EMI facing a mass exodus? Radiohead and Paul McCartney both severed their EMI ties in the past year. EMI’s biggest artists Robbie Williams and Coldplay are voicing their unhappiness with the label. The Verve threatened to delay their record and now mega group Rolling Stones and their management decided to move the new album ‘Shine A Light to Universal’ through rival Universal in part because of their concerns about EMI’s new management. Sources noted that if the Stones walk away from EMI, they will leave behind the rights to songs produced after 1971. EMI will cut up to a third of their workforce and cull its roster of 14,000 artists.
EMI is also considering its artists, to be sponsored by corporate companies, according to reports. The proposals, which could see Coldplay’s new album ‘Prospekt’ released with corporate branding, are expected to feature as part of an extensive shake-up of the company.
Market Trends:
Overall physical and digital sales were down (-20.0%) for W/E 1/13/08 vs. W/E 1/6/08.
Sales were down (-10.6%) from the same week last year.
2008 Industry business trend starts off down (-7.0%).
Sales trends (from week prior) across all strata:
Chains were down (-27.7%) from LW
Independents were down (-9.9%)
Mass Merchants were down (-21.3%)
and Non-Traditional was down (-8.5%)
New Artist Updates: Since being featured on KOAR, Aerodrone has since been featured as “Artist Of The Week” on MTVu as well as being mentioned on MTVu’s show The Freshmen. Listen to Sceneboy and email Gary Zon for more information.
Midwest rock act One Less Reason who falls between Daughtry and Matchbox Twenty have been getting 30,000 to 50,000 daily plays on myspace. Yep, thats amazing for a relatively unknown band, but the reaction on myspace and from their live show may put them with bigger boys towards the end of the year. Listen to the track A Day To Be Alone. Email here for more information.
Well one thing’s for sure… there’s never been a better time to start an indie label. If I had the money, I would sign the Thrills.
I agree Jon, there’s been never a better time. The Thrills are an amazing band.
If Colbie Caillat was considered an “internet sensation” and written up in Rolling Stone with under 10,000 friends and around 20,000 plays, why hasn’t One Less Reason signed a multi-million dollar deal by now?
One Less Reason continue to outsell major label artists in digital outlets if reported numbers are correct, and receive more attention than other unsigned bands… what’s next for them? Anything?
New album, but no shows?
maybe they should hop in the studio with b howes…
I saw One less reason in Memphis Tennesse – the band is amazing live. Great friggen songs, especially A Day To Be Along and If You Want Me.
I love it when he sings like someone’s clutching his balls. Especially during the ballads. They’re right up Brian Howes’ alley, I think.
Great album artwork, too! Sike.
You know, it’s funny… you can have a great sound & the labels are going to want you to sound more like One Less Reason… all cheesy & Nickelback-ish & stuff. Maybe because they voluntarily sound like that the A&Rs don’t take them seriously. Maybe they don’t feel like they’re doing their job if they can’t strip you of some kind of artistic substance.
I dunno, I don’t think they’re crying over not having a deal. Not only do they keep way more money in the longterm, the singer won’t be forced to go on a diet. Soon enough they’ll be able to pay for everything the label would offer, anyway, if they keep plugging away as they are.
Just get a spec deal with Brian Howe, then never sign a deal. Sell it online. And get a good manager, a halfway decent graphic designer, & a publicist.
[...] In all honesty, what hasn’t this band done in the last two months? They even caused an entire company to basically shut down… [...]
So does having “artistic substance” mean playing music no one wants to hear?
Sometimes it does.
Then other times you get it right & become Bob Dylan.
I’m not asking anyone to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes you hear a band & think “Wow, I’ve heard this all 100 times before.” What I do know is that it’s boring & it’s formulaic & the only thing that comes close to exciting me about it is the prospect of making a lot of money. But that’s not really even my bag.
I mean I saw Creed play arenas in high school. But there’s a point where you start looking for something more. And thankfully the same things that give those cheesy, formulaic modern rock bands a mass appeal also make them very easy to forget.
