Nike Pulls Major Threat Ad, Issues Apology

On Thursday, we reported that Nike Skateboarding used a classic Minor Threat album cover for its "Major Threat" 2005 East Coast Tour posters without asking permission. Much had been heard from the justifiably angry Dischord Records camp, including former Minor Threat frontman and label co-founder Ian MacKaye, who expressed his outrage towards the sneaker conglomerate. Nike had remained oddly silent until yesterday, when it issued a formal apology to both Dischord and Minor Threat.

In its letter of mea culpa, Nike Skateboarding states, "Because of the album's strong imagery, and because our East Coast tour ends in Washington DC, we felt it was a perfect fit. This was a poor judgment call and should not have been executed without consulting Minor Threat and Dischord Records." The letter also says that the advertising agencies Wieden & Kennedy and Odopod should not share blame for the poster image. Furthermore, Nike Skateboarding has removed all print and digital flyers for the tour bearing the Minor Threat image.

In an attempt to make peace with the legendary hardcore band, the letter extends this olive branch: "All of the Nike employees responsible for the creation of the tour flyer are fans of both Minor Threat and Dischord records [sic] and have nothing but respect for both." See guys, it was a case of idol worship gone terribly wrong! Nike is totally down with underground music and skate culture.

It is unclear whether Dischord will pursue future action against Nike. No responses to the letter have been made by MacKaye or anyone else at Dischord.

Here's the apology in full:

June 27, 2005

To: Minor Threat, Dischord Records and fans of both

Re: Major Threat East Coast Tour Poster

Nike Skateboarding sincerely apologizes for the creation of a tour poster inspired by Minor Threat's album cover. Despite rumors being circulated, Wieden & Kennedy and Odopod had nothing to do with the creation of this tour poster and should not be held accountable. To set the record straight, Nike Skateboarding's "Major Threat" Tour poster was designed, executed and promoted by skateboarders, for skateboarders. All of Nike employees responsible for the creation of the tour flyer are fans of both Minor Threat and Dischord Records and have nothing but respect for both.

Minor Threat's music and iconographic album cover have been an inspiration to countless skateboarders since the album came out in 1984. And for members of the Nike Skateboarding staff, this is no different. Because of the album's strong imagery and because our East Coast tour ends in Washington, DC, we felt that it was a perfect fit. This was a poor judgment call and should not have been executed without consulting Minor Threat and Dischord Records.

We apologize for any problems this may have caused, and want to make very clear that we have no relationship with the members of Minor Threat, Dischord Records and they have not endorsed our products.

Every effort has been made to remove and dispose of all flyers (both print and digital). Again, Nike Skateboarding sincerely apologizes to Minor Threat and Dischord Records.

Sincerely,
Nike Skateboarding

Decemberists, Ted Leo, Devo to Head Bumbershoot

For the record, the word "Bumbershoot" does exist. It means umbrella. Thanks, Merriam-Webster! And how fitting that the annual Bumbershoot Festival, this and every year, takes place over Labor Day Weekend in sunny -- er, Seattle. Seattle Center, to be exact. Rain or shine, it seems.

But it's worth the risk, because the large fest boasts literary and visual art, theatre, poetry, clowns, film, comedy, and of course good bands. The lineup of bands, which concerns us Pitchforkers most, won't be fully fleshed out until July 15, but it already looks damn impressive: Devo, Ani Difranco, Billy Preston, the Decemberists, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, DeVotchKa, Digable Planets, Brazilian Girls, Son Volt-- whose first album in seven years comes out this year, and whose tour begins at Bumbershoot-- and on and on.

Tickets to the umbrella are already available and, as all good things, are cheaper if you get 'em now. Just make sure to bring a poncho.

Rhino to Reissue First Two Stooges Albums

Normally coughing up more money to get albums you already own sucks, but the good folks at Rhino make sure it's a worthwhile investment with their lavish reissues. Such will be the case on August 16, when deluxe editions of the Stooges' first two albums, The Stooges and Fun House, are unleashed.

