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Raccoon Society-- Ask Mat--- ROUND 3

Posted on August 24, 2009 at 06:40 PM

click here to follow Mat on Twitter.  click here to follow Kill Hannah on Twitter.

 

Thanks again to everyone who let me into their worlds this week. These were a MONSTER to digest... some were so layered and complex that i had to watch the YouTube video of Steven Tyler falling off the stage like 4 times just to get back to my idiotic reality.

Keep sending and REsending your questions and comments... this truly is a gift for me to get to know you all in this way.

1) from David

??????? Hey Mat, do you believe it's true that nice guys finish last? Looking back over my 24 years of being a nice guy I'm starting to convince myself that it is.

Short answer - yes, they do finish last. -but not in the things that matter in the end. 

In the short term, success definitely seems to favor the hard-talking dickhead alpha male, while sensitive thoughtful guys get overlooked for promotions, and put in the friend-zone by women. (Hence every Morrissey lyric ever written: “…and you go on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home and you cry and you want to die”).

yes, assholes can get ahead faster, make more money and get more girls. Absolutely. The knuckle dusters are out fucking the prom queens, and you’re laying on your Star Wars sheets picking the popcorn out of your braces, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling thinking, “if she only knew the real me.” I’ve been there. The injustice!

The solution isn’t to become vicious, tho. As you get older you’ll learn that while ‘quality girls’ still surely date bad boys, they ultimately choose to marry the nice ones.

HOWEVER, while kindness is indeed a rare and virtuous trait, unless you’re into centurions, it Just. Ain't. Enough. “Nice” does not mean being invisible, or being a complete pussy with a flat personality. You have to bring something more to the table. Sometimes what we mistake for an asshole may just be a a guy with conviction who has some semi-interesting shit to say. I believe all girls want to be treated respectfully, they just don’t want to be bored to death in the process.

2) from Alex

?????? how do you get over a sense of impending doom? i have this weird pessimistic view of life and it seems to affect every situation i'm involved in. any help?

Ahhh. Impending doom. Your pessimistic view is not that weird. i think it’s a common side product of anxiety disorder- something endured by a lot of my fav artists. My own experience with it came after I ate a huge pile of pot brownies at Greg’s birthday party years ago. For weeks I just could not shake the acute awareness of my own mortality. the mystery of death was so intense and gripping, I wondered why there wasn’t constant rioting in the streets if everyone knew what I knew.

Turns out its just called ‘the human condition’. I recovered gradually by referring to some of the existentialist stuff I studied in college.  It was Kierkegaard I think who argued that beauty and meaning only exist in life because we know it won’t last forever. (eg: deep red sunsets are gorgeous cos we’ll only see a limited number of them in our lifetime.) I mean, Twilight is sexy and everything, but seriously try to imagine life without a little impeding doom.. it would suck.

Have you ever tried visiting a nursing home?  You think YOUR doom is impending? It may help you to realize just how much you actually have in front of you right now. 

Ultimately, if you can’t kick the storm clouds w logic or Joy Division alone, see someone who can manage your chemistry. -otherwise you’ll end up building a monolithic dome in Spread Eagle, Wisconsin, like my friend Chris -obsessing over alien invasions and the apocalypse while missing out on the real joie de vivre

3) from EMILY

???????? So first i love your band and all the members =D you guys are the greatest. But anyways, I'm overweight like 250lb. and I’m extremely shy. i have one best friend and one guy friend who i met like 3-4 years ago online. But anyways i finally met this guy named Billy, and well i love him so much and he loved me. then one day he said he loved me but wasn’t IN love anymore. but well, he is the only guy who has ever cared so much for me… honestly the only person who has cared so much.

now he has a girlfriend and i don’t know what to do. i was doing better losing weight and was feeling happy again, but now I’m back to my old self, and I’m scared. i don’t know how to talk to people, like i cant carry a conversation longer than 3 minutes -so I’m like all alone and there’s people everywhere so i just stay inside and i go outside sometimes at night in my backyard to look at the stars or when the sun is setting. but i miss billy so much and how do i change? i have no idea where to go from here, and I’m seriously thinking bout spending lunch in the upcoming school year in the bathroom, i cant even stand eating in public. my brother’s an ass, always like “should you be eating that?” when its cereal at 6pm and its the first thing I’ve eaten that day -so i end up puking. i don’t want an eating disorder, but this is the only way i know how to be. any tips? anything would be helpful tbh. cant wait till september 29 =] wish i could go to the detroit show but i cant, though i saw you a year ago at pontiac in michigan, you were great =D

You guys and your run-on sentences.. fuck. I thought I was bad! (You’re welcome for adding about 35 apostrophes for you.. my eyes started crossing.)

