Crooked Purple Rain!

I'm Sean Padilla. You'll figure out the rest if you keep reading.

[quasi-normalcy]

I think that it’s difficult for anyone who wasn’t of age in 2001 to fully appreciate just how fucking bonkers American culture went in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. I don’t even mean the wave of hate crimes and military invasions; I mean things like, overnight, American TV shows went from depicting torture as a great evil to depicting it as a Good and Necessary Thing to Defend the Homeland; cafeterias in government buildings in Washington DC started listing french fries as “freedom fries” after Jacques Chirac opposed the invasion of Iraq; there was an NHL hockey game in 2002 where the guy who was to sing the Canadian anthem had his car set on fire by a frenzied mob chanting “USA! USA! USA!”; Evanescence had to add aggressive male rapping as a backup vocal to “Wake Me Up Inside” because her label was concerned that the culture had become too feminised; there was a government “terror alert” system that, every few days, would issue vague threats and warnings about formerly innocuous behaviours; Donald Rumsfeld briefly became a sex symbol; they postponed the release of Spider-Man for reshoots to incorporate more patriotic imagery; and all of this is barely scratching the surface.

[quasi-normalcy]

(This, incidentally, is why I will never have a high opinion of Star Trek: Enterprise in spite of the fact that audiences have rehabilitated it to some extent in recent years; because I will never be able to separate it–and especially its Xindi arc–from its original context as a jingoistic analogue for the War on Terror)

[vaguely-humanoid-shadow-deactiv]

Everyone forgets that this is where the grim dark “gritty realism” trend in television shows and movies came from. Before 2001 there was a lot on TV and in movies that was just dumb campy fun (anyone remember Charmed? Xena? X-Files?) And it was completely okay and it was acceptable and in that dumb campy fun we had good story arcs and we had good character growth and everything. But then after 2001 everything had to have an edge to it regardless of if it made sense to the story arc overall the particular plot or even a single or set of characters. Literally everything became all edge with no point other than to look “realistic” and justify some fake hashtag deep kind of dark philosophy about the world how you had to be hard and tough and realistic in order to survive.

[quasi-normalcy]

God, this

[seanpadilla]

There’s a restaurant in Austin, TX that I stopped patronizing once I saw that they’d changed the French fries on their menu to “Freedom Fries.”

[bandcampsnoop]

9/12/21.

The Cocker Spaniels (Charlotte, North Carolina) are really a vehicle for the work of Sean Padilla who describes himself/his music as "I'm a 40-year-old Black dad who likes Prince and Guided by Voices a lot, so I try to make music that splits the difference."

I would say that when he splits the difference he made something entirely unique. Aside from his own comparisons, I would add Game Theory and Ted Leo. This is excellent pop music that is complex yet catchy.

This is released by Evil Island Fortress (New York).

[seanpadilla]

:) <3

[seanpadilla]

THE COCKER SPANIELS RETURN TO CELEBRATE THE WEIRDNESS OF LIFE ON THEIR DIY OPUS - AFROPUNK

“I wish I didn’t feel like a Computer with too many programs running And a hard drive that’s about to crash” Before delving into an album that engages with some of the biggest issues of the past few years, Sean Padilla, the main creative force behind The Cocker Spaniels, takes a breath. “Rice and […]

This review truly means a lot to me. <3

[fattonyrap]

My first live show in Houston since March 2020 🥲. Thank you, @8thwonderbrew! See y’all soon! I’ll have new music, merch, and more. (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRmHP1XJzQD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[seanpadilla]

“’Racism Priest’ is a perfect exhibit that a song need not be loud or fast with shouted vocals to make pointed social commentary, and an indie pop song can be just as sharp in assessing the problems occurring in the world as any punk rock record. And if this is the first taste of the new album, I am really very excited to hear what else is in store.”

[forestgreenlesbian]

Water For The People, Paul D’Amato

[seanpadilla]

Pressing Concerns: The Cocker Spaniels, Williamson Brothers, Supreme Joy, Parting

It’s been awhile since Rosy Overdrive just had a good old-fashioned album roundup post. In the time between that last one and now, RO premiered a new single from Jack Habegger’s Celebri…

Rosey Overdrive reviewed “The Cocker Spaniels Are Still Alive, and So Are You” this week! I appreciate that the author considers my new album a FUN listen, even with the frequently heavy subject matter. <3

[dreams-in-blk]

Meanwhile, in Black Joy news: From Accra to Addis Ababa, skateboard mania is sweeping across the continent of Africa! - rp

[seanpadilla]

album review: the cocker spaniels - the cocker spaniels are still alive, and so are you - secret wine press

In a little over an hour, Padilla did something that indie rock ought to do at this point in time: narrate the times that we live in with as much enthusiasm and truth as one can muster. It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, but make sure that it has as much of a soul as indie rock can stand to have.

