ITP V.05 DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: "DIG"

ITP V.05 DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: "DIG": A quick review of the music documentary DIG. DIG chronicles the rise of the Pacific Northwest 90's retro rock scene. DIG features a sweltering rivalry between the Johnstown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. Upon first screening of this movie, I must say, I absolutely HATED both bands, the Dandy Warhols and the Johnstown Massacre.I HATE that retro rock shit, garage band rehash crap. These bands could be right out of the 60's (Stones, Beatles ect.)..
Once I got past the my lack of musical interest the movie compelled me like a driver watching a car wreck. Both bands (The Dandy Warhols and the Johnstown Massacre) get signed, the Johnstown Massacre to Interscope, and the Dandy Warhols to a major label (forgive me I forgot which one).Both bands, long time scenester freinds struggle with the expectations of the music industry and how to adapt with out self destructing..
"We're the most well adjusted band in America"-Dandy Warhols lead singer
Of course the major difference between the two bands The Dandy Warhols and the Johnstown Massacre is one band is clearly on the road to self destruction, and the other has adapted, being well adjusted. The Johnstown Massacres vocalist is the most compelling character in DIG, for his manic depressive behavior charateristics, industry rebellion and untimate self destruction. As "difficult" as Anton Newcomb is, he is a mastermind and no dummy, and his failure is his own intent....Newcomb states in DIG "I have no problem with people making money off our music, it's just that I'm the letter writer and they are the mail man" (or something like that..) as Newcomb rightfully reffered to the music industry metaphorically as a "mafia".
The AOR execs suck both bands off, to the point that no one, including the bands crash course in music industry 101 are naive anymore. An interesting statistic pops up during DIG: Nine out of TEN bands FAIL, 85 to 90% of all records recorded on labels NEVER recoup.In essence the music industry is the only "business" that has that high percentege of failure rate and now you wonder why these same music industry execs cry record labels are no longer making money. LOL..All of this was BEFORE NAPSTER.
The Johnstown Massacre, lead by singer Anton Newcomb, even though the better band musically, self destruct from drugs habits, personality disorders, strife and onstage fights within the band. The Dandy Warhols became HUGE in Europe (Europe is always ahead of America in music, art and culture) thanks to a commercial featuring one of thier tunes, and well, they were more well adjusted, (but not a better band than the Johnstown Massacre) now with families and houses..
To Anton Newcombs credit, he and the Jonestown Massacre started the whole Pacific Northwest (Oregon) retro rock scene, and he was a little a head of his time. Of course this retro crap they play on the radio (The Strokes) are a direct descendant and influence from Newcombs The Johnstown Massacre (and perhaps the Strokes are a commercial and generic replacement)... I have a bit of respect for the manic Anton Newcomb of the Johnstown Massacre, he wanted no part of the trendy music industry mafia, and while he could have behaved, Newcomb continues to release, record, and tour independently, a coup de ta on the industry within in itself..No failure there.
Perhaps the standard industry practices are what kills the artists and the industry can't just blame downloading, it's the way the industry is set up, with it's hyperbole of crap that has killed music as we know it... Good movie, check out DIG for your self.
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-