Ok… the idea of you secretly squirreling your lunch in the bathroom is one of the saddest things ever. then again, is it kind of posh? there’s a luxurious coke bathroom at Deville in Wicker Park equipped with gold faucets, ornate mirrored tiling and a gigantic Victorian chandelier. honestly it’s nicer than my condo. -if you were chowing down in there, I’d ask to be your plus 1 !

I’m deeply struck by your honesty and the sadness of what you describe, but I’m seeing this as a huge opportunity for you. The greatest underdog story ever is the one where the hero bounces back from rock bottom. Why else would people give a shit about Rocky IV? This is where the story of your life takes a huge turn. You’re gonna inspire people.

Unlike the writers of Shallow Hal, I don’t happen to believe in the convenient cliché that all overweight people have some equally massive inner beauty just waiting to be discovered. I mean, metaphysically, heavy people are the same as thin ones: 95% of us suck. but I do believe that one’s identity should never be defined simply by what they weigh. You introduced yourself here as if your weight is your most defining characteristic. Stop thinking like that. Look, you like our albums, so I already KNOW you have good taste and something to offer.

Get real medical advice from an endocrynologist… I admire your puking and starving regiment, that’s pretty metal, but it’s not smart. Have an expert design a diet. If you have the confidence that you're eating the right things, you wont feel like hiding when you dine.

I know you’re heartbroken, and this is gona sound femme, but you have to love yourself and your body. Give it a month and your inner confidence will shine thru… trust me, you’ll be dry humping guys way cooler than Billy in no time…

4) ????????????

Dear Mat, my best friend HATES you, I don't know why, she just does, she calls you a dumb bisexual,lol. On the otherhand I LOVE you, you're like the most killest guy ever, you're my idol!

How can I convince my friend that you're not a dumb bisexual? Do you have any words to her, PLEASE answer back. Much Love. <3

You’re best friends with Sarah Palin? That’s so cool! What a cougar.

You want me to convince her? Look, from 2000-2002 when I was wearing tube socks on my arms and glitter on my eyes, I had to put enough effort into convincing my own bandmates and parents that I wasn’t a dumb bisexual, so frankly I’m over it these days. my last reserves of eloquence were pretty much tapped addressing this week’s heavier subject matter, so I’m leaning towards typing something kinda basic… along the lines of… umm… ‘Your friend can go fuck herself. ?  I don’t really care what she thinks.’ ??

5) from Rachel ???????

Dear Mat,

I’m going to be starting another year of high school in the next few weeks and i don’t think i'll be able to deal with the pressure.

All my parents talk about now is how i need to raise my grades, take harder ( "more advanced" ) classes, while still keeping my sanity in check. i know that every teenager probably has a stage of rebellion, but honestly its like they want to control my own future. No, i don’t know what i want to do for a living right now, and my choice will probably change over time. My Dad is set on me staying at home during college. My mother can’t go two seconds without talking about scholarships, because apparently i have no college fund.

They berate me about the way i dress, the "freaky-ass" music i listen to, and basically how that affects what people think of them. I'm a good kid, no drugs or alcohol or sex. I behave, i'm responsible and they still don’t think i'm capable of making decisions.

I would rather live a full life than be some millionaire, something i'm not sure they'll understand because all they care about is that people have more than us so that will obviously make them lazy assholes. (my sarcasm, their reality)

I love music, the highlight of my day is choir class and my dream is to do this for a living, disregarding the amount of money i would make. It would kill my father, a man who loves music, but can’t stand the thought of me pursuing it as a career.

So, first question: How do i talk to them about what i want my future to be?

Because of all this, i have fallen into a depression again. But it's nothing new to me, i've been on and off since fourth grade. They don’t know this, i'm not sure how they'll take it honestly. All my friends talk about how depressed they are, but i can’t tell them. I was already claimed to be a 'copycat' for going vegetarian just barely after a friend of mine did also, i don’t think i could tell them without appearing like a wannabe.

How do i tell my friends exactly how i feel?

thank you. oh and if you could name some authors i probably haven’t heard of that would be nice, i like finding new things to enjoy.

Rachel,

That’s a bummer. As the saying goes, you can’t pick your family.. sounds like you got the one from the Footloose script.

Do some parents still really care about clothes? That’s so antiquated it’s almost .. cute. That said, it’s better to have parents like yours…eg: dicks who actually care a lot, than it is to have ones who withhold emotion completely. And honestly, in your dad’s defense, the music industry is in a state of collapse, so he may just be… I don’t know… sensible?

