MUSIC
MUSIC MONDAY | SondorBlue takes over this week's playlist
Movers + shakers of the "new bohemian movement," Sonder Blue, has taken over #musicmonday
12.11.2017
Beatles and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, oh my.
Despite being in their early twenties, SondorBlue is often compared with those legendary acts. They are a Charleston based alternative rock quartet featuring three part harmonies that harken back to the days before Pro-tools made real vocal talent optional. Originally hailing from Hilton Head, the band relocated to attended school at College of Charleston. SondorBlue have been touring the east coast extensively in 2017 and were recently tapped as a local opener for NPR's Tiny Desk tour. Check out some of their upcoming tour dates here:
December 20 – Charlotte, NC - The Evening Muse
December 31 – Columbia, SC- Famously Hot New Year w/Elle King, Nappy Roots, Fatrat Da Czar
January 12 – Charleston, SC- The Royal American
January 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Grape Room
January 19 – Lancaster, PA – Tellus 360
January 20 – Wildwood, NJ – Dog Tooth Bar & Grill
January 22 – New York, NY – Arlene's Grocery
In addition to an exciting east coast tour, the band recently released an EP entitled, You Will Found Love on Ashley Avenue. The bittersweet album features five songs that take you on a journey of growing pains, love, heartbreak, and more. The Beatles influence is definitely recognizable but is no where near the same; but, don't take my word for it. Listen to their EP here.
Escape! Is my personal favorite song, so you could imagine how excited I was to see there is a visual for it. Check the music video out here and keep reading to listen to the playlist they curated just for Popdust readers!
The Playlist
Play by Play Commentary for SondorBlue's Popdust Playlist Takeover, as Narrated by Lead Vocalist and Bassist, Andrew Hall
"I Wanna Prove to You" | The Lemon Twigs
Our producer, Omar Colon, played us one of their songs (I think it was either "Baby, Baby" or "As Long As We're Together") amidst a break from recording our second EP, "You Will Find Love on Ashley Avenue", and we were really digging their sound, especially since we were working on our song, "I Hate Living Like This", which definitely dabbles in that power pop / baroque pop realm of music—much like some of The Lemon Twigs's songs. But, we really started getting into their music about three or four months ago, after I found a live concert of their's from a festival in France called, "Cabaret Vert".
"Never Can Say Goodbye" | The Jackson 5
Recently, we've been listening to a lot of soul music and The Jackson 5 are kind of a staple on any playlist that is soul-oriented. What's actually pretty crazy is that we truly found this song on some sort of "Soul Hits" CD given to us by one of our fans and then, almost six months later, Connor, our lead guitarist, sends me a fan video from a Frank Ocean concert where he's covering it. We talk about being on "the wave" a lot in the band—thinking the same thing at, essentially, the same time and one person says what they're thinking and the other person freaks out because it's exactly what they were thinking, too. So, us listening to and developing a strong attachment to "Never Can Say Goodbye" and finding out that Frank Ocean covered it at a concert, out of all the songs he could have chosen, was definitely a "wave moment" with one of our favorite, genuine artists.
"Here and Everywhere" | The Beatles
I feel live every Beatles enthusiast's favorite album is always changing and we're definitely Beatle's enthusiasts. Right now, I'd say, collectively and by way of majority rule, our favorite album is Revolver. I think it helped set much of the framework for Sgt. Pepper's, as did their initial consumption of LSD, which occurred during the spring of 1965. There's a very fascinating article in Rolling Stone titled, "Beatles' Acid Test: How LSD Opened the Door to Revolver", that details how Revolver was We chose this song in particular because we feel like it's a beautiful depiction of The Beatles during this time in their lives, which was certainly one of the most pivotal points in their career.
"You've Got a Woman" | Whitney
This song is a great representation of a band-on-the-rise, Whitney, and their ability to capture an authentic Motown feel from the production to the songwriting, all the while staying true to their more folky / country roots. They're from Chicago, which isn't too far from the birthplace of Motown, so the soulful roots run deep in their music and I think that's why we like them so much.
"Loving Is Easy" | Rex Orange County
We found out about Rex Orange County after reading an article about Frank Ocean and his the members of his touring band or those who have been involved on stage in a musical capacity at Frank's recent shows. I believe he played guitar on a song or two live at a few shows and actually made some contribution(s) to a couple of songs on Blonde. We love how "Loving Is Easy" isn't a derivative-sounding soul ballad and I think that's because of the casual, millennial dialogue Rex incorporates into his music. He's got a very wide catalog in regards to how a lot of his songs toy with a lot of different genres and his new album, Apricot Princess, is a nostalgic voyage back (or forwards) to the strangeness and intense emotions from your late teens, like 19 going on 20, and is a must listen.
