Meanwhile on Reverb, Krist Novoselic Talks About Political Participation, Calls For "The Rock Party"

Posted Feb. 2 at 9:37 am by Chris Kornelis

​Krist Novoselic's weekly column now lives on Reverb, our music blog. He's still mashing up music and politics, and he'll still be chipping in on The Daily Weekly from time to time. But for your weekly fix — like this week's reaction to Duff McKagan's idea of a Novoselic/McKagan ticket in 2012 — pick him up every Tuesday on Reverb.

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The Political (and Pliable) Line in the Sand

Posted Dec. 29, 2009 at 2:02 am by Krist Novoselic

The Original Information Revolution (Click for larger image). Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

​The dirty little secret of American politics is that lawmakers get to pick the voters before voters pick them! When you vote for your congressperson or state legislator, somebody put you and your neighbors into a political district. Too often this process has been skewed to benefit one party or another, and district boundary lines make sense only from the point of view of career politicians. But all is not lost—the information revolution is transforming our democracy in a way that exposes all the tricks and mysteries of partisan gerrymandering.

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Don't Blame the Bearer of Bad News

Posted Dec. 21, 2009 at 3:29 pm by Krist Novoselic

​I've heard a rumor about a Soundgarden reunion at the next Coachella festival in April. As a longtime fan of the band, this blew my mind. So I poked around a little, and—according to an excellent source—the rumor is not true. But even the thought of such an event conjured up many memories and all of the connections between Nirvana and Soundgarden.

It must have been in 1986 when I first saw them at the Gorilla Gardens venue in Seattle's International District. They didn't appear like the usual punk/rock band. The guitar player looked like a pretty normal college student. Kim Thayil was studying at the University of Washington at the time. Here was this clean-shaven, short-haired East Indian dude playing this guitar with a chorus effect pedal cranked pretty loud. Hiro Yamamoto was a very capable bassist. The drummer also did the vocals. This dude, sporting some kind of new-wave spiked hairdo, could sing and keep a good beat, too! The great vocals with big riffs-dripping with chorus-made for a dark, interesting sound.

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Big Shoes to Fill in Our Open House Seat

Posted Dec. 17, 2009 at 11:52 am by Krist Novoselic

Congressman Brian Baird

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every week on the Daily Weekly. He is also a regular contributor to Reverb.

​When was the last time you read a story about a politician that was dismissive, critical, and called for their head? Probably five minutes ago! I also want to write about a congressman who is usually angering someone or another. In a surprise announcement last week, Brian Baird announced that he will not seek office in 2010. I'm going to write about the 3rd U.S. House District and Baird's work in Congress, and offer a tribute to his leadership in this corner of our state. There may be griping among constituents about his votes and positions, but at the same time Baird has managed to get re-elected, quite handily, ever since he took office.

Brian Baird represents my part of the world, Washington's 3rd Congressional District. The district is geographically large, with both urban and rural issues. Many jobs depend on public and privately owned timber. There are wild salmon and oyster farms, along with freeway overpasses and the sprawling boulevards of suburban Clark County. And there's ideological diversity, with Thurston County liberals living next door to Lewis County conservatives.

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Sympathy for the Devil?

Posted Dec. 8, 2009 at 3:14 pm by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He is also a regular contributor to Reverb, our music blog.

​Everyone knows that rock music is synonymous with rebellion. When I was a teenager, I not only cranked my stereo because I loved to rock out—I wanted to send a message to a world that I thought was insane.

I was 15, and the first Black Sabbath song I heard was "Iron Man." That riff was so heavy—even more than Deep Purple's epic "Smoke on the Water." Sabbath not only played heavy music; as the band's name itself suggests, they alluded to the occult.

My Sabbath discovery took place in 1980, a time when cable television was growing, and our family switched from an antenna to a converter on top of the wood-paneled console TV. Among the many new channels was a local religious broadcaster. While channel-surfing, I would always flip over the televangelists. To my surprise one day, I came across a program on the religious station that featured much of the music I loved. The narrator wasn't as impressed by the music as I was: He was pointing out what he saw as the connections between rock music and Satanism.

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Meanwhile on Reverb ... Novoselic on Change, WTO

Posted Dec. 2, 2009 at 1:11 pm by Chris Kornelis

​10 years ago this week, bassist/blogger Krist Novoselic joined a few of his like-minded brethren (Jello Biafra, Kim Thayil, Gina Mainwal) for a concert at The Showbox at the Market during the WTO meetings/rallies/etc.

In his post, Novoselic says:

Too bad the Battle in Seattle is known more for the riots and damage. Regardless, you can't blow up a social relationship. I say the civil protests were mostly a success. It was great to see all the groups marching together as a single voice. To me, their message was "Human rights, fair trade, and a healthy environment are important to our world."