I don’t know why it seems like such an either/or decision. Of course you go to college, and continue your vocal training. What else would you do? Drop out and start the first underground street choir?

Listen, the hardest thing isn’t attainting what you want, it’s knowing what you want. -and you’re very lucky to be in the minority: people who actually have found something they love doing. 

So here’s the deal: you have to become an escape artist. Don’t look at college as a sacrifice. Look at it as a ticket to freedom.

For the moment, forget about how to explain to your friends that you’re depressed. Fuck that. Spend your time instead figuring out how to get A’s in every subject. take all the advanced courses and apply for  as many scholarships as you can, cos you want the maximum number of choices for colleges. You want one that’s reallllllllly far away. If you stay in that house you’ll die. I can basically smell it. It’s like pickles and dried mustard and shag carpeting mixed with foot powder and death. You need to get as far away from your family as possible.

(once you get out, they’ll start to miss you, and be more accepting of who you truly are and life can go on.)

if the parental units simply REFUSE to let you move into a dorm, I want you to go to Plan B: Start hanging posters of Dog the Bounty Hunter all over your room. Buy every DVD and every book and make sure your parents notice. Talk about nothing but Dog the Bounty Hunter for a week. How strong he is, how much $ he makes, how often he spray tans, how much you’d love to French braid his skullet, how you’re turned on by older men with greasy pockmarks. Then one night, storm into the kitchen and proclaim, “mom, dad, I want you to know something. I have a deep burning passion that I can hide no longer. I want to be…(beat)… a bounty hunter! Nay, I NEED to be a bounty hunter, and there is NOTHING you two zombies could possibly say to convince me otherwise, so save your fucking breath.”

Let that marinate for a week, then.. its time to negotiate. You will give up your dream of hunting bounties, but only if you can go to college out of state.

As for books:

In terms of teenage isolation, you must read The Perks of Being  Wallflower by my good friend, Steven Chbosky.

Also check out The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Here’s an excerpt:

"I was the child of nothing. I had neither beauty nor charm, neither past nor ambition. I had not the slightest savoir-faire or sparkle. There was only one thing I wanted: to be left alone, without too many demands upon my person, so that for a few moments each day I might be allowed to assuage my hunger," a hunger, that is, for books, art, music and speculative thought.

6) from ZOE

????? I have a really hard decision I'm going to have to make pretty soon..and I have no idea what to do. Basically I'm currently in a band (myspace.com/theimpulseuk), (which I need to thank you for, you and Kill Hannah inspired me to start the whole music thing.) we've been together since about february, writing loads, practicing and we've recently started playing gigs (which people seem to love :D) I love being in a band, I love playing and writing music...nothing makes me happier. I'd love to tour and play every night to different people. But soon I have to make a choice between carrying on with music and going to uni. It's a decision I really don't want to have to make. I pretty much have a couple of months to decide and I really, really have no idea what to do.

I believe we can really go places but I'm not sure we can do it in the time frame I have...especially as my parents can't wait for me to quit being in a band and desperately want me to go to uni.

I really don't know what to do, completely disappoint my parents, again, or give up on the dream and go off to uni?

Thanks for turning me on to your sound. if you own the copyright to your band’s name, I’m even more impressed. You have a ton of serious potential, but this is an easy one. Go to Uni.

1.    you are a two-piece, so you don’t exactly have to “break up the band”

2.    you can each study music. Take MIDI classes and engineering and digital editing and production… video too. really throw yourself into those classes—believe me, as an electronic band, the knowledge will be invaluable.

3.    Turn the scene at Uni into your own proving ground. Book shows, snipe other band members, and make as many friendships/fans as possible. You can always bail if you get offered a legit tour.

4.    The minute you leave school, your brain turns to putty. That’s science. You need constant stimuli. Each day on tour, more and more of your unused neural pathways and dendrites will be pruned as you drift down that soft sad road to senility. Do you know I recently lost a chess game to a 7 yr old? I mean, the kid was a fuckin maniac but still.     

7) anonymous: ????

Mat, I have had very strong feelings for this guy for over a year now. He is exactly like me and I really do feel that I love him. We barely ever see each other because we live far apart. Though when he is with me, we are the best of friends. We tell each other everything! He is actually the person who knows about the problems in my life. He holds me as I cry and makes me feel better about it and I do the same for him. Sometimes I feel like he feels the same way about me.

