Joe Shapiro

At this point brother I'm just going to agree to disagree. I was once 19 years old playing music and I know where your mind is. Best Wishes Man.

Do you think you can just be an elitist jerk off the bat? Naw man you gotta earn that shit son! You got a long career ahead of you! Don't burn your bridges before you leave the garage. Would your opinion of Fuzz change if they signed you? My guess is yes. Stop being a crybaby.

your simple critiques of my band aren't what this is about man. Critiques are delivered to a party in the hopes they will use it to improve. No critiques were delivered to me. A stab was burried in your bio. Like you i'm a dick. i like arguing and talking shit. Unlike you i bring it to the source.

Conflict is just a kick once in a while. I'm sick of this minipop loves audrye sessions loves poor bailey we're one big happy sf scene that sounds the same bullshit. I want some Brian Jonestown massacre hates Dandy Warhols shit. That's more fun, far more interesting, and usually results in better music.

I like your new slogan. Agreed. I would add that The Stones are disgustingly overrated (in comparison.)

rock.

I am done preaching to you. It is a waste of my time. Good luck to you in your musical career. You will need it. This is an industry based on relationships. I feel like our debate was fun, civil, and friendly but I think you upset some other people way more than me. In fact I was never upset but I can't call off my dogs, and they are upset. They speak for themselves and good luck with them. They are some unreasonable fucks that you only want on your side in life.

Johnny Genius
Maldroid. Pailboy. Royalty.

"true artists are usually viewed as snobby, elitist jerks by non-artists" - or "Asshole." I get that all the time. You do the math. Since Maldroid is my artistic vision, and it's my vision you seem bent on attacking since someone promised you a record deal and you didn't get it let me leave some notes. #1 i've been 'promised' many record deals over the course of my career. One has panned out. lesson? don't cry about it. Especially in todays world. You barely need one. #2 if your artistic vision is limited to the sound of your music, you've got a long road. Just cuz someone called me a musician once doesn't mean that's all i ever was and all i'll ever be.

There is more to being a great band than just writing and recording a great song. Recorded music is a 60-70 year old invention. It was never the end all say all and it is suffering. music is not dying, it's changing. You know what died (initially) when the record came out? Touring.Why go out and see that big band down at the copacabana when i can have a freaky tiki party at my house and put on the record? Mucisians were terrified! That trend reversed itself in the end and big selling bands did just fine on the road while the record labels fucked them in the ass. The mid-level player however was just about extinct. If you weren't famous, you weren't selling tickets.

My point in this is that music will never die. It's ingrained in our psyche. Recorded music had a good 60-70 year run and it's pretty fucked right now. That dosen't mean music will die out. Show attendance is up. The problem amigo is that there are hundreds of thousands of bands. How will you stick out? You're already a proven dick, you're ugly, and you've got a bad case of false genius (at least until proven otherwise.) I've already heard the strokes. even fabrizzio's sick of that shit, and i don't think we need a another Velvet Underground rip off. I could use a good dose of *new* early rock n' roll to walk much to slow too (cuz i love that shit!), but how long can that gimmick work before the kids realize that shit already happened? Maybe you're new stuff will be more impressive. I hope so. The pots already bubbling and Oakland can use more great acts to help that shit boil.

You speak of using gimmicks to sell a band. Like playing old blues progressions and calling it the new rock? Speaking of which... I'd like to talk about a band called the Beatles. You may have heard of them. Before they came to america, they crafted their sound in clubs in germany and began developing their sound and LOOK. Contrary to popular belief the Beatles had a lot to do with the fashion they brought to the stage and the world. They wanted to look sharp and original so they stood out in peoples heads (probably a good idea early on when most of their set was covers.) They also helped create some of the most cutting egde album covers for the time, were some of the first to experiment with music video (and even full length music movies with 'soundtrack records') In short, they put a face to rock n' roll. It was no longer simply a sound on the radio.

Sounds a whole lot like everything we do. Nobody came to a meeting and told us how to look. We wear suits because they look sharp. We wear brown suits because they stick out in a crowd and nothing is more embarrassing than an egotistical, 19 year old hack getting his ass beat by a dude in a brown jacket and gold ascot. Last i checked, suits don't sell rock show tickets. the band does. I like fashion. I designed our look. I did it because i like to do it. Same with our movies. Our videos. Our Music. Our Lives. Shit we design, make and press all our own merch too. Is that a gimmick? Just because i am paid to be a musician does not mean it is my only artistic interest or endeavor. I created this project in such a way that i would get to explore all the artistic things i find interesting and fly it under one flag called maldroid. I have a label. I can pay someone else to do it. I choose not to. I do it for the same reason i make music. i like it.

If you don't like our music, i can understand and accept that. While i write in such away that i hope is appealing to the majority, i don't plan to please everyone. If you find it over-produced and radio ready, it's because we wanted it that way. it's also because we recorded it that way ourselves. Good or bad, we're to blame there. If you find it too catchy, that's because it is. People who have never heard or seen us can come to a show and sing along. that's the point. you list yourself as a 'Pop' band. News flash: POP is short for POPULAR. Remember 'I wanna hold your hand' ? Doesn't get much more simple than that does it? didn't need a clever analogy or confusing chord progression to sell that one did it? I've written a 1000 sad self indulgent songs. That's easy friend. In my eyes the most difficult challenge is the one the beatles mastered. Writing a simple, straight forward pop song with a great melody and universal appeal. And doing it again without copying yourselves. I don't think we've done that yet. We've come close, but if there's one thing we ARE doing right it's not copying ourselves.

