Category Archives: economy

Press release for “We’re America”

Posted on by
1

(see “Time to pitch” post from today for background)
Rocker Releases Song to Rally Nation

On the heels of President Barack Obama’s recent warning of “more pain” ahead, rocker Allen Shadow has released the single “We’re America” to help buoy the nation’s spirit during the economic recovery.

“As the president recently reminded us, the challenges ahead are still great,” said Shadow. “Now, more than ever, we need to keep our heads and our spirits up.”

The indie artist’s song was originally inspired by Obama’s speech to Congress in late February. In his address, the president reminded the nation of its long history of innovation and accomplishment, promising the country would “emerge stronger than before.”

In fact, Shadow echoes the presidential pledge in the song’s chorus: “We’re America home of the brave/And we’ll be back again stronger than today.”

“I also channeled Woody Guthrie,” said Shadow. “He helped us remember the best of our land during the hard times of the Great Depression.

While “We’re America” is uplifting, it also bares teeth. The tune claims “the banks are bandits now” and chronicles the irony of congressmen who cried fowl yet gave away trillions with little oversight.

A video of “We’re America” is a slice of Americana itself, peppered with images of vintage cars and classic movies. The video can be seen on Shadow’s YouTube channel: allenville33.

“I think the American people understand what we’re facing and how long things are likely to take,” said Shadow. “Nevertheless, the road ahead could test our resolve as there will likely be further pressures on us as well as continued knocks from other nations.”

Shadow, whose indie debut CD “King Kong Serenade” (Blue City Records) drew critical acclaim in the early 2000s, is offering downloads of the new single free of charge. The artist’s raw, literate style is often compared to early Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits.

“We’re America” will be included on Shadow’s forthcoming album, “American Alleys,” a street-savvy take on cities from coast to coast, due this winter from Blue City Records.

“We’re America” can be heard or downloaded from several Web sites, including both http://myspace.com/allenshadow2 and http://allenshadow.com.

In addition, Shadow blogs at both https://allenshadow.wordpress.com and http://twitter.com/AllenShadow.

Add to Technorati Favorites

Damn dumb blondes

Posted on by
2

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday blamed blue-eyed blondes for the world economic crisis. Said da Silva:

This crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes, who thought they knew everything and now show they know nothing.

Just what we need on the heels of Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, head of the European Union, calling the U.S. stimulus measures the “way to hell.” See “U.S. to EU: we don’t do ‘hell'” post below.

Likely international opportunism all, but disconcerting as much of the world now looks to the U.S. for the way out of this mess. Tom Friedman’s “Paging Uncle Sam” column states it perfectly. Not sure what color eyes Tom has.

Add to Technorati Favorites

U.S. to EU: we don’t do ‘hell’

Posted on by
2

Okay, so this is how it works in the dysfunctional world we lead. The spoiled son embarrasses dad on the eve of the patriarch’s visit, knowing that pops’ll spring for the Wii he so wants just to shut him up.

So it is with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, head of the European Union, who just blasted the U.S. stimulus measures as the “way to hell.”

President Obama, as it happens, is scheduled to arrive in Prague in less than two weeks. And this Topolanek, who, by the way just received a vote of no confidence from his government, will be looking for more than a Wii, perhaps enough to fund a whole high-tech industry. You think?

Thank you EU leaders. Once again, just as we’re all trying to get along so like the world doesn’t crumble around us, you shoot off your hypocritical mouths again. Recall the French arrogance (did I leave off an accent grave somewhere?) post 9/11. We can still take the freedom fries out of the freezer, you know.

Now, here’s the height of irony on two counts:

  1. On March 1, The New York Times reported that top EU governments trashed the idea of ponying up to bailout newer, Eastern members. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is facing elections this fall, rejected it soundly.
  2. In the midst of the AIG bonus scandal — on the Ides of March no less — AIG reported a much larger and equally-controversial giveaway: some $49.5 billion to 22 banks, 16 of which are foreign, many European, including UBS, Deutsche Bank and Société Générale. (Oddly, this story went virtually unnoticed in the fog of the bonus scandal, but for limited coverage in such reliables as The Gray Lady.)

So let’s sum up: a Czech leader, who also happens to head the EU, is gaming Obama and America because his own neighbors, like Germany, whose banks received mucho American cash via the AIG bailout, won’t ante up.

And what’s worse is this plays the hell card as the world’s house of cards teeters on the brink. Nice! (and like Elaine’s boyfriend Jake on Seinfeld, I eschew exclamation points).

P.S. Reactions to this news can also be found on the Fayetteville Observer blog.

Add to Technorati Favorites

Power from the people

Posted on by
1

My friend Richie manages the Philippe Starck Building across from the New York Stock Exchange. They have a $23-million condo that’s wanting for a buyer (poor billionaires). I asked him if anybody was jumping from the windows yet. Apparently not.

The Sunday morning news coverage of the public furor over the AIG bonuses was instructive, if predictable, including David Gregory and company on Meet the Press on NBC, which was followed by Chris Matthews, who polled his panel on whether the bonus fallout would hamper Obama in his push for further bank-bailouts. The results were rather measured considering Congress’ need to sate the public outcry.

