tl;dr tl;dr tl;dr tl;dr tl;dr tl;dr tl;dr

what to do? what is to be done?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:39:50 -0400

http://community.livejournal.com/dailygabespam/220521.html

i just read through this post and i’m really bummed. like you guys, i wish i had a perfect solution. but i honestly am at a loss.

on one hand i want to do right by the people who got us to where we are. and on the other hand i want our band to be welcoming and non-discriminating of new fans (after all, i remember being the really geeky and excited kid with a horrible wardrobe waiting behind roseland to catch a glimpse of my idols).

and to make things more complicated, we keep getting busier every day. which of course is a blessing; to have cobras take off in other parts of the world and have to travel there, and do interviews, and get a chance to introduce kids to our band across the globe - it’s a dream. but every day we have less and less free time. less time to devote to people on an individual basis.less time to answer emails. less time to communicate with you guys ( and also less time to devote to our families - this definitely takes a toll on our personal lives as well..) and it sucks to go back to a town and not have the time to hang out with people you know because you have more shit on your plate. but at the same time i want as many people as possible to hear what we do. it’s a beautiful thing to work really hard for something and to get appreciated for it. but i also don’t want to disappoint the people who already have their ears to our wall; who have already been supporting us.

and i guess i’m kind of going in circles.. kind of like all the points being made on the post: they’re all valid, but i cant seem to find the solution. and i certainly don’t have the answer. so please, if you have an idea, help me. and if you think we should just pull the plug , let me know. because i don’t give a shit about having a fan club if our fans are not happy.

if having a fan club is killing what was happening organically on LJ, then maybe it’s not worth it. if both can;t exist, i’d rather have the one that feels more real. the invisible hand of cobra fans.

sorry if this is a bit out there. i’m totally jet lagged and exhausted,…

gabe

Cobragate

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:24:47 -0400

It’s amazing how some people will always automatically assume the worst when things don’t go the way they expect. I’m psyched about this interview coming out, but it’s not like everyone involved doesn’t have other priorities going on in their lives. Rohan has a full-time job. If he was actually getting paid to a do an interview of this magnitude and depth for a print magazine, he’d be working on it daily, and it would still take him two months to get done. He only just finished TRANSCRIBING the interview at the end of last week and sent it to us two days before I had to leave for Japan (which is where I am now and will be until Monday 7/28). So I didn’t get a chance to read it until yesterday. THE INTERVIEW IS 52 PAGES LONG!!! But there is still another part—the interview needs to be edited.

But when I say “edited,” I don’t mean that I am going to go through the interview and take out things I said that make me look bad. (Trust me, I have nothing to hide, and the last thing I’m interested in is pandering to my critics). But right now there are two major issues that need to be dealt with in order to make this a solid, readable interview.

First is the subject of the Millionaires. I think everyone agrees that we don’t want this entire interview to be about the Millionaires, but throughout the course of my conversation with Rohan, they kept popping up. For example here is a question on page 37 (long after we had “finished” with the Millionaires portion of the interview):

Rohan: Alright, I’ve got some “personal questions” from readers.

READER QUESTION: How do you feel about yourself and bands like Millionaires encouraging underage drinking? While recording your new album on Stickam, the amount of wine and drinks present was ridiculous and you said it’s what helps you write and make the music, while teenage girls were typing “more wine,” “give me some of that,” etc. Two of the girls in Millionaires are 19 constantly talking about alcohol and constantly getting fucked up.

It’s annoying to have to talk about the Millionaires again when discussing my views on the “virtues” of getting shit-faced, but I didn’t want to dodge that part of the question. So I addressed it, and also gave my opinion on the Millionaires singing about alcohol. But I think that this portion of my answer should be cut and paste to the beginning of the interview where we get all the Millionaires questions out of the way. Otherwise the interview is repetitive and just annoying to read.

The other problem is that I talk a million miles a minute and I mumble like a motherfucker. So there are parts of the transcription that are simply unintelligible. Rohan obviously couldn’t understand what I was trying to say, and (from reading it) neither can I. So he has to play the audio for me and ask me what the fuck I’m mumbling about with my dumb-ass accent.

I don’t like to do interviews. And not because I don’t have opinions that I like to express. But I just hate repeating myself. It makes me feel rehearsed; like I’m regurgitating from a big bag of bullshit. So I just don’t do it. I’d rather keep it to myself than feel phony. I’d rather put on a funny hat and goof off instead of watering down the things that are valuable to me. So like I said in the interview, this is the only time I will be discussing all these things. So I want it to be right. I think we all would.

The other reason I don’t do interviews is because I don’t think people are interested in the whole story … and unfortunately I’m very long-winded. So there is a natural conflict there. Media only wants a couple sound bites; just some sensationalism to draw eyeballs and sell advertising. I don’t have any adspace to sell. I’m not interested in the drama. I want to paint the whole picture. It’s a picture that the mainstream is not necessarily interested in, but it’s my story. And if I’m going to talk about it, and answer a question, I will answer it fully; give the full context.