THEN, all the times that we don't see each other, he seems to put me in the back of his mind. He barely responds to my texts and says he is always working. When he is like that, all he cares about if his girlfriend for the week. My problems don't matter then. Even my tears don't matter.

Even though I know I should hate him for this, I just can't. It seems no matter what shit he puts me through I always love him and care about him. He is always my best friend and I would put him before my life.

What could I do? I can't take him out of my life! I can’t get mad at him! Please, why is it that I could care about someone who only cares about me when he feels like it or if it's convenient? I hate this.

“Love is a serious mental disease.” You know who said that? Plato. As long as the human race has roamed the earth, every girl at one point or another in her life has felt exactly as you do now, crushed and in the spell of a boy that seems just out of reach.

What you described is cool... it’s rare to find someone with whom you can be completely yourself and share such intimate things. (i'm sure he recognizes that as well.) -But don’t expect him to rescue you from your problems. If you want to maintain your strong friendship (which def could one day evolve into something more), I think you have to dial it back a little. Lay low, be cool, be patient. make sure there’s a balance between the time you spend crying together (2%) and the time you spend laughing together (98%)- if you come off as too needy or too relentlessly deep, his hometown girls are gona seem chill and fun by comparison.

Maybe instead of sending a text like this: “When you aren’t here my heart feels like it’s been stung by a fucking manta ray. I’m all out of tears. I’m completely and utterly freaking out without you.”

Send something lighter, like this: “I just saw District 9 w some peeps. Hav u seen yet? Aliens r gigantic scary prawns. This movie has officially ruined me on shrimp cocktail FOREVS”

Ok maybe not that exact text, but you understand. Slow and low, anonymous, that’s the tempo.

8) Lydia ???????????????????

Mat, my friend is missing, she just disappeared today. We were going to meet at the train station, but she didn't show up and I didn't have a phone to call here with so I had to go home and try to call her cell. But she didn't answer and I can't find her. What shall I do?

You did the right thing. everyone knows, in the case of an emergency, go online and email a lead singer.

Ok people, pay attention: Please do not ask me questions that are gonna get me either sued by parents or involved in some Interpol investigation. my resemblance to a police sketch of the Wicker Park Rapist from 3 years ago already has me on the short list for the next season of To Catch A Predator. Please don’t give them more ammunition.

Lydia, by now I assume the crisis is over? Pls send us an update.

9) Elias

??????? How do u want to die?

Lightning strike to the face. Easy. I’m free Thursday.

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RACCOON Society-- Ask Mat--- ROUND 2

Posted on August 17, 2009 at 02:56 AM

click here to follow Mat on Twitter.  click here to follow Kill Hannah on Twitter.

First of all, I’m BLOWN AWAY by the feedback and responses. To my knowledge, this may be the only forum in existence where an artist has such intimate exchanges with fans, and what a gift it is for me to have this window into the issues that truly matter to you guys. it kills me that i can’t answer all the questions, but I sense that sometimes the mere act of expressing your questions has some cathartic value. Again, I do read every single one, so keep them coming.

1) from AIMEE 

?????? Mat my boyfriend of 2 years cheated on me and i overdosed because of it and i went to rehab and i don't know what else to do i feel so lost and every time i move or think of him and that girl my heart feels like its gonna jump out of my chest, and i can’t breath i have nothing to do with my time i just sit and dwell and I’m a certified pessimist so that doesn’t help either but he still tells me he loves me and before i went to see Green Day he made me breakup with my new boyfriend so i did because i still love him, but part of me hates him so much..

Do you think its right I’m feeling all these feelings at once? Does it ever end? Or am i just one of those melodramatic fools? 

I cant wait till September 9th my whole family is going my daddy and i can’t wait to meet you! <3

Aimee… Is this really you, or a studio exec pitching the pilot episode of Gossip Girls season 3? You shouldn’t have your first O.D. til after your second album fails to meet projected sales, you know that.

I’m sorry to hear about your situation and also sorry that the period key on your laptop appears to be broken. Here’s a helpful link for you: http://www.ehow.com/how_2064331_repair-broken-laptop-keys.html

Seriously though, I’m getting a clear picture here of headgames, drama, broken hearts, American Idiot, etc… and I know how intense and consuming it must be for you right now. You’re a sensitive, artistic  human being so episodes of jealousy and crushing pain come with the territory, but the fact that you ended up in rehab worries me greatly. From certain clues in your question I can infer that you’re pretty young, and if so, you may be setting a dangerous precedent. 

