Who're the newest kids on the block? And whose block is it?

Kids today. Teenage Cool Kids are just coppin' style from The Cool Kids. That's the legal argument, at least. Who knows how long that document will stick around, but here's the long and short of it: The Cool Kids own coolness. Period. And don't you dare let your name encroach or confuse those poor fans who are looking for authentic inauthentic-eighties rap with your authentic inauthentic-nineties indie rock. (Serious aside: I'm a fan of both).

I don't think this could've come at a more relevant time when you consider Carles' latest post. If you take the thesis statement - Your band is a meme that generates new submemes for people 2 consume on a regular basis [sic] - and start breaking down the sequence of events, you've got some slam dunk evidence to back it up (as if it was needed).




The Cool Kids are coasting along. Teenage Cool Kids do it big at SXSW. The Cool Kids send a C&D. Teenage Cool Kids post to a message board. Media world picks it up. Hilarity and attention-grabbing ensues. By the way, have you heard about our new record? Coming out soon, check us out on myspace! The ecosystem remains balanced.

Reading over that document, you have to wonder who exactly wrote this. It doesn't have the flow of Mikey or Chuck "just tryna let niggas know who I is," and despite the legalese flourishes, it certainly doesn't have the dry, coherent unintelligibility of a real lawyer. From the overdramatics of the unrelenting ascent to the unfortunate band name misspelling (Cook Kids, guys?), this smells of publicist. Or one attention-whoring Loblaw-at-Law. Meanwhile Teenage Cool Kids keeps it D.I.Y. and mobilizes the base. Nods all around.

This whole thing is going to be a non-issue by the time April Fool's rolls around. How can you really "own" that name? What about Black Kids? Cooler Kids? Hell, weren't the Kids pretty fucking cool? It's a good stunt, one that's going to be entertaining for at least another couple of days, but the armchair lawyers are soon going to be out of a job again.

Pro-tip to bands lookin' for an edge: change your name to The Cook Kids and get a piece of the action.