It was a time that promised much change. No matter how cheap the word "change" has become, change does come, and come it did. George W. Bush lost the popular vote but won the presidency, and the September 11, 2001 attacks resulted in a nation gripped by anxiety and an administration that knew how to exploit this powerful sentiment.

Things have even changed in the eight years since then. Regardless, when people come together in a punk band, a political group, or a march with tens of thousands of like-minded others, you can be heard. It may be for only a day, a week, or a year. What's important is for the individual to hold onto what was said at that moment, because things will change again one way or another. If human rights, fair trade, and a healthy environment are important, they will endure.

Check out his post on Reverb for a full report.

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Porn for Politicians, and Politics for Pornographers

Posted Nov. 24, 2009 at 7:41 am by Krist Novoselic

Collage by Krist Novoselic

Apparition Of Cicciolina emerging from the allegorical closet. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday.

​I was in Europe about 20 years ago, hanging out in a house with a bunch of guys one evening. We were smoking cigarettes and drinking plum brandy, and this being a "guy party," somebody busted out a porn video. I find most pornography boring, appealing only to men denied the female form. But this video was different—a Fellini-esque spectacle starring porn superstar Cicciolina that was part sexual excess and part variety show.

This is what blew my mind about Cicciolina (real name, Ilona Staller): She was actually an elected member of the Italian government.

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Election 2009 Recap: You Can't Always Get What You Want

Posted Nov. 10, 2009 at 2:31 am by Krist Novoselic

Asher Hershey

Rocking For The Vote with The Presidents, Crocodile Cafe, September 2009. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Read about what he's listening to every Friday on Reverb.

​Young voters managed to shake things up again this year—most notably in Seattle's mayoral race. The new generation may have taken the torch to the status quo, but it's only natural for change to come—sooner or later. After two successful landmark elections, young voters should remember that they're not always going to be pulling wins, and that a once-unthinkable goal can become reality with hard work and perseverance. Voters upholding Washington's new domestic-partnership law is proof of that. Here's my take on last week's election and an ever-transforming political culture.

Seattle Music

Last September, Seattle's music establishment came out in support of the individual campaigns of Dow Constantine, Mike McGinn, and Peter Holmes. It's a sweep of wins. Having a politically active music/entertainment community goes back many years, and has produced officials like bandleader Vic Meyers, who served at different times as Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State.

The Crocodile hosted various events during election season that not only raised thousands of dollars, but also got good coverage and brought glam to campaigns. These kinds of events will now be a must-do for candidates seeking office locally and beyond.

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Twenty Years After the Wall

Posted Nov. 3, 2009 at 5:31 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic

Chad Channing, Gary Thorstensen, Tad Doyle, Kurt Daneilson, Steve Wied & Kurt Cobain humping gear on a 1989 tour.

​Twenty years ago this week I was touring West Germany with Nirvana, and the Berlin Wall was crumbling. I was fortunate to see history first-hand, along with our fellow grungers Tad, when we played what was then called West Berlin on November 11, 1989.

I could feel history in the air. We had been touring West Germany and picked up the emotions of our hosts. To them, having Trabants, the little retro-styled East German cars, putting around on their roads was a big deal. I just thought the little cars were cute. Easterners were not allowed to leave the Soviet satellite country—to the point where a wall was erected around West Berlin to keep the Easterners out! But because of widespread unrest on the east side, in 1989 the Communists opened the border, which resulted in a wave of visitors crammed in these little cars.

Continue reading "Twenty Years After the Wall"

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Fashion, Fascism, and Another Tweet in the Wall

Posted Oct. 27, 2009 at 5:12 am by Krist Novoselic

Collage By Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He is also a regular contributor to Reverb, our music blog.

​I remember when Pink Floyd's The Wall came out. It was 1979, and I had just discovered their album Dark Side of the Moon, a sonic journey into madness. The Wall is way darker and heavier, full of so much imagery it's more like listening to a film than an LP. It's a concept album about a rock star who falls so far off the deep end that he starts to imagine his concert is a Nazi rally. There are myriad themes in The Wall, but considering the news coming out of the UK last week, let's stick to fascism.

The term fascist was repeated in a big way last week in the United Kingdom. Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party (BNP), appeared on the prime-time political television program Question Time. This caused a huge stir, as many were aghast that someone who wants non-ethnic British people to leave the country was allowed on the BBC. The attention from the resulting uproar put Griffin in the national media spotlight.

BNP policy proposals aren't too different from American conservatism. For example, the BNP opposes state recognition of same-sex relationships, they think global warming is a hoax, and they don't like multiculturalism—a phenomenon for which government immigration policies are blamed.