But that impulse causes me to not only repeat myself, but speak parenthetically and in tangents. And it makes the interview a tedious read (especially if it’s not punctuated correctly—which it isn’t even close to being yet). This isn’t a simple question-and-answer interview. It’s a story. And it should be written and edited as one. It needs to be labored over with care. So please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

New Blog at gabesaporta.com

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:33:22 -0400

why?

because as much as i like writing, this past week has been really really heavy, and i’m exhausted. so now i just want to post some fun and random stuff. but i don’t want people to have to sift through weird videos of cats playing the piano in order to find a serious thought buried in the haystack. and vice versa, i don’t want people who are looking for some random goofy-gabe stuff to have to scroll through a 13-page essay.

so this blog will stay as is (except i am changing the name to TL;DR). no cobra stuff, no promo, just some “serious” bullshit for when i am feeling inspired, bored, or when i have to take some motherfuckers out. and i am using the name DETOX TO RETOX for the “fun” blog at retox.tumblr.com or gabesaporta.com

so go follow that one because that will be the primary one i will be posting to from here on out. and when i post some tl;dr shit on here, i’ll let you guys know over at the other one. deal? (sorry if this is confusing - it took me a minute to figure out how i was gonna make this work. hope it makes sense)

happy saturday…. but why the fuck won’t it stop raining already?

xoxo

gossip gabe

from Days of War, Nights of Love

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:56:40 -0400

from Days of War, Nights of Love

re-post of comments worth reading (maybe ???)

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:12:00 -0400

[the comments weren’t working so i’m trying to post it again]

[it’s still not working. if anyone has any idea how to fix it, please let me know. in the meantime, you can click on the link at the bottom that says “COMMUNITY PAGE” to post and see all comments]

[i fixed it! god, html is complicated for us old-folk. ;) comments are working. and i’m really sorry that this tl;dr. if you want the funny shit, just scroll to the bottom]

__________________________________________________________________________________

Trey

Gabe.

Here’s what I just witnessed through reading the entire blog and replys because yes, I really did give two shits why this was an issue:

You defend Millionaires. —> People present legit arguments with honest questions. —> Using sarcasm you dodge each serious question and counter with ad hominems that answer nothing and only further present you in a very fake and arrogant light.

Let’s get down to the meat; street cred is a joke, right? Deep down at least. When you’re in a struggling band it’s everything, when you’ve gotten that deal and those numbers at the bottom of your P&L’s aren’t in the red anymore, it’s a bunch of shit.

It’s funny, you’ve boxed yourself in the worst of corners, having to defend your current actions against those you used to support you no less. Hilarious in every single way. Sure, you may not be sweating bullets over there, but it sure must sting knowing you just spit on your own past catalogue and not only yours but countless others. Those records, lyrics, everything — they now mean nothing. Congrats.

And trust me, I’m definitely not a bitter fan. I would choose NFG, Fenix, or hell, even Home Grown over Midtown any day of the week. So it’s nothing personal, it’s just funny to see someone who used to work so hard for that “scene cred” throw it all away trying to get the new “scene cred v.2009” by selling. the. fuck. out.

Everyone would probably respect you more if you just admitted that it was, in fact, all about the $$$.

Oh, and Cobra sucks too. I “WOULD” sign off here saying something like: Fuck you Gabe. But I already think you know you’re a loser now. Just look at the backlash, it’s like Christmas in July, and we’re only two weeks early.

Gabe Saporta
like i said, if you still think i’m dodging after the interview, i’ll come back on here and reply to every comment.
when midtown started we were hated by the scene that came before us.

we were a threat to their establishment .

then i hated the bands after me, because they were a threat to me. thats when i was a real loser . and i did lose.

but i got another shot. and i’m blessed for it.

you are the one who is about to lose now. your age is over. but enjoy your christmas.

also don’t forget, i never made music for you. i made it for myself. and it’s sad to me that it means nothing to you now. i feel bad for you. but i will never forget what it means to me. and you will never fully comprehend. the same way you didn’t before.

and i didn’t box myself in a corner. you guys came on the attack. and yeah i’m in teh corner. but trust me i dont go down that easy. and if i have to go down, i’ll take a piece of yoru face in my mouth with me.
xoxo

Trey
First off: To take a little time to actually write out a response is commendable on your part, and I say that with no sarcasm. Now that I see I’m talking to someone who isn’t “above” replying, let’s start a real dialogue…

On the subject of the Millionaires, you’ve already said a few times you’ll get to that more in that ap interview, so I’ll leave that alone, because truthfully, what’s become more important here isn’t you (or anyone else) having to defend your musical tastes, but the attitude you’ve got for everything that “isn’t” what’s hot at this very singular and unfortunate moment in music.

Please specify what you meant by saying that “my age is over.” Was it a shot at the underground music of our yester-years? Or a personal attack on my inability to change with and accept the current times? Both would be the wrong way to go, not only with me but anyone else you find yourself having this exact same conversation with. Who am I to you anyway? Nobody, I know this fully well. But something tells me you’ll be having this debate for a long time with many different people.

