I don't blame NBN for not booking them. This town doesn't really need a fake Pink Spiders.

Oh, and their hackneyed, n-worded tribute to Lester Bangs is grounds for disqualification, too.

no what this town needs is a real Pink Spiders, so that once the town has 1 nationally recognized rock band, we can all tear them down.

also... I assure Brandon isn't holding all the money.

Yeah that entire hipster group makes me want to vomit.
I'm beyond tired of it.

hipsters! posers! fagz!

Ya'll just wait until the early 90's nostalgia craze hits. Then I'll show ya who's a hipster!

Let them play!
They were amazing at a local Venue.
The Armed Forces are a great group.
I just so happen to love they're style.
The show will just not be complete unless The Armed Forces play.
:]

Keep fighting guys, you'll make it(:

so let's say they do get 600 signatures. 580 of those names are probably of people that have never even seen or heard of the band. big deal. this just makes them look like whiney bitches. a handful of my friends who are VERY indie/experimental/weird all got slots so i take my hat off to nbn for doing a great job of including many more genres this year. somebody will always be pissed and even more people won't realize that their band sucks.

People are so afraid of different.
So unwelcoming to what's new.
The Armed Forces,
believe it or not,
Make a wonderful live performance.
They know what they're doing and they deserve to be as big as anyone else.
Honestly can you say you'd rather see 50 Cent on your stage?
How about Metallica.... Katy Perry?
Hollywood Undead?
All good in my opinion, but I'm sure half of you don't approve of someone famous.
The fact is simple... Growing up all your life
People always tell you...shoot for your dreams.
Show your talent.
Be who you want to be
And stop giving a damn what others think of you.

So take into consideration, just how great you would feel
if someone stomped all over your big chance.
all over your biggest dream.

The Armed Forces Have Talent,

Don't Hate The Playa's Hate The Game.

Since when has the music business NOT been a tight-nit, self-promoting circle of greasy dudes? I smell a publicity stunt (that seems to be working, so... more power to him!)

Why spend the time getting 600 people to sign a petition so you can play some bullshit festival were you get a thirty minute slot. Spend the time mastering your instrument and composition skills.

well... if it's just 30 minutes, you can't really master an instrument in that amount of time. i say play nbn

Is there a band in the world that doesn't think they are good?

go on get your sigs, little armed forces boy.

Who are the hipster bands? I am looking for cool places to hang and cool bands to see. Will I meet Buddytown folks if I find these bands and digs. If so, I AM IN!!! Hipster is the new Nashville is the new LA, right?

feels like it's about to get weird again in a hillbilly casino kind of way.

LOL!

better than a shack shakers kind of way

Something of a knee jerk reaction against paying to play, on any level kept me from registering. I mean, they wrote us a myspace message asking us to register which means:

A) NBN really needed to raise some money through registration fees

or

B) They actually had something in mind for us, and we f@#$ed it up.

I guess school just let out!

oh, come on. you think we don't know that our band sucks? even we hate it. i don't even like music.

i only wanted you people to validate my existence by insulting our silly little pipe dreams. i mean, it's better to be hated than ignored right?

so, on that note, thank you. please don't take this little publicity stunt away from me. i need this.

(killthebatman)

ps: the joke is, we don't even want to play next big nashville. or do we?

C'mon guyz, It's a Job not a Hobby.

they even have little stage names like the real pink spiders... jazzy!

Instead of getting 600 people to sign a petition why don't they just book a show and get those 600 people to show up?

well, i heard that brandon jazz is the president of the NBN and this is all just a huge stunt to sell more bracelets so that asshole can buy another private jet. maybe i'm just bitter cuz Jazz had sex with my girlfriend last night.

I like the support they get from 14 year old girls in middle America.

this blog suck ass. the dude who writes it just whines all the time and doesn't know shit about music. someone give him a red bull and anti-depressant before his next gig.

i've never heard of this band but if they didn't get NBN, then they must be managed by the same dipshit who writes this blog. oh, and they must only know 3 chords, like the pink spiders.

"Is there a band in the world that doesn't think they are good?"

