Strange Language

FREE SHOW IN PORTLAND JULY 9th!

2008-06-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Net Neutrality

2008-06-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Net neutrality is a very important issue to me (and hopefully to you, too). As an artist, I believe that the internet is a very valuable tool for independent media, perhaps the last, and yet quite possibly the most powerful and far-reaching. It should stay that way. SOME people with A LOT of money and power don't think so because they're afraid that if they can't control it, they won't have that power anymore. They might be right. Watch this video and decide for yourself. Then follow these links to find out what you can do to help save independent media, free speech and expression.

Save the Internet | Rock the Vote

Elitists

2008-06-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of musicians, listeners and critics who think that only one sort of music is viable or worth a damn (usually the type that they choose to listen to or play on a regular basis). Take jazz for example. I love jazz, I listen to it regularly. I know how to play jazz. I don't play "jazz" in a traditional sense in Strange Language. But my music is steeped in the influence of jazz, among pretty much any other sounds that float my way and tickle my fancy. Maybe a sound doesn't tickle my fancy. But if it comes from the heart, it's a fucking 10 in my book all the way.

A recent experience with a band which will remain anonymous has soured me on many-a-jazz player. We were sharing a bill that night, and they came into Luckey's (which happens to be one of my favorite places to play in town) with such an arrogant attitude, like as if they were god's gift to music and they were here to show this shitty little burg what "real" music is all about. First thing they said to me was "we've never played in a place like this before" with an obvious air of disdain. I can only assume they meant they've never played in a bar with pool tables and people hanging out with friends talking, drinking, etc. All I said was "man you guys are lucky you never played in a place like this before". Their attitude was clear throughout their set; they were patronizing to the crowd and when I told them "nice set" they didn't even say thank you. This is not the first time I have been snubbed by fascist jazz nazis, on the contrary, having earned a degree in music I was faced frequently with such attitudes during my education, and I am sure I will be faced with it again.

Let's look at another exaple: rock, or indie or whatever you might call it. I love rock. Rock n roll is what made me fall in love with music. But fuck any and all elitist rock asshole fuckheads who think that if you don't listen to this band or sound like that band or look like another band that your music is no good. Say some band wears their influence on their sleeve, right next to their heart. If that influence isn't one of the pitchfork-approved scenesters, then it's dubbed "derivative, unoriginal, done before" or any other number of bullshit put downs. But then you hear another band that may sound almost identical, but maybe has one little quirk, like the sound of some god awful indie-cred maker (ex: a casio keyboard). Oh then it's "totally fresh, next big thing, true to their creative core" and so on.

Music has always been about human expression, not about demonstrating some sort of superiority over others. It is about connection on some basic level, not about alienation or separation, even if the subject of the song itself is alienation or separation.

Like I said before, for me it's about a sound, and also a feeling. If it tickles my fancy, then so it goes. If not, then so it goes. But if it's from the heart then that's all that matters to me, even if it doesn't please me personally. Sound is what is, it is the only thing that is. It always will be. If a sound moves you, make that sound. Don't let elitists tell you otherwise.

next up....

2008-06-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

alright, well, I've decided to start posting a little bit. in the coming weeks and months I will add music and photos here to supplement the paltry offerings on myspace. I hope to eventually have all recorded works documented here, either in a player of some sort or just posted as mp3 downloads, once I figure out how to do that stuff and then actually motivate to do it (that will be the hard part), in addition to show dates and other random musings if I so please. the pick of the litter will still appear on myspace, in addition to tour dates and more pertinent information. i hope one day to rid myself of myspace all together. yeah, like that will ever happen.

by the way, my name is tate peterson and i make music. i perform primarily under the name 'strange language'.

testing

2008-05-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

ahem. hello. this is a test.