To spit on that “golden age” of pop-punk in the early 2000’s would be a pretty stupid thing to do, which you’ve already done once now. I would advise to refrain from doing it in the future, because those kids who used to rock blink hoodies and Tom DeLonge signature strats and could recite every lyric from every band on the Drive-Thru roster are the same kids who are keeping these indie labels afloat today. The kids in their early 20’s who can smell bullshit a mile away. Really it’s comedic; we hated the Britneys and NSyncs and turned to the underground indie scenes, we sharpened our sences and disregarded all the mainstream product for garbage — now a few years later, it’s those very indie labels we helped build that is putting out the worst of the worst because they see the lure of the quick buck. Isn’t that what distinguished the majors from the real passion at the indies before the .com downloads-age? Now what’s left to seperate you from every other suit? Only you know. But point of advice: this Millionaires fiasco and with Lyman having to constantly defend the Brokencydes and Starrs on Warped is only blurring the lines more and more.

To also assume I’m not with the times? Psh. Come on. Lady GaGa is one crazy ass bitch, but she can sing her ass off and has some catchy tunes. Not to turn this into who’s better than who, but Wayne is one of the hottest things to come along in years, whether you want to interpret that from a talented POV or just a marketing POV, that’s up to you, you’d be right in either case. The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs record is fantastic. So is the new Chariot. I’ve got range, I’ve got tastes for today’s music. But to assume that I’m not “with the times” based on my attack on the Millionaires and you selling out by your co-signing them, well, let’s just say you’ll be having to defend that argument against TONS and TONS of other people as well.

Finally, I respect that you said you didn’t make music for me. That’s how it SHOULD be. You SHOULD only make music for yourself. At the end of the day, I truly respect that idea, even if I don’t fall head over heels for Midtown’s catalogue. But the dilemma is this: You say you made music for you and not the masses, yet now, years later, you are a walking ad for this “dance-pop, crunkcore, myspace” wave of bands who are just trying to “out-color” the last by wearing the most neon clothing. So is it the chicken or the egg? Did the trends change with you, or did you purposefully change with the trends?

If this is honestly still you writing music for yourself first and foremost, then God speed. It just seems a little ‘plastic’ to me. In 3-5 years when the scenes change again, and actually playing instruments ::gasp!:: comes back into style and starting to dress like pirates or whatever the kids turn to becomes cool, don’t be surprised when your fans raise a few eyebrows to catching you wearing an eyepatch on stage along with everyone else.

Bottom line: It doesn’t matter if you grew up in the 70s, 80s, 90s, or even 50 years from now. BAD music = BAD music. To try and convince otherwise by playing the “get with the times” card is just … I don’t know … sad?

“XOXO”

Gabe Saporta

sorry that for my mistakes below—I’m in a bit of a rush, and thanks for what you said above. Here are some responses:

when i said “your age is over” i am not making a reference to your tastes in music, nor am i implying you “get with the times.” by using the word “age” - i am being a bit metaphorical (as in “the dawning of the age aquarius”). i’m glad you have diverse musical tastes, but by “age” i am referring more concretely to the “scene” you grew up in - the one that you are passionate about - the one that helped you form your ideas and principles.

my scene died a long time ago. and it was really painful, but then i realized that the “scene” wasn’t an end within itself, but just a means to an end. what end? my personal betterment. (and when i say “personal” i don’t mean monetary or material. rather, my understanding of who i am and how i fit into the world). music helped give me that. and i know what your response will be: “well, if you got that from music, how can you be helping a band that isn’t contributing to that at all?”

to answer that, you need look no further than to your own musical tastes:
do all the bands you listen to help you discover more about yourself? of course not.

there is a place for everything. for every kind of music, and every kind of message. and as the world changes and cultures and opinions and tastes change, the popularity of certain ideas and art will change as well. (don’t forget, Michael Moore was booed off stage after winning an award for “bowling for Columbine” when he spoke ill of our invasion of Iraq. 2 years later, he was hailed a hero).

will every kid have the fortune to find music that can change him/her?
of course not.
(and even if they stumble across it, they may not be at the point in their lives where they are open to such messages—are we to call these kids ignorant? or pass judgment on them simply because we think our eyes are more open than theirs?……
maybe our eyes need to open a little more to realize that passing such judgment is not only futile, but detrimental to our personal growth)

is it my responsibility to only like “music that matters” because i’ve made “music that matters?”
FUCK NO.

i had many revelations about myself. and i documented them. and they are there forever (well, for as long as we still have technology) for anyone who wants or is interested in such a message. but then what? i had my revelation. i climbed the highest mountain i could and screamed it to the world. and now? would you like me to become a martyr for that message? would you like me to become a martyr for the “scene?”

