Clap Your Hands Say "Rebuttal"
When industry crank Bob Lefsetz fired off his last chart-blasting missive, he rankled Camp Clap into action. CYHSY manager Nick Stern quickly hit back with the following letter, which FairPlay fan Bob promptly forwarded to his minions.
Hi Bob,As usual, I'm shocked by your attitude towards Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I'm convinced you haven't listened to their new record, and I'm saddened that the model created with this band isn't given more recognition by the one person who has called for all the changes we've actually put into practice. To call what we're doing "IRRELEVANT" undermines every single email you send out.
"There's no buzz here, nobody cares."
I don't know what world you're living in, but I think selling 19,000 records in a week means lots of people care. Maybe you're talking about that traditional buzz you're used to, the barrage of radio and video, snipes and singles, playing the game. This is a band that's never made a video, never played with Nickelback at a radio show, never done all those things every other band is forced to do. The marketing/publicity/radio/video budget for this record is under $15,000. They made a record, they put it out. And they live much better than 95% of all bands I've worked with, including the vast majority of acts I worked with during my time at a major - all this while owning their masters and publishing, touring in a bus, and not being forced to do anything they don't want to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUIsP23LTk0It's not Lefsetz's style to respond to reader mail, articulate as it may be, but somehow we don't imagine him rocking to "Emily Jean Stock" anytime soon. At least not while there's so much Grammy bashing to be done.You're so fond of using Pollstar numbers to prove people don't care about bands - go check out ours, from around the world. You'll see the band has been headlining shows for a year now, and maybe 5 or so haven't sold out. Check the numbers from last time they were in LA, two sold out nights at the Fonda. Check out the numbers in Tokyo, London, Paris, Hamburg, Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago, Seattle....go look Bob, you'll see that people do actually care ALOT about this band.
Last year you made some list of 25 things that band's should or shouldn't do. CYHSY had followed 24 of them, the one exception being that they played Letterman. I can never fault a band for wanting to play that show. It's fun playing on the same stage the Beatles played on. But seeing as how we're pretty much your poster children, I'm amazed you don't show us more respect.
And go listen to their music. You might actually like it.
Nick Stern
Manager, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Posted at 11:40 AM
Tags: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Lefsetz
get over yourselves, clap your hands say say IS a boring band.
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paul, maybe ... but cyhsy IS a great idea
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word to paul; stomp your feet say no
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Lefsetz is right. This band is completely irrelevant. What song on "Some Loud Thunder" is a classic? I've listened to the album 3 times already and I can't remember a single melody. On top of that, I forgot I was listening to it on numerous occasions. If you rate albums by their ability to capture your attention, this one's a hard sell.
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paul
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man, you listened to it 3 whole times? Clearly you fucking get it!
It's an album that grows with time....give it a chance and stop being so quick with your snap-judgements.....they're obviously not always right.
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"paul, maybe ... but cyhsy IS a great idea"
And this is (un)fortunately, the point. If you're speaking about CYHSY as a band, then, maybe, they're irrelevant (I actually like a good amount of the new album, but not as good as the first one).
What Nick is addressing, though, is the absolute relevance of a band that breaks the top 50 of the Billboard chart with $15,000 in marketing funds, while avoiding even the strictest definition of "selling out." At this point, they're more of a walking political statement than a band. Hopefully that'll change in the future.
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Nah, I'd like to imagine Lefkowiz or whatever the hell, is talking about lame, boring indie bands who somehow manage to get their name out ... despite being boring as dirt.
It's the Pitchfork/NME conspiracy, maaaan. Not sure why they're so insistant on throwing this dreary crap on us. But! People believe it ... you know who you are !
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I love that the dude (rumorficial) who said that CYHSY is boring runs a celebrity rumor blog with a long-ass post about fucking Norbit.
Every album is boring to somebody. Some Loud Thunder isn't an instant classic, but it's solid. Regardless, Nick Stern is right. Whether or not you like CYHSY, you've got to credit them for doing it on their own terms.
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hell, even mtv likes the clap record
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1552126
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It's this simple:
19,000 people decided to buy the album. An indeterminate amount decided to download it for free. They're a "relevant" band because people like them. They're "irrelevant" because they're not changing the world of fashion and rock. They're both and neither. They're just a band in 2007. Bob Lefsetz is a jackass. Enough said.
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CJ, you can make that argument for any record. I could easily say you don't "get" the Dixie Chicks new record because "it's an album that grows with time." But is that necessarily true always? Obviously not, and this CYHSY record is no different. Usually it takes time for a record to grow on someone when the music lacks the amount of repetitive structure needed to enhance recall. The Dixie Chicks record doesn't fit that bill, and neither does this record.
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Wait a second though, you're implying that the new Clap Your Hands record doesn't "lack the amount of repetitive structure needed to enhance recall"?
You really think this album is filled with hooks? I think even the band admits themselve that this album isn't filled with many hooks!
I suppose that you could argue that it's repetive in it's droney nature, but i wouldn't think that it falls under the category of "repetitive structure" in the least. It's very slight, but very important distinction to make here.....
I'll admit i didn't really love the record at first either.....but after two months of living with it, i've found that it really grows into you to the point that you can't stop listening to it.
