Justin Beiber More Punk Than SST Records

Justin Beiber is also more hardcore than SST records...but then so are Pat Sajak & Vanna, Carol Burnett, the Fugees and most public school teachers.

Hello Kitty is also more hardcore
than SST records.

BACKSTORY   If one believes the hype, SST Records is a gutsy hardcore label, and it's spiritual leader and CEO is named Gregg Gin.


You may or may not know that they released many records by many bands. Some of them are actually very good.

Those of a certain age may remember when SST the Label sued one of their own bands called Negativland (one of my favourite groups) back in the 90s. 

SST the Label has also been sued by some of their own (former) label heavyweights, including Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, for the traditional reasons that bands usually sue their labels for...




There aren't enough people who are scaring the kind of people who work at these record companies.
Greg Ginn


Josiah Hughes is a person apparently scaring someone who works at a record company.

Josiah was selling this fun, groovy t-shirt on Etsy, until he got a Cease and Desist order from SST the label.

We're not good at propping up old carcasses. We want to be on top of what's vital at any particular time, and not just hold onto something because it has a name.
Greg Ginn

God, doesn't that sound so gutsy-sexy... so radly indie to the bone?

Sadly, it's not entirely or even a little bit true, it seems. This next Industrial insight of Mr. Ginn's...


The biggest disappointment has been seeing the number of people in this business with very shortsighted views.
Greg Ginn

...sadly, actually is true, and if people could actually die from irony, in the way they do from lead or other heavy metals, this story would never have been written.

... and you or I could buy one of these shirts, and the beat, as ever, would go on, as ever...

You can find out more about this particular battle for intellectual property rights here and even more here. Do check out the zany comments - but watch out for irony!

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