Pull Up a Longneck, Some Texas Tunes

Left Arm Tan just a couple of guys from Texas rolling club to pub playing their music. Daniel Hines plays the Lead Guitar – and he’s fabulous, Tim Manders – Drums/Vocals, Kirk Richardson – Bass, Troy Austin – Lead Vocals/Guitar.

Give a listen to a few of their tunes. Click player to make it do what it do.

Double Standards Need Not Apply

What is it that many of the denizens within the Taylor Hicks’ fanbase (and likely other artists) think it appropriate or warranted to post multi-paragraphical rants on how they’re picking up their toys and leaving certain blogs because they might not like the discussion at hand?

Man if you’re unhappy with what you’re reading, don’t use passive-aggressive tactics to demonstrate just how highly you envision yourself possessed of some sort of clout or entitlement. As if that particular blog’s going to fall apart without your posts. Posts which you apparently think crucial commentary that everyone on the internet need pay attention to and honor you.

Using the “Well if this is how the conversations here are going to be I’m going to take my posts elsewhere” all the while really just trying some sad manipulative and childish tactic to get things to sway your way. Hilarious really.

What I’m referring to is a recent post found on the music related blog, It’s All Grey. The site owner starts a rather innocuous post about a certain admiration she has for another reality show contestant from American Idol, Adam Lambert. Visiting readers beginning with the always bitingly caustic Henry8 start their assessments of Lambert.

Henry8 includes, “Given that and the fact that you think Adam is true to the music, then why don’t you have a blog about him?
Its all for show, been done a hundred times, and pretty phony. Its cookie cutter shock but seems to be what people want so more power to them.
He could become the biggest thing on earth or not, its all the same to me.
I kind of like watching him cause I always get to laughing.” Later she adds, “Oh, this is a general all around music blog? Excuse me, I didn’t realize. I was fooled by the grey in the name and the picture. My bad.”

See, the “It’s All Grey” blog with the title infers several things to include discussion of Taylor Hicks and has his image on the site header. This leads many to think that every single post should circle around him and yes, always speak only in glowing terms.

Rosie writes, “There tends to be the attitude that they do it right and Tay did and does it wrong. It should not be too hard to understand that constant theme, upsets some of Taylor’s big fans.”

While the blog owner, dubbed “Grey”, put up a Lambert video and acknowledged she liked him no put down of Mr. Hicks was made. Of course rationale was made that one needs ‘read between the lines’ and we all know that doing that requires the person reading’s perspective and personal biases. If you want to read negative, I’m sure you will.

Example: Rosie adds to the conversation, “When you read between the lines, some here imply Tay should be a little more like someone else or say he isn’t true to his music. This is the 2nd thread devoted to Adam in recent time. So as a regular here I thought I’d let people know my opinion of him, just like I do with Tay. I’ve seen no hate or anger directed towards Adam.”

I mean really? There were several posts including Henry8’s outright insulting the kid, not that it bothers me one way or another, just making an observation. It seems that by not praising Taylor Hicks constantly it must be bashing him and insulting him, that’s the only thing I can think of that might apply here.

Poster Tayforever writes, “So it’s okay to bash the living hell out of Taylor, but no way can we criticize Adam? (Even though it’s a “music blog” where “everyone has a right to their opinion”?)
Just trying to figure out the rules…”

I found her remark rather odd considering no ‘bashing the hell out of Taylor Hicks’ was being done. I mean nothing really said about Mr. Hicks at all, much less to warrant such a bipolar outburst in the comments section.

NolaMar wrote, “I Hate IT!! Really, that is my reaction. I was not impressed with the song when I first heard it and I think I dislike it more now. The video is awful IMHO. I had high hopes for Adam as an artist, with that great voice of his. I’m SO disappointed. He peaked in the middle of the show and has continued downhill from there.” This said in reference to Adam Lambert.

Meanwhile posters above NolaMar say Lambert’s laughable, he’s ridiculous, a poser, a fake among other things. No, no casting insults here, no none at all; referring back to Rosie’s comment…

meg Says: “Charcoal: I was going to say something, but you beat me to it and said it far better than I could. ( I would have just aggravated the Lambert lovers – which is kind of fun….)”

Apparently Taylor Hicks’ fans have great fun insulting other people’s musical taste but if the insults refer to Taylor Hicks it’s not quite so jolly. It’s never fun to see anything you like treated the same way. But then you’d have to be incorporating that do unto others rule and well that is quite absent in certain narrow and small circles.

Averymae wrote, “I will leave with an observation. If people are so offended by what is written on this blog as they so vocally state on other blogs, then why do they find it necessary to venture over here? Perhaps they should stretch their own imagination and exercise their own creativity into making the blog they so frequent a more interesting place to be.”

She’s referring to venturing over to “It’s All Grey” and providing the veiled insults toward the blog owner and anyone talking positively about any other artists because apparently positive toward another musician somehow is a negative cast at Taylor Hicks. I really must learn to read between those lines.

Games people play
You take it or you leave it
Things that they say
just don’t make it right
If I’m telling you the truth right now
do you believe it?
Games people play
in the middle of the night

The Alternative viewpoint what fellow Gays think of Adam Lambert’s performance: