TEGAN & SARA GO METAL?
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 4:24pm by Vince Neilstein
No, not really… but you’d think so based on the Canadian pop duo’s new “metal” t-shirt design (above).
Part of me wants to like this t-shirt because it looks cool. Kudos to the designer for that. But the other part of me wants to say, “Man, fuck that.” The co-opting of metal culture, particularly the aesthetic, is not something that metalheads take lightly. I’m no member of the fashion police, but I think it’s fair to say that any Tegan & Sara fan wearing this shirt would be doing so ironically; “Haha, it’s Tegan & Sara but it *looks* metal. Get it?” That irony is a slap in the face to those of us who take metal seriously. I can’t speak for Tegan & Sara themselves — for all I know they could be cranking Gojira at 11 as I type this — but the likelihood of most of their fans being able to name one Metallica song outside of “Enter Sandman” (if that), let alone the name of one metal band new on the scene in the past 10 years that didn’t play at Bonnaroo, Coachella or <insert hipster festival here> is pretty damn unlikely. And something about that makes it seem rather unfair of them to bite off a hunk of metal culture for their own good.
Full disclosure: I loved Tegan & Sara’s 2004 mini-hit “Walking With a Ghost.” Fantastic song. But metal it is not.
So let’s keep apples to apples. Look; if one Tegan & Sara fan picks up a Carcass record because of this shirt, then mission accomplished. But it still rubs me the wrong way. What do you all think?
-VN
Not worth caring about.
I love Tegan&Sara, my favourite bands are Behemoth and Gojira. You’d be surprised.
Aaaaand, King Nothing. >(
This shirt it really really really fucking cool, I’m sure that Tegan and/or Sara are fan(s) of at least one decent metal band. And anyway, art is art, who the fuck cares? We don’t own shit
Reminds me of a few short years ago when yuppie posers would wear Motorhead and Black Flag t-shirts because they thought it was “retro” or some shit. Not because they were actual fans of the bands, or metal for that matter. Ima go with “fuck that!”
I pre-ordered that shit a week ago!
You can like T&S and Metal, I do. ( although, T&S are the guilty pleasure, not The Metal)
I’ll wear mine earnestly.
I have all the Tegan & Sara albums and I have every Carcass album.
1) Seek & Destroy
2) Skeletonwitch
I am Sworn to the Dark, but know There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. I worship Jesu and Jesus. I have an Uncle Tupelo, but prefer the company of my Grandaddy and Children of Bodom. I’m not afraid of Pixies or Electric Wizards. When I experience Death, will I be At the Gates of Nirvana, or crossing the river Styx? It’s the Superunknown.
I think the shirt is rad. People get too focused on genre tags… to suggest that any one “sound” owns a visual “aesthetic” is ridiculous. All music fans would be well served to branch out a bit…
I want a metal as fuck Bon Iver shirt to come out now, I would preorder that thing in a heartbeat
I’m glad I’m not the only dude planning on buying this haha. I wouldn’t be surprised if tegan and sara came up with the design idea themselves. After all, dykes LOVE metal.
Think they know how much love they get on MS?
I was expecting an uproar of pissed off metalheads over this, but it appears the metal horde looks favorably upon these young girls. My opinion? Seems like odd imagery to pair with their sound, but I like the design.
I honestly don’t think it’s an issue of diversity in musical tastes (of which any true music lover has an abundance). It’s more an issue of a community already widely maligned and misunderstood being ripped off for aesthetics..
I share Vince’s ambivalence, but I lean more towards taking afront. This is mostly because I can’t help but suspect it’s not a statement of unity or appreciation, but more a goof on the metal community. Additionally, I feel the same about this as I do about David Beckham’s penchant for wearing metal T-shirts–don’t misrepresent. Stick to ripping off the hop-hop and rap community; after all, they’re begging for it.
You can’t be a metalhead and not have a sense humor (seriously), but not knowing this act’s intentions or influences, I find their design choice disappointing.
Love and Rockets,
Shinaain
I think any metal fan who feels slighted by the “co-opting of the metal culture” needs to take a step back and actually think about that statement. The whole “metal culture” has always had its basis in “who the fuck cares” what anyone does? Really, isn’t there more to be concerned with than a non-metal musical act using a so-called “metal-style” logo? For fuck’s sake, who said the collective metal “we” have ownership over unreadable (and actually laughably stupid) band logos?
I thought they were sisters, not lesbians :[ I love my Macbeths, I’d buy this shit lol.