Each expanded version will feature the original album, plus a bonus disc of demos and rarities. The bonus CD of the self-titled debut has 10 previously unreleased cuts, such as producer John Cale's original mixes of "No Fun", "Little Doll", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "1969", a full version of "No Fun", and three alternate vocal takes.

The Fun House edition contains demos for "Slide (Slidin' the Blues") and "Lost in the Future" (both tracks did not make it to the original album), single mixes of "1970" and "Down on the Street", and three alternate takes. In 1997, frontman Iggy Pop himself oversaw the remastering of the Stooges' masterpiece, Raw Power, which was originally mixed by David Bowie. No word as to whether Iggy Pop or the other members of the Stooges were involved in these reissues.

The Stooges snarled like a teenager with its anthems for the young and discontented, "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "1969", "No Fun", and "Real Cool Time". Trying to recreate the band's chaotic live shows, 1970's Fun House is a garage rock classic and helped set the stage for punk's advent later on in the decade. It boasts the stomping ravers, "Loose" and "TV Eye".

Although the Stooges only released three albums, they influenced a generation of underground acts. Of the Stooges' audience, Iggy Pop said they were "high-school drop-outs, troubled drug kids." Speaking as neither a high-school dropout nor a troubled drug kid, I think these albums rule.

Kinski Announce Album, Tour Details

Kinski, Sub Pop practitioners of primarily instrumental musings, are hitting the North American road in a typically expansive fashion this summer-- taking in a bunch of city sights, playing assorted locales, hooking up with a motley bunch of talented bands, and mowing down audiences with their tour de force shows. This tour comes shortly following the band's apologetic announcement that it was canceling it's preceding European tour for reasons yet unknown. However, it is expected that the band will make up the European dates up in October. The seriously heavy and trippy quartet will play a couple of Canadian dates and throughout the States with (depending on where you catch them) Oneida, Master Musicians of Bukkake, the Constantines, and Bardo Pond, among others. The Kinski summer gig season begins with a live radio session in Seattle on July 11 and commences in earnest with dates scattered along the west coast:

07-11 Seattle, WA - KEXP Radio Session (live @ 12PM)
07-14 Hollywood, CA - Amoeba Music (free in store @ 6PM)
07-14 Los Angeles, CA - Echo (w/ Open City)
07-15 San Francisco, CA - Amoeba Music (free in store @ 6PM)
07-15 San Francisco, CA - 12 Galaxies (w/ Residual Echoes)
07-16 Chico, CA - Off Limits (w/ West By Swan & Sleepyhead)
07-21 Vancouver, British Columbia - Wise Hall (w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake)
07-22 Portland, OR - (w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake)
07-23 Seattle, WA - Easy Street (free in store @ 6PM)
07-23 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe (w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake & Charming Snakes)
08-12 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
08-13 Kansas City, MO - Bricks
08-15 Moorhead, MN - Eastgate Lounge
08-16 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry (w/ Oneida, Plastic Crimewave Sound & Diamonds)
08-17 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (w/ Plastic Crimewave Sound)
08-18 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom (w/ Oneida)
08-19 Detroit, MI - 2500 Club (w/ Oneida)
08-20 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace (w/ Oneida, Constantines & Oakley Hall)
08-21 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa (w/ Oneida & Oakley Hall)
08-22 Newmarket, NH - Stone Church
08-23 Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear's
08-24 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
08-25 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber (w/ Bardo Pond)
08-26 Washington, DC - Warehouse Next Door
08-27 Columbus, OH - Little Brothers

Why all the Kinski activity? Well, apart from the obvious fun of deafening new people in new and as-of-yet undeafened places, the Seattle-based noiseniks just happen to have a fresh new album, Alpine Static, coming out July 12 on Sub Pop. Furthermore, the band is planning to re-release its early albums SpaceLaunch for Frenchie and Be Gentle with the Warm Turtle in mid-August through the harmonious co-operation between their new Intellectual Drunks imprint and the Strange Attractors Audio House. So while Kinski are looking at a hectic summer and will be playing just about everywhere besides the Pitchfork-curated festival on July 16-17, we've got to give some respect, and pay special kudos to the reissue of ...Warm Turtle in particular, as it contains the feel good hit of the summer "Intonation Daydream" (wink, wink, groan...).