"Snowqueen of Texas" | The Mamas and The Papas
We were formally introduced to The Mamas and The Papas by a good friend and fellow musician, Leo Sawikin, of the band, The Chordaes, not too long ago and have been hooked ever since.
"Let's Go Away for Awhile" | The Beach Boys
I think pop culture has taken care of a lot of the musical intricacies surrounding The Beach Boy's magnum opus, Pet Sounds, so I'll spare you the details. Aside from Pet Sounds being an incredible concept album, we think "Let's Go Away For Awhile" makes for a perfect break or interlude in our playlist.
"Self Control" | Frank Ocean
This is one of my personal favorites on this playlist and the album that this song appears on, Blonde, is in my top five favorite albums of all time. I just love how generational Frank Ocean's music is both sonically and lyrically. He has really tapped into the collective conscious of this generation because he's saying what a lot of us are thinking.
"Japanese Denim" | Daniel Caesar
We were coming back from a trip to NYC, and I think Connor had this song on one of his playlists. I remember when it came on and immediately feeling connected to it because he's denouncing some of the societal norms implemented by his own generation—things that are supposed to convey status—at the very start of the song with lyrics like, "I don't stand in line / I don't pay for clubs" and "I don't like to drink, I don't like to think," and follows these denouncements with "but I'll wait for you" and "but I ponder you." Aside from the message, it's a beautiful song and the intro always strikes me as an homage to D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)".
"waves" | Miguel (Tame Impala Remix)
Miguel's songwriting mixed with Kevin Parker's production prowess makes for a wonderful combination. We're big fans of Tame Impala and, when we heard this remix for the first time, it found its way onto our individual playlists.
"Sun City Creeps" | Woods
Another great song from a band that is on-the-rise. The guitar tone during the solo is amazing and we really admire the percussion in this song, as it gives the song a very Latin feel at certain moments.
"The Mall & Misery" | Broken Bells
I feel like Broken Bells is one of those bands that people kind of sleep on (guilty) or know them for their song, "The High Road", which played on the radio for awhile and was synced a bunch. However, it's their electronic approach to reinvigorating 60s power pop and psychedelia that really got me into their music. This song, "The Mall & Misery", is the last song off of their self-titled album and puts their aforementioned approach to production and songwriting on display in a tasteful manner.
"Biking" | Frank Ocean (solo)
While I love the version with Jay-Z and Tyler, The Creator, there's something about the solo version that reminds me of the freedom associated with childhood and biking around with your friends, as the song begins with the chorus—vocals, an acoustic guitar, and some synth. When the verse comes in, it feels like Frank's older-self is venting about the difficulties that come with adulthood and, in his case, fame, as the chorus feels even more free and youthful after the first verse. Shoutout to Frank Ocean for helping us feel like kids again.
"Nellie" | Dr. Dog
This is the last song on the playlist and, not ironically, the last song on Dr. Dog's album, B-Room (the non-deluxe version). Dr. Dog has indefinitely played a huge roll in our development as a band and artists, so it feels right to close out this playlist with one of our recent favorites by them, and it just sounds like a last song. It's an introspective song, as the speaker questions the thoughts and actions of someone he loves or used to love. I don't think the speaker is making up his mind. Rather, he's just letting his anxiety unravel through song and does so in a very soulful, expressive way. And I think we're all pretty anxious people in this day and age and we want the art to match our level of anxiety so we feel okay, which this song does.
I hope you've enjoyed this playlist,
- Andrew of SondorBlue
Follow SondorBlue on Instagram | Facebook
Anie Delgado is a contributor to Popdust and is an actress and musician based in NYC. Follow her on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter and check out her music on Spotify. Press inquiries here.
Music Features
The Infallible Legacy of "Heaven or Las Vegas" 30 Years On
The Cocteau Twins' 1990 masterpiece is still the blueprint for dream pop.
09.17.2020
For a band whose lyrics were famously difficult to make out most of the time, the Cocteau Twins left an indelible impact on the world of pop music.
The Scottish trio emerged in the 1980s as some of the most notable pioneers of dream pop, a subgenre of alternative rock defined by airy, sublime sonic textures. But it was their sixth album, Heaven or Las Vegas—which turns 30 today—that truly withstood the test of time, affirming the Cocteau Twins' status as perhaps the most important dream pop act of all time.