i’ve seen many of my favorite bands try to adjust to changing times, and make records that weren’t really them in order to try and keep up. and they kept grinding at it, and slowly the enthusiasm and passion began to disappear. At least i had the good taste to leave midtown untarnished (or as close to it as possible—after all, we did play on the beach in the real world). and at least Midtown left behind a good legacy.

so again, what do you expect of me?

what do i expect of me?

should i have kept grinding midtown throughout my 20s? playing to an audience that no longer existed? filling myself with defeat and regret and frustration and jealousy? would i have been more “true” then? is that your definition of “not selling out?”

i had another revelation: do not confuse great art with the person who “created” it.

when you make something great, you are just a vessel for it. because great art is never created, it is born. it comes from an energy that already existed before the artist. the artist is fortunate to come in contact with that energy and thus gives birth to it. and i was blessed for a moment in my life to be a vessel, to be consumed by that energy (or at least i felt as if i was). but then after it was done, after the energy, that “greatness,” passed through me, i was left with a sense of emptiness. A hollow shell. and i tried as hard as i could to cling to it, and I became depressed because I couldn’t.

and then I realized how horribly self-indulgent that was. I should have been grateful to have had an opportunity to connect with something that helped me grow while following my dream. so forgive me if I’m not passionate about your emotions, or if i don’t let you see enough of mine to pass your “passion” quota, but i learned that my emotions are not so unique. and for me to equivocate my PERSONAL emotions, for the energy i can connect with is tremendously self-righteous and will only limit my ability to connect with that energy. (Sorry if that is a bit vague and hippie-ish )

the wonderful thing about music in particular, is that it’s a highly social art form. the audience can participate, and thus they can be in touch with and transfer the same energy that the artist was in touch with. a show is just a transference of energy through music. you give it to the band, the band feels it, the energy grows, and they give it back to you. and THAT is your scene. it’s not one thing you can point to, but it’s a network of bands and kids who all feel the same thing, the same energy, the same emotions…… and it’s slipping through your fingers.

i know how it feels to go see your favorite band - the one you grew up listening to, the one that changed your life - to go see them, and the audience is half the size of last time you had see them. and the excitement is gone, and it doesn’t feel the same. and i know the frustration of being at that show, while down the street, NewHotBand just finished playing a sold-out show and there’s steam coming out the doors as the hordes of sweaty kids (most of whom you’ve never seen at ANY show before) exit the building. it’s a shitty feeling. but it’s part of life. and it’s not the only time it will happen to you.

i owe many things to many people. a lot of love that i’ve been given, that i work effortlessly to give back. but i don’t owe anybody the right to dictate to me what i should and shouldn’t like. and if i like something, i should not be afraid to admit it. i don’t care how unpopular it is. and i should not have to justify it, but….. what i value most in this world is freedom. and like i said, if you try to shove me in the corner i will try to eat your face off to get out. i may not win, but i will try.

Also, here are a couple points other :
no disrespect to blink-182, I like those guys a lot, but the fact that you lumped midtown in with them, shows that you really have a limited grasp as to what midtown was and where it came from. I never had an anybody-signature strat. Even if fugazi had made one, I wouldn’t have bought it.

In terms of the trends: the chicken or egg question is hard to answer for anyone or for any trend. But I know for a fact that before cobras started, the majority of kids were wearing all black to shows. I am definitely not saying I started the bright colors trend, but I definitely never followed the “scene” there. I mean, I looked to influences from electroclash to hip-hop culture (particularly the Japanese interpretation of street wear), and I mish-moshed different things, but it wasn’t something happening in “the scene.” Besides, the new bands can have the neon hoodies – I’m over it anyway. I started a new trend. It’s called HoboSexual .… . now how do I get my computer to make that little TM sign….. ?

Incidentally, when midtown started, we purposefully dressed nice because everyone was trying to look so “punk” in the scene we had come from before. I got a ton of hate for wearing a scarf on the back of “save the world.” And kids called us abercrombie sell outs. It’s easy to see the past through rose-colored glasses (especially when you weren’t there), but it wasn’t so peachy.

I’ve always gone against the grain, and I’ve always gotten shit for it. But it always made me a stronger person. And more importantly, a freer person.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, but let me just address your “bottom line:” BAD music = BAD music.

Really? That’s it? That’s your bottom line? I’m sorry— I don’t mean to be rude. But I don’t think there’s such thing as bad music. There’s a lot of music I THINK is bad, (in fact, most of it). But to make a sweeping declaration that there is some objective notion of BAD MUSIC is not only short-sighted, but also kind of silly. That’s why people have tastes, so that they can figure out for themselves what they think is bad and good. Who are you to tell them? And especially, who are you to tell the people from the 70s, 80s, 90s AND 50 years from now what is bad music?

I think a lot of the kids who are freaking out about their “scene” dying, (and trying to hold me accountable because I “signed” the millionaires) fail to see that there are many other scenes out there. Your scene is not the only one left. If it dies, don’t worry, many more will come. The times they are a changin’ brother. And no, I don’t think that the electronic scene is the next one to rise (that scene is dying too). I’m not sure what the next scene will be, but I have a feeling that it will be a vicious one … and that it will devour us all.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxooxox

**********************sorry, i’m very long-winded.

here’s a short one that’s more fun because this kid is the ultimate douchebag.