>> Alpine Static:
01 Hot Stenographer
02 The Wives of Artie Shaw
03 Hiding Drugs in the Temple (Part 2)
04 The Party Which You Know Will Be Heavy
05 Passed Out on Your Lawn
06 All Your Kids Have Turned to Static
07 The Snowy Parts of Scandinavia
08 Edge Set
09 Waka Nusa

Oasis Shun Live 8, Coldplay Embrace Oxfam

Ah, our beloved pop stars can be a coquettish bunch, can't they? One minute they're throwing a tantrum about the lack of gold plated "3 Musketeers" chocolate bars on their back-stage food and drink riders, the next they are pontificating on all sorts of "grown up" matters. After the initial denouncing of the Live 8 shows by many for under-representing minority artists and the subsequent about face of adding more acts, organizer Bob Geldof has once again been getting it; this time from two barrels, as some artists are slamming his project in the press and others are thwarting his organized plans. For instance, noted gentleman and scholar Noel Gallagher was up to his old tricks in discussing the upcoming Live 8 shows. He sung to the media, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but they hoping that one of these guys from the G8 is on a quick 15-minute break at Gleneagles and sees Annie Lennox singing 'Sweet Dreams' and thinks, 'Fuck me, she might have a point there, you know'." And what's a Gallagher quote without mentioning another overblown British band not completely dissimilar to our Manchester heroes, but who of course, "are shite": "Keane doing 'Somewhere Only We Know' and some japanese businessman going, 'Aw, look at him...we should really fucking drop that debt, you know'. It's not going to happen, is it?" Nope, probably not Noel, you know.

It seems time out of the spotlight and a couple of rotten albums in a row hasn't diminished Gallagher's fighting spirit, as he has come out yapping since the release of Oasis' latest album Don't Believe the Truth. Just earlier this week the "quiet brother" (!) from Oasis threw caution to the wind (from many, many miles away) by calling out Eminem and 50 Cent and discussing the ins and outs of hip hop and it's socio-deviant consequences: "I despise hip-hop. I loathe it." Ok, fair enough Noel but you must...wait there's more! "Eminem is an idiot and I find 50 Cent the most distasteful character I have ever crossed in my life. It's so negative. I'm not saying they are directly responsible, but that's how you end up with these gangs of youths stabbing people. Kids are so thick these days. They're easily influenced." God bless his bountiful heart!

Liam then told Canadian Chart Magazine that were they not booked, they'd love to play Live 8. "I'd love to. Y'know why I'd love to do that gig?" he said. "First of all, it's fucking awareness and all that stuff. I just love to go on and do four fucking songs and really fucking rip it up. Come in and fucking bang it with fucking four of your classics. And then walk off, and fucking flick Robbie Williams in the eye and say: 'Follow that you dick!'"

Anyways, back to more crucial Live 8 news. It seems Geldof's task of assembling all the necessary members for the rumored Spice Girls reunion is proving tougher than Sporty Spice's abs after a prolonged pilates workout. While most of the pieces are in place to stage the strong Geldof-speculated reunion at Live 8 in London, the roadblock seems to rest on the seldom seen Mel B, aka Scary Spice, who's not sure if she wants to revisit the past quite yet. Speaking on UK TV show "Richard and Judy" this week, Sir Bob claimed that Mel B was working in California and was having "difficulty going back to something she did in the past." He added, "I'll call her during the week and if she can't do it, she can't do it...it's got to be all or nothing." Let's face facts; the man is right. The Spice Girls without Mel B would be, in the immortal words of Maestro Fresh Wes, "like Certs without the retsin." C'mon Mel B! With all the struggle and strife continually surrounding us, we need your "zig-a-zig-ah!" now more than ever!