<p>Combining the ethereal, otherworldly nature of Kate Bush with Siouxsie and the Banshees' gothic aura, <em>Heaven or Las Vegas </em>was written in a time of personal upheaval; bassist Simon Raymonde had just gotten married, while vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and her partner, guitarist Robin Guthrie, were expecting their first child together. Much to the worry of his bandmates, Guthrie's cocaine habit had spiked during the making of the Cocteau Twins' previous album, <em>Blue Bell Knoll.</em></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- Popdust Mobile Banner 320x100 --><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:320px;height:100px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="6952751205"></ins><script>
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</script></center><p></p><p>While Fraser and Raymonde hoped that fatherhood would curb Guthrie's drug dependency after his daughter was born in 1989, the guitarist continued to rely heavily on substances during the recording of <em>Heaven or Las Vegas. </em>This sent Guthrie into a "<a href="https://exclaim.ca/music/article/essential_guide_to_cocteau_twins" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deep paranoia</a>," paired with the grief of losing his father shortly after welcoming his daughter. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-633"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent1 - mid_content --></p><p>In spite of the circumstances surrounding the recording of <em>Heaven or Las Vegas, </em>the album bears a sense of escapism and peace. Of the rare intelligible lyrics on the album, one stands out in particular: "But is it heaven or Las Vegas?" Fraser wails on the title track, juxtaposing two places that really couldn't be any more different from each other. Heaven is a place where, so long as your virtues are in order, you're guaranteed to spend eternity. Las Vegas, on the other hand, is a hotbed of sin. The album similarly feels suspended between utopia and the burdens of reality and humanity.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent11 - mid_content --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7449c77c38a442f61ae54d2d2613b8df"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6KnYw4EwYGc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas (Official Video)</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KnYw4EwYGc" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>For the entirety of its 38 minutes, <em>Heaven or Las Vegas </em>feels effervescent and ultra-saturated. The record never sounds aggressive, but few records in its lane have managed to sound so full and lavish, from the moody funk of "Pitch the Baby" to the sheer euphoria of "Iceblink Luck." Fraser's featherlight vocals sweep and swirl atop Guthrie's trademark guitar jangle, with each track enveloped in a sort of psychedelic shimmer that leaves you transfixed in wonder. </p><p>What makes the album all the more impressive, though, is that much of what makes Cocteau Twins so singular is <a href="http://laziness" target="_blank">completely unintentional</a>: Fraser has credited her slurred singing style to "laziness," while Raymonde claims many of the unusual instrumental tones were created with guitars "by accident" rather than with synthesizers.<br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p><em>Heaven or Las Vegas </em>was received well both critically and commercially upon its release, propelling the Cocteau Twins to mainstream status and bringing more widespread attention to their record label, 4AD. The Cocteau Twins would release two more albums—1993's <em>Four-Calendar Cafe </em>and 1996's <em>Milk & Kisses—</em>before disbanding in 1997, largely due to the separation of Fraser and Guthrie a couple of years prior.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d20cc2072149000d74d443596a5faab"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L_Tj4bJ0VFw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Cocteau Twins - Iceblink Luck (Official Video)</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Tj4bJ0VFw" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p>While each member of the Cocteau Twins have embarked on solo endeavors post-breakup, Fraser has been the most silent. Her most notable works since the band's breakup are "Teardrop," her collaboration with trip-hop group Massive Attack (which would be used as the theme song to the medical drama <em>House M.D.)</em>, and her debut solo single, "Moses." In 1997, Guthrie and Raymonde founded their own record label, Bella Union, which is now run solely by Raymonde.<br></p><p>One of Bella Union's most popular signees is Baltimore duo Beach House, who—like the Cocteau Twins—have amassed a large cult following from their reverb-heavy, atmospheric dream pop. "I find it really hard to go to a Beach House concert," Raymonde <a href="http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/cocteau_twins_blue_bell_knoll_robin_guthrie_simon_raymonde/" target="_blank">told <em>Under the Radar</em></a> in 2014. "I see the way people look at Victoria [Legrand, Beach House's singer]. It's like I'm revisiting what it was like to see a sea of thousands of faces look at Elizabeth, just madly in love with her."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p>Endless comparisons can be made between the Cocteau Twins and Beach House, and their impact is prevalent in other modern dream pop acts like M83 and Sigur Ros. But the Cocteau Twins' legacy has touched some unexpected artists, too, making fans out of everyone from Radiohead to Mike Kinsella of emo legends American Football. In a 2014 interview with <em>Rolling Stone, </em>Prince said that his favorite music to listen to was "stuff that [he couldn't] do...like the Cocteau Twins." </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-639"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><p>Even today's Top 40 acts have borrowed elements from the Cocteau Twins. The Weeknd, who early in his career became known for his "haunted strip club" music, sampled the Cocteau Twins' "Cherry-Coloured Funk" on his debut album, <em>House of Balloons. </em>A few months later, the Weeknd's mixtape <em>Thursday </em>would contain a song called "Heaven or Las Vegas."</p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
