Silversun Pickups object to Romney's use of song

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Source: Boston Globe

The Silversun Pickups want Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign to immediately stop the use of the rock group’s song ‘‘Panic Switch.’’ And the Romney campaign has no problem with that.

The Los Angeles-based band’s attorney sent a cease and desist letter to the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign Wednesday. A news release says neither the band nor its representatives were contacted for permission to use the 2009 alternative rock hit and the group ‘‘has no intention of endorsing the Romney campaign.’’

‘‘We don’t like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don’t like the Romney campaign,’’ Silversun Pickups lead singer Brian Aubert said in the statement. ‘‘We’re nice, approachable people. We won’t bite. Unless you’re Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that ‘Panic Switch’ really sends the message he intends.’’

Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in an email that the song was inadvertently played during the setup for one event before Romney arrived. The band learned about it in a tweet from Romney’s North Carolina stopover


Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/romney/2012/08/16/silversun-pickups-object-romney-use-song/wxcmyNXn7S6YGBglW9a0zH/story.html

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Yet another reason for me to like the Silversun Pickups, besides the fact they are strongly influenced by the Smashing Pumpkins (my all time favorite band). One of the very few good mainstream rock acts to come out of the 00s.

But--as Aubert alluded to--why would anyone use a song called "Panic Switch" for a campaign theme, except other than the fact that it goes along the GOP mantra of "Be afraid! Be very afraid!"

I mean, at least the title of "Born in the USA" sounded good for the Reagan campaign.....at least for anyone who was too stupid to listen to the actual lyrics of the song.

[paranoid floyd]

1. Great band

Brian Aubert has such a hypnotic voice. &quot T)he irony was too good" - what a great comment.

[a la izquierda]

2. One of my favorite songs.

The Romney campaign simply MUST be operated by a Manchurian candidate of some kind. No campaign can be this thick.

[AndyTiedye]

5. Maybe they Hired a DJ Who is an Obama Supporter

[Roland99]

4. There's No Secrets This Year!

[louis-t]

6. This happens a lot to repugs.

They are the ONLY party that gets cease and desist calls from artists.

They'll be down to Nugent songs exclusively pretty soon.

[Ready4Change]

9. This is DONE a whole lot by Republicans.

It doesn't happen TO them. They DO it.

They steal a song, try to use it without credit when their campaign coffers are overflowing with money, and then get all shocked when they get nabbed for it, scream that dirty libruls are trying to make them look bad, and generally act like the spoiled brats they so often are.

This from people who swear allegiance to the free market which, to them, apparently means THEY get to take and use whatever they want, for FREE.

[tanyev]

7. C'mon, Mitt! I'm sure Nugent would be happy to let you use "Yank Me, Crank Me".

[Flatpicker]

8. Dave Mustaine

Would let Romney use his entire catalog.