Tom Gooding
THIS ISN’T FUCKING ABOUT WHAT MUSIC GABE LIKES. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT BANDS HE GIVES OPPORTUNITIES TO.

And yes. He does owe us something. We put him where he his. And he his shitting on us by signing Millionaires and not The Graduate, or Houston Calls, or any of the other hardworking bands literally killing themselves to make music.

Gabe, for the record, you’re a piece of shit.

Gabe Saporta
tom for the record, go fuck yourself. i don’t owe you shit.
send me back your records or merch and i’ll send you your money you dumb fuck.

i definitely owe my success to the people who support me. but if supporting me means i am then beholden to your opinions and rules of what i should and shouldn’t do, i’d rather not have your support. i mean no offense to those who continue to support me. but i got into this so i could be free. free to do what i want for a living. free to fuck up if i want. free to burn it all down. free to start again. and definitely free to like any band, and free to give any band i want “opportunities.” honestly, i think the “opportunities” i’ve given other bands like sing it loud to come on tour with us are bigger than the “opportunity” i’ve given Millionaires. no one has made Millionaires a success. they have to go and do it on their own. they still have to prove themselves. and being signed to Decaydance is DEFINITELY not a one-way ticket to success. (uhhh.. anyone remember October Fall?). YOU are MAKING them famous by talking about them. so again, good work Tom Gooding you dumb-ass piece of shit.

***********PS: since this kid feels very comfortable coming onto my blog to bash me, please feel free to go to his blog and tell him how you feel:

www.absolutepunk.net/m/Tom Gooding

or better yet , send him an email and let him know what a good job he is doing: tgooding@iwu.edu

Sorry for being nasty, but it’s getting ugly out there, and it’s me versus 30 or 40 kids who are trying to take me down. sorry fuckers, not gonna happen. i don’t go out like that.

Is the Money Really that Important?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:52:00 -0400

[edit: ps: it’s kind of crazy how much hate this is inciting. first off, it’s weird that i’m being put into a position of having to defend my musical tastes. secondly, it’s weird that i’m being depicted as some crazy salesman pushing drugs on kids. i barely promote my own band. and it most certainly wasn’t my intention to embark on a big campaign promoting the millionaires. but if you attack me and ask me to explain myself, you know that i will most definitely rise to the occasion. and you will probably still not agree with me afterwards. but the only thing you’ve accomplished in the meantime is drawn a ton of attention to a band you wish would disappear. umm.. good job?

and listen, i may be wrong about my intuitions about the millionaires (and only time will tell this). and my opinions about them would thus no longer hold. and if so, i’d have to admit i was wrong. and you know what? i’d have absolutely no shame in doing so. (i’ve owned up to many worse things than helping a band that doesn’t “deserve” it). but even in this scenario (a worst-case scenario for me) even then — so what? who cares? the world is not created nor destroyed by one band. neither is any scene. neither is any one person’s moral fiber. If you really believed Millionaires were such a threat to “the scene” and such a threat to the moral integrity of the individual, you would just shut up about them. the only thing you are doing is forcing me to go out and defend my stance which is only going to accomplish the OPPOSITE of what you want. It’s pretty insane how a whole group of people can work feverishly and passionately with complete disregard for their intended consequence; fighting with a strategy that is almost in diametric opposition to their desired result.

i mean, i was 11 years old when i heard “Me So Horny” and i never would have heard about 2 Live Crew if it wasn’t for all those people trying to censor them. (saying very much the same things that people complaining about Millionaires are saying today):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Live_Crew#As_Nasty_As_They_Wanna_Be_and_.22Me_So_Horny.22_controversy

“As a result of the controversy, As Nasty As They Wanna Be sold over two million copies. It peaked at #29 on The Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A few other retailers were later arrested for selling it as well.”

so ummm… again…. good job?

anyway, throughout the hate posts, (and the chessey posts where kids quote my own lyrics back to me), there are some valid points being made. and i will try to address all of them when i do the ap interview (without turning the interview into a big forum about Millionaires). if after that, my stance still isn’t clear (and again, you don’t have to like the same things i like, but if you want to keep arguing, i’m game), and if you are still unsatisfied with my answers, and you feel like i am copping out, i’ll come back on here and write a dissertation with a thesis and a bibliography and the whole shebang. i mean i dropped out of school almost 10 years ago now, and i spent a good amount of those years swimming in a sea of vodka, but i think i can remember how to piece a coherent argument together.

this is an open letter between me and a cobra fan regarding the millionaires. i know there was a lot of shit about them last week, and i hope this can shed some light on the situation for anyone who was/is upset.

