KOAR’s Advertisers and Industry Trends
Posted March 31, 2006 — in Music News
Our advertisers:
10 Years - Wrapping up a national US tour with Korn. Scanning 10k-12k a week with 250k YTD. Strong video rotation on MTV2 and just recently hosted MTV’s T-Minus Rock Countdown that will air each day during the first week of April. New single Through The Iris was #1 most added to Active and #2 most added to Alternative.
Granian - Pop rock artist who has a strong underground cult following. Has been brought up in A&R meetings for the past several months. Will be entering the studio with producer Mike Shimshack to record more tracks.
AltSounds is an international alternative online music community. By ‘Alternative’ we don’t mean ‘Alt Rock,’ we mean it as its technical definition - Alternative to the mainstream. It’s about having a choice, both in music and where you go to hear it. At AltSounds, they have designed a community that gives listeners a place to find the best new music available in an environment that works for them and with them
Both Korn and All American Rejects are nearing platinum status record sales. Kid Rock’s live album “live Trucker” is stiffing. Cold Play is near the 3 million mark. Prince sold 183k right out of the box landing him the #1 position.
James Blunt wrote a million dollar valentines pop ballad scanning 100K+ this week.
It’s not that hard ladies and gentlemen. A good hook can still sell records. As KOAR always claimed, it’s not the technology that is sucking, it’s the songs that are sucking. Why these major labels hire 18 year olds and call them A&R scouts only to sign their local highschool bands remains a mystery…as much as a mystery as the hype over Arctic Monkeys. Maybe its not a mystery but mere stupidity. Is America being victimized by UK hype mere stupidity? I think so. Basically, we are looking at a 2 fold problem boys. Not only is it harder to find a great band that can write great songs, but hiring people who cannot indentify a great band with a great song is disasterouse. Its called a negative trend and a financial loss.
As a 24 year old woman aspiring to work in A&R, I can absolutely guarantee you that that will not be the case once I get in. Mark my words!!!
Comment by Kristin Zeaiter — April 1, 2006 @ 9:21 am
Amen brother…..
now I’d give $10 to the first 18 year old who can Identify what the A and R stands for…….
A&R guys dont want to work anymore….they want the finished package so they sit in the lobby of W and light there 100 cigars….get to fuckin work! they used to actually HAVE to work a band…help write and create the vibe…what a joke!
Comment by Tubes — April 1, 2006 @ 12:51 pm
Hey Kristin, take us with you when you get your to A&R position. You won’t have to work that hard. We’ve got the talent you’ve got the will.
Comment by Razor Dave — April 3, 2006 @ 8:35 am
The unfortunate thing about the current trend in A&R is that the people who actually DO know what makes a great band/song have absolutely no desire to do A&R.
The politics and the bullshit have turned off a lot of great people to the whole idea of working for a major label, especially in an A&R capacity. A&R used to serve both artist AND label, but these days is nothing more than label puppetry. This is simply another field where misdirection and misinterpretation of trends mixed with an ignorance of the most basic business skills have turned a once admirable profession into a complete joke.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — April 3, 2006 @ 9:12 pm
Ok guys I totally understand and appreciate the internet gang mentality about A&R people. I get it and it’s not without merit, but you all clearly sit by your computers and gripe gripe gripe and make these sweeping statements that are just false. Like any industry, there are good people and there are bad ones. It’s that simple. There are some very talented A&R people out there that take a massive risk by putting out great albums that no one buys and there are the ones that put out crappy music that your generation is churning out one after another. Let’s not put all the owness onto the 18 year old reps. Let’s be honest, when Mars Volta is considered too high brow and masturbatory by most consumers, it’s difficult to warrant not signing My Chemical Romance, Fallout Boy & the Killers. That’s what your generation is buying and putting out….Same notes different order…
By the way, it’s easy to say that you’re gonna change the industry once you’re in it when you’re on the sideline. At your age you should have already interened for years and been involved in the industry. Just an opinion…You have no idea what it’s like to pull the trigger and sign a band. It’s a decision that could cost a company millions of dollars. It’s not as easy as buying a CD and saying that you owned it 3 months before everyone else. Not even close…This is a stressful job and you clearly have no clue.
Not trying to come off as mean, just being direct…..
If you could sign an unsigned band today, who would it be…It’s in your court..
Comment by earstothetracks — April 4, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
I didn’t realize the definition of a talented A&R is one that signs bands that don’t sell. I also didn’t realize that an untalented A&R was one that signs bands that sell, but you don’t personally like. Is it a grudge against the indies that housed these bands before the majors picked them up? Or is it really just the music that you don’t like? Not that it really matters, since, as you mentioned, your generation is neither buying nor making records.
Not that I have any interest speaking for or defending anyone, especially people that I don’t know, I think your comments to Ms. Zeaiter were perhaps uncalled for. Maybe you know her and have seen her resume, how could I possibly know? But I think unless you have, calling out her credentials and abilities is pretty childish, especially from someone who posts anonymously.
As I have said before, A&R is just one of the many areas currently suffering in this industry. Sure, great bands DO sometimes get signed, and you’re right, they don’t always sell. But that is not something I would blame solely on the A&R. The A&R in that case did the right thing, it’s just a shame that the rest of the label dropped the ball and was unable to execute a solid promotion and marketing campaign. A&R’s know why they signed the bands they did, and they have to sell everyone else on the concept. Great bands are great bands, but this is a business. If you don’t know how to position those great bands to be successful, then they will remain unheard.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — April 5, 2006 @ 12:21 pm
Good points all around, but the bottom line is that PEOPLE BUY CRAP. All it takes is enough promotion and enough hypnotic ego-infiltration and you could sell Pepsi to a Coke representative. You can’t really blame A&R reps for capitalizing on the gullibility of the audience.
And this generation is really no worse than previous generations, just more laterally evolved.
Sheep beget sheep.
As artists, all we can do is stay true to the muse that keeps us writing and stay honest to the gifts we have received from the Gods or our parents or teachers. There are a great many people out there who appreciate good music, and they ARE listening.
Comment by Syntenic vox — April 6, 2006 @ 8:37 am
“now I’d give $10 to the first 18 year old who can Identify what the A and R stands for…….”
I’m 17.
Artist & Repetoire(Sp?)…
Comment by Dallas — April 6, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Well, another major problem is not only does one A&R guy have to be excited and willing to go to bat for an artist, but the whole damn company has to have several meetings discussing why any particular artist that one of them is excited about shouldn’t be signed. So if the guy in marketing doesn’t like it, and the publicity staff doesn’t like the band name, or whatever, you’re already out of luck. Maybe if they didn’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars making the records in the first place, it wouldn’t be such an issue.
And yeah, there’s plenty of crap out there, and finding fresh, yet commercial/catchy AND cool sounds seems like it’s harder and harder.
But, I’m from Nashville where there’s a quiet scene brewing of unsigned rock acts that aren’t chest thumping modern rock, not 70’s rehash garage rock, and not some strain of emo. Just new, cool, catchy rock that’s completely different from anything out in there in any other city right now.
Here’s four to get you started.
The Privates
myspace.com/theprivates
Listen to the track “Pocari Sweat”
Slack
myspace.com/slack
Listen to the track “End of the World”
Feable Weiner
myspace.com/feableweiner
Listen to the track “San Deem Us Ready”
De Novo Dahl
myspace.com/denovodahl
Listen to the track “I Wanna Be Your Man”
The Clutters
myspace.com/theclutters
Listen to the track “You’ll Never Be Famous”
I could go on and on, but five is enough for now.
Cheers!
Comment by denimdemon — April 10, 2006 @ 12:49 pm