This band is clearly good. But the second they are mainstream everyone on this site and the internet community will abandon them and lump them with 3 Doors Down. Who is a good band albeit not the best lyricist.
You know it will happen like this. It always does.
Just a thought.
I just do not get it. Why does being successful in music mean you have no artistic integrity? I love the music I play and I do not sit down and say…. i need to write a song that sounds like this band or this genre. I have just always been influenced by song writers like Rob Thomas, Third eye blind etc… And millions of people loved those bands and still listen to them. I just think it is bullshit that you can get on here and down bands that are successful… who are you to do that? Do you even make a living playing music or do you work a day job? I guess it all comes down to the fact that you should let the people that can make money and draw fans to the shows take care of playing music and you should spend your time maybe playing covers or Rockband on Ps3 at home. I guess it is true that… the people that aren’t good enough to rise above the rest just have to sit back and critic the ones who are. It’s truly sad.
You can say whatever you want about my band, I’m not gonna have that pissing contest with you.
But you’re right… what does it really matter what I think? You’re making your music, you’re successful at what you’re doing, & I would guess you’re making good money. I dunno why you’d need my approval.
But your level of success if by no means an indicator of your artistic credibility. Bob Dylan had credibility, Tom Petty, the Beatles… some of the most successful bands of all-time are also the most credible. And with good reasons, they write magical songs like American Girl & The Times They Are-A Changin’. But that correlation pretty much died somewhere in the 90’s. These days you have to be Nickelback or Kelly Clarkson or Hinder to sell that kind of tonnage… you have to hand the reins to the producer & the A&R guy. Or you have to sound like all of the bands who handed the reins to the producer & the A&R guy. That’s one in the same to me.
The big problem is that acts are no longer developed, they’re just packaged. And you guys don’t sound to me like a band who was developed.
Don’t take it so personally, Cris. It’s not about YOU…it’s more the concept of you.
Maybe when your heart sings, it really does sing dude rock. Maybe that’s just who you are. Don’t feel like you have to defend it if it’s genuine.
Surely you have to understand why people might crave something that hasn’t been done for years. Not everyone is comfortable in a 1-genre bubble.
Think about this- to ‘create,’ in it’s purest sense, is to bring something into existence that wasn’t previously there. It’s powerful and it’s limitless. Writing music is ‘creative’ but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s pushing any kind of boundary. There is creativity in connecting existing dots, but that’s not innovation. Innovation is what separates good from great.
You’re doing well for yourself and seem content with what you are putting out there…so why do you care what anyone has to say?
One Less Reason has great songs. Say what you want. One Less Reason succeeds where other bands fail. Its not easy writing a song with a strong verse, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge, climax.
Congrads OLR and I’m looking forward to you’re new CD. Your last CD is absolutely amazing. Thanks for the hearfelt tunes because it means alot and brings back memories when I listen to. Keep it up and dont change regardless of those who tell you to change. The ones who tell you to change for their sake are the SELL OUTS!
“Don’t take it so personally, Cris. It’s not about YOU…it’s more the concept of you.”
And guess what. The artists who are able to take an OBJECTIVE look at themselves and work on their weaknesses, will go the furthest.
I think there’s a lot of truth to what some people are saying here, but it’s up to the band to decide if they REALLY want mainstream stardom and take the appropriate steps to make it happen, or stay on the DIY route and continue doing everything on their own terms.
I’m not saying you need to sell out to make it. But making sure your body looks healthy, your band is dressed well or you got good promo pictures has nothing to do with that anyway. It’s just you trying to be your best self. Writing great songs and putting on a kickass live show wont do the trick in this industry. There are other aspects that are equally important (unfortunately!). And that doesnt just apply to major labels or the top40 world, it’s pretty much the same in EVERY area of life. Our society is driven by visuals. When you see a hot chick you dont think to yourself “Wow, she probably has a great character, I wanna get to know her.” No, it’s all about how she looks.