On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 5:43 PM, <> wrote:

Dear Gabe,I have been loyal fan since the beginning. The first Cobra Starship song I heard was “Hollaback Boy”.I buy your records, I wear your merch, I throw up my fangs.When people diss CS, I always defended you guys, saying how cool your attitude was, and how great it was you just wanted to let people have fun. I supported you when you were Artist of the Week, and when you did a song with Leighton Meester, I thought it was awesome. I told people how messed up it was to not want a band they love to be successful. Sure, I love small venue shows more than anything, but that doesn’t mean I’d take away your chance to headline a stadium tour if the opportunity came along. Even though I personally don’t drink, I had no problem with your partying ways, and I’ve always admired your dedication to the fans.
But when I heard the news that you were listed as A&R for The Millionaires, I lost a lot of my faith and respect in you.It’s not just that their “music” is so bad I can’t even listen to a full preview on Amazon. It’s not just that they’re capitalizing on what’s popular right now, despite having no talent or instruments. But the messages they send are horrifying! I’ve always thought the pressure celebrities have to be role models was unfair, but come on! Do we really need these three girls singing about how they want to be date raped? It’s repulsive.
I understand that (unfortunately) this sad excuse for electronica is in right now, but is the money that may be earned by signing this poor excuse of a band really worth it?
I hope I still have enough respect for you to buy Hot Mess when it’s released.Sincerely, Emily
P.S. You can post this on twitter, I really don’t care. Just as a favor, make sure my last name doesn’t show (I don’t think it does) because it’s very uncommon and I’d rather not be stalked.

——-Original Message——-
From: Gabe ¡Cobras! <gabe@cobrastarship.com>
To:
Sent: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 2:16 am
Subject: Re: Is the money really that important?

trust me, there is absolutely no money in releasing records. i don’t get shit from millionaires. i just stumbled across them and thought they were hilarious and showed it to crush , so they gave me a credit for it—which i thought was very sweet of them. [i’ve passed along a lot of bands to people in the past and never got any recognition for it. not that it [the recognition] really maters. but the money DEFINITELY doesn’t matter because there is none! (incidentally, pete has never seen a dime from us nor from the majority of the decaydance stuff)]
millionaires are a walking contradiction. deplorable in many ways, and empowering in others. the person who just sees the periphery will not get that. but i dug a little deeper. and i understood the joke and thought it was hilarious . they have attitude. and they don’t take themselves too seriously. i’ll take that any day over some kid singing about his girlfriend.
i really appreciate you being a cobra fan for so long. but just because i like something that you don’t shouldn’t make you not like my band. trust me, i’m sure i like a lot of other music you don’t like. it’s sad that that would make you lose respect for me. but i guess i understand. it’s more of a visceral reaction.

___________________________________

fromtogabe@cobrastarship.com
dateWed, Jun 10, 2009 at 3:05 PMsubjectRe: Is the money really that important?

First of all, thank you for answering. It’s stuff like this that gave me respect for you in the first place. You’re right about it being a visceral reaction, I guess I just felt betrayed. But seeing your explanation helps a lot.

I get liking music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, hell that’s why I like you guys! But I feel like bands like you and 3OH!3 at least care a little about the music they make, while The Millioniares just “fuck around on garage band”. And songs about partying can be done a little better than just spelling alcohol.
But you’re right, it’s no reason not to like you. Two of my best friends love the Jonas Brothers, and I can’t stand them, but I’m still their friend. Man, I’m pretty unoriginal with things I hate aren’t I? I was just upset and confused when I first heard the news, but with time, even if I don’t like it, I can come to accept it.
Anyways, thank you very much for your response and for helping me understand. You’re one of my favorite bands to see live (how’s your throat doing?) and if you tour with The Millionaires when you promote Hot Mess? Well, I guess I’ll have to show up late. But the two songs you’ve released so far are awesome and I’d hate to deprive myself of them over something stupid like this. So I won’t.
And thanks for the lesson about the recording industry, sounds like a tough way to make a living. Good thin g I’m studying something practical like screenwriting. :)
Still your fan, Emily
*********************************

MTV.com Article

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:57:51 -0400

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1613153/20090602/cobra_starship.jhtml

i never know if i should be flattered or offended by James Montgomery…

I think he has to be bitchy because he’s a blogger and well, he’s not supposed to really like anything. So he can’t compliment something without shitting on it too. but in my heart of hearts, i strongly believe he BLASTS Cobras while he’s getting shreddy to party.

and uh, ps to Mr. Montgomery: our biggest comedic influences are clearly The State/Stella/Wet Hot American Summer. And trust me, we are not missing any of the cinematic allusions (you missed the Spies Like Us ref in the “doctor, doctor, doctor” bit). I’m telling you man, it’s hard work makin ourselves look dumb. ;)

Nostalgia is the Failure of True Emotion

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:57:51 -0400

holy shit. this is fucking long.

sorry guys. hope you enjoy. good night.

gabe

Ok, here we go.