</p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-813"><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --><p></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f8c416cbd70624b5bb85ca206a708302"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6k?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">The Weeknd - The Knowing (Official Video)</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPp5Ty9EE6k" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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</p><p><em>Heaven or Las Vegas'</em>s title track has also, inevitably, made its way to TikTok, where fans have endearingly poked fun at Fraser's indecipherable vocals.<br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>evdog (@evangordon8) on TikTok</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image">
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@evangordon8/video/6840468472237968646?lang=en" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGb2JqJTJGdG9zLW1hbGl2YS1wLTAwNjglMkZiMjQwOWIwNDQ2N2ViOWIxNzViYTUxYWFmNDJlZDExNSUzRngtZXhwaXJlcyUzRDE2MDA1NDkyMDAlMjZ4LXNpZ25hdHVyZSUzRCUyQiUyRlVWRXRHRnlqT0pNNTB2UXVwJTJCbXBUOGdWQSUzRCZobz1odHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnAxNi1zaWduLXZhLnRpa3Rva2Nkbi5jb20mcz04MCZoPWVkNTRmNWMzOWJkOWQ5OGEzZTViMzA3NGRmNjNiNzFhNmIxZmQzY2UzOWYzOWUzZjgwNGFjYzA5ODYzYzcwYWImc2l6ZT05ODB4JmM9MzQzODM5MDQyNCIsImV4cGlyZXNfYXQiOjE2NjE5Nzk4NDR9.iw-VEmDWpbSJFZUVbg1gJpwE1sNpoqcjdRRtO1cuBV0/img.jpg" id="2638c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b56d2fa8783201578680a00262304371"></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">evdog (@evangordon8) on TikTok</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@evangordon8/video/6840468472237968646?lang=en" target="_blank">www.tiktok.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>Due to the strained relationships between the band members today, Cocteau Twins fans shouldn't hold their breath in anticipation for a full reunion. But 30 years on, the impact of <em>Heaven or Las Vegas </em>has proven that the love of the Cocteau Twins' music won't die out any time soon.</p>
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Culture News
European Panel Officially Rules that We Are All Banksy Now
Now that Banksy's "Flower Thrower" trademark has been revoked, anyone can profit off his work.
09.17.2020
This week anonymous street artist Banksy officially lost the European trademark to his "Flower Thrower" mural.
The guerrilla graffiti artist had engaged in a prolonged legal battle with the small greeting card company Full Colour Black—which was selling products featuring the image of a Palestinian man throwing a bouquet of flowers. But now a panel at the European Union Intellectual Property Office has announced their decision to revoke the artist's trademark on the grounds that he could not definitively prove himself to be the mural's creator.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQyMTIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzAyMTA3NX0.p05Eq8mXwW7gPH5qfG0cwJaxhMMEUbGBnLwloAtaDOU/img.jpg?width=980" id="3f664" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eeaa3c02ea4c037347119b40ce626b30" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Banksy Flower Thrower Mural">
</p><p>The trademark—which was established through Banksy's "handling service," Pest Control, back in 2014—is distinct from the traditional method for an artist to protect their work through copyright. For a copyright to be valid, the creator must be positively identified, which was not really an option for Banksy, the famously anonymous graffiti artist—who has made a name for himself out of being nameless.<br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
</p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-813"><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --><p></p><p>Trademark, by contrast, is intended to help consumers identify genuine goods based on their branding. It's why Wal-Mart doesn't sell $5 Gucci knock-offs. Essentially, Banksy had attempted to avoid exposing his identity by operating as a brand rather than an individual. But in order to defend that trademark, there had to be a business using that branding. Enter <a href="https://grossdomesticproduct.com/" target="_blank">Gross Domestic Product</a>.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-633"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent1 - mid_content --></p><p>Last Fall, Banksy introduced his online store along with <a href="https://hyperallergic.com/521125/banksy-opens-london-art-shop-same-week-he-sets-12m-auction-record/" target="_blank">a physical store front in the Croydon area of South London</a>. The store offered "solutions for wealth" including a "clutch" consisting of a brick with some leather straps attached for nearly $1000, a faux tiger-skin rug resembling the flayed, cavity-riddled corpse of Tony the Tiger, and—critically—prints of "flower thrower."