So Cris… dont think people gonna be any less superficial with you or your band. People will only be interested in your character or what your band sounds like, if they like what SEE. At least that’s gonna be the case 8 out of 10 times. It has nothing to do with you or your band, that’s just the type of world we live in.
Why is Kings of A&R deleting comments? Jon Cole can come on here and say really stupid things like the singer for OLR needs a diet,they are unoriginal blah blah blah,and then totally endorses a shit band ….The Thrills!!!! LMAO!!!! Son the Thrills are not even in the same league my man as OLR and if you think so then why is it OLR can out sell The Thrills with no Label push? The whole image thing is dead,thats what got the Labels in such a fucking mess,signing no talent posers who dress like a rockstar!!! Nobody wants to listen to some 20 yo kid who hasn’t even begun to witness the wicked ways of the gruel some world!!! They all sing about mommy took my car away WAH!! lol
Disagree with me all you want, but don’t put words in my mouth. I was implying that a label would make him go on a diet. Which is to say “Why sign to a label when you can make more money on your own & control your own destiny?” I was trying to make a point about the benefits of not having a record deal. I have absolutely nothing against them, personally.
You should listen to the Thrills’ What Ever Happened To Cory Haim off of their previous record, Let’s Bottle Bohemia. Everything about that song is perfect.
And sometimes when I post they don’t show up. I don’t think anyone’s deleting comments, it’s a Wordpress issue.
Great comments Alex. It’s that kind of constructive criticism that is far more productive. I don’t think anyone has any problem with that kind of comment. I think the frustration is the constant drum beat of “you sound like Nickelback so you suck” from people that don’t even take the time to know anything about the band or notice how different they are from Nickelback in reality. Not everyone can create a new genre, ya know? What draws people to OLR, I suspect, is the passion and emotion in the songs and the fact that many people can identify with what they talk about. Go listen and pay attention to the words. That is raw emotion and that is what draws so many people to the band. Not a lot of bands can make that kind of connection with people.
As far as image goes…I think you’re on target. It matters for them and for just about everything anyone does in this world. There’s a reason people wear suits to a job interview. The danger in that, and where I think the music world has crossed the line is when image becomes everything. People really are sick of bands that have an image and nothing else. You can make anyone sound decent in the studio, but when a band can’t play their own songs live, they will be exposed quickly. People are a lot smarter than they are often given credit for…and a lot less superficial. Apparently there are a whole bunch of people that don’t particularly care what the guys from OLR look like. That’s not to say that improving their image would be a bad thing and may very well be the most important thing for them in order to go to the next level if that’s their goal. But it seems like that would be the easiest thing for a label to fix! They obviously have music that resonates over a wide range of people and can play it live. That’s the hard part. Seems like some image consulting and a decent photo shoot would set this band up really well. I’m surprised a label doesn’t try to snag these guys tomorrow. From a business perspective, the amount of investment needed based on the potential return is pretty favorable. Would be a nice reversal from the “they have a great look, maybe one day they’ll even learn how to play” method we’ve seen in the last few years.
We can debate artistic credibility all day long, but the fact remains that these guys have a following that rivals any unsigned band out there right now, regardless of their image. Seems like it would be pretty easy to finish the package here.
If you think the issue is that they sound similar to Nickelback, you’re missing the point entirely.
The point is that bands are more concerned with packaging themselves than they are as developing as artists. They would rather follow the formula, copy what’s lead to others’ success, & play bland, middle-of-the-road music really well than find themselves as artists & as songwriters & write & play music that truly reflects them as individuals & that… is worth listening to. Everyone is worried about what people want to hear more than they are about being artists. They’re creating & selling a product, not forging works of art.
YES, sometimes maintaining your integrity & writing music with substance means that people aren’t going to want to hear it. But if you stay true to yourself & you do whatever it is you do really well, you can usually write music as shitty as Korn & people will respond. Their music sucks ass, but I’ll always respect them because they didn’t follow a formula.