I hate this. First, it isn’t really a metal shirt. Look at the haircuts. Hipster bullshit garbage pretending to be metal. I hate it like I hate Metalocalypse, despite the fact that I think the show is hilarious. I’ve never heard of this musical group, and I’m not about to give them a listen anytime soon. But it reminds me of the late 90s/early 2000s when all the general consensus of the typical American idiot was that heavy metal is Marilyn Manson and Limp Biscuit. And people will assume you like that garbage. Maybe people assume I like the garbage of today? Maybe that’s why I wear dress shirts instead of band shirts?
What if you’re a metalhead AND a T&S fan? then you’d be mixing your two musical passions with each other…
Personally I think the logo’s kinda meh. I mean it’s decent but nothing to jiz yourself over. Nothing compared to my bleached gray Testament t-shirt with the hardened armpits.
Who the fuck cares? I do not even know who those people are that came out with this shirt.
Tegan and Sara love the Cancer Bats and vice versa. One of them wore a cancer bats shirt at their show here in santa barbara. They aren’t being ironic, nor are they full on sworn to the black. Just a kick ass t shirt design.
@ TappingtheVein: They are twin sisters…and lesbians.
It’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Anyone remember those whiny indie kings of the 90’s Sebadoh using a VERY metal logo for a record and a tour back then?
Genre’s/aesthetics are going to cross-pollinate from time-to-time. How awesome would it be if the next Children of Bodom record co-opted one of those old school No Limit-type blinged out covers?
That said, this is a cool shirt, but yeah, something doesn’t feel sincere about this…which ironically describes every note of Tegan and Sara’s music. (”The Con” was one hell of a record, btw.)
Who are Tegan & Sara? And why should I care about their T-shirt?
When are you guys going to stop ripping off stories from Decibel?
I was gonna mention that they’re friends w/ Cancer Bats,but BlestTilDeth beat me to it.
I like T & S(as well as a lot of other indie bands),but if I was forced to listen to either them & The Postal Service or Neurosis & Pig Destroyer,you can fuckin’ bet that I’d choose Neurosis & Pig Destroyer….it’s a cool shirt anyway you look at it.The whole “false/tr00″ argument is stupid.Even Darkthrone who were supposedly “tr00″ listen to super lame-ass techno music.
Never once heard about their band, and trying to ignore the extremely obvious post-emo references on the shirt (faggot-ass hair, regardless of whether you’ve got a set of tits or not), the only thing I can think to say is this – if the logo somehow links to the music, in some way (direction of a specific album, although I can’t think of much that’s truly Poe-oriented right now, most of it is the “I hate my life/slit my wrists” emofag bullshit), then it’s fine. Sort of retarded, though, and uglier than fuck.
Indie Pop is Krieg!!!
HAHA! Hibernum hit it on the head with the haircuts comment. Seriously.
I just find it funny that metal gets shit on for being all meat-headed, but then its style is used to sell merch. This goes hand in hand with celebrities doing the devil horns on red carpets and stuff.
lololol irony is so funny xD can’t wait to wear this around campus and people laugh at how funny this is xD
Who gives a fuck? The shirt is funny. Those shitty band logos deserved to be made fun of, along with most “metal aesthetics” as you put it.
i find that this shirt reminds me more so of the grateful dead that metal
I think the shirt’s funny as hell and I say good for them for having a sense of humour. In all honesty I think that’s what a lot of metal is lacking these days: a sense of humour about itself. I mean don’t get me wrong, metal’s in my blood and always will be, but between the drunken skids at concerts and the awkward teenagers trying to be “brutal”, there’s plenty of shit to laugh about within metal.
i love how you all assume this was their idea. straight from their blog:
“after we toured through Australia in January _WE WERE APPROACHED BY AN ARTIST WITH AN IDEA_ with an idea for a tegan and sara shirt. now this isn’t anything new really, but when we saw the design it was so completely different from anything we have done before, but so amazing that we thought it could be something that a lot of our fans would really like!
the artist is named Glenno Smith (www.glennoart.com) and he mostly designs for metal and hardcore bands. _HE LOVES TEGAN AND SARA_, but thought the shirts we had for sale were too “jazzer” (what does this mean, aussie slang or something?!) so he took a crack at designing his own. we love it so much that we are doing a one time special edition run of these shirts by pre-order only.”
Just adding myself to the list of those here who love Tegan & Sara.