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent11 - mid_content --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQyMTIwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMjQ5MTM1M30.UIRlcZ5gybVpj4Psp3iikO9mnteBoiJCZKjWvUsyHYk/img.jpg?width=980" id="fc068" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6f968e71de13caa87eb17ee8b9035ef7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="gross domestic product">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">A view into the Gross Domestic Product Storefront in Croydon</small></p><p>If Banksy had been satisfied with allowing the store to function outwardly as a simple cash grab, the plan might have worked. Unfortunately, he wanted the world to know that he was too cool for anything like that.<br></p><p>Referring to the whole ordeal as "possibly the least poetic reason to ever make some art," Bansky explicitly acknowledged that his true motivation for launching Gross Domestic Product was to defend his trademark. A note posted at the Croydon storefront stated that "This shop has come about as a result of legal action. A greeting cards company are trying to sieze [sic] legal custody of the name Banksy from the artist, who has been advised the best way to prevent this is to sell his own range of branded merchandise."<span></span></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>Unfortunately for Banksy, trademark law explicitly states that a business must be operating in good faith—in genuine pursuit of profit—in order to retain a copyright. So it's not that surprising that <a href="https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/gross-domestic-failure-banksy-trademark-portfolio-risk-after-eu-registration-declared-invalid" target="_blank">the EUIPO came back with a decision</a> stating that: "Banksy was trying to use the sign only to show that he had an intention of using the sign, but his own words and those of his legal representative, unfortunately undermined this effort."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p>What is somewhat surprising is that <a href="https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/012575155" target="_blank">the panel's statement</a> went further, indicating that Banksy's efforts to retain the rights to his work while concealing his identity were futile—that trademark is subject to the same problems as copyright, because he can never prove himself to be the true owner of his work.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d7d7facd4e3557cd99486ef1fc5c1acd"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xoe3Nn5vuBg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Who is Banksy?</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoe3Nn5vuBg" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>As the panel put it, Banksy "cannot be identified as the unquestionable owner of such works as his identity is hidden ... Therefore, the filing of a trademark cannot be used to uphold these rights which may not exist, or at least may not exist for the person claiming to own them."<br></p><p>The panel also stated that, "Banksy has chosen to remain anonymous and, for the most part, to paint graffiti on other people's property without their permission, rather than to paint it on canvases or his own property," In other words, if you want to hide who you are in order to avoid the consequences of violating other people's property rights, you basically nullify your own property rights.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- Popdust Mobile Banner 320x100 --><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:320px;height:100px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="6952751205"></ins><script>
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</script></center><p></p><p>Considering <a href="https://www.popdust.com/banksy-overrated-2645155215.html" target="_blank">how long it's been since anyone was really upset at their property getting the Banksy treatment</a>—it's the "vandalism" equivalent of throwing a gold brick through someone's window—it's hard not to read some stuffy spite into the EUIPO's statement. They are the enforcers of the established order of society, and if Banksy wants to sit on the sidelines and criticize the established order, then they don't have to do him any favors.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-639"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><p>What this means for the future is that any and all of Banksy's artwork—not just the "Flower Thrower"—may be subject to unregulated reproduction within the European Union. Essentially, unless Banksy decides to reveal his identity, anyone on Earth has as much claim to his creations as he does.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQyMTI1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODA0NTM3MX0.y4IkeLmPOyfCtHcfAk4BABoxqy5zNcNaTnaKyBynO3c/img.jpg?width=980" id="45b70" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d76f06edfe50e309ad6a62272394c726" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Ash snow banksy">
</p><p>You could move to Paris tomorrow (if not for the fact that Americans are currently barred from the EU...), and open up a store selling nothing but Banksy-branded merchandise—from Hip-Hop Rat to Balloon Girl, to that kid catching ash on his tongue. You could even tell all your customers that you're Banksy, and there's seemingly nothing <del><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1034538/Graffiti-artist-Banksy-unmasked---public-schoolboy-middle-class-suburbia.html" target="_blank">Robin Gunningham</a></del> Pest Control could do to stop you.<br></p><h2></h2><h2></h2><p>With his trademark officially cancelled, you have as much legal claim to Banksy's art and secret identity as anyone else. We are all Banksy now.</p>
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