KOAR New Artist Eric James and Industry News
Posted March 23, 2007 — in Music News
Check out new artist Eric James who is signed to Pure Tone Music which is owned by Pete Ganbarg who recently A&R’d albums for Daughtry, Santana and Aaron Neville. Comparisons to Death Cab For Cutie and Pete Yorn. Eric James has been added to rotation on XM Satellite Radio’s “The Loft”. Producers Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith (Under The Influence of Giants) worked on the recent EP “The City Lights”.
‘While I get a lot of comparisons to Coldplay, which these days seems to go hand in hand with touching a piano at any point in the set, I have a lot of respect for Springsteen’, says James. He’s had a lot of things to say and has always found an artful way of saying them.
Pure Tone is looking for a label and/or publishing partner for Eric. For more information contact Pete Ganbarg or manager Chris Bradstreet (Lovedrug). Check out the tracks Its Ok, Daylight , and Trust.
And……………………………….
Who is the most hated artist?
Nickelback!
Read the article ‘Sales Can’t Buy Love For Some Top Bands’. Few bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback. Hinder is hated too.
Yet these acts have sold millions upon millions of albums. So are the critics wrong? Do music buyers have bad taste? Is this karmic payback to all the haters?
The New York Times called Nickelback “hard-rock ridiculousness” and Allmusic.com called them “unspeakably awful”.
Nickelback sells records to music lovers and to consumers who typically won’t buy CD’s. Do you really think passive music buyers give a crap about the White Stripes or Bloc Party? NO! those bands sell records to 18-24 year old hipsters who pay top dollar for VINTAGE clothing.
Bottom Line: Its a good sign When an artist can sell records to passive music listeners that don’t typically buy CD’s. This means that something struck a chord with the listener.
We talked about this recently. There is a disconnect in music. ‘Trends’ in music are determined in LA and NYC…but there are 24 times more people NOT living in those places. Those are the people buying records. Those are the people listening to the radio. Those are the people supporting the major label system.
Sure, people in NYC and LA hate Nickelback and Hinder…but the midwest is FULL of passive listening rock fans who appear to want nothing more than something they can sing along to. And they’re willing to invest the little money they have into owning it.
I believe these people want something real. I think these people want great music as much, or more so, than anyone else. And when I say ‘great music’ I don’t mean The Strokes or The Arctic Monkeys.
The coasts determine what’s in the press, but they have no grasp whatsoever on what people actually buy or invest in. It’s a different world.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — March 24, 2007 @ 12:37 am
I can see koar’s passion for Nickelback, Hinder, One Less Reason.. is mine too. That’s what we call good bands, but we can’t pretend everybody do the same.
I just can understand Arctic Monkeys’ (etc) success in terms of promotion. Nowadays you can sell well any crap with good promotion. Image/trend is even more important than a good song, which is so sad.
There is lots of people (not only kids) with no particular taste, which just listen, buy and like what they are best offered.
Then, why not offering good songs (let’s say The October) promoting them as they deserved.
That’s what small labels are doing, SPECIALIZING and I congrat them for that.
If I were in a band these days, I’d worry for writting and playing what I’m feeling for. If they are good enough they will success by themselves (ok, it may take a couple of years till your songs reach our ears) and all will be at least proud of it.
Comment by Emilio — March 24, 2007 @ 3:53 am
Eric James, great new add by the way. Can you feel it? That’s why I’m talking about.. PASSION! It’s not a matter of genre..
Comment by Emilio — March 24, 2007 @ 4:17 am
the new nickelback record “all the right reasons” is fucking awesome. i think changing drummers really took them up a notch.
they have great structure, understandable lyrics, and a more ballys lead vocal then most rock bands these days (mcr??)
Comment by Rob — March 24, 2007 @ 6:59 am
I feel the need to clarify, just so there is no confusion- I, personally, have no passion for Nickelback, Hinder, One Less Reason or any of those other ‘dude rock’ bands. However, I understand the appeal and can see why it sells. They keep coming up in conversation because they are popular and in the mainstream… not because we love them, or in my case, think they are good in any way. I know my personal tastes aren’t relevant to this post or this website but I don’t want people thinking that I am into Nickelback. That’s offensive to me.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — March 24, 2007 @ 9:57 am
My post makes reference to koar’s post and it’s personal opinion. May be I should have chosen “koar’s respect” inspite of “koar’s passion”. Anyway, I just want to add the marvelous work of this site promoting what I believe is great music.
Comment by Emilio — March 24, 2007 @ 10:26 am
I don’t want people thinking that I am into Nickelback. That’s offensive to me.
This is what I mean..chad krueger who is the only current rocker who songs are played on all formatsincluding active,alternative, and top 40 is the most HATED. I think its a sub conscious psych thing.
Comment by koar — March 24, 2007 @ 10:54 am
I’m really getting hooked on the track DAYLIGHT from ERIC JAMES. I find most singer songwriters tame and lame, but this guy keeps you in the song. Great sense of melody.Great songs make great ammunition for an artist.this could go to top 40. People are starving for songs like these. Should we let them starve or feed the herd???
Comment by koar — March 24, 2007 @ 11:02 am
‘Successful’ and ‘great’ are completely different things. I understand that Nickelback is a successful band, and I get that they sell huge numbers to passive listeners…
but I am not a passive listener.
I dream of a day when ’successful’ and ‘great’ will mean the same thing, but until then, KOAR will remain bi-polar.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — March 24, 2007 @ 11:09 am
we hear Nickelback on a chicago country station.it seems that they have a cross over audience of country fans.country fans are loyal and seem to buy cd’s than steal them off the internet.could you wonder what Monti Connor a&r prez of roadrunner records was thinking when this band was brought to his hard core heavy metal label?at times i think that the Gods of rock shine down on the few….it’s just Nickelbacks turn.glad to see my station getting a little positive pub.good move Eric James.you will do great nationally
Comment by larry anderson — March 24, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
At heart I am into hard rock/punk/metal music. nickelback is the furthest thing away from what i normally listen to. but when our bands bass player bought nickelbacks album, he let me borrow it and i was blown away. best production/tone/engineering i have ever heard on a rock album and half the songs are singles.
those who hate nickelback, hate the genre, and therefore put the hate towards the band. but in that genre of music, they are GREAT, probably the best.
Comment by DB — March 25, 2007 @ 1:41 pm