Silversun Pickups object to Romney's use of song
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 on 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.
"As anyone who attends Gov. Romney's events knows, this is not a song we would have played intentionally," she wrote. "That said, it was covered under the campaign's regular blanket license, but we will not play it again."
Saul says the campaign has licensing agreements with BMI and ASCAP.
Silversun Pickups publicist Ken Weinstein says the group and its team don't agree that the song's use is covered. Attorney Tamara Milagros-Butler said she received a call from the campaign's general counsel within about an hour of sending the letter.
"As the former governor (of) the state of Massachusetts, a graduate of Harvard Law School, and candidate for U.S. President, we're pretty sure you're familiar with the laws of this great country of ours," it reads in part. "We're writing because we, like you, think these laws are important."
Milagros-Butler said the band is pleased with the result. She said it was important for politicians to respect musicians' rights.
"Hard-working folks like them who have worked for years, and years and years building the value of their copyright" know the law and that they have to be vigilant about their rights, she said.
"Panic Switch," which seems to be an indictment of "red views" that "keep ripping the divide," helped the quartet earn a Grammy nomination for best new artist in 2009 and joins a long list of songs allegedly purloined by politicians.
These types of dustups are nothing new.
There was Ronald Reagan's appropriation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." Tommy Petty and Michelle Bachmann squared off over "American Girl." And John McCain's campaign ran afoul of a number of acts in 2008, including Jackson Browne and Foo Fighters.
Republican candidates aren't always targeted. Soul singer Sam Moore asked President Barack Obama to stop the use of "Soul Man" in his 2008 campaign.
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AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles-based band's attorney sent a cease and desist letter to the Republican presidential candidate's campaign on 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.
"As anyone who attends Gov. Romney's events knows, this is not a song we would have played intentionally," she wrote. "That said, it was covered under the campaign's regular blanket license, but we will not play it again."
Saul says the campaign has licensing agreements with BMI and ASCAP.
Silversun Pickups publicist Ken Weinstein says the group and its team don't agree that the song's use is covered. Attorney Tamara Milagros-Butler said she received a call from the campaign's general counsel within about an hour of sending the letter.
"As the former governor (of) the state of Massachusetts, a graduate of Harvard Law School, and candidate for U.S. President, we're pretty sure you're familiar with the laws of this great country of ours," it reads in part. "We're writing because we, like you, think these laws are important."
Milagros-Butler said the band is pleased with the result. She said it was important for politicians to respect musicians' rights.
"Hard-working folks like them who have worked for years, and years and years building the value of their copyright" know the law and that they have to be vigilant about their rights, she said.
"Panic Switch," which seems to be an indictment of "red views" that "keep ripping the divide," helped the quartet earn a Grammy nomination for best new artist in 2009 and joins a long list of songs allegedly purloined by politicians.
These types of dustups are nothing new.
There was Ronald Reagan's appropriation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." Tommy Petty and Michelle Bachmann squared off over "American Girl." And John McCain's campaign ran afoul of a number of acts in 2008, including Jackson Browne and Foo Fighters.
Republican candidates aren't always targeted. Soul singer Sam Moore asked President Barack Obama to stop the use of "Soul Man" in his 2008 campaign.
___
AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
 Everything Red Bull touches instantly becomes badass. Everything Romney touches instantly becomes crap. Leave the Silversun Pickups out of your campaign, Romney. I like that band and have all of their albums, and I dont need you turning their music into crap.
Sounds like Silversun Pickups has an issue with their label. If the Romney campaign is using it under fair use laws and has contacted BMI and ASCAP, Silversun Picups don't have a legal right to say no. The only way they could say no is to buy back the rights (at a very high cost) to the song from the label. Then they would really be putting there money where their mouth is.
"Tommy" Petty?
 I just love how anti republican Hollywood is while riding around in Bentley's, having $50,000 a night parties, and living in luxury houses while many people are fighting for table scraps.  They will gladly reap the benefits of Republican based principles, and then act as if they are outraged by anybody who has the audacity to be a Republican.  "We won't bite, unless you are Mitt Romney"... Typical hypocrisy for the party of inclusion who seems to hate bigotry even though the are bigots.Â
 @eichler34 AND, republicans by and large seem just a bit more hateful to me. I don't recall liberals calling Laura Bush names like they do Michele Obama. It is really ugly, and frankly racist. And I am far from being a liberal. I just choose the lesser of two evils, so to speak.
 @eichler34 As a business owner myself, I completely disagree with you. Republican do NOTHING for the small business owners. My business grows when people have money to spend on my product, period. Without sales, I am dead in the water. I need a strong middle class to sell product and that means good paying (sometime union) jobs. Trickle down has never and will never work. I won't hire people until I have more sales. That is simple economics. You seem smart and halfway sane, so I am not going to rail again you, but you might want to reconsider your thinking just a bit.
 @eichler34 while you make a good point, I'm not convinced it applies to this band. Not sure they're driving Bentleys.
Where can I get their CD? Anyone who stands up to the "same ol same ol" is good in my book.
 @LoudNoises itunes
Who the heck is the Silversun Pickups? That was free advertising for those unknowns.
 @Grumpa they're quite good actually. There's a site called Youtube where you can check 'em out, Grumps.
Ha Ha! Im not that old! I usually go up there to what Elephants dance and such:)
 @Grumpa Nothing unknown about them - you've been under a rock.
And Roll...
 @Grumpa Don't worry, I didn't know who they were either. At first I thought the Romney campaign stole a jingle from a car dealership.
 @Grumpa They are actually a pretty well-known rock band that was highly popular two or three years ago.Â
 @evenifitkm Wow, I am a musician myself and never heard of them. Shows you how out of touch I've become. Guess I have been playing Zeppelin to long :-) Â
No worries. You're just old as the hills.
Aerosmith's "Dream On" might be more appropriate for the Romney campaign.
They need more cowbell.
Other than that, they suck!
Hey Mitt... I think the more appropriate song for your campaign would be "loser" by Beck... pretty sure Beck wouldn't let you use that either though...
 @devilphish Or some sh!+ty dressage music for his $77,000 tax write-off horse. I thought he wanted to help America, not find ways to lessen his tax burden.
 @WTFendi Of course, if you had his income, and you had a book keeper that does your taxes, and you could take the tax break, you wouldn't........ roll eyes......
Ah, the media just loves this stuff. They eat it up. They wriggle in delight as they find yet another way to slam Romney.
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It will just make it all that much better in November when Romney wins the general election with a solid victory. So fun to watch the media froth at the mouth in rabid rage and disbelief.
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You see, I have faith that a majority of voting people in this country will see beyond Obama's smear and distract campaign. When you get past the rhetoric and look at the facts, picking a fiscal conservative instead of our spend-happy president is a no-brainer.
 @acepaul He doesn't actually need anyone's help looking bad. That happens whenever he opens his mouth.
Faith and statistics rarely coincide.
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The media don't "find" ways to slam Romney, the stiff does it all himself.
 @acepaul How is this "slamming" him? He used someones property without their consent. That's pretty obviously wrong to me.
 @evenifitkm He didn't need their permission. The campaign has a license with the label. You know, the label that owns the rights to the music?Â
The Silversun Pickups just gained a fan with me.
 @alexcrowley check out the song "Lazy Eye"
 @two loons will go you tube it right now - thank you for the recommendation!