Now I have done my share of hating, it's the nature of the beast, remember being a Stones or a Beatles fan anyone? Ultimately I have always believed that everyone has a right to their opinion but at some point a line has to be drawn. There is a difference between hating on a band and just plain hate, the latter being actually destructive. Saying you dislike a band is fine, it ain't your cup of tea and you have your reasons. But to truly wish harm on a group is utterly disturbing and to me there is no place for it, that's just stupid. Here's some advice...don't listen to the music. Kings Of Leon seem pretty much unfazed by the whole thing. They plan to continue to make music, playing in front of 20,000 fans in huge arenas and make the music they want to make no matter if people think they are 'selling out.' Now that's a term that drives me crazy. At times I do feel like it is appropriate word usage but it is flung around far too much in the music industry. Now going out and starting a band is respectable. Making cool music that small amounts of people appreciate is really cool. But as a musician, or in any profession, do you owe anything to anyone but yourself? At some point whatever you do in life has to eventually pay the bills, so why not make as much money as you can? Now would you consider a Doctor who opens up their own practice to be a sellout? He or she most certainly opened it up to make more money but no one would call them that. In the words of Caleb Followhill..."If every morning my kids were crying for my pancakes because they're the best ever and I became a chef, is that selling out?" Certainly what I am speaking of is a Catch 22, it's coolness versus dollars, and in the music industry both are hugely important, you don't go to the Doctor because they are cool. Ultimately what I think real music fans are looking for is good music. Music that has taken time to write and create and often has some meaning behind it. To me the term 'sell out' refers specifically to quality not necessarily to whether a band is making more money or not. To this point Caleb says..."We take bands we love out on tour (with us), and it's amazing seeing their faces when they're onstage with thousands of people watching, that 'oh-shit' moment that makes you wake up and say 'let's write another song today.' You can't plan this stuff and you can't blame someone for it happening to them." I only blame Weezer.
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