August 15, 2005
HickoryWind.org Imposters -- I'm Pretty Pissed Off
Posted by Larry Karnowski at August 15, 2005 9:15 PMOur site has been growing in leaps and bounds lately, and we've been getting a lot more attention than we used to. In almost all ways, this attention has been great. However, I just got my first taste of what this attention might bring, and I was unprepared for it. I'm pretty pissed off.
I received an email from an Americana music promoter who had graciously sent an Americana CD to someone she thought was a reviewer for HickoryWind.org. However, this person was an imposter and not related at all with our site. When the promoter sent us an email wondering when our slack-asses (my word, not hers) were going to get around to reviewing this CD, I had the unfortunate duty to tell her we'd all been duped.
I can't tell you how much this pisses me off. Stealing from Americana artists in our name? I hope to God you enjoy that CD whoever you are. It had better been worth it to you.
Anyway, going forward, let me set the record straight. There are exactly three people who are authorized to ask for anything for HickoryWind.org. They are listed on the side of the screen -- Larry Karnowski, Stacy Chandler, and Sean Moores. My sister-in-law, Leslie Karnowski, is associated with us as a photographer and can also request for press passes for photography at shows and festivals. If they're not listed there, then they're not associated with us. I take great pride in the folks who work on this site both in front of and behind the scenes. I'll take every chance I get to brag on them and cheer them on. You'll be damn sure I'll have the name of anyone who contributes to this site all over it.
If someone approaches you and says they're from HickoryWind.org, please send an email to info@hickorywind.org to check them out. If they ask you to mail them anything, please check with us on the official snail mail address. No one from HickoryWind.org will ever ask for anything to be mailed anywhere but this address.
HickoryWind.org
PO Box 818
Holly Springs, NC 27540
To all our readers... our precious Truckers, Kickers, and Cowboy Angels... y'all keep on hangin' on. We love you, and we'll pick on this frontporch till dawn. There ain't no stoppin' us!
Boy does this happen a lot - not just with your site, but all over. Requesting CDs for review, then selling them on Amazon or eBay, has become a regular cottage industry.
Posted by: Jim Pipkin at August 16, 2005 4:15 PMMan, really? That's terrible! I'm surprised the labels aren't getting tougher, then, about checking credentials, doing a little confirming before mailing out freebies. But I guess unless you're Arista or Def Jam you don't really have the resources to do that. I like to think there's a special little room in hell for people who would do something like that -- a really hot room with a LOT of Jessica Simpson playing on the PA system.
Posted by: Stacy at August 16, 2005 9:09 PMOh, c'mon, Stacy, you don't really wish that would happen. Because then you wouldn't have found so many sweet deals at CD Cellar. :-)
Posted by: Sharon at August 17, 2005 10:07 AMI envision Hell as sort of a really muggy, rundown Starbucks, with Ashlee Simpson in the corner doing all-acoustic Beatles covers on an out-of-tune 12-string that she can't play anyway.
And only decaf at the bar.
"All you need is LUUUUUUUUUUV..."
Posted by: Jim Pipkin at August 17, 2005 11:57 AMJim -- HAH!
Posted by: larry at August 17, 2005 12:56 PM
