it be to get the message to recording artists? How hard would it be to tell them, don't go back to the one there. Stay out just a little longer? Don't just feed the diabetic sugar because it tastes good. Nourish their body and mind with a decent meal.

Unfortunately, selling the sick their poison makes the money.

All I can do is travel far from the one in the pre-chorus, play the occasional diminished chord, and sing from my heart. I hope you, and everyone else, recognize that as a step in the right direction. I'm hoping it doesnt take a boatload of $$, a throng of shark producers, studio musicians, Reason, and a sly marketing team to get recognized for making music I feel is true.

It seems that the record industry aims to cordon off the channels of "truth" so they can continue to be paid for poison (or motley crue). I dont think thats right. I have been given the chance to circumvent the guarded media-stream and I hope that anyone out there will help me to bust it open for all those bands who want to sell IN.

So here we go again: Vote to nominate Hooker Street Band for a grammy.

Every sincere musician who refuses to sell out, take this chance with us, because we stand for you. We're the nobody band who loves to play. We've been lucky and we need your help. We don't want to upset you, or change you, or label you, or give you your identity. We just want to make good music for you.

Help us tell everyone.


Thanks! You and all our Moms, Dads, friends, and fans are in total agreement

Love,
HSB

See what I mean...

I can see how you'd interpret that one line out of context, but removing all the rest of my sentiments is whats deliberately manipulative. If you are a songwriter Keef, you should keep in touch because if I have anything to say, and you are as honest as you purport, we'll be friends. Otherwise, why try to spoil what you advocate? This isnt a marketing scam, I'm sitting here in from of the computer right now. I'm a real guy with a heart and lots of love. I don't want to see artists shunned because they dont have a bankroll and they don't sugar coat their expression. Whats so hard to understand?

I agree..

But if you were to put, "I'm a real guy with a heart and lots of love. We're a real band and we're doing it real, have a listen and if you like us support us because we're doing this OUR way and your support will be appreciated". it would feel better, y'see. I know that was your message, but it comes across a little incorrectly with what you've written.

Anyway, as to me being a songwriter... erm... I *used* to write "songs" now I kind of do more insane stuff. My first solo album came out a couple of months back
http://www.n5md.com/disco_template.php?catno=124

But it might be a bit too off the wall for your tastes.

I quite like it actually. I'm upset that the second song fades out right when the cool beat kicks in. I like the dirty sound, and the general ambient wash and rippling effect of the synth. Its a nice groove, and it doesnt get boring, you seem to vary the pattern consistently while keeping within certain constraints that let a listener know its the same piece. I'd like to hear some of your past "songs" are they available?

Well those are just samples from the album, not the full tracks.

There's a full (low bitrate) version of the track "Betty Swollocks" if you look under my avatar.

There's also a full 20 minute track and live set available on www.keefbaker.co.uk