Foxboro Hottubs

[Harry Levin Solo]

Anyone heard of them? I'm sure those of you who have are familiar with their not-so-secret identity. It's great 60's style garage rock. Check them out!

myspace.com/foxborohottubs

So far, "The Pedestrian" is my favorite track off of their album. I'm still learning to play some of these songs and I feel inspired. I want to write 60's garage rock that's just as cool as this.

[fullhouseforever]

I'd listen if the window would open up for me.   I definitely am interested in giving a listen...there it goes, lol.  Now that I've heard it, it's not bad.  I did Stop Drop and Roll to sound more like 60's garage rock than The Pedestrian though.  My goal is write 60's baroque pop, lol.

By the way, I moved this to Entertainers...

[Harry Levin Solo]

Cool. =) The 'Tubs are a certain pop-punk trio people love. Actually the band confirmed that they are in fact Green Day.

60's barouqe pop? Tell me more about that.

[fullhouseforever]

So this exact group is just Green Day in disguise?  I guess it's a small divergence from their regular stuff then.

Baroque Pop was a form of modern pop that was built in the 60's.  It developed a certain musical sophistication reminiscent of the baroque pop, but with a more contemporary approach.  Brian Wilson, probably my favorite musician, was a frontrunner with this by the mid-60's.  An example of his with this is Cabinessence. http://www.last.fm/music/The+Beach+Boys/_/Cabinessence+%28Digitally+Remastered+01%29

[Harry Levin Solo]

I like that!

Yeah, Foxoboro Hottubs is Green Day. They did another side project like this in 2003 called The Network. They opened a few shows on the American Idio tour. It was quite funny.

[fullhouseforever]

Do you think they did that to intentionally hide their identity?  There also could have been the obvious label issues with using the same name.  Maybe I'm looking too much into this though.

[Harry Levin Solo]

It could be a label thing. Kind of like how Michael Jackson couldn't use his own name or singing voice on that episode of the Simpsons (Stark Raving Dad) because of contractual agreements with either Sony or Pepsi or both. On the note of Jackson, there IS a version of "Lisa, It's Your Birthday" that Jackson performed himself if you're interested.

As for Green Day, I think it's more like they hid their identity on purpose rather than trying to evade Reprise. What's interesting about Green Day from a label/business perspective is they have a lot of creative control. How they managed to get it like that is a different story but apparently, Billie Joe is quite a shrewd guy when it comes to that. One record executive compared him to Axl Rose saying that he's "someone who wants complete control". But of course Billie said at the time that if it's your music then why would you want a label to tell you what to do with it? Record labels really aren't your friends. The best way to think of them is like a bank that more or less doesn't charge interest.

I hope they keep doing stuff like this in the future. It's very entertaining.

[fullhouseforever]

Oh yeah.  The singer they got in for the episode was very good though.

Now I'm definitely aware of Reprise records intrding on a band's decisions.  Relating back to my always interest-related examples, the Beach Boys were one of the first band's to get creative control with their record company.  The unfortunate result though lead to a lot of album rejections.  The members could make their own decisions as far as a product went, but the record company would still demand when and whether or not material was acceptable.  I wouldn't be so bothered if companies in general didn't come up with the more generic ideas ever (same goes for networks encouraging sitcom cliches where there was not need for one).

[Harry Levin Solo]

It's probably the reason I'm going to refuse to work with a label when I get my music out to the world. I don't want a bunch of suits telling me what I can't do with my music.

[fullhouseforever]

I wouldn't have a problem if distribution autonomy was a stipulation in the contract.  I would want to reach a big market with the product I decide upon.

[Harry Levin Solo]

The internet is pretty direct though. I just worry about the rights to the master tapes as well as royalties.

[fullhouseforever]

Perhaps but even still though the internet is a vast source, it is missing some dimension.  People seek out the music they want rather than the other way around.  In the long run that's healthier but it is difficult to gain appeal.

[Harry Levin Solo]

Yeah you just have to wait since it's more or less viral marketing. Just have to wait till the fever sets in right? =)

[fullhouseforever]

Hmm, I still think I'd prefer a big deal.  I doubt I'll ever be in that position, but if I'm given the power to make my own decisions with the benefits a company can offer I don't really see a down side there.

[Harry Levin Solo]

Neither do I. If you have a tremendous amount of creative control on a major label contract then you're in a great position. I seem to remember Bonnie Raitt having a contract like that. She stipulated that she'll sign but the record company couldn't tell her when to record, who to record with and so on. Basically "let me record the albums I want and when I want to submit them". Apparently that's what she got. To an extent I think Green Day did too. Their basic thing was before they got signed to Reprise was that "this is the way it is, take it or leave it" (which is ample enough to refute the charge that the band sold out).

I'd love to be as shrewd as that.