The Strike
A Conscience Left To Struggle With Pockets Full of Rust (Johanns Face)
by Austin Nash
Whatever happened to the days when it was beyond most bands to be able to produce a CD? Is this attainability and fortuitous expansion of expression really to our benefit? Even ten years ago, a band just plain old had to be good to get out there. That’s what musical superheroes were superheroes for, because they had IT. It’s easy to call the media assholes when we have to look at OJ’s stinky old shoes again, look at bad art in magazines, see dime a dozen shitty movies by post-pulp Tarantino, receive third-class direct marketing mail in the form of ValuPak coupons, spit at the tabloids which invade peoples lives with no remorse or morals, or overhear a sister watching reruns of Friends between the constant bombardment of commercials selling useless shit. But I also think the Kinks summed it up when they said Give The People What They Want. All of this bullshit exists as a poor reflection of our society. It’s all about money and people are piling it up. If we will pay for it, they will take a shit in a box and sell it. Don’t forget to pick up your own wad of Sidewalk Chalk bubblegum. It’s a leftover from an R&D; project seeking a quick and easy plug for their own dike.
So who is really the stupid asshole here? Your Aunt Frieda watching the investigation of that “hot little girl” murder on the news and secretly loving it? My grandmother reading the Star ? Your girlfriend taking in a few hours of Mars Attacks ? Who the hell knows. Just as with the other enterprises, when it comes to the music industry as it exists, we are all responsible.
I say LET’S TAKE BACK THE FUCKING AIRWAVES! FILL THE DUMPSTERS WITH THIS STUFF AND KICK THE ASSES OF THE NEXT BEER-SLOT BAND WE SEE. HOLLER “GET A JOB” AT A HAIR FARMER PICKING HIS AX ON THE “BERKLEE BEACH,” WAITING THREE MORE MONTHS FOR HIS CHANCE TO SUCK! JUST FLAT OUT REFUSE THIS CRUDDY VOLUME-IS-BETTER-THAN-QUALITY GAMBIT. PISS THROUGH THE HOLE OF YOUR MOST LOATHED MONEY BURNING PURCHASE AND FLIP ‘EM THE GOD-DAMNED FINGER!
The point is that any band, no matter how noble their cause, should take a good listen to what they do, compare it to the things they really love about the bands they really love, and see if they need to start over or get day jobs. Live with your paintings for a while and think it over. Have some fucking dignity. Oh, by the way, this all started out as a review of a band called The Strike and their new release A Conscience Left to Struggle with Pockets Full of Rust (I can see where the name came from) on Johanns Face. Nothing personal against these guys, I wrote the review first and then just picked one out. I imagine being on Johanns Face is fun, I’d rather have Johann (assuming Johann is a “she” of the species) on my face remembering to hold my nose to it all. Join me brothers, leave behind the Jerry Rice Breathe Rite Nasal Strip of stinky poop rock and let’s take that fuckin’ hill .
