01/03/10 - What "rock and roll" is now-is not rock and roll. It's pop. It's fabricated for the masses. It's an imitation-a shoddy semblance of what it was. It's Perry Como music compared to real rock and roll. Remember when it all started? There was real rock and roll, and then that other music your parents listened to. It's like rock and roll now is the music that our parents listened to. It's like gone.

This is a pretty scary thought. Neil Young quoted this 18 years ago. I wonder what he would say now? As a member of Ten Toes Up, I swear that we will not lose our rock and roll edge and we will definately not turn pop. I'm personally thinking of going back to flannel shirts and stonewashed jeans, unlike the stars of today, who turned to girly jeans and gold glittered t-shirts.

The problem I'm really having is that it seems that a lot of the places we play want us to be like everyone else. WE refuse to be the norm in this area. We aren't going to change. I know that we could make twice the amount of money if we would change and be a cover band, but when has real rock and roll been about the money? If you answered "it's not about the money" then you are right. I would rather be poor and not lose my soul to the cover song gods.

I thank all of our fans who actually care about what we are doing and who care about the songs we write. No one sees the hours we put into this. By the way, everytime we learn a new cover song, it usually takes less than an hour. Everytime we write an original, it takes between 4 and 6 dedicated practices to that song. We are not taking the easy way out. The broadway bars and one in particular in the inlet can't handle us and we won't be caught dead in your establishments anymore.

Again, we thank all of our fans who support our music and your patience will hopefully be rewarded with a kick ass 3rd album. We are going to stay rock and roll til the end! [ more ]