Antillectual

The fourth song of our new record deals with subjects such as sex, guns, god and fashion. Morality in combination with hypocrisy; it turns out to be an awesome mix. As said we’ve never played this song live because it is rather calm yet weirdly structured. We were really curious for how it would turn out when recorded. And it turned out even better than we expected on forehand.
This week’s guest writer is Fieke from Shield Recordings. Shield Recordings has put out almost everything we ever recorded, helped selling our merch on tour and through their webshop and helped us book shows. Without them we’d be a couple steps down the ladder. Please read on, enjoy the song and feel free to share it with your friends.

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Fieke Shield says

3 years ago we released our first Antillectual record “Testimony”. Back then we couldn’t believe they wanted to be on our label. We had just released the first record of The Real Danger and now we could sign the next great European Punkrock band. For us this was the beginning of a new era in which we focused on Punkrock more and more and grew bigger and bigger. In these last few years Antillectual supported us in our growth and we supported them in theirs. They inspired us to expand our services to our bands. My first tour ever was with them and this made me want to do more for the label than just help out with the distro. I got inspired to become a part of the whole Punkrock machine and I wanted to make a difference for our bands. I started writing to festivals to try to get our bands on their playlists. This worked out pretty well and this is for example how Antillectual will play the Incubate festival this year. Besides writing to festivals I even started booking tours and selling merch from our bands. This way we get the names of our bands out in the maximum possible way.

Most people get inspired by the political message Antillectual has, but to be honest I get the most inspiration from their personalities and the way they manage the band. I’m writing this on Skatefest Olen and I realize it is exactly one year ago on this festival the guys told us Yvo would be leaving the band. Even though we were kind of expecting it, it came as a shock to us. We both love Yvo and for us he was such a vital part of the whole band that we were afraid this was going to be the end. The way the band let go of Yvo and took in Tom as their new bass player is truly admirable and should be an example for other people how to treat and respect each other and the decisions others make.

This new record shows how well the band is doing as a whole right know and how much potential they got in their new formation. Even though we are a different label with bigger bands than three years ago we still let ourselves be inspired by Antillectual and we keep pushing the limits of what we can achieve as a label together with our bands.

Lyrics

Why the hell should we follow you?
What kind of example is this?
America’s worst role model
Reconcile, “shock and awe”

Why the hell should we follow you?
For the example you set at home?
The government allows the industry
To tease us with what they forbid

Selling you sex when it’s “oh, so wrong”
Having a gun is your right
A sweet and sour taste is all that’s left
Once you have tasted forbidden fruit

Only god can judge you, you say
Only god can judge the USA and its policy
What do you think his verdict will be?
Is god still on your side?

But thank god I’m not religious
All these omens would be threatening me
Scared to death I’d reconsider
And regret that everything is a reaction

Two-faced ethics, fond of scandals and hypocrisy, we say
Impose morality from above
Media bombing us with “wardrobe malfunctions” from below

Liner Notes

One of the things the current and the former president of the USA have in common is their mission to maintain the USA as a “leading nation”. Setting the standards in the world, giving a good example. Too bad then, that they are not really a good example when it comes to morality on a national level. Past and current events like “nipple-gate”, hurricane Katrina, Medicare, and the double standard concerning sexuality show that copying the American morals worldwide will not result in a better world. It is hard to point out a popular American role model that I would want to see inspire the rest of the world. Paris Hilton, Dr. Phil, Martha Stewart, Jerry Springer, Tipper Gore, Tiger Woods, Joe the Plumber?
Being a role model is something you should earn, be appointed to. Not something you can enforce.

That’s it for this week’s song. We’ll be back next week with a fast one, a guest singer that will truly AMAZE you and commentary from him and the Dutch “I’m gonna manage the shit out of this punkrock show” Kent.