Emerson once wrote that, "on the debris of your despair, you build your character." This isn’t about the two guys. it’s about you. This is your opportunity to step up and be courageous and independent. Believe me, I know how immobilizing this kind of misery can be, but if you can find the strength to nurture a passion of your own, I PROMISE something great will come to you. you’ll probably realize that you don’t want either of these two jock straps.

to answer your questions more directly,

1. Yes, you are “just one of those melodramatic fools.” Welcome to the club: so am i. and so are all my closest friends and bandmates.

2. Yes, absolutely this shitstorm will pass. But rest assured, Green Day will always be touring and there will always be boys attempting to mess with your head. Please don’t become one of those beautiful serial dating pill popping headcases that I avoid like envelopes of anthrax. realize that you’re in control, Aimee. See your future. shape it into something epic.

2) from LUCY

?????? Playboy chica's or Suicide Girls?

I’ve been a fan of SG from the very start... when I was 14, my first real crush was on a frumpy pale little goth girl in NY, so I think I will always be drawn in some ways to that archetype. However, Playboy excels in consistent quality control, and an aesthetic that leaves more to the imagination. Not to set feminism back 30 years, but I happen to appreciate clever airbrushing and classically stylized photos.

In terms of the girls themselves, I def prefer flawed natural beauty and individuality more so than freakishly enhanced bimbos. However, the standards must remain high and all should all be presented artfully… some SG shoots lately look like stills from snuff films.

just because you listen to Depeche Mode and have your earlobes stretched does not mean I want to see your detailed amateur beavershot or your weird ass pepperoni nipples.

3) from CEEJAY (this is intense)

Dear Mat,

Two and a half years ago my fiancé got sent to Irag. he was killed from a roadside bomb just 1 month after arriving. His death plummeted me into a deep depression i quit my job, avoided social contact and my debts grew and grew, i became angry and distanced myself from my family and friends, developed a not-eating disorder and have become mildly addicted to painkillers.

My Q is, How can i get out of this negative phase when I’ve been this way for so long?

The songs of KH feel like all that i have that i love, that make me feel anything at all.

Maybe, hopefully a few personal words from Mat could help me turn my life around for the better?

Welcome to the deep water. I’m flattered that the readers trust me and this community with such personal stories like this one.

I’m very sorry for your loss, ceejay. I actually cried like Edward Scissorhands reading your post.

Just this morning I was thinking a lot about the word ‘sacrifice’ and how sharp it could look as a tattoo. Visually, it’s so solid and balanced, but no one understands its true meaning more than the men and women of the armed forces and their loved ones. I know you are as proud of your husband and yourself as we all are.

I would just ask that you try to remember how you both were at the time of your engagement. Being a soldier, I would assume that some of the passion he felt for you was for the strength you had. You were a woman of substance that he knew he couldn’t live without. Try to remember who you were in those days, because that’s who you need to become again for him. He wouldn’t want to see you suffering this way for so long. Your friends understand, and they miss you.

4) from KATRINA

Okay, so one of my favorites from your lyrical portfolio is "enacting Sybil Vane in some tragic play" [or is it “way...?” I clearly lack sound recognition abilities] In any case, I'm a big fan of The Cynical Oscar Wilde. If you're familiar with his quotes, which of his is your absolute favorite?

Being a Smiths fan, it was my obligation to study Wilde, reading his complete works when I was in my early 20’s (and even those who influenced him... you MUST read Huysman’s Against Nature).

I became thoroughly obsessed, meanwhile, retardedly, never realizing that he was gay- So, there was an entire clever dimension of dick innuendos going right over my head—along with a general suspicion and curiosity within my family as to how I could date girls, and at the same time collect Wilde with so much, um… pride. It all makes sense to me now.

Lets see. my two favorites (also his most famous) are:

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." 

And 

“A true friend stabs you in the front.”

but more apropos in our current recession, I’ve always loved:

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.”

Your homework, Katrina: watch Velvet Goldmine (starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and also Wilde (starring a very young Jude Law)

5)from TESS

????????????????? Mat, what is with the 'Nikki Sixx-esque' stripes that you draw on your face. I think they're cool, but I've always wondered about their origin.

The lines under my eyes are warpaint. Something I started years ago to get me focused for performances.

But as i will prove, there’s actually a rich tradition of face paint thievery going back ages. Here are the 2 parallel chronologies: 1. I rip off Nikki Sixx who ripped off Peter Criss from Kiss and the entire NFL 2. i rip off Adam Ant who ripped off the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians who ripped off the Pawnee and Arikara tribes who obviously ripped off the Mayans (but everyone knows THEY ripped off the ancient Atlanteans.) wait. what happened? I just blacked out for a sec

6) from KATIE UNWIN

???????????

