This particular missive came in response to my review of the Public enemy concert at the Showbox on Sunday night December 17th. The review appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and can be read by clicking here.

I would call it a favorable review. Yet, I still got the hate and as far as hate mail is concerned, this one takes the cake.

From: “Curt” curtissssssssmith @excite.com
Reply-To: curtissssssssmith@excite.com
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:38:24 -0500 (EST)
To: eyeheartmusic@nospamyahoo.com
Subject: You – and PE

I only wish we could relive the revolutionary days of the 1990′s, so I would have an excuse to put a motherfucking ice pick in your eye, or maybe bash in your skull in ala Kristopher Kime, but alas it is not to be. Fight the power indeed, bitch.

Fuck off and die to the extreme!

Warmest regards,

Curt

—— End of Forwarded Message

Kristopher Krimes was a 22 year-old white male killed at the 2001 Mardi Gras riots in Seattle. His assailant was a black man. Kris was trying to rescue a woman from a crowd of reveling criminals who were trying to have their fun with her. He was struck in the back of the head then beaten to death. It was called a hate crime.

I don’t know how serious this person is or even if it’s someone I know but I don’t find it the least bit funny.

Just in case something happens to me, please do me a favor and find this so-called “Curtis Smith.”

The rock ‘n’ roll life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be is it? Sometimes it’s just cracked.

Love while I’m living, Shawn

A Public Affair (Epic)

Following the divorce, Jessica Simpson’s ex-husband recorded “What’s Left of Me.” Yet, for her post “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica” album, there is no regret. In fact, the newly single Simpson is just the opposite; she’s ready to party. The question is: what to wear? And on her fifth album, the pop-star princess borrows or lifts lots of hats, namely Madonna, the Cars, Dead or Alive and most curiously, Patty Griffin’s “Let Him Fly” wherein the young singer reaches for a gravitas and authenticity that no amount of breathy pining will ever grant her. Like the album’s packaging, it’s nice on the outside but empty were it counts. (Shawn Telford)

GRADE: D

This is only the second “D” I have ever given as a music journalist. The first came last week with the debut release from that fucking media-whore Paris Hilton. Man, she is in love with herself. Apparently, listening to her own album makes her cry. She made this confession during an interview for Blender magazine. Her exact words: “I, like, cry, when I listen to it, it’s so good.”

Naturally, the writer continues the interview without batting an eye. Me, I would have beaten her over the head with such a self-inflating statement like that. “Um Paris, I like, throw up in my mouth just a little when I listen to it, it’s so bad. Um, did I say bad? I like, um, meant laughable, as in it makes ME laugh to think that YOU THINK you have a modicum of talent. Um, did I say modicum? Sorry. It means just a little bit.”

That’s exactly what I would say to Paris Hilton and I would say it in a high pitched baby voice as if I were talking to my pet cat or some very irksome child, which is why no editor is ever going to give me access to the lodging heiress/actress/author—she has allegedly written two books. Probably in crayon. I don’t know, I’ve never seen them, I’ve never read them, nor do I know of anyone who has.

The point is: who cares about access? I care about integrity. And this person whose sole claim to fame is that she’s famous has no integrity. Her friend Jessica Simpson, however, has no identity. At least not on her album. I can’t speak to how she behaves in person. I’ve never met her. I do admit though, she is pretty; in that sort of magazine stand shoved-down-your-throat definition of beauty.

Trivia: the phrase “I’m sexy” recurs 17 times in three different songs on Paris’ shitty debut, including “I’m so, so, so sexy,” but not “I’m hot” or “she’s sexy.”

Note to Paris: “Stick to amateur porn, you’re better when something is going into your mouth than when something is coming out of it.”

I recently read a quote from Pulitzer, “Journalists should have no friends.”

It was a liberating discovery. As such, I’d like to say,“Fuck Jessica Simpson. Fuck Paris Hilton. Fuck Lenny Kravitz. Fuck Morissey. Fuck Abba.” I’d rather be lonely than hang out with those assholes.

Reading Chuck Klusterman is not helping me with my mouth either. His opinionated stance on most everything is infecting me with a sense of “Who gives a shit. After all, a good journalist should have no friends…”

Speaking of friends, you want to hang out, listen to music and drink beer? We can make fun of Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson (Her press kit came with a color 8X10 photo, perfect for masturbating… But we don’t have to do that.)

Or someone disagrees with my assertion that Mastodon played a better set at Unholy Alliance than Lamb of God, though I stand by Mastodon, no matter how many emails I get. Mastodon is quite possibly the loudest band in rock! And their set was not only frightening because of its sheer volume but also the dizzying degree with which they delivered that fifty minute pummeling!

Recently, however, readers of my Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young review have come forth with much praise, none more so than this kind fellow, whose letter I post below in its total, unabridged glory:

Dear Shawn,
My wife & I read your review of the CSN&Y concert in the Seattle P-I. We felt it was the best concert we have ever been to, not only because the group was superb, but the political message was so important. Your review of the concert completely captured both the musical and political spirit of the experience. I have never read as good a review of a concert as yours. It reflected an incredible depth of musical and social understanding. We share your review with our friends who missed it since it is a perfect summary of the night. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Bill Caradonna

P.S. Please forward this to your PI editor. I look forward to reading more reviews from you!

Bill, just so you know, I’m not only going to forward this to my editor, I’m going to post it to my web site so that everyone can see it. Including me, whenever I want to. And I want to probably every day for a while. It’ll be my warm-up to balancing my checkbook, just to remind myself why I struggle with this kind of writing, because we all know, IT’S NOT FOR THE MONEY!

I’m moving away from the idea of posting music reviews here on my main site, where (hopefully) people are coming to consider me for acting jobs. Instead, so as not to confuse anyone with the many things that interest me, I’m going to move all of the music stuff to…

Eye Heart Music Dot Com

A new site to and for new music!

And a place where I can continue the ever-dificult task of writing about music.

It’s up and coming. That is to say that it is not yet officially “launched” as it were, but it is floating on the web in various stages of completion.

Do you heart music?.