I’m a bit scared to tell this story because it’s actually pretty fucked, and I’m afraid many of you won’t understand and will think that I’m a TOTAL asshole. But I’ll tell it anyway.

So the Sing it Loud dudes shared a bus with us in the UK and we all got to know each other better (even though they opened the Sassy Back tour in the U.S., it takes a bit for me to actually get to know people. And doing a 2^nd tour, and living on the same bus, definitely helped break more of that ice).

So before I tell this story, here’s some insight about me:

A lot of people say I’m an asshole. And I don’t have a problem with that. But what does it mean? That I’ve got no values??

Naw, man. I do my best to live guided by principles. They’re not always right. And I fuck up. But I’ll be the first to admit my flaws and right my wrongs. And I man-up, look a person in the eye, and apologize to their face. I’ll call you on your shit, you call me on mine. The truth will be somewhere in the middle.

Yeah, I play the douchebag card—and play it to the fullest—but I do it consciously and purposefully because I have to weed people out. I’m an abrasive motherfucker. But I will always tell it to you straight. And some people get offended by my abrasiveness and don’t like what I say and how I say it. That’s OK, but those people and I unfortunately have a hard time getting along. I don’t really have many friends. But the ones I do have are my fucking FAMILY. And we have a trust and a bond that you can’t fuck with. It’s not that everyone else can go fuck themselves, but it’s just that I want to save the best parts of me for the people I truly love.

And no mater what you don’t like about me, no matter what you can say about me, you’ll never be able to say that I’ve stabbed someone in the back. I mean, I’ll stab a motherfucker in the face, but not in the back. You dig?

So yeah, I have opinions on pretty much everything. But I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I don’t really care to discuss them anymore. (Like, I don’t want to get into an argument with you about shit. You may not understand why I do things, but trust me: I do. And I’ve already contemplated and extrapolated all possible scenarios ad nauseum. So trust me, you’re not really gonna hit me with some shit about myself I haven’t yet considered.) And it may not be right for you, but it works for me. And it’s not a perfect philosophy, but I’d say I’m more content than the average person. Somehow, I’ve managed to figure out my own path to navigate in the murky waters of our journey, and I wake up everyday grateful for the clarity that guides me (even when I’m awash in a sea of vodka—which incidentally I’m drinking while I write, so forgive my Dostoevsky-esque pseudo-existentialist ramblings, and let me get to the fucking story already).

So the Sing it Loud dudes are really good kids. And they’re respectful and courteous and unassuming and grateful. And I think they also like our band. And on the Sassy Back tour, Kieran asked me if he could sit down with me and pick my brain a little. And I was flattered, but also a bit apprehensive. I’m not a fucking book. So we talked a little while I was drunk, but I’m pretty sure he thought I was just fucking with him because I was going crazy and hiding everything underneath metaphors. (you gotta dig for the truth man. If it’s just given to you on fine china, you won’t appreciate it). But in the UK, we all talked a lot. And I opened up a bit more.

So one night, a bunch of us are getting ready to crash and get in our bunks. Sick Boy sleeps in the bunk across from me. And he starts telling us about a John Lennon sticker he’s had in his wallet for 10 years. I can’t exactly remember the story, but I think maybe his dad had gotten it in NYC the day after Lennon was shot. The sticker read “Lennon Lives!” And Sick Boy is telling us the story, and I start yelling at him and telling him that nostalgia is the failure of true emotion.

That he’s taken an inherently worthless piece of paper, and attributed emotional significance to it for the past 10 years. And that therefore he’s appropriating his emotions into an inanimate object instead of allowing himself to be a truly feeling person in the present moment. That’s some weird shit right? Go read it again.

It’s a crazy concept. Because it’s only human for us to want to keep a box of memories and pictures and things, and open them back up to have them transport us to that place we were when they were taken. But – and I know this is really fucked up—but I think when you do that, it makes you leave your emotions in the past and precludes you from truly immersing yourself in the present. I think that’s why people get old: Because they’ve left pieces of themselves behind. They forget how to be young because they have become nostalgic about their youth. And on the flip side of the same coin, have been forced to carry around their past baggage heavily on their shoulders. The past shackles us. And living in the present means letting go of the past; and not just letting go/getting through the bad, but forgetting the good as well. So that you may be open to new experiences without a barometer of past happiness; without judging today’s happiness according to past happiness.

And Sick Boy was like WTF?

But my words rang true.

And when he first showed me that sticker I was fucking with him and said “what would you do if tore it up?” And he was like “aw man, I’d fucking kill you.” And I saw that look in his eye, like he would actually throw down if anybody fucked with that sticker. And that’s when I started going off on him:

Nostalgia is bullshit man.

It enslaves you to the past.

Let it go.

Become free today.

I told it to him straight:

You’ll be sad to lose that sticker, but I’ve lost many things I’ve cared about. And now I don’t even remember them. And I’m grateful that I don’t mourn their loss. Especially the material ones. Especially the ones that were really nothing, but I somehow convinced myself held value. Yeah, I was sad when they were gone. But I got over it. And I became stronger. And more capable of true emotion in the present moment. And most importantly, free.