Let’s not underestimate the true meaning of the public anger. Certainly, the $165 million in AIG bonus payouts (although the Connecticut A.G. today ups that estimate to $218 million) can be seen as the proverbial straw, it is no less significant that other turning-point straws that fill the history books: the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Pearl Harbor, and “remember the Maine” or the “shot heard ‘round the world.”

That said, here’s what I think is happening and what will ultimately solve Wall Street’s excesses: the power of the people.

While that sounds quaint at first blush, people power is the latest disruptive technology, and it will rule Wall Street in the coming years the same way it has reshaped the music industry, the film and television industries, the advertising industry and the news industry. It is a force that is even larger than Wall Street.

Here’s what’s changed: I call it the trust factor. Since the industrial revolution (and certainly earlier), industry, the media and government controlled information. They may have taken the temperature of the public along the way and had to proffer lip service to obtain votes; but, collectively, they dictated the message. They had us having to trust them concerning how to conduct our affairs. I could put together a string of corporate slogans here, but I think you get the point.

Over the past decade, the trust factor has been turned on its head as the Internet has leveled the playing field, first flattening the music industry, then steadily rolling over several others.

Now, the curtain has been pulled back on Wall Street, and the complex and secretive way it has conducted business. When everyone was benefiting from the current model, big banks and insurance giants could get away with their Ponzi-style instruments.

But no more. The public trust has been broken, never to return. Now, the public will have trust flow from the public to the corporate world, in full. Its beginnings were sown in the corporate facebook pages we see today. I believe a new, disruptive model will be forged naturally from these events.

I suppose that’s a hopeful way to look at this mess we’re in. But isn’t that the same model that now elects our Presidents.

Oh, one more note on hope — some songs to help us through: Tom Paxton’s “I Am Changing My Name to Fannie Mae” and my own “We’re America.”

Add to Technorati Favorites

Woody Guthrie, Eliot Spitzer, where are you?

Posted on by
Reply

We need Woody Guthrie. We need Will Rogers. Maybe the song “We’re America” can help save the economy and even Obama along the way, since I fear the current pandemic over A.I.G. and its bonus-spree could actually bring the President down, maybe not tomorrow, but by the end of his first term. Why? Because this has now become an official history-book style scandal, one that may just be worthy of a few paragraphs in the digital tome of some fifth grader circa 2030. Just watch CNN for an hour, any hour; just wade through today’s New York Times, USA Today; name your poison. Consequently, my quotes of the day:

Maureen Dowd really got her Irish up in today’s column in the NY Times. She gave some sage advice on just what Obama should tell A.I.G.:

We stopped the checks. They’re immoral. If you want Americans’ hard-earned cash as a reward for burning up their jobs, homes and savings, sue me.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said:

Their (A.I.G.’s) mythology starts with the false premise that these are irreplaceable geniuses.

Yes, I quoted the opportunistic Andy Cuomo (love his dad, though). But maybe what we need now are some tough prosecutor types. How about we recruit the NY AG, Janine Pierro, Nancy Grace and Eliot Spitzer (forget the hooker, we’re talking mercenaries here). How’s that for a goon dream-team. We’ll give ‘em all Louisville sluggers and send them knee-cap hunting over to the London countryside where the A.I.G. execs roam. It’ll only cost us $160 American for the lumber; the chutzbah comes free.
Add to Technorati Favorites

The ‘pre-release’ strategy

Posted on by
Reply

On the “We’re America” front, of timely significance is coolfer.com’s recent note regarding a “pre-release” strategy for singles tracks as employed by Rascall Flatts for it’s album, “Unstoppable,” which will be formally released April 7. As an indie artist, I’ve arrived at the same conclusion as I’ve come to embrace the iTunes-led track trend.

So, let the pre-release strategy of my “We’re America” song serve as an example for other artists. Note that the tune was written and produced during the past week as a solo single in response to the current political climate over the recession. So let’s workshop this here a moment:

•    artist releases single that must get out in a timely manner;
•    single is not as yet attached to an album;
•    yet single will be pre-released via social media;
•    then, formally released via both traditional and social media.

I won’t go into all the release details here, but will post the progression along the way, warts and all. With decades of music industry experience as both a Nashville songwriter and an indie artist and as a PR pro, I hope to bring something useful to the table.

Comments and suggestions are, of course, invited.

Release of “We’re America”

Posted on by
4

I will be releasing a new song, “We’re America,” with the hope of raising the spirit of Americans during this difficult period. Listen to this pre-release track.

It was prompted by the bickering across the political aisle at a time when countrymen of all persuasions should be rallying behind President Obama and the nation. Certainly, our two party system is our strength, and questioning the administration, policy and legislation is essential. But the rancor and division have gone too far for a nation in crisis. Rush Limbaugh’s call for failure and serious hand-wringing and doubt from the far corners of both parties is working against the current of pragmatic support we need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. As Tom Friedman wrote in his March 10 column in the New York Times: “Economically, this is the big one. This is August 1914. This is the morning after Pearl Harbor. This is 9/12. Yet, in too many ways, we seem to be playing politics as usual.”

So, I”m hoping to join with Tom and others to  inspire what I call a “new patriotism” with “We’re America.” Give it a listen (from above link) and stay tuned here for more on this quest.