Haha Walking With The Ghost was an awesome song as well I have to admit that…
I have no problem with the shirt..they’re in no way metal, but its just a design…looks pretty cool. other than the hair on the left skull. lol.
idk why but it reminds me of an affliction shirt.
I really hate it when people who know nothing about metal pretend to be metal. To me that’s no different than a heterosexual person rollerblading down the street in tight jeans pretending to be gay. I do appreciate the opposite though, when people who are actually metal as fuck don’t look it at all. I think it makes their metal-ness even more striking when it’s revealed. One word. Akercocke.
Whatever, they’re stupid.
“That irony is a slap in the face to those of us who take metal seriously.”
Haha. Oh God, that’s funny.
Fine example of what is wrong with metal, and music as a whole. People take shit way too seriously and try to be harder than the next guy. In the end they’re just morons. I mean that in the most loving way possible.
Do you guys (at metalsuck.net) feel so threatened by this that you had to write something about it? “ah man, they made their name look metal…im so mad”..I come to this site wanting to read shit about metal, NOT about tegan and sarah (though their not bad). I mean, if anything we (the metal fans) should feel somewhat honored that they would make such a shirt. Also, was metal ever really meant to be taken too seriously? I thought it was about not giving a fuck. Do you guys know anything about metal?
“Also, was metal ever really meant to be taken too seriously?”
Wait, whoa. You mean Spinal Tap weren’t supposed to be taken seriously?
On a serious note (wut?), I’m pretty sure no one here at Metal Sucks take themselves or the music they listen to seriously. I imagine posts like this are designed to stir the pot, especially since they’re posted by a man going by the moniker “Vince Neilstein”.
There is some good satire on this site, but some times you swear they really are the boneheaded metal fan they pretend to be.
And …that’s quite enough of my serious note (wut again?).
I’m not the fashion police, but…..I AM the fashion police. Do you really care?
I’ll state proudly that I own all the Metallica albums (even the shite ones), and all of the Tegan & Sara albums too.
1) Leper Messiah
2) Gojira
Yeah, I’m pretty sure they aren’t trying to “act metal” – like the earlier post said, they were approached by a fan with a cool design that happened to be influenced by metal. So what’s the fuss?
What is this connection between T&S and Gojira that I keep hearing about?
To whoever mentioned sebadoh and their “metal” logo, you know lou barlow was once in Deep Wound, which was pretty much grindcore before anyone had ever heard of grindcore.
If you give a shit about this then you’re an idiot.
thanks blah for the link (www.glennoart.com), great stuff!
I want to believe that their actual skulls are the ones depicted on the pic…
ha ha…
my shit never gets this sort of attention. I’m the tegan and sara fan that did the artwork. at their gig, i really wanted to get a shirt to wear at metal gigs so tools in pantera shirts would give me death stares. unfortunately, the shirts on sale were not at all to my taste so in a drunken moment of brilliance, i vowed i’d design something i’d wear…so i did…sent it…and they dug the idea.
to those that think i’ve angered the metal gods, wake up to yourself…there are no gods…or a bureau of official metal-ness i should have checked with
and to those metal-heads out there that love other music and keep their arses in check with humour, hope to see you at a gig…i’ll buy you an australian beer.
I think the design is funny.to be so protective over something that needs no protection is laughable at best , at worst ,sad and more so “fem,gay,girlie” than said band. Metal and music in general doesn’t need insecure pillow biters running to its defense for improper representation or supposed theft of established ideas.It’s not yours, no art is yours and its completely juvenile to hold on to such things like a big security blanket, titty or whatever you need to feel safe or sense of belonging . which speaking of IRONIC this is completely contrary to supposed values metal preaches , individuality, independence,strength.To consider such an innocuous piece of art blasphemy is weak, and so very un-metal it makes me nauseous.
music can’t be contaminated. you’re not going to listen to things that suck or you hate . your not going to get tricked into listening to sappy fag pop because of a shirt design .if you are worried that metal will be perceived poorly or inaccurately by people who do not listen to metal then clearly you are missing something vital to the grand equation here .
I still love how everyone loves to make a big deal out of this.
It’s a shirt. They liked the design and thought fans would too. And most of their fans find it funny and ironic, and love the idea that they might get dirty looks. You may not like it, but others do.
I’ll proudly be wearing this shirt at any metal show I go to. I guess I’ll be expecting those death glares from all of the asses on here.
Bring It. =]
hell yeah, this will go great with my hoodie that LOOKS like it’s got a Decapitated album on it, but it’s Kelly Clarkston! WOO HOO!