There are loads of industry-wide implications of this packaging-obsession, most of which are really amplified when you look at the state of the touring business (Who’s backs are carrying the touring business? The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Tool, the Stones, the Police, Genesis, Springsteen… all artists who were unique & really well developed! Who’s going to fill those shoes?), but that might be a debate for some other time.
Jon, believe it or not… but there are actually artists out there who love to write catchy pop music, or “nickelback-esque” songs. A lot of times it has nothing to do with them being “sell-outs”, they’re just writing the type of music they’d love to hear on the radio.
I think you mean ‘writing the type of music they hear on the radio.’
They want to join the ranks of already popular artists, or artists who came and went more than 5 years ago.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to reach a mass audience, but there are ways to get there that don’t include operating within a sound so old it’s included in ‘classic compilations’ sold on TV.
I’m not asking them to change their sound, alex. I’m not saying they’re doing any of this consciously, either. I’m just identifying a larger trend.
What needs to be noted is the root of this kind of thing… A&Rs who say shit like “This track could use a little more… octane! Let’s crank up the octane!” (Which could be translated “I don’t care if this is a ballad, sing like someone’s clutching your balls! And can we get some strings on this track?”) And then they have the mixer crank the levels across the board until our ears are about to explode… it’s all kind of ridiculous. But it’s been going on so long that it’s all some newer bands know, so they’ve started writing songs & packaging themselves in ways that pre-empt the changes that an A&R or a producer would make to mold the band into something more “marketable.” And while that might make for a radio hit or a bunch of MySpace buzz, what does that mean 10 years down the road?
I’ll tell you what it means. It means Creed can fill an arena one day & then disappear two weeks later & everyone laughs their ass off as Scott Stapp falls from grace. It means people can steal music with no guilt because the songs are seen more as the product of a corporation than a piece of the artist’s soul. It means that arena rock will soon be a thing of the past because acts aren’t being developed that will maintain long term interest.
This is a big part of why the value of music has dropped. We’re actually encouraging artists NOT to develop… we want Nickelback to keep rehashing the same song. We want everyone else to keep rehashing Nickelback’s one song. We want Maroon 5 to play the same damn songs for 5 years. And it might work for a while, but we’re living through the results of this “let’s sacrifice everything for a radio hit!” type of philosophy. And I’m the hardest days are still to come, I assure you.
I’ve used the analogy before… a good band rises to the surface of the ocean, but they don’t pop up like a giant floating amusement park with their face on every billboard like all of these packaged bands do. And when the era of packaged bullshit formulaic music finally dies, we’ll be able to recognize artists like the Format & Blitzen Trapper & The Films & David Vandervelde & Sondre Lerche & the Thrills… and then bands will see that a formula is no longer necessary. Because it won’t be. It’ll be like the old days.
It seems to me that everyone has an opportunity to be heard in the internet age. Every band on the planet has a myspace page, even cover bands!!! Why is it that some bands hit and some don’t? Jon, you stated above that “Sometimes maintaining your integrity and writing music of substance means people aren’t going to want to hear it.” You know…it goes the other way too. Sometimes you can be true to yourself, write music you like and enjoy playing, and still create music that people want to hear. Just because you don’t find substance in something, doesn’t mean it’s not there! Music triggers different feelings for different people. What you find formulaic and boring, someone else may find life changing because they identify with the substance of the song.
I get angry too when I see bands that haven’t proven anything get thrown in the spotlight because they have a look and a producer gives them a good single. I’m not going to name anyone, but I’m sure we can all think of a few. Most of them will quickly fade. But when a band works their ass off for years, builds a following with grass roots effort, and that happens to lead to more and more exposure and they become “BIG,” then all the more power to them. Seems to me that’s what it ought to take to be successful. All those bands you listed may be fantastic musicians, but they also may not have mass appeal. Or maybe they haven’t put the work in that OLR has done to spread the word about themselves. Why is that OLR’s or anyone elses’ fault? You can’t make people like something.
