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Dream Machine: Conservatism Is the New Punk

The members of Dream Machine didn’t set out to become part of today’s free speech debate.

Their music label had other ideas.

The group got sacked from their label following an interview two members gave where they shared thoughts on feminism, safe spaces and illegal immigration.

Here’s some excerpts:

“Safe spaces make people weak, and today people should be demanding Liberty not safety and comfort.” – Matthew Melton

“Something that pisses me off about the music world is that girls have mostly become lazy jellyfish and are starting these horrible feminist bands just to try and ”show men what they got”. The safe space mentality has made them weak. They don’t even know how to play their instruments! They’ll make songs about being ”sexually assaulted” or about how ”empowering” abortions are or some shit and it’s f***ing retarded, they’re embarrassing themselves. If men did that they would be crucified! You see the longing for a gender supremacy under the guise of “equal rights”. What happened to the incredible female singers from back in the day with real talent, singing about finding true love and wanting to be a good woman?” – Doris Melton

Matt Jones of Castle Face Records shared the following note on the company’s Facebook page about its decision to let the band go:

We’ve recently been made aware of some ugly opinions Matthew and Doris Melton of Dream Machine gave in a recent interview in Still In Rock, as part of the promotion for their Castle Face LP that came out last month. Castle Face does not agree with the statements on ICE, immigration, feminism, and sexual assault and they are in no way representative of Castle Face or the other artists on the label. While we can’t do much about this record that’s just last month come out, or the 5 or so before it, we will not be working with them again.

So Hollywood in Toto reached out to band founders Matthew and Doris Melton to find out the rest of the story. Note: The couple answered the following questions together via e-mail.

HiT: Let’s start with recent press reports … did the media accurately capture what happened between your band and the record label? Any pertinent facts missing? How did the label let you know about its decision?

Matthew and Doris Melton: We were immediately dropped from the label with no opportunity to explain or defend ourselves. Castle Face Records even stated that they “urged us to make a statement” but refused to post our response clarifying and defending our interview. How very tolerant and inclusive, right?

Dream Machine - Why we tune to A=432hz

They know we are good people and that we believe everyone deserves an equal chance at achieving happiness and prosperity regardless of race, religion, gender, etc. Despite this, they saw it as a chance to promote the label via publicity stunt with all the sworn decibels of extreme leftist ideology in order to score liberal brownie points.

How very tolerant and inclusive, right?

Matthew_&_Doris Felton
Matthew and Doris Melton, Dream Machine

HiT: Is this the first time you’ve received criticism/blowback in the music industry for sharing your personal views?

Matthew and Doris Melton: First and foremost we are musicians and have never before been politically outspoken. I think that there are many bands that still have individual thoughts on issues but are unable to speak out for fear of being ostracized from the liberal cult that has swallowed the music industry.

RELATED: Leftists Try to Bully Dennis Prager Out of Orchestra Gig

If you don’t march lockstep with the virtues of the group then you are cast out.

We felt increasingly stifled by this close-minded thinking and decided to speak out and the rewards have far overshadowed the blowback. Before all this stuff we received criticism for being a white, heterosexual ”cis gender” couple.

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We live a more old-fashioned lifestyle and were already secretly disliked by a large number of people in the Austin scene, so we think it’s also a little bit of frustration they’re letting out on us, too. This especially proved itself when they didn’t come out with valid arguments against us, just personal attacks like ”go back to Bosnia” and ”I hope you die/kill yourself’ and ”maybe they should’ve killed you in that war.” [Editor’s Note: Doris Melton legally immigrated to the U.S. from Bosnia] Isn’t it beautiful how the left is so peaceful, tolerant and filled with kind, gentle, good-hearted people?

Isn’t it beautiful how the left is so peaceful, tolerant and filled with kind, gentle, good-hearted people?

Dream Machine "I Walked In The Fire" Music Video (2017)

If Doris was on their side in this, they would demolish anyone telling her to go back to her country, but when it’s an immigrant AND refugee that differs from their views, then it’s ok to tell them to go back to their country and tell them to go kill themselves. Unfortunately, it’s another example of the regressive left and their unhinged calls for violence.

HiT: Have you received any support/feedback from fellow artists/musicians?

Matthew and Doris Melton: The positive response in just the past 48 hours has been overwhelming. Hundreds and hundreds of new fans, emails, albums sales and general positive support – so thanks, everyone!

The music industry really has become a thought cultClick To Tweet

The funny thing is that we have yet to receive ONE email from anybody in the offended masses asking for clarification, explanation, discussion, or any reason at all! Not even one. We see it as a manufactured outrage for no other purpose than to virtue signal and prove their allegiance to the groupthink cult of social media and make their precious little selves look better.

It’s ironic because our album, “The Illusion,” is literally a concept album about the illusion of modern day social media distorted thinking, and every cry of outrage exactly proves our point.

HiT: Speech is being restricted on a number of college campuses these days. Is it fair to connect that trend with the label’s reaction to your interview, which also shares views that aren’t aligned with left-of-center perspectives?