Look man. I'm sure you've got a future here. Pull your head out of your ass and do something about it instead of bitching. The music industry is just that. an industry. it's a business. It exists to make money off of you and your art. If you're lucky, you get to play without compromise. I remember being 19 and thinking the merit of my talent was enough to conquer the world. It's not. There's more talented people who are more driven and busting twice as much ass perfecting their craft out there. The best you can do is bend the business model to a shape you like and roll with it. And for the record, that doesn't mean you have to compromise your sound. I've never compromised my vision for anyone. I give a fuck if you dig my shit. I wrote it that way cuz i like it. It just so happens so does the radio. So does television. So does the internet. So do the 1000 people who sold out the mezzanine last saturday. This is the second band i've been as lucky with. You're still working on a second song that doesn't sound the same as your first, so quit acting like this is a competition. We're not even in the same league. (yet)

You'll learn quick it's small world this music thing. Quit pissing in your pond. There's some older wiser fish swimming around that could probably help you survive. Whether you dig the pattern of their crusty ass scales or not. Don't be so quick to get caught.

rock.
Ryan Divine

Finally! We've been waiting for a band to beef with! But, you may want to put up some (finished) songs, get some fans and play some shows to make it at least a bit more fair...

In spite of all the mud slinging, I thought your stuff was OK after Scott recommended you guys even though both songs sounded the same to me. Just keepin' it real, thought you might respect that.

I gotta hand it to you, facing off in your own backyard takes some balls! Best of luck.

Word.

-J

Hey your band sounds great! Why do you come across as such a snobby, elitist jerk? Good luck with that kind sir!

My response to your post on my page posted on Nov 13, 4:02 pm.

I think you got my meaning wrong when I stated "I make music for others to enjoy, not just me and my exclusive click." - Me.

What I am saying is this. I don't make self-indulgent music for a small number of exclusive music snobs. Been there and done that. I make music for the pure enjoyment of it all, just like you. Anyone who has a creative personality, be it in visual art, film, theater, dance, music or any other outlet, starts out creating because they have to. Sometimes what is made is good but often (at least for me) it is not. Making music for others to enjoy does not necessarily bring integrity into question.

I have found over time that focusing my creativity into music that is appealing to a larger majority of people is just more....well...appealing. Three reasons why:

1.It leads to larger shows for my band = Fun, Travel, and Money

2.More sales of merchandise = my main monetary income comes from my creative outlet,I don't have to get a crap job, and I can continue to just be creative.

3.Major record companies, independent labels, private investor's, booking agents and other random sponsors take interest in what you are doing because they can easily make money from your fans = "Living The Dream"

You obviously have a desire to be "signed" to a record label. Let me make something very clear to you. Even the coolest independent record labels want you to appeal to a large number of listeners. Maybe not on the "Backstreet Boys" level, but they are not interested in you making music based on your influences, just to make some music you think "sounds good". If you don't agree then you are going to have a hard time getting any record company, label, private investor or anything of the sort to give you any support monetary or otherwise.

Unlike the "Backstreet Boys", me and my fellow conspirators of sound waves and rhymes; write, record, produce, and play our own music. The one thing I take from the afore mentioned horrible musical group is this...I have been in many bands that have had rabid fans. The fans are buying into much more than just the music. They want the whole package. The music, sadly, is not selling anymore. The new music fans want an all access pass into the style, image, and lifestyle of the bands they support. This is also why in Maldroid, Royalty and Pailboy we have made videos to put a face and image to the music. We also create unique visual artwork to create a depth to each project and it respective world. So I have to believe that if a fan is only a fan of my bands music, my band won't make it very far in the future.

I am happy to hear you are working on some new material for us potential fans to check out. You guys are talented and I look forward to hearing what you come up with. Don't worry about writing the stupid silly three note infectious hooks I complained about in previous postings. Maldroid has that niche locked down. Just keep doing what you do and best of luck. I will leave you with what I have been telling Panda for months now.

No one will do it for you. No matter what anyone tells you it is all on you to make it happen. Don't wait around for label's, managers, agents...don't wait around for anything!!! Take control into your own hands. Record it yourself, get someone to do it for you if you don't know how, but make it happen. Waiting for something or someone else when you are ready to be creative will only lead to your artistic demise.

Johnny Genius
Maldroid. Royalty. Pailboy.

p.s. Pop stands for Pissed Off Punks. Right?

Will you be my "frenemy"? You obviously don't like my ideas, or my band, but I kinda like your ideas and your band. In my lame opinion your music would be better if it had "hooks" for the ordinary human to sing along with. Complex melody's are cool and all but maybe you could try to give the rest of us bad singers some Ya's or Oh's or Hey's to sing along with. I make music for others to enjoy not just me and my exclusive click. Maybe that's lame but it makes me happy when someone else gets pleasure from music I made. Treasure hunts may be sickening to you but it is engaging for our fans. Call it "gimmicks" if you want, I call it giving a fan something to sink their life into. Last I checked we have a bunch of fans and y'all ain't even trying to get your music out to the people who like it (LIKE ME!!). My greatest fear is you are not just dull, but that you may cause dullness in others if you happen to influence anyone in the world of music. Your personality is is so charming you won't even have to try to make it in the music biz, everything will just fall into your lap. It is a giant industry where no one knows anyone else and you can easily slip into stardom. Good luck with that. Keep up the good work.

Frenemy for life,
Johnny Genius
Maldroid. Royalty. Pailboy.

p.s. here is a mix tape of some angry music for you to be upset to.