I’ve actually read comments on here in the past that say that anyone who likes Nickelback is stupid. That kind of shit drives me insane!! I think there are people that go out of their way to hate any band that finds commercial success just to be “different.” The fact is that a lot of people just like straight up rock songs. It doesn’t make them stupid, it just makes them different in their own way.
I’m never going to win this arguement with someone that has already made up their mind, but the fact is, this is a business. And I’m not going to down a band that has done their time and proven they can appeal to people enough that a label decides to give them a push. And if that leads them to great financial success, then good for them.
I keep hearing that all these bands are trying to copy Nickelback…that it’s so easy to find that formula and just keep whipping out perfect radio songs. If that’s the case, then why doesn’t everyone sell 7+ million? That CD still sells 35K a week and it’s been out for 2 freakin’ years!! That’s a lot of stupid people based on some folks’ reasoning! They also don’t seem to have any trouble selling tickets. I guess I’m just too practical, I find it hard to understand how that’s bad for an industry that struggles to stay afloat financially.
And finally…people may laugh at Scott Stapp, I have to admit to that myself at times. But I hate to tell you…if Creed ever decided to do a reunion tour, they’d sell out every venue they hit.
Sorry for the ramblings…it’s been a long day. All my best to everyone.
It is a business, for sure, Aaron. It’s a business that’s going down the shitter. Because poor decisions have been made, one after another. A decade of cash grabbing started a snowball & has turned the industry into a shadow of it’s former self. If you don’t see how relying on this lowest common denominator music is bad for the industry you’re probably scratching your head wondering why we’re in the state we’re in. It’s plain as day to me.
While it is a business, it’s also art. We can’t forget that. Ray Charles, the Beatles, the Who, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan… these are the guys who built the album industry. Then somewhere down the line a few execs said “We’ve had it with you creative types, we know what the people want, we’ll take it from here.” And they did. And here we are. But these guys sold tens of millions of copies of their records. A lot more than Nickelback ever sold.
There’s a place for Nickelback, definitely. There’s a place for OLR. But the industry can not survive on their shoulders. Period. We have GOT to start thinking in broader terms.
“While it is a business, it’s also art. We can’t forget that. Ray Charles, the Beatles, the Who, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan… these are the guys who built the album industry. Then somewhere down the line a few execs said “We’ve had it with you creative types, we know what the people want, we’ll take it from here.” And they did. And here we are. But these guys sold tens of millions of copies of their records. A lot more than Nickelback ever sold.”
Dont be silly, 7 million today would’ve probably meant a double diamond album 10 years ago. And it’s not like album sales were at its height when “art” ruled the industry. It was in the late 90s when bubble gum pop and boybands were king.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_%28Backstreet_Boys_album%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Strings_Attached
“…but the reaction on myspace and from their live show may put them with bigger boys towards the end of the year. ”
Dean, you forgot to mention that part of the equation was that a program manager started to spin these guys, and it took off. I believe that’s an important piece of the puzzle and part of the cycle that is creating the 30k to 50k plays per day. It’s also one of the catalysts that is enabling the band to be successful on a larger scale.
It’s not about the height, alex. That’s my entire point. It’s about development… it’s about the long term. It’s about sustainability.
There’s nothing to suggest their record would’ve sold 20 million 10 years ago. That’s just ridiculous. You’re blaming the state of the industry entirely on technology & you’re suggesting that 13 million people who would’ve otherwise bought the album have downloaded it illegally. There’s nothing to suggest that. The reason Nickelback are so successful head & shoulders over the rest is because they appeal largely to a demographic that still buys records. Bands like Nickelback & Josh Groban & the country pop acts are the LEAST affected by file sharing. Anyone who’s paid any attention knows that. I’m looking at torrent tracker stats & Nickelback is definitely not millions & millions of downloads beyond everyone else. They aren’t even close to the most popular torrents on the trackers I frequent. I’m looking at like a few hundred downloads since November on several different trackers.