Exactly! Thank you. Doesn't anybody have any shame anymore? Any standards? Any ears? Am I the only one who's ever thought "gosh, my band kind of sucks compared to THAT band" and just stopped playing? I suppose Armed Forces are just as good as most of the other bands in town, but is that really good enough to think they have a right to take up people's time with their music? Life is too short, and there is too much truly great music out there to listen to stuff that's just decent or average.

I challenge Armed Forces and all you other musicians to go to your myspace pages and look at your list of influences or sounds like sections. Now, ask yourself these five questions.

1. Are you better than any of those bands?
2. Are you even close?
3. Do you have something to say with your music that hasn't already been said more poetically, more originally, or more beautifully by other bands?
4. Does your band have any kind unique musical signature, or is your band the best/first/only band in town playing a certain style of music?
5. Do you think you are anybody's favorite band ever?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then by all means, continue playing music. I may not like you, but at least you genuinely think you have something to offer the world with your music.

BUT if you answered no to all of these questions...well maybe it's time to let the dream die or at the very least come to terms with the fact that you are, at best, a very average band, and the time people spend listening to your music could be better spent just listening to the bands you list as your influences.

I hate that Armed Forces got caught up in this comment...believe me, it's nothing personal. I'm sure you are all delightful people, but before you and your minions tear me apart, I hope you give the five questions some serious thought.

wow at how serious all of this is. lol

hey justin kase, why don't you do a remix about it?

"dude" has me confused. by "dude who writes this blog", do you mean this blog post, or Nashville Cream in general? if you mean this particular post, then you're talking about me, and "wrote" would be the proper conjugation, as this blog is already written and i won't be writing it anymore.

if you mean the guy who writes Nashville Cream and are referring to me as such, i'm afraid i can only take about 1/10 the credit as there are several more people contributing to it besides myself.

as far as not knowing shit about music, you're probably right. but i can construct a coherent paragraph and that's why i'm writing on this thing and others are not.

and how is only knowing 3 chords an insult?

As far as D's self evaluation quiz goes... i can't speak for The Armed Forces, but concerning my own band, i sure as hell can't answer "yes" to all of your questions (except maybe on #4 and that's all a matter of taste). however, i'll be damned if i'm going to just up and stop playing simply because i'll never be as good as my influences. judging by the attendance at our shows, we're by no means anyone's favorite. but i don't feel like i'm wasting anyone's time because, obviously, the people who don't want to hear it aren't showing up. I do it because i have a great time at it and i honestly can't imagine stopping.

if people willingly spend time listening to The Armed Forces or any other band, then they obviously don't consider it to be time wasted. It's really just classic Darwinism where truly awful bands with no redeeming value are going to fail or continue playing to empty rooms until they get sick of it, and those with something to offer a substantial number of people (regardless of how shallow or free of substance that something is) are going to climb the ladder.

i'm not trying to defend anyone in particular, i just don't think this self evaluation is necessary at all. it's not up to the bands as to whether they embody any of these things, so long as their listeners see/hear it.

I wasn't aware Nashville had a hipster community until right now.

How is that if you go down town all you see is fake cowboys walking around, and everyone just goes about their business like this is the cost of living in Nashville.. but the sight of some hipsters wearing cons (or more like Tom's) and drinking PBR at the Gold Rush is so hateful. And as wary as everyone seems to be a band similar to The Pink Spiders, I wonder just how many future Ryan Adams hopefuls will fill out the NBN roster. I dare say, most of them

Justin Case you SHOULD remix The Armed Forces, and play it at a NBN after party.

If you really want to get rocked, go see The Duke Spirit (an actual british rock band), at 3rd & Lindsley this sunday... the will be preceeded with a performance by last years NBN sweethearts Plex Plex.

musicians who conform will always win.
nashville is no different than any other city, handing out its pat on the backs to those who play by the rules.
maybe these bands are not my particular style, but to those who want to see them, carry on.

for one, i'd rather see a band for $5 who has a little something to say and the nerve to make fun of this towns idiocracy– as opposed to spending $30 for more of what nashville's servin.

so get the festival over with already and let's all have a drink.
jazz.. you are one clever s.o.b.

D-
As previously stated, we hate music, so I don't feel bad wasting people's time with our performance art pieces in which we pose and posture as if we were an actualy, real-life rock and roll band. We're so ironic that none of you jokers even caught on. Ha!