Matthew and Doris Melton: Absolutely. They are an angry mob thirsty to burn anyone at the stake, and it has been perpetuated by the violent rhetoric of the left. We don’t really care that Castle Face Records dropped us, but if they were really practicing what they preach (tolerance and acceptance) they would’ve let us at least have an open discussion and make a statement. Instead, they dropped us immediately, expressing they are ”horrified.”

Being horrified shouldn’t come from acknowledging that somebody has a different opinion from you. You can see in their behavior that they exaggerate everything. The reason there was any outrage at all is because there really aren’t as many racists left as they claim there are, so when something as little as this happens they are quick to overreact – ”look! there ARE racists!”, when we ARE NOT racist and didn’t even say anything remotely connecting us to racism.

Dream Machine "Buried Alive"

If there was really so much racism and hatred towards the left, wouldn’t they be busy fighting actual racists, not freaking out about something we said in a completely random interview?

HiT: On paper, a record label has the right to work with any artist it chooses … or to break off a business relationship. Yet this move seems atypical since the views you expressed were in line with what millions of ordinary Americans believe. Do you think this might have a chilling effect on what other musicians say … or don’t say … moving forward?

Matthew and Doris Melton: Definitely, the reason they freaked out so much proves our point – that the music industry really has become a thought cult. It is the ultimate duty of musicians to stand up for their beliefs, even if it’s as simple as basic common sense which now seems to be outlawed. We hope that other bands will see us as an example and remember that the spirit of rock n roll is to push against the accepted mainstream policies.

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Conservatism really is becoming the new punk. They wouldn’t have freaked out if there were conservatives working for their label. If there was an equal number of conservatives and liberals working together in the music industry they wouldn’t think it’s such a big deal, but the outrage itself shows that liberals dominate the music scene.

It’s taking a turn – it’s changing, and they’re losing stability. They have come to think that music is a safe space to be nurtured and protected in, but they’re finding out it isn’t. They’ve become the uptight 1950s parents that refused to let their kids buy Elvis records.

HiT: Are you looking for a new label? Anything to share on this front?

Matthew and Doris Melton: We have already been contacted by various record labels, booking agencies, etc. Haven’t made a decision at this point but we are also considering starting our own label to put out bands who share the same ideas as us (our ideas being debate and open discussion even if we don’t agree with them).

We've gone full circle from in the '60s when college students protested for free speech, and now they're protesting to silence speech.Click To Tweet

We already have our own record label called Fuzz City Records where we have released a few singles for bands. It’s just like what Doris commented on neo-feminism – even if you’re not that good you can just sing about SJW issues and you’ll still gain a following. Now it’s taking a turn and less and less people are following the alt-left group think mentality.

HiT: Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with your fans that we haven’t touched upon?

Matthew and Doris Melton: Many people are saying Doris has “internalized misogyny” for expressing views against feminist music. In a way, this accusation exposes the real truth about modern feminism and how essentially feminists only work against themselves. Any time a woman comes out with new ideas, she gets shut down. Feminism doesn’t stand for equality anymore. It stands for making life harder on women, men, children and is an attack on the family. If we don’t have families, we don’t have anything.

Families are how each and every one of us got here in the first place. It’s how it’s been working for thousands of years. We want to thank our fans, everyone buying our album on Bandcamp (not from the label) and this website for supporting us and having our backs and being in the culture battlefield with us.

Dream Machine "All For A Chance" Music Video (2017)

It’s become pretty obvious the neo-liberals are losing because of wacky decisions like this. They have no valid arguments and result to personal attacks.

We’ve gone full circle from in the ’60s when college students protested for free speech, and now they’re protesting to silence speech. Time is repeating itself, and if anything that’s a reassurance that things will turn around in favor of freedom loving westerners!


Dream Machine is set to kick off a two-month European tour this November.

Photo credit: Libertinus via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

9 Comments

  1. There are few things I enjoy more than finding new music and musicians. I am looking to buy the Bandcamp album, but not finding it. Can anyone provide a link to it? Also, to the Meltons, consider moving to Nashville. There is no more vibrant music scene anywhere.

  2. Some rich conservative needs to buy a record label just for people like this, independent thinking rockers who got blackballed because they would not conform the leftie PC record execs. Advertise the record label on insty.

    1. Personally, I’d prefer to see musicians own and operate the label themselves. A label that accepts bands with views anywhere in the spectrum so longs as they let each other speak. All those disagreements (and agreements) Are bound to produce creative sparks.

  3. Just like Larry Corriea proved with his Sad Puppies campaign, Matthew and Doris Melton are proving that liberalism is nothing more than neofascism that will set out to destroy anything and anyone that dares speak against them.

    Liberals always say they are tolerant and accepting of opposing views, then act shocked and offended that there are opposing views….

  4. Courage is the rarest of human attributes.
    This couple has it up to their eyeballs.
    They are 100% correct in saying conservatism is today’s punk.

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