Universal screws Be Your Own Pet

I hate major record labels. I'm sure most of you dear readers share the same hatrid. This makes me hate them even more.

Be Your Own Pet have just put out their second album called Get Awkward. There's no hitches in the UK and European release but the American release is missing several songs. Why? Because Universal have taken issue with some of them. Universal said to the band either change the lyrics or drop the songs altogether. The band decided to drop them. The songs in question are Black Hole, Becky and Blow Yr Mind. And no, it's not because they all begin with 'b'. These are the lyrics that they deem 'violent', first from Black Hole and then from Becky:

"Ooh, baby, wanna get in a fight! / Breaking glass bottles is oh-so-fun / Let's go and kill someone! / Living in this city, I get so bored / Wanna kill myself on a telephone cord"

"I heard you talked a lot of shit about me to your new best friend / Doesn't matter anyway, cuz I've got a brand new friend, okay / Me and her, we'll kick your ass, / we'll wait with knives after class!"

Whilst they are lyrics that suggest towards a violent nature, Universal have 50 Cent, Eminem, Marilyn Manson and a few other artists on their roster that also showcase pretty explicit lyrics. The reason why those artists haven't been approached is because they're big money earners. Be Your Own Pet are not a money-earning band. So it leads me to think it's more a case of the big bully making an example of the weak and defenseless victim.

Jemima Pearl, lead singer, has been quoted of saying:

"When I found out that the songs were going to get taken off, I was just like, 'Is there anybody I can talk to?' It's like, I don't even really know who these people are. There's no one you can talk to to try to argue your case. Other than that, Universal has been great. But I guess that's just what happens when you decide to have something to do with a major label. They're going to be scared of anything that's not completely cookie cutter."

That sort of sums it all up.

I know the band aren't one to care that much. After reading a lot of media interviews with the band, they give me the impression that they're quite easy going and adopt a 'whatever happens, happens' attitude. It still pisses me off though that not only can labels like Universal boss around artists and still tell what their music should sound like, but also be incredibly elitist at the same time.

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