The DIY Ethic and the Punk Scene

     Any of you who know much about the true underground punk scene have 
heard of the DIY ethic, or Do-It-Yourself.  This was founded by bands and  
individuals sick of waiting for their band to get signed, or their magazine
to get printed.  People took matters into their own hands and many now run
their own printing companies and record pressing companies.
     What these people realized is that a lot of big corporations suck.  They
weren't open to new kinds of music or writing.  They were afraid to lose money 
on a local band.  In the long run, these are the organizations that will lose 
out on the truly great bands that revolutionize a sound, or the magazine that
speaks for a generation.
     Take for instance the record label Subterranean.  This label was started
because a guy (Mike Fox) wanted to release a demo of his band (The Tools). One
thing led to another, and soon he was THE punk label.  He still believes in 
the same things that got him where he is, and strives to remain underground
and (choke) alternative.  Because of the bands on the label's success, many
major record labels have tried to steal them from him.  When the band Flipper
signed onto Warner Bros. after being with Subterranean for 5 years, Warner 
Bros. wanted to release all their songs, which were property of Subterranean.
Warner Bros. didn't seem to care and released them anyway.  Mike brought 
charges against them, which is where the situation stands right now,
Warner Bros. keeps dragging out the case, realizing that they have the money
to do so, while Mike and the label don't.  This just shows the way this
country sucks, Time Warner, one of the biggest media conglomerates in the
world, quietly, discreetly, trying to snuff out an indie label.  
     I wrote this article to show that you, as the not so general public, can
get something done on your own, without having to rely upon a money-hounding
corporation to provide what you need.  If you have not realized it, companies
strive to make you seem dependent on them.  They want to appear to be for the
good of everyone, while underneath they are always looking to cheat someone 
out of their money.  It's up to you to recognize these companies.  You can
be the one in control, instead of the one being controlled.

                                                        -AAA
                                                        Fight the Power

AAA'94 Please distribute this file, but do not change it in any way.