Mynameisblueskye, an artist whom I greatly respect and whose music I enjoy, wrote about my new album. I appreciate the love they’ve shown me and my music in this review. <3

[fuckyeahanarchistposters]

[fuckyeahanarchistposters]

In memory of the Soweto student uprising in South Africa, which broke out on June 16, 1976, here are some Anti-apartheid posters from the era.

Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests which were met with fierce police repression. Hundreds of students were killed by police throughout the uprisings.

In remembrance of these events, the 16th of June is now a public holiday in South Africa, named Youth Day

Amazing archives of anti-apartheid posters can be found here & here.

To read updates on ongoing social struggles and rebellions in South Africa,  check out this blog: south africa - a reader

[seanpadilla]

I haven’t used this thing in four years, but I have big news:

THE COCKER SPANIELS ARE STILL ALIVE, AND SO ARE YOU My first full-length album of original material in 11 years Now available to stream, purchase, and download on Bandcamp https://cspaniels.bandcamp.com/album/the-cocker-spaniels-are-still-alive-and-so-are-you 20 songs in 60 minutes Please listen from start to finish I hope that you enjoy it, and that it helps you out somehow Cassette version coming soon c/o Evil Island Fortress T-shirts, CDs & vinyl coming later, God willing Thank you for your patience and your support ❤️ SPREAD THE WORD BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE PR (YET LOL)

[korolevx-deactivated20180128]

Visit Original Link

isolating the vocals on the last verse of Once In A Lifetime reveal many dark secrets

[korolevx-deactivated20180128]

fyi that rough cut right in the middle of a “same as it ever was” isn’t my doing, that’s in the actual mix, somebody apparently needed to stitch that last bit together right in the middle of a word

[seanpadilla]

Still one of my all-time favorite songs

[mysharona1987]

[brehaaorgana]

Weird how like poor POC in America don’t organize specifically and solely to terrorize white people, murder, and subjugate or enslave them. Almost like being poor isn’t a moral free pass.

[happynomadbooking]

HNB Still Exists, and I Want to Book YOUR Tour!

For those of you who don’t already know, I recently got hired for my first full-time job in three years, as the bookkeeper of a local property management company. This job couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Before I resigned from my previous part-time job in September, my family eked out a living through a combination of my wife’s full-time job, my part-time job and my freelance work as a booking agent. However, after my resignation, our finances hovered so close to the razor’s edge that, if I hadn’t found full-time work when I did, we might not have made it to Christmas.

Although Wednesday, November 29th will be my first day at my new job, my first paycheck won’t arrive until Friday, December 15th. Between now and the 15th, I need to raise about $1000 to ensure that my family keeps paying our bills on time. Because of such, my call for artists to join Happy Nomad Booking’s roster for the coming spring has gained more urgency.

If you’re wondering whether or not having a full-time job will adversely affect my efficiency as a booking agent, rest assured that it won’t. Since my second son Ezra was born in June, I’ve helped book tours for over 20 artists, while simultaneously working a part-time job, actively searching for a full-time job, and helping take care of Ezra at home. My ability to multitask is unreal.

(If you need references, feel free to reach out to ATTEMPT, Autopilot, Bataille, Big Fresh, The Canines, Cannibal Boom, Cult Wife, Feyer, Flounder Warehouse, Jean Caffeine, Julie Cira & The Wake, Kyoto Lo-Fi, Major Player, Neil., RUUNE, Someday, Tender Mercy, U.S. Nero, VEHICLES and Vent NJ!)

However, I’m shifting toward taking on bigger projects for fewer artists, and not doing as much piecemeal booking. Also, I won’t have nearly as much time to do damage control when venues, promoters, and/or bands are unresponsive, flaky, and/or selfish. Therefore, I’ll be forging more alliances with people whom I can trust to help me out, without having to micromanage them.

Having said all of that, if you’re in a band or musical project that wishes to tour the United States at any point from March 2018 onward, and you’re able to pay me for my services within the next 10 days, feel free to contact me. Please email me at [email protected] with the following: a brief description of your music, in your own words; a link to your most recent recordings; a link to any decent-quality live footage of yours; and a summary of your touring plans for 2018.

Even if you’re not a touring musician in need of booking help, feel free to pass this post on to anyone who you feel would be interested. As always, thank you for reading and for caring, and stay tuned for more updates! <3

[seanpadilla]

HNB TAKIN’ OVA FOR THE ‘17 & 2018!