Dear Mat.

I always wonder a little more every time I draw it in various places, on my arm, on other people's arms, on my school work, in clouds of vapour of bus and car windows etc etc.

Where did you draw inspiration from to create your amazing band logo? It is tattooed on so many people worldwide now [me included in a few years *fingers crossed*] and I just wanted to know if there was any reason, story behind it?

-Thank you so much, for everything.

the sniper heart originated as a means to convey the romanticism behind the band name. to symbolize that all hearts are under attack. The thought of you tracing it on car windows actually makes me smile. I used to do the same thing with little anarchy symbols and little vampire heads. Post a pic if u can.

As a tattoo, it’s a challenge since a ‘perfect circle’ is scientifically impossible to make by hand… but it assures that all the KH ink out there is unique. Just like us.. we’re all evolution’s precious little mistakes

7) from FLOWER

Mat-

I was curious about how long it took you to get over Hannah. I was watching the first tour documentary that you boys put out and you talked a little bit about her. How you loved her and how she was so new to you, and when you two broke up it really effected you because it was one of your first loves. Well I’m dealing with a break up that happened about 4 months ago after a 5yr relationship. I’ve already dealt with pleading, mourning, breaking things out of rage, I’ve just recently ex communicated him, but I’m still infected with dreams and thoughts of him constantly, each box coming from Chicago I rip through quickly and dispose of as fast as I can. My love for him has definitely turned to hate and if he were killed it’d be that much easier because at least then I could think of him fondly and not for who he turned in to towards the end. Also I could blame natural selection instead of blaming myself for our relationship failing. Does Hannah still haunt your dreams? Did it ever stop for you?please help me.

Flower, i'm going to give you one of my favorite quotes:

"The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe." -Joanna Macy

i believe that 100%.

Listen, you’ve already heard all the same shit from your friends, trying to comfort you, so I don’t want to add to it... Despite their best intentions, I know how useless that can be when you’re bumming so deeply. let me just say one thing: In my mind, there’s only one thing more depressing than the intense heartbreak you feel right now, and that’s the slow poisoning of a toxic relationship that never ends. I’ve seen it snuff out the light in beautiful people’s souls, slowly burying them alive.. you can see it in their eyes... like lion's at the zoo. the skulls under their faces start to show. 

I have no doubt whatsoever that you are better off. the torture WILL end, flower, trust me. And when it does, oddly, you may even miss it. Here's your proof: Hannah and I are on friendly terms. She lives in Switzerland and even came out to our last show in Geneva.

8) from GIA

??????

Dear Mat, if you could choose one quote or phrase that you think sums up the whole of your life so far, what would it be?

“We are the music makers,


And we are the dreamers of dreams,


Wandering by lone sea-breakers,


And sitting by desolate streams;—


World-losers and world-forsakers,


On whom the pale moon gleams:


Yet we are the movers and shakers


Of the world for ever, it seems.”

- Arthur O'Shaughnessy

9)from kristen

???? I was wondering if there are any new/mostly unknown bands you'd recommend. KH usually ends up touring with really interesting groups that turn out on Fuse. Anyone you've been listening to lately? 

Yes… definitely check out Mew, Dead Weather, and Fever Ray.

10) From Jessie

Dear Mat.

I bought a pair of stone washed mom jeans that made my butt look like a W and wore them to a bar once. Do you think I made anyone uncomfortable that night?

Interested to hear your opinion.

What brand? Canyon River Blues? Was the waist over your belly button? Were the ankles tapered? are they pleated? Are you a lesbian? Do you play professional softball with your ponytail thru the hole in the back of your hat? 

Fuck yes, you made people uncomfortable. You’re making me uncomfortable right now. uncomfortable by how AWESOME you are.

Listen up people, fashion trends are cyclical, so it is possible to be soooo far behind the curve that you actually are ahead of it. (See Grey Gardens)

Start paying attention, slackers. Jessie here is already thinking 2011 shit. Rock on Jessie. A+

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RACCOON Society-- Ask Mat--- ROUND 1

Posted on August 11, 2009 at 03:53 AM

Thanks to all the raccoons who submitted. keep them coming. even though i can't respond to each question, i do read everything.