You wanna be free Sick Boy?

Destroy something beautiful.

It’s a lesson worth learning. It’s painful. But it will open new roads to your personal growth.

And I said, “fuck it dude—don’t let me pressure you. I want you to make the decision. I want you to at least feel good about enduring a difficult lesson. So here’s what I’ll do: Let me buy that sticker from you. No pressure, but I’ll give you good money, because I know it’s valuable to you. And you’re getting paid to fucking learn something.”

And right before leaving for the UK, we were in Indiana and I won $3k from these old dudes in a card game who though they were gonna hustle some drunk idiots. (a story for another time). So I had some American money burning a hole in my pocket.

“I’ll offer you $300 for you to let me destroy that sticker. That way at least it might ease the pain of making the decision.”

And he thought about it for a minute

And he said yes.

And I gave him 3 bills and tore “Lennon Lives!” into a million little pieces, threw them out the window; scattered across the highway somewhere between Wales and England. Lost forever.

Sick Boy’s face read: “holy shit, I can’t believe that just happened.”

But I told him: he had to make the decision. And he chose. And where Lennon used to live, now lived 3 Ben Franklins of absolutely no emotional significance, but at least Benny could feed him for the rest of the tour.

But it wasn’t about the money. (and I am in no way saying that everything has it’s price—I don’t believe that, and that’s not what this story is about. The money hopefully just eased the pain.) It was about making a decision to smack yourself in the face and force yourself to truly look in the mirror and feel that you are actually there.

And then we went to bed.

The next day I woke up feeling horrible.

When I go on a rant, it’s hard to argue with me because I have a deep grasp of reason and I articulate myself clearly. What I was saying wasn’t wrong, but it’s not always about being right. Sometimes it’s about how you feel. And maybe he didn’t feel like doing that, but couldn’t express himself; or maybe I intimidated him; or maybe he felt pressured? Or maybe it all made sense and I was right, and it was the truth, and it was a valuable lesson. But who the fuck am I? It’s not my place to teach him that lesson. Maybe he didn’t want to learn it right then? Or maybe he didn’t want to learn it ever. I barely know the guy, and I don’t even know the story of that sticker. What’s so wrong with being human anyway? Everyone has their own path. It wasn’t my place.

So I got out of bed and went inside the club to look for him and apologize. And I found him and I explained how I felt: I didn’t take back what I said or what I believe. But I’m not usually so self-righteously didactic. Again, it wasn’t my place. I feel horrible.

“Don’t fuckin apologize man! It was my choice. You said some crazy shit. And you made me look at shit in a way I never had before. I wouldn’t fucking tell you it’s ok if it wasn’t.”

He loved that sticker. But now it’s gone.

And neither it nor Lennon lives.

And life moves on.

And now he is free to embrace whatever comes his way with unencumbered hands.

ARG! You fuckin LJ kids is crazy!

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:04:03 -0400

well actually it’s my own god damn fault.

i was setting up the tumblr account. and with the twitter integration it said you could “toggle” it on and off when posting, so i thought i’d get an option, but i didn’t . and i test-posted and blew the whole fuckin thing up.

so whatevs.

i set this up because i wanted to tell a kind-of crazy story that happened last week on the bus in the UK when i started going off on nostalgia and then did something i feel bad about. and i sat down to write it, but instead I spent hours setting this shit up. and now i’m too tired to write the story.

and i was looking for a pic of my dick, but instead i found a picture of me looking like a dick. and i was gonna change it, but you guys got all sassy on me. so now you’re stuck with it. so go eat it. ( a dick, that is)

i’m just playing. anyway. to all y’all that found this: WELCOME! good work kids.

the first thing i’ll post will be that story (when i finally write it), and then i’ll delete these two entries, and upload a good dick pic.

ok, i’m gonna go finish watching Moonstruck. i think i can finally sleep now. This is the first time i’ve seen Nicolas Cage in a movie where he doesn’t totally give me douche chills. (he has real hair, real teeth [and they’re kind of fucked up which is cool], and his chest hair is insane [kinda gross, but not douchey. like, it’s real— you know? everything about him now makes me want to slap him. but like, how can you wanna slap a man for having crazy chest hair? almost as insane as Guy Ripley’s. [actually, i liked him in Adaptation—i think he was perfect—but only because the character he played was just sooooooo douchey. it was almost like he wasn’t acting….well, cause he can’t). wow. i just went off on the dude. ummm… sorry Nic. Sorry Mr. Coppolla. I love your wines. I think you make a fine product at a competitive price. And your daughter is pretty sweet too. But come on? How does this Nic keep getting work?

this will all be tl;dr

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:48:21 -0400

but sometimes i need 142 or 143 characters.
besides the record is done now.
and i am home for 2 months.
so i’ll need some creative outlet.
and i’m sick of writing songs…

that’s why cobras is breakin up.
….
…
psyche.
suckahs