Reflection #3

(From Maximum Rocknroll magazine):
Shenkin Punx -CD
Lot's of things really bother me about this band/CD. They are from Tel Aviv. That's in Israel. That's a religious state doing it's best to commit genocide against the indigenous population they have displaced/ are currently doing their best to crush. I spose on can't help where one is born. But then again, one has a duty, as a human, as a citizen of the world, to rise above such fate, right? I guess it's cool when a band sings in their "native" language. Even when that "native" language is a dead language, resuscitated to facilitate a colonial/settler state? If this was a white South African band, during the apartheid years, that did/said nothing about the situation they found themselves in, we'd be suspicious/critical et al, right? You benefit from apartheid; the onus is on
you to take a stand against it. Otherwise you're complicit. I don't see these chaps taking such a stand. Now, that could be 'cause I just can't read, or understand Hebrew, but then again, all they mention on their Myspace page (which is in English) is that they are punks, and they like to dance. Period. No mention of anything else. That they might be on stolen land. On the expulsion and genocide of the indigenous population. Nope, I don't like. The music is shit too. (Ramsey Kanaan)

Ramsey Kanaan's review of the Shenkin Punx cd is one of the most biased and uncool things I think MRR has ever printed since I've been reading. There is no mention of the music other than that it is shit. That doesn't tell me much. The lack of musical criticism in the music review isn't my problem though. My real problem is that the band is criticised for not being outright anti-apartheid. WTF? MRR is printed in America and I am from Canada. I don't see any reviews that tear down particular bands from North America because their MUSIC is lacking in substantive criticisms of our two countries' heinous foregin and domestic human rights history. Unless a band claims to be political, which I garnered form the review that Shenkin Punx do not, then why should a review of their MUSIC consist solely of a lambasting of their lack of political stance? Furthermore, as I mentioned above, the only mention of the music as being shit is a pretty debasing way to give a band what is supposed to be a criticism of their msical integrity.The expectation that just because a band is from Israel they MUST be speaking out against apartheid is ridiculous. Its music. I'd like to add that I believe that what Israel is doing is wrong but it's American money that makes it possible. The mention of complicity leaves most people on this continent in a relatively unfit position to level such criticisms at a punk band. I'm for fair and balanced journalism as well, but this review is in all senses, "unprofessional".
-Matt Hargrove 

Music Reviews and Issues of Race and Nation

         Included as sort of a forward appendices are is a reproduction of the music review from Maximum Rocknroll #341 that will be the subject of this reflection as well as the letter I wrote and sent via email to the magazine in response to the review. 

            In the process of conducting everyday practices, these discourses and discourses in action that we participate in in various forms, sometimes what would seem to be an off-the cuff remark, simple action or even an opinionated music review (of which all are opinion based), we occasionally finds ourselves contributing to the processes that we would otherwise lambast others for consciously recreating, whatever these might be. In the case Ramsey Kanaan’s review of Shenkin Punx’s new album in the magazine Maximum Rock’n’Roll, the reviewer makes what I feel are very misguided, hypocritical and prejudiced remarks despite attempting to be “politically correct.”

            Shenkin Punx are a band from Israel who claim no political affiliation or stance, and nor should they be expected to. The reviewer takes issue, as reviewers often do take issue with many things, with the fact that they don’t include anything on the album against apartheid in their region. The reviewer is essentially reducing the band to their ethnicity, nationality, and “race.” The band is not given any critical review musically except to say that it “…is shit” (MRR, #341). “I am reminded of Fanon’s (1967) ideas of being reduced to one’s skin colour and carrying the weight of one’s ethnic or racial history in the minds of others when conducting completely unrelated exercises.  Kanaan suggests that simply by virtue of being Israeli that Shenkin Punx must take a stance against apartheid in Israel. This is racialization, whether intended or not. This band is prevented from simply playing music without politics, “…woven me [them] out of a thousand details, anecdotes, stories” (Fanon, 1967, p. 111) and must be Israeli musicians in relation to apartheid and the ethnic politics of their home region, not musicians by virtue of their music.

            In a similar Fanonian sense, the reviewer sees it fit not only to attach politics and history to this non-political music, but also does not feel it necessary not to mention anything about the music beyond say it is “shit” (MRR, #341). This omission, if you will, says as much as what is included. It says that since the band does not want to be embroiled in the ethnic politics of the region when releasing music, this music deserves nothing more than a passing insult towards the music with no substantive critique of the music whatsoever.

            I wrote the letter I included immediately after reading the review, and the MRR staff replied saying they will be printing it along with Kanaan’s response in the next issue or two. I am interested in what Kanaan has to say and maybe the response I get may shed some light on the reviewer’s background, etc. that could change the way in which I would analyze this issue further, but until then, I can’t help but see the review as an attempt to attach the historical follies and prejudices both towards and by the bands ethnic ancestors and country-people to something that for all intents and purposes has nothing to do with it, positively or negatively. In the process, Kanaan has racialized (Miles, 1989) the band as Israeli and Jewish before anything else they might be, even musicians. Its not that I don’t agree with Kanaan on the topic of Israel, but its quite racist to place a band unknowingly and unwillingly in the political spotlight without a grounded or empirical reason for doing so.

References

Fanon, F. (1967). “The Fact of Blackness”. In Black Skin, White

Masks (pp. 109-140). New York: Grove Press.

Miles, R. (1989). Racism (pp.69-98), London & New York: Routledge.

Kanaan, R. (2011) “Shenkin Punx cd review.” Maximumrocknroll. #341