1) sent by THE KLEPTIC PRINCESS

For the past year, I haven't had a job. I just can't seem to find one that I like in the field that I prefer-- art. I mean, lets be real: unless you're a big rockstar, Alex Grey, or Annie Liebovitz, you're not gonna make any money as an artist. I have managed to cope with my lack-of-funding by stealing. Everything. Whole Foods is my refrigerator. Nordstroms is my closet. To be honest, designer jeans are my one vice, and my way of life has not suffered in the least. What is better: with all of the free time I have from not working, I get to work on art all the time, go on hikes, and smoke a lot of pot.

I don't really know what to do, though. I have occasional paranoid fantasies (that I don't think are caused by all of that pot) that the stores I steal from are just keeping a tallymark list of my bill and will one day throw me in jail for the rest of my life for some sort of felony theft charge. I would like to avoid this. How can I move my love of art into a lucrative career (or at least one that feasibly pays my bills without my selling my soul)?

Ok, I like Annie Liebovitz, but I have to look up alex grey…. Hang on.. google image search… got it. hmmm I don’t think there’s enough pot in Chicago for me to get into this guy’s stuff... but I understand your point.

I could demonstrate how thievery is art and all art is thievery, and that your LIFE should actually be your greatest work of art.. and that those jeans are fashion and fashion is art and that if you must wear those jeans to truly express your soul, then go and loot like a gypsy. But I think you want more of a practical answer.

As you know, all artists must go through a period of what is historically referred to as “eating shit”. Otherwise their art would be boring and shallow. (Google the word “Rococo”). Often, there’s a direct correlation between the two, wherein the more you suffer, the more authentic your art becomes. (remember that Mozart, Rembrandt and Van Gogh all died penniless). Personally, I find that the best songs are always written on an empty stomach.

You seem like a clever girl. you write well and are an accomplished klepto, but you have to understand, one doesn’t become at artist to make money… one becomes an artist to bare one’s soul, to search for truth, to quiet the demonic voices in your head, and to score chicks at local galleries. That’s Art with a capital A . the rest is just “craft”. If you’re content to whittle wooden seagulls on he weekends for a local fair, then that’s cool, but that’s not art. if however, you are fully consumed by a suffocating twisted desire that can’t be tamed, then you have to let everything else go. Forget about the word ‘lucrative’ and ‘career’--- cos you were an artist the day you were born and you’ll be one on your deathbed. Commit fully, never compromise your essence, pay your dues, and as you do, the universe will guide and protect you. Get tortured baby. Stop stealing jeans. Steal paint.

2) sent by STEPH

Mat what's it like knowing there are millions of people out there, with your picture on their walls probably thinking dirty thoughts of you?

If by ‘millions’ you mean ‘hundreds’, and by ‘people’ you mean ‘15 year olds’, and by ‘picture on their wall’ you mean ‘Jpeg on their Safari browser’, and by “thinking dirty thoughts’ you mean ‘awkwardly fingering themselves’, then I’d have to say, it feels pretty cool. You just made my day.

3) sent by AMANDA

Listening to your earlier songs your voice sounds very different, is there anyone you were basing your sound on when you first started out...how did you develop your voice into how it sounds now? I still listen to a lot of your older songs especially those like hit the planes down and Don’t Die Wondering... would you ever perform them on tour again with a mix of your newer songs?

I would love to perform those older songs. They’re incredibly special to me. We’d probably play ‘don’t die wondering’ on our next headline tour. My voice was breathier in the early days because I was emulating a lot of my favorite bands at the time… your homework is to listen to one song each by Ride, Catherine Wheel, Lush, Slowdive, and Chapterhouse.

4) sent by ALEX

????????mat, not to be emo but um im not the only one who fell in love without knowing it right? like is it totally weird to have someone on your mind everyday n feel heartbroken each day you arent with someone you love? like is it really supposed to be that whole disease thing you cant seem to shake????? looking forward to september 10th at the granada <3 Alex

alex, I can tell that you’re distraught, because your punctuation is all fucked up.

Listen, love is dangerous explosive thing. You have to handle it like dynamite. No, I don’t believe you can ‘fall in love without knowing it’. You can however become dependent without knowing, but that’s not love. as R.E.M. once sang, “what we want and what we need has been confused, been confused”

that said, there’s nothing weird at all about what you’re feeling. In fact, you’ll feel it again and again and again. In 3 months, you’ll be laughing at yourself for being so melodramatic …until the next time of course.

5) sent by FALLEN FRROM MARS

??????Mat, what is born first - lyrics or melody? describe your usual creative process... aaaand, question number 2: have you ever thought of writing books? I really love the way you express yourself both musically and verbally.. Would love to see your words printed and published ;)) much love <3

I chose this question mainly because you flattered me so.