However, it's not all doom and gloom on the musicians-aiding-charity front. It seems to be up to Coldplay to pick up the slack left by certain uni-browed guitarists and past-it pop divas, as Chris Martin and company have invited Oxfam America along on it's North American summer tour in hopes of promoting it's Make Trade Fair program. The band have been particularly vocal concerning this cause in the past and have worked with the organization since its inception in 2002. Oxfam is once again looking for volunteers to help them at all of Coldplay's shows to help with petitions and spread trade justice information to potential activist-hipsters. While this is certainly not the first partnership between the two parties, it looks like it will yield the most reward. X&Y has hit the number one album spot in close to 30 countries' charts, it sits atop the fickle US album charts for a second week in a row (not an easy task) and the ongoing tour looks to be one of the hottest tickets this summer. Click the first link below to find out more about this unique opportunity.

* Make Trade Fair: http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=coldplayvols01.htm
* Oxfam America: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/news_updates/archive2003/art5892.html
* Coldplay: http://www.coldplay.com/index.php
* Live 8: http://www.live8live.com
* Oasis: http://www.oasisinet.com/site.php

Violent Femmes Comp on the Way

Try and imagine a Violent Femmes "hits" compilation containing over 20 songs. "That's too many! They were only really good for one album," you say? I know, I know, but it gets worse. Imagine that, among these two dozen tracks, studio cuts of "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off" were nowhere to be found. You'd probably think "What? That makes no sense! Those are their two best songs! I don't like these crappy live versions!" What if they even had the gall to name it after one of said omitted tracks?

"That's just plain mean," you'd surely say. And you'd be right. Yet, such and album exists, and to this day Add It Up 1981-1993) festers on Best Buy shelves nationwide.

Fortunately, the band and Rhino Records are teaming up to right this wrong with the July 12 release of The Very Best of Violent Femmes. Clocking in at a leaner (but still a bit fatty) 16 tracks, and including the highlights that were inexplicably left out of the previous compilation, this promises to be a far more tolerable alternative to its predecessor. Of course, this will be the first comp. containing tracks from 2000's Freak Magnet, but I'll leave whether or not that's a good thing up to you humble readers. For fans who've already completed the band's audio catalogue, a concert/music video DVD bearing the same name will see release the same day.

The album's tracklist, both violent and feminine:

01 Gimme the Car
02 Blister in the Sun
03 Gone Daddy Gone
04 Kiss Off
05 Add It Up
06 Black Girls
07 Jesus Walking on the Water
08 Children of the Revolution
09 I Held Her in My Arms
10 Nightmares
11 American Music
12 Breakin' Up
13 Color Me Once
14 I Danced
15 Country Death Song
16 Freak Magnet

Optronica Festival Returns

There's a reason your highschool never had an "Audio Club" or a "Visual Club." It's for the same reason that MTV is such a huge hit, the same reason that your friend's post-rock band only became interesting after they bought that slide projector. It's because sight and sound tend to work well together as a distinct "AV" unit, affecting the senses simultaneously, causing discreet parts of the brain to together and generally making things seem really awesome.

Organizers at the Optronica Festival happen to understand this particular secret of the universe, having put together a five-day event of multimedia performances and lectures on the subject. From July 20 through 24, the London festival will feature Warp Records artist Plaid with video artist Bob Jaroc, DJ Spooky's "film remix" of the 1915 landmark Birth of a Nation, aptly titled Rebirth of a Nation, and a showing by ex-Kraftwerker Karl Bartos. Video killed the radio star killed the video star:

July 20
Plaid & Bob Jaroc + The Mellowtrons - BFI IMAX, 9.15pm

July 21
Karl Bartos - BFI IMAX, 8.30pm

July 22
Karl Bartos Lecture: The Interpositions of Media - NFT3, 6.20pm
Optronica Lab: People Like Us + The Sancho Plan + Skoltz_Kolgen - NFT3, 8.20pm
DJ Spooky "Rebirth of a Nation" + Exceeda - BFI IMAX, 8.30pm
Addictive TV "The Eye of the Pilot" - National Theatre Flytower, 10.30pm

July 23
Optronica on Screen - NFT3, 2.00pm
Media Remixed - NFT3, 4.00pm
Big in Japan featuring Masakatsu Takagi - NFT3, 6.00pm
Optronica - The Spitz, 9.00pm

July 24
Optronica on Screen - NFT3, 4.00pm
The Best of Mixmasters 2000-2005 - NFT3, 6.00pm

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)