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CKY calls for revolution in music biz
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CKY is well on their way to becoming a thorn in the side of pop
music culture. The band’s goal is nothing short of changing
the structure of the music industry from the inside.
If all goes as planned, bands like CKY, with their DIY approach
will dominate the business.
“We’ll reinvent the mainstream,” guitarist
Chad I. Ginsburg said. “There’s an uprising coming.
They’re spreading the word. They want the revolution and they
want it in the name of CKY.”
The band considers itself a way of life, and they’re not
going to stop until their way of life changes the music industry
forever.
There’s only one way they can do this, by creating a fan
base so large and rabid, that no one will be able to ignore
them.
With such aspirations, they must have reason to believe
it’s possible. That’s where the CKY Alliance comes in.
The Alliance consists of the fans who have joined CKY in spreading
the word of their mission to revolutionize the music business.
Together they plan to wield the power of numbers to bring about
the change so desperately needed. What does music desperately need?
The consensus is better artists – artists who are in it for
themselves and their fans and not for the money.
“It seems like all bands are made by a bunch of people in
suits now,” drummer Jess Margera said.
“Everything’s manufactured now, and it’s just
so bad.”
The group shares this sentiment. Ginsburg, Margera,
singer/guitarist Deron Miller and bassist Vern Zaborowski do
everything themselves, from songwriting to recording and also
production. Their record company, Island, leaves them alone until
it’s time to promote and distribute the CD.
The way Margera describes CKY’s interaction with Island
almost makes the record company sound like a new employee at the
Alliance: “They’re not used to it. We kinda have to
walk them through how we do s—t.”
They have been in charge of how they do things from the
beginning, when they were making soundtracks for Margera’s
brother Bam’s skateboarding movies.
“That’s the only way you can do it,” Margera
said.
“They’ve [Island] seen what we’ve done in the
past without their help and they’re just like, hey, it
worked, just keep doing what you’re doing.”
The new album, Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild, is their third
release. So far, it has done well, debuting on the Billboard chart
at No. 99 with virtually no radio time.
CKY thinks it can do better though. Their current tour schedule
will take care of that. They still have a ways to go on their U.S.
tour and still have to tour Europe, Australia and Japan.
Plans are also in the works for the release of a DVD with a
video for every song on Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild. They already
have seven videos done, but the rest will have to wait until they
find some time between tours.
The sound of the new album is definitely CKY’s own.
It’s heavy and melodic. The harmonies are complex and
tasteful, the mix is both smooth and gritty at once, and the vocals
and guitar play off each other like opposing magnets.
It’s less the invention of new sounds than it is a unique
combination of styles that make CKY different. They have
incorporated everything from metal to power-pop-rock to new wave
into what one may not find easy to define. One thing is sure, they
are a band you should keep an eye on.
On that note, Margera leaves us with one last thought.
“Buy our album, it’s a breath of fresh air. If
you’re tired of all the crap they’re playing on MTV, or
whatever, get our album cause there’s a lot more going
on.”
If you go…
CKY is taking the stage at the Big Easy on Wednesday. Doors open at
6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for
$12 from Ticketweb.
Justin Prescott, The Arbiter