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ok, so I went to CMJ in New York the year that CYHSY broke out with their debut record two years ago. One of the biggest shows throughout the week was theirs. I had heard the record, kinda dug it, kinda, and decided to go. I was the last badge that was let in out of a 75 badge capacity. There were roughly 200 other badge holders that were not let in. I figured that this was the show to be at. Once the band hit the stage the only thought that hit my mind was this is a band built and driven on hype. Thats what this bands sales and popularity is composed of. They have a handful of good songs, but there are bands out there that have better ones. What this band has is a killer fucking promotion team that will spread the word as much as possible. For me the music doesn't do much, but I can see other people liking it, but I do not see the overwhelming popularity that this band has gotten over other ones. Maybe I'm just a skeptic to the hype-machine, but I honestly just don't get it.
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I think it's fair to say that the CYHSY album has repetitive structure. For the most part it has discernible verses/choruses as opposed to a lot of classical music or even prog rock where you might hear a repeated structure once every few minutes, if at all (hence the need for extra listening). Regardless, we probably just listen to music differently. I get more feeling out of songs that barrel me over on first listen. Maybe you get more out of a slow burner.
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It's not hype for the second record. That's why they're not "irrelevant" (they're as relevant as any other band that puts out music--since when was there a requirement that each album had a "classic" song? We've all got a little Tango in the Night). But the second record? All the CMJ/blogosphere hijinx have died down. Those who bit and got burned (mumble "Blueberry Boat" mumble) don't bite twice.
The thing with CYHSY (and I say this as a non-fan) is that they've translated a wonderfully-promoted first record into an ongoing gig. The "new model" it espouses means "no more old ways." They're not the first band to do this--Dischord always has and always will--but it was refreshing for something to "come out" of the new underground--the webbosphere.
That is why Lefsetz is ultimately frustrating; CYHSY took the model he offered (work outside the framework) and then rode it to success. He's just annoyed that he doesn't love their music, apparently not realizing that the model he presented does not turn on "awexxome musics."
And kids, you ain't seen hype 'til unless you worked in college radio in the mid-nineties. I still remember when Cibo Matto made it to #1 on CMJ on debut, even though there literally weren't enough copies of the music to place it that high . . . CYHSY is not hype, it's a new movement, and as such can be frustrating.
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I think a lot of smaller bands really admire cyhsy for how they've gone about their careers. whether you're into them or not, how can you not say "good for them"?
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Does anyone else see CYHSY and think CSNY?
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Aww, poor guys upset because they didn't get the ol' Pitchfork special. Is this how pathetic music has gotten?
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reading comprehension is a tough thing for bigdave apparently
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Lefsetz is irrelevant.
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well...the new album is boring
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To Lefsetz's credit, he posted the rebuttals and email all his subscribers with them. Whether you agree with him or not, he is passionate about music, more so than most people in the music industry.
As for CYHSY, I think their live performance seems pretty energetic and because of it, I want to hear more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUIsP23LTk0
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Great band, but I'm still amazed by even professionals that think "alot" is a word. Sticky keyboard much?
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Lefsetz is definitely passionate about the music and that's why he classifies CYHSY as irrelevant. The model's great, but the music's so-so. Imagine what could be done if a band ran on both cylinders. You can slag Bob all you want, but he brings up a good point. Are the songs getting all this hype going to have any shelf life? Probably not. That's not to say they aren't at least somewhat enjoyable to listen too, but what happened to the days when music changed your life? And why, as consumers, do we settle for less?
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no one is going to care about this band in 2 years
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every band is relvent, maybe not to the majority or the minority but they ar all relevent. at the same time relevence has nothing to do with quality. i genuinly enjoyed CYHSY's first record and so they are relevent to me. When websites like pitchfork rate an album with a 7 or 6.8 that is not neccasarly saying its a bad album, hey i wus happy with a 70% back in high school, all it means is two hings one that is the opinion of that writer no exactly the site(i.e many of the writers had show your bones on there personal year end lists) and secondly that maybe that album is not easy to listen to in all situations, i.e headphones while doing work w.e maybe u have to sit down and do nothing but listen o get the album. when i read pitchforks review of A GHOST IS BORN i didnt decide that it was a bad album but i quickly realised that it was an album i had to sit with and could only listen to in certain situations. Hype dosent ruin or make records good it merely points out the fact that alot of people love a record lets not forget critics are music fans not supreme court judges.
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every band is relvent, maybe not to the majority or the minority but they ar all relevent. at the same time relevence has nothing to do with quality. i genuinly enjoyed CYHSY's first record and so they are relevent to me. When websites like pitchfork rate an album with a 7 or 6.8 that is not neccasarly saying its a bad album, hey i wus happy with a 70% back in high school, all it means is two hings one that is the opinion of that writer no exactly the site(i.e many of the writers had show your bones on there personal year end lists) and secondly that maybe that album is not easy to listen to in all situations, i.e headphones while doing work w.e maybe u have to sit down and do nothing but listen o get the album. when i read pitchforks review of A GHOST IS BORN i didnt decide that it was a bad album but i quickly realised that it was an album i had to sit with and could only listen to in certain situations. Hype dosent ruin or make records good it merely points out the fact that alot of people love a record lets not forget critics are music fans not supreme court judges.
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They make music. If you dig it, cool. If you don't, fair enough.
...personally, I don't know which is worse: dissing a band and getting their name wrong (however slightly, it's still weak); or using the 'word' "alot" (in uppercase, at that).
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Curtis--I bet you said that in 2005, too. Looking forward to more pearls of wisdom from you in '09.
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Hey Matt,
In 2005, I said the same thing about Franz Fernidad. You remember Franz right? The band you used to like before Clap Your Hands And Say Hype appeared on your favorite blog. Enjoy your boxed wine.
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