In answer to your questions.
1. Not my place to say. I'd wager on "no." But who cares?
2. Trying every day. But again, who cares?
3. Actually, I think so. Why would the world not wanna hear about my sexual frustrations and fondness for alcohol.
4. I don't know of any bands any where that suck as bad as we do, so I think we've got the market cornered.
5. Just the supportive 14-year old girls in middle America. But fuck, at least they're not afraid to act like they care about anything, right?

And I don't think our dead heroes would be too fond of the notion that letting your dreams die is ideal and that one should spend their time pining over the "good old days."

Oh yeah, and I know FOUR CHORDS, assholes. Give me some credit. And all of your money.

hey asshole (D) im sorry if your daddy didnt go to your baseball games enough as a child, but it takes a really stupid person to just sit back on their talentless ass and try to tell a band that they should quit because they arent as good as their influences. I will never be the greatest musician in the world but i am sure as hell not gonna quit because im not the best at something. im sure you've mastered the art of being a complete tool and trying to tear others down for doing what you obviously cant but screw you and anyone else who has ever tried to keep someone from pursuing their dreams. i'll never be the best but damnit i'll keep practicing. newsflash, even that bands influences have their influences that drove them to be where they are now. my basic point is that you should seriouly look into suicide as you are only a drain on peoples dreams. FOR ANYONE WITH A DREAM! DONT LISTEN THIS ASSHOLE, JUST BECAUSE YOU ARENT THE BEST DOESNT MEAN YOU SHOULD QUIT. BY ALL MEANS AT LEAST GO FOR IT.

"hey justin kase, why don't you do a remix about it?"

i love this.

I agree with King Shighway... The Duke Spirit are fucking incredible, and I can't wait until Sunday.

People should know the truth:

The truth is that The Armed Forces was masterminded by none other than Matt Friction. Now that he has all the money, he's setting up a small "army" of spider like bands. Alleged 'musician' and 'frontman'Brandon Jazz is actually an actor from Louisville, KY named Chad Robinson, who was hired (as were the other hired guns that makeup the band) by Friction as a second source of revenue for his ever growing pocket book. After all, these days Friction is rubbing elbows with the likes of Pete Wentz, and needs to have his game plan together. Matt Friction is to The Armed Forces what Pete Wentz is/was to Panic! At the Disco.

Ok, I see my comments are hitting a little too close to home for some people, but for real? You can't answer yes to even one of the questions? Not one?? And you're totally alright with that? You are perfectly satisfied being an average band with no unique qualities or originality who doesn't even come close to comparing with other music you love...by your own admission. This is what YOU think of your own band? Really? Fascinating. I'm just surprised, that's all.

Casio, you're right that it's not up to bands to evaluate whether they embody any of these qualities, but what if it was? Maybe it should be. Whether the Nashville rock scene is a large or small pond is up for debate, but I think we can all agree that whatever the size, it's really freaking crowded if not downright polluted in here. I just wonder what the scene would be like with a little more space to swim. Local bands might even start getting paid.

I'm sorry if I come off sounding mean or cruel. That's not my intention.

I think the question the Armed Forces are really posing to the nashville rock scene is "why so serious?"

After all Jon Lennon is dead, Kurt Kobain is dead, Jeff Buckley is dead, and so is Elliott Smith. Bono hasn't become president and Africa is still fucked. Its just rock'n roll.

-Kurt Kobain, Curt Cobain, Kurdt Cobain, Curdt Kobain sucked
-Jeff Buckley sucked
-Elliot Smith sucked
-Bono sucked/sucks
-Africa sucks
-rock n roll led you astray

yeah, uh, most peoples influences suck anyway, and if bands weren't allowed to be bad for awhile then no great albums would ever be made. Example: Pablo Honey

Yes , I agree, don't take it so seriously (bitter old musicians) don't hate. I think if your band is entertaining, well that's 90% of it. who really cares what the other 10% is... It's Nashville..

Kenvin,

What I said was don't waste you time getting 600 signatures. And what I meant by saying that is why give a fuck about other peoples's approval. Just improve on what you do and if people don't like it fuck 'em unless of course you are relying on it for an income. Is that the rock 'n roll dream?

