IM JUST GOING TO RE-TYPE THIS . to show my dedication. my scanner is being a dick.
STEVEN'S UNTITLED ROCK COLUMN
"UNDERGROUNDED"
WARREN ELLIS' DEBUT NOVEL Crooked Little Vein is is the story of a shit-magnet private eye sent on a quest by the heroin-addicted Chief of Staff at the White House to find the lost copy of the "original" Constitution. The subtext of the novel, at least how i interpret it, is how the so-called underground culture is now the mainstream due to its accessibility through all forms of media. Aside from being one of the most innovative writers today (and one devian sonuvabitch), Ellis has touched upone one of the most important questions: "If everyone knows about it, how can it be underground?"
I've battled this question my whole life.
Mainstream media is toast. This very publication is a testament to that. The title is Alternative Press. Alternative means something different, something a bit askew from the mainstream0but everyone I know reads it, so how alternative can it be? This is a good but moral conundrum for anyone who loves to throw out the phrase "sell out". I hate that phrase. You want your favorite band to be successful, but you still want them to be your private little joy that sets you apart from everyone else. It doesn't work that way. You can't be "alternative" and "mainstream" at the same time. Trust me. I've tried.
Nothing is underground anymore; nothing is indie. I had a professor in college who once said his idea of the perfect play was one where the only member of the audience was him. I love this idea. To me, it's the perfect underground theory. Whenever bands perform on the Untitled Rock Show, we don't have an audience because we love the intimate performance vibe-that and I love the idea the band is there just for me. It feels like mine-like I own it, and yet it's shared with everyone.
Sharing is the new black. I'm not talking about file sharing (that's for another column); I'm talking about the "mainstream". By nature of the fact all music, scenes, art and culture can be accessed immediately through the internet, this negates popularity. My mother knows more about My Chemical Romance and Minor Threat than most people; not because I'm her son, but because she's interested in what I do. My girlfriend's father-a retired lawyer-recently talked to me about how hip-hop sales were dropping. Where do you think he got this info? It's not like he's part of the "scene".
Think, if you will, about how you found out about your favorite artist, website, or book. Imagine how easy it is for you to find out what your favorite reality-TV starlet is doing with her bag of blow and underage lover. Accessibility is not the wave of the future-we're living in it now. Ellis said it best: "The underground is the mainstream." You get swept up in it because you're already in-so enjoy yourself.