Andy Shernoff was always the main creative force behind one of New York’s best bands ever, the Dictators. He wrote the material and sang the leads. In the royal line of succession for NYC bands in the ’70s, they came along right after the birth of the New York Dolls. Every bit as raw, noisy and in-your-face as the Dolls, there was one thing the Dictators didn’t share with David Johansen and Co.: their sense of fashion. Rather than climb on the glam bandwagon, the Dictators dressed in leather jackets, jeans and T-shirts and paved the way for the punk revolution of 1977. Shernoff is doing the solo thing these days, with a new single called “Are You Ready To Rapture?” He’ll also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Shernoff: Just as I begin to get jaded with music, a new innovation comes along and sparks my enthusiasm again. With Spotify, a few clicks on my keyboard and obscure artists from my childhood come pouring out of my speakers without the need to dig thru my dusty, old vinyl. When an article about an unfamiliar artist sparks my curiosity, I have access to their entire catalogue in seconds. I’ve even discovered a few new favorites and I’m totally digging the radio function; it’s a whole new-fangled way of listening to music. My secret pleasure is the ‘What’s New’ button, where I faithfully search for new bands to loathe. I know many indie musicians complain about the paltry sums that Spotify pays out in royalties, but honestly, how much were they receiving in royalties anyway?. Sorry, the future is now; don’t fight technology.
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvYX_P_c__8