Pablo Honey and The Bends where the only good Radiohead albums.

You leave my boy alone! Punk Rock is his life!!!

hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhhahahahahhaha!

you fool's waste your time hating this pathetic excuse of a band, but continue commenting about how pathetic they are?

an egotistical singer with bad hair and a backing band of hipster hacks and you waste your time?

you people are just as pathetic as the band you espouse hatred for.

hahaha!

never end a sentence with a preposition.

Actually, according to the MLA, you can NOW correctly end a sentence with a preposition.

Come on,it's a free country! If they want to walk around town getting signatures,good! i think its a great idea.They can do whatever the hell they want.The Armed Forces are a kickass band and deserve recognition.

D,

No. You can't even answer most of those 5 questions without veering uncontrollably into the subjective. Who's to say what is 'better?' Who's to say what's more 'poetic and beautiful?'

This is not basketball, this is arbirarily-motivated music and performance art.

What about the Wesley Willis's of the world? He wanted to be Elvis: what are you gonna do - tell him to just quit already and deprive us the pleasure of his shows? (obviously a moot point due to his death but still...) What about people who so love a certain genre that they want to keep it alive, even if they have no hope of reaching the level of the founders of said genre (basically the def. of folk music)? What about people who play music because otherwise they would go insane? (that's me.) You are honestly saying that unless they meet a certain 5 requirements that you evidently just made up, then they should give up already?!

No, they should not give up. I'll admit, a punk band getting a formal petition for anything is ironic, but its also really funny. If this whole thing turns out to be some kind of joke, I'll be laughing, BECAUSE IT AMUSES ME.

Let's try your exercise again, only we're gonna take it down to 1 question:

1. Does your band amuse at least one person for at least one second at least once in it's career? (This person can be you.)

It does? THEN KEEP FUCKING PLAYING!

It's obviously a joke and a publicity stunt.
Thanks to Nashville Cream's foaming at the mouth following...it worked!

You all throw around the word hipster like it's going out of style.

nbn, and local music in general, is obvs srs business.
nevermind that sometimes we want to see the band because they're our friends, or we're trying to fuck the drummer, or maybe we just want to throw footballs at the lead singer... now we have to worry about them being more 'poetic' and 'original' and 'beautiful' than the last band.

srsly?
GTFO.

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization

http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/79/hipster.html

yeah but if DJ momjeans doesn't play the armed forces aferparty i am not even going to put on my headdress or skinny jeans this year i mean honestly power to the people

There's a real easy solution to this. Run a "Next Rejected Nashville" (or whatever you want to call it) show. Gather some rejected bands that you believe were unfairly rejected and prove you shouldn't have been rejected. Flyer the NBN shows, come up with some gimmick to get people through the door, then give it your best. This is a perfect opportunity here. A petition doesn't prove anything, a better show does. Show some initiative. Instead of asking people to sign a petition, how about giving them a cd and a flyer to your show? Imagine...busting your butt to promote yourself.

House show festival anyone?

You guys are just mad that you arent hipsters.

Brandon Jazz has ALWAYS been Brandon Jazz. Even back when he was in Brooklyn UK. Even his pop knows him as that.

Can somebody please tell me what exactly makes one a "hipster"? I mean, if I obviously am one, I'd at least like to know what defines my social identity. It might come in handy someday when I'm trying to hit on women.

"Hi, I'm Brandon Jazz and I am a HIPSTER!"

THANKS!

uh, you gotta be kidding me. people don't make it because they aren't good enough and i've seen these guys a few times and it's slightly less than a comedy show. if you wanna be bored as shit and a reason to go outside and smoke, see 'em. cheers to nbn for being picky. if you guys that don't make it wanna start a new one, do it. snbn (shitty next big nashville).

At least De Novo Dahl isn't playing it this year.

Pablo Honey and The Bends where the only good Radiohead albums.

What?

Yeah I know that bothered me too.

Whoever posted that was clearly high, but I do think The Bends is their best.

I'm kind of wondering where the idea came from that Jazz is an actor picked up from Kentucky by Matt Friction.if thats true,how do you explain Jazz being in Brooklyn UK before the Armed Forces?

You would think people who want to be taken seriously locally would be less of a prick on tour. Hmmmmm....