Buck Howdy's on the Case

I wonder if I write articles that are factually inaccurate, glamorize the inane and then go out of way to stir s*** up with people that have logical and valid points that are different from what I "reported," will I one day be as big as Ken Leighton and Jay Allen Sanford? Ahhhh... a boy can dream.
— November 17, 2009 11:52 p.m.

Episode I: The Combs Wars

I actually agree with most of what you're saying. We should get together and chat about music again. That was a Halloween party come to think of it. Been too long.
— October 30, 2009 4:36 p.m.

Episode I: The Combs Wars

When there is "schoolyard namecalling" in CityBeat, it's done as editorial. If I have an opinion on a band or artist, I think it's very clear that it's an opinion piece. Music news is reported in Locals Only. When there is a story that could be controversial, I always attempt to contact both parties and report what they have to say on the matter. In this case, you didn't. In fact, I did your job for you by reaching out to comment. Blurt tries to pass it self off as "news" but in reality, it latches onto the sensational and tries to dupe the reader into thinking that it's news. Even with the accompanying picture (which you claim represents my good-natured response to Rob's song), your blurb still reads like were feuding or something (even the picture caption says Episode III: Revenge of the Seth?). When it comes to news, CityBeat writes the story objectively. Blurt has the article written before they even start researching. And yes, Josh, I sit around the Atari Lounge all the time stroking my beard and talking about bands. But here's the thing: I'm a music and arts writer. If I didn't do that I probably wouldn't be doing my job. The best part is that I know what you, Jay and Ken look like and I've never seen any of you there ever. So I find it just a bit disingenuous when CityBeat gets criticized when there are three Blurt contributors, who are writing about music, that don't actually go to music shows (not even those cool tribute band shows at Canes). The Reader is The Phantom Menace. CityBeat is A New Hope.
— October 28, 2009 4:54 p.m.

Episode I: The Combs Wars

A couple things I feel compelled to point out Jay: 1.) The article you refer to appeared in the Sept. 16 issue, not the 15th. 2.) Rob told me you were doing this article and I emailed you on Oct. 20 to let you know that if you needed a comment from me concerning the song I'd be more than happy to give you one. I didn't hear back. Seems kind of lame that you wouldn't bother to at least get a quote from the subject of the song. Had you interviewed me I would have told you that I love the song and that I think Rob and Josh are excellent guys (not so much their music). But I guess that's not very controversial and wouldn't be great fodder for a Blurt column especially since most of the columns that run in it aren't interested in things like "truth" and "facts." 3.) Also worth pointing out that in aforementioned email I also used my signature with my title at CityBeat so as Dave pointed out I'm not sure where the "contributing editor" title came from. I'm thinking that you may have referenced an old issue of CityBeat from over a year ago when, in fact, my title was contributing editor. Not a vanity thing, but still dude, that was over a year ago. I've moved up in the world! ;) 4.) It's also worth pointing out that I invited Rob Deez to play my guest bartending gig at U-31. The way you worded it makes it sound like he and Josh just happened to be playing there the night I was bartending when, in reality, they were there because I reached out. I have almost no doubt that you took Rob's quote out of context to fit the angle of your story. 5.) In your accompanying cartoon, why did you make me look like a forlorn f***ing tub of lard? Is it because I denied your friend request on Facebook? I'm a skinny motherf***er motherf***er! (this is a vanity thing) Come on Jay! You're a better and more thorough guy than this. Don't take on the Ken Leighton-style of journalism where you glamorize, homogenize, drip-dry and serve it up as crap.
— October 28, 2009 3:09 p.m.

More Pig-Head Press

I prefer this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlECPpJTtU8 Hee hee, good night.
— October 1, 2009 2 a.m.

More Pig-Head Press

Wow, they put F***o's post back up. Maybe they changed their tune because they thought their needed to be more hate directed towards me so Ken looks better.
— September 30, 2009 6:42 p.m.

More Pig-Head Press

AWW, that's so weak. Why did you guys take SD F***O's post down?
— September 30, 2009 4:16 p.m.

More Pig-Head Press

HA! Man, I love his guy. In my defense, I was edgy before he learned to spell (or didn't) and not hiding behind an anonymous blog while doing it, but I still love his stuff. I don't know why I keep telling people that he's great because he s***s on me all the time. Maybe it's because I was doing the same thing he's doing, but five years ago: sdf**ko.blogspot.com Since this a PG site you have to fill in the asterisks.
— September 30, 2009 4:12 p.m.

More Pig-Head Press

Ken-This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about! I just love it when you dig yourself in even deeper. Okay, so for the five or so people following this this is what Ken reports that I said: "You said this year's SDMA's sucked... Lee Williams said this year's SDMA's sucked (he was quoting you)... I think he was was just repeating what you had already written about the SDMA's. Hmmmm..." But here is what I actually said: "Yeah, there were some nice highlights, but the fact remains that the SDMAs are still hugely flawed...Why do I care? Because musicians are beginning to think the whole thing’s a joke. And that makes me mad as hell." You can read the entire column here: http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/report… This is not only the perfect example of your style of reporting, but also a great example of my original point. You report that I said the SDMAs "sucked" but I didn't. I said that they were "hugely flawed." Rather than reading my column and reporting what I actually said, you, instead, put words in my mouth and reported something that I did NOT say. I think this is exactly the type of thing that Josh and Lee are upset about. And, again, my original point remains: Rather than doing your research and reporting the truth (that CityBeat does not "put on" the SDMAs), you decided to stir the s*** instead. I would imagine that for Josh it's the same thing I run into time and time again. You here it once, you dismiss it. You here it twice, you nod your head in agreement. You hear it thrice and then it's a trend. And although it might not be the case here, it has, however, been a constant in my musical journalist career: DON'T TALK TO KEN LEIGHTON. It rarely has much to do with "the nature" of your columns, but rather, that you misquote, misrepresent and often just make s*** up. I've heard it from bands. I've heard it from artists. I've heard it from family members. Hell. I've heard it from people you've never even interviewed. And while I don't even need to imagine that there's some bands out there that hate me for what I've written about their music, I guaran-f***in-tee you that there won't be any that hate me for misquoting or misrepresenting them. But you can consider the gloves of at this point. Troy Johnson may have laughed you off. Nathan Dinsdale may have not known what to do with you (aside from that time that he put you in your place at the NPMT panel). But I'm a different breed and I don't take s*** lying down.
— September 30, 2009 12:26 p.m.

More Pig-Head Press

So let me get this straight Ken... If someone says something that's false, then it's not your job to report that it's false? (And you can spin it however you want, but the fact remains that SD CityBeat does NOT "put on" the SDMAs). This is what you said: "As writers we are not to correct the quotes, we just supposed to write what was said." Is that The Reader's editorial policy because that's the worst journalistic approach I've ever heard? If every "writer" had your approach we wouldn't know anything and just be taking everyone's word for it. What if Woodward and Bernstein had the same philosophy. "Oh, okay Mr. President, we'll just report exactly what you said and not bother to say that it's untrue." I know the analogy is a stretch, but I cannot believe that you said this (and with such lousy grammar as well). I don't even need to say anything else. You've summed up your whole approach to this profession with that one line. Nice job.
— September 29, 2009 8:16 p.m.