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Krist Novoselic's DW Column Will Return Next Tuesday. Look for Him on Reverb

Posted Oct. 20, 2009 at 1:16 pm by Chris Kornelis

Courtesy of Sub Pop

​Krist Novoselic's regular column will return next Tuesday. If you can't wait a week to get your Krist fix — and who can't!?! — be sure to check out his regular posts over on Reverb. He's got a special post coming up on Friday that I think y'all are going to enjoy over a glass of cold gin.

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Tim Eyman, Special Interests, and the True King of Voter Initiatives

Posted Oct. 13, 2009 at 7:40 am by Krist Novoselic

William U'Ren, the true king of the voter initiative. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Read about what's spinning on his turntable, every Friday on Reverb.

​These are the final days of the 2009 election, and as usual it's Tim Eyman, the Initiative King, fighting the government. Eyman knows the source of his power is in voters' desire for securing control over government. And this process does just that; however, it also gives power to special interests who can afford to buy enough signatures to get a measure on the ballot.

During the progressive era, the initiative process was another vehicle for change for a population who felt increasingly disconnected from a government they felt was a tool for special interests. Sound familiar? In fact, in a 1910 letter to the Washington Grange, Washington Governor M.E. Hay comments on the sentiments of his day, which could just as accurately describe our current political climate: "There is a great unrest or feeling among the people that our form of government can be materially changed for the benefit of all. At no time in the history of our country, during periods of profound peace and wonderful prosperity, has there been such a feeling of unrest as there is today."

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Is the Election Debate Any Better Without the Incumbent Mayor on the Ballot?

Posted Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:19 am by Krist Novoselic

Justin Dylan Renney/Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He writes his latest vinyl finds every Friday on Reverb.

​I had a great time at the music-community candidate fundraiser last week at the Crocodile. The Maldives rocked, and I had the opportunity to join The Presidents of the United States of America onstage. We did a couple of surf tunes, and I played bass on "Peaches." We also continued a time-honored ritual at the Crocodile—closing the bar!

I want to talk about Seattle's mayoral election this week, but not in terms of the horse race between the two remaining candidates. This is a perspective about the rules the election is conducted under. With the short time remaining until voters head to the ballot booth that is their envelopes, it is odd that incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels isn't on the ballot - even though he sought a third term.

Remember last August? I'm sure most of you were enjoying your summers, not thinking about politics. This fall Seattleites will be joining their fellow Washingtonians with voting on domestic partnerships and government budget caps, but they won't get to have a say on their incumbent mayor.

I know what you're thinking: Voters had their say in the primary, or could have participated in August and chose not to. You've got a great point, and rules are just that—the rules. But is the election debate any better without the incumbent mayor on the ballot?

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Why I'm Joining the Music Community in Support of Mike McGinn for Mayor

Posted Sep. 29, 2009 at 1:43 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He'll be performing with the Presidents of the United States of America on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Crocodile as part of a campaign fundraiser for Mike McGinn, Dow Constantine, and Peter Holmes.

​The music community is supporting Dow Constantine, Mike McGinn, and Peter Holmes for a simple reason: They have made clear that they will be supportive of issues of importance to our community. (Read about McGinn's nightlife plans in this Daily Weekly post.) People need to know what kind of government will result from the election. Here's why:

Even though I moved out of Seattle in 1999, I am still happy to accept the invitation to participate in Wednesday's fundraiser in the heart of our state's music scene. I'm also on Dow Constantine's campaign committee. Dow had a very successful event at the Croc earlier this year, and it makes sense to give it another go at the same venue.

This fundraiser is hosted by the "music community," a group of promoters, venue operators, musicians, and others meeting a need for social and entertainment opportunities for people in Seattle and beyond. This "music establishment" comprises individuals with a lineage to JAMPAC—the group that fought the teen-dance ordinance, etc.—and other even earlier political efforts.

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Why Voters Need to Look at the Rules for Electing Our Lawmakers

Posted Sep. 22, 2009 at 11:55 am by Krist Novoselic

​The 2008 election was supposed to be about change. And we got big change with our new president. Naturally, there have been detractors—mostly in the minority Republican Party—who don't like the change and are spewing all kinds of rhetorical hysteria to reach their goal: regaining power.

I don't think readers come to Contention & Conscious to get the latest summary of crazy comments by right-wingers. But what I do want to say is that this white noise is meeting its purpose: It is distracting people from the important issues of the day.

Ask most Americans and they'll tell you they're tired of status quo politics. But so many of the demagogues crying foul are actually agents of the status quo themselves! They recognize the reins of power and are only bitter because they're not the ones holding them. They fan the flames of discontent hoping to ride negative sentiments back into power. Thus the cycle will be complete with business-as-usual.

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