There is no formula for how I write songs. Lately I write a lot on the piano, which BTW is the sexiest, most expressive instrument. I need to get mine tuned badly, but every time I do, the dude stays for way too long and I end up making him coffee and talking about his divorce for 3 hours.

6) sent by DAVE

Dearest Mat- My best friend cuts himself and talks often about 'leaving the world' and killing himself. How do I tell him that life is worth living and that his dreams will come true? How can I be a better friend?

There are people who cut for fashion, those who cut to be kinky, and those, like your friend, who are in such a dark emotionally detached place that it’s the only way they can feel anything at all. I know firsthand, that the worst pain in the world is to feel utterly alone- like you’re standing on the edge of a giant abyss, floating in space. You are clearly a good, caring person. If you’re seriously alarmed, then tell his parents. Short of that tell him that Mat Devine said that he sounds like a poet, and that the world can’t afford to lose another poet. And if he asks, “who the fuck is mat devine?” then punch him in the dick for me. 

7) sent by LOLA

What's the best way of attracting a potential mate? Should a woman dress a certain way? Hang out at a certain bar? Only talk about certain things to the opposite sex? I'm having the worst luck with men right now. :(

People ask me who my greatest inspiration is. You might expect the answer to be Robert Smith or Oscar Wilde but no… here’s a C+ story:

There was a time when I was very frustrated.. we were on the verge of breaking up, baffled as to why we hadn’t achieved more success.

Then I saw a band called Puddle of Mudd on MTV. I thought, “holy mother fucking shit. There’s a band on MTV called Puddle of Mudd. Puddle of Mudd? MOTHERFUCKING PUDDLE OF MOTHERFUCKING MUDD! If these lobotomized apes can go platinum, then there’s absolutely nothing I can’t do.”  So that’s step 1, realizing that you are the bomb dot com, and that somewhere out there, there’s a guy who’d be lucky to be with you. Also out there, some other girl is accomplishing a lot more with a lot less talent.

Step 2. I assume that by “potential mate” you mean a guy who is somewhat attractive as well as sane and funny and interesting? You have standards, right?  See step one, and raise them.

Step 3. People say opposites attract, but that’s bullshit. The company you keep is a perfect reflection of your own self-image.  Fuck the right bars and the right conversation. Get out of your house and do the things you love to do. –ironically, when you finally, honestly, aren’t looking for him, that’s exactly when he’ll find you.

8) from ANTHONY

????? Mat what's the best meal you ever had on your latest tour?, drink and everything.

I’m a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern, so I tend towards exotic eats whenever possible. Ew. “eats” as a noun? Really Mat? Anyway, sometimes it’s gnarly but mostly it pays off to be adventurous, like when I had a Beef Tongue sandwich with a Hacker-Pschorr beer at Quinn’s in Seattle.

9) from REMY

??????? Mat, where did you get that one jacket that has the grey and black stripes on it? i absolutely love it!

Newport News. It’s a mailorder catalog for elderly women. Not kidding. Turns out I’m size 12, just like my grandma.

10) from PHOEBE

Who do you think is cooler batman or ironman ? Are You coming to England soon ? Love phoebe xxxx

Batman is cooler. He’s equally as intelligent, but more tortured and solitary. (disclaimer of bias; he lives here in Chicago) plus, Ironman’s heart condition makes me a little uneasy.

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Raccoon Society -- Q and A time. YOUR CALL IS IMPORTANT TO ME

Posted on August 7, 2009 at 05:23 PM

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I Can Hear The Future. Plus: BB Pics From Last Days of Tour

Posted on August 3, 2009 at 04:06 AM

 

On Saturday nights my neighborhood transforms into a D-Bag beehive – wolf packs of jocks in affliction shirts, each with a Jager Bomb budget of 5 crisp $20 bills burning a hole in the pockets of their strategically distressed True Religion jeans… pecs freshly juiced, nose-hairs trimmed, stomping with unchecked confidence in a cloud of Axe body spray, turning their homoerotic bloodlust for drunk combat against anyone vulnerable, be it indie rocker or mailbox or street sign. Gaggles of orange girls stumble like newborn deer in brand new Nine West heels –their collective hooves clicking louder than the Katy Perry lyrics they slaughter. Half will be date raped in Shaumberg, half will go home alone, and they couldn’t tell you which fate would be worse. At least the cosmopolitans were free and that one guy with the faux hawk was kinda cute, right? Right? Bitches, where’s my fucking eyyyyee phone? Fack!

my gangly toes, last morning in LA

 

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