[seanpadilla]

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #10

This picture was taken yesterday morning, while Erica was at work. She’d just bought the dress the night before, while searching for something special to wear for her birthday. When I saw that dress among the stack that she carried into Forever 21’s dressing room, my face lit up, and I silently prayed to my deity of choice that it would meet her needs. My prayer must have worked, because it was the only dress that she bought from the stack. Setting aside how great she looks in it, I truly feel that the dress reflects her personality, in ways that stretch back to when we first met. One of the many reasons why I first fell in love with Erica was her generally sunny disposition. She was sweet in a way that didn’t feel fake, positive in a way that didn’t feel unrealistic; after years of surrounding myself with toxic people, her presence was a balm to my wounded spirit. Of course, her personality isn’t all sugar and spice, and I got to know other facets of it over time: the not-so-closet goth, the shade queen, the "social justice warrior," the “ride-or-die” goon. However, none of it changed or negated my initial impression of her. My wife is sweet, but she sets clear boundaries to preserve her sweetness, and woe betide you if you cross them. Her positivity is borne of the resilience that only people who have endured very dark times develop. Thus, it makes sense to me that Erica would choose a cute black dress with lemons on it...and whenever she wears it, I’ll develop a sudden, strong craving for lemonade. I love you, honey. <3 May we both live long enough to celebrate many more birthdays together!

[seanpadilla]

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #9

This picture was taken on June 3rd, hours after Ezra was born. As obvious a choice as it may be, there was no way that I could exclude our best memory of the last year from this series. I could write a hundred posts about how Ezra’s arrival and presence has changed our lives for the better, but I’m keeping the focus on Erica. What I see in this picture is the face of someone who fought a war with anxiety, won, and now basks in the sweet relief of victory.

For those who don’t already know, Ezra is the result of our third attempt to have a biological child together. Our previous attempts ended in miscarriage: the first happened the weekend after Christmas, three weeks after we got married; the second happened the very next year, between Independence Day and Nate’s ninth birthday. I know marriages that have collapsed over less, so I never take for granted the fact that we responded by drawing nearer to each other. When we opened up to our community about our grief, we were able to commiserate with so many other people who faced similar losses, but had never really talked about it before.

After those experiences, deciding to try one more time was courageous enough on its own. Getting through the pregnancy itself was, in some ways, a psychological struggle. Even after seeing Ezra’s face through multiple ultrasounds, and receiving nothing but good news about him from our midwives, it was difficult for us not to treat every random ache or errant fluid as a harbinger of tragedy. This struggle was especially acute for Erica, who is vocal about living with anxiety on a daily basis.

However, when I see this picture, I think of every time I’ve seen Erica kick anxiety’s ass, in ways both big and small. Two days ago, she drove herself and Nate to the Belk Theater to watch Leslie Odom, Jr. perform, while I stayed home to watch Ezra. I do most of the driving in the household, and she wasn’t looking forward to going to the congested city center without me. She did it, though, had a great time, and came back home feeling like the boss that she is.

I love you, honey. ❤ Stay tuned for the final installment!

[seanpadilla]

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #8

This picture was taken on October 21st at “BLA/ALT,” a festival created by local musician LeAnna Eden to showcase other local and regional Black alternative musicians. It was a free, all-day, all-ages outdoor event on a Saturday, which made it perfect for Erica and me to attend. It was also Ezra’s first-ever live music experience and, when he was awake, he enjoyed it just as much as we did. (Nate was with his biological father that weekend, but I think he’d have enjoyed it too.) Every band we saw was good and interesting; the attendees were friendly and welcoming; and we truly felt like we were among kindred spirits while we were there.

For those of you who don’t know, Erica and I met through a Facebook group created for Black people who enjoy rock music. However, as our relationship developed, Erica and I realized how little we had in common with the group as a whole, aside from our race and our taste in music. We eventually left the group, and we never looked back. If I could rank the things that hold our relationship together, rock music probably wouldn’t be near the top of the list. Even so, it’s good to be with someone who doesn’t think I’m any less Black for loving Guided by Voices; someone who loans me her clothes so that I can dress up as Jimi Hendrix for Halloween; someone who immediately thinks of me when she gets free tickets to see the Cure.

Hence, being at “BLA/ALT” with Erica and Ezra felt like a “full circle” moment for me. Ezra loves the sound of music: he already mimics me when I tap out rhythms on my knees, and he lights up when Erica sings to him. Regardless of whether Ezra decides to follow in our footsteps, we’ll do our best to ensure that he never feels alone or weird for being himself.

I love you, honey. <3 Stay tuned for the next installment!