Nickelback is the biggest rock act in the world, but it’s largely incidental. It’s not like when Guns ‘N Roses were the biggest band in the world. There’s no excitement around it. It’s not even like when N’Sync were the biggest band in the world. It’s just that they’ve had the same song played every hour on the hour on every top 40 station for the last 5 years. They have their place, for sure… they have their fans. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But they’re not Michael Jackson. They’re not even Fleetwood Mac or the Eagles. Not even close.
If we ignore demographics, if we pretend that we’re just getting shat on by technology, there’s no hope.
Maybe Of Montreal is the next David Bowie. Maybe the Format are the next Beach Boys. Maybe Kings of Leon are the next Rolling Stones. Maybe Bright Eyes is the next Neil Young. Maybe Rilo Kiley is the next Fleetwood Mac. Maybe Dr Dog is the next Beatles. Maybe Winston Audio is the next Pearl Jam. Maybe Harrison Hudson is the next Roy Orbison. Maybe David Vandervelde is the next T Rex. Then again, maybe not. But unless we take these chances, unless we turn to a focus on quality & not sure-shot appeal, we’ll have to settle for whatever we can squeeze out of Nickelback & divide it amongst ourselves.
And maybe the Titanic will float back to the surface…. and maybe we will have the troops pulled out of Iraq next week and Maybe Jesus Chirst himself will come back and make an acoustic record with the Thrills and maybe they could sell some cd’s then!! HAHAHAHAH!! Who cares!!?? It is a changing industry, and like it or not… the bands people want to hear will make money and the bands they don’t want to hear will work day jobs till they die and no one will care even then. I personally love nickelback’s music! I have never bought a record but i think he writes great rock n roll songs that connect with people and make them want to buy the record. WAY TO GO CHAD!! YOU HAVE KEPT ROAD RUNNER IN BIZ!!
Brian Jones is certainly rolling in his grave at the thought of Nickelback writing a rock & roll song, nevermind a “great” rock & roll song. Nickelback write pseudo-angsty pop songs. They’re AM tracks with a FM sheen. I’m not trying to take anything away from them, but let’s just be honest about what they are. Rock & roll has nothing to do with “Let’s all just look through our photograph collections & get along, pretty please.”
You’re kidding yourself if you think radio plays anything but the biggest part here. Nickelback’s songs are almost interchangeable & they’ve probably gotten more air time than anyone in the last five years. There’s nothing to scare a program director from adding their new single to the playlist. And the sales reflect this.
And don’t tell me your band’s success is entirely grassroots. Which radio stations are spinning your songs & how often? And how do your sales in those markets compared to markets where you get no airplay?
Then compare yourself to a band like the Format who gets no airplay whatsoever, who have built a solid fanbase & do quite well for themselves based almost entirely off of word-of-mouth… where would they be if they got airtime on radio or tv?
It’s a diminishing piece of the pie, sure, but it’s still currently the easiest way to sell records (which is to say it’s not something to rely on longterm). For the time being, those who come through the gatekeepers will almost always do better than those who don’t.
So let me know when you’re selling out theaters like Kings of Leon, on the back of very little if any radio support. I’d love to come see it.
Kings of leon?? They played memphis a while back at a place called newbies and there might have been 4 people in the building. These bands are only big your mind!! Sure there are some people that are doing it out there with no help…. Matt Nathanson is killing right now but that is because he has a great music. The bands you talk about have NO mass appeal!! None!! People think its just noise. You could play the format or kings of leon on every radio station once an hour and they wpould never sell 1/10th the records that NB sells. And that is truth.
Well I don’t know about Memphis, but I know they packed the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta last time they came through… I was there. No small feat. And Manchester Orchestra killed it in the opening slot.
You would’ve said Bob Dylan had no mass appeal. Because at first he didn’t… he had a very niche crowd at the start. Same with Led Zeppelin. Or Jimi Hendrix. That stuff is all noise, right? How about Run DMC? Or Radiohead? Or Tom Petty! Tom Petty broke right in the middle of disco, for crying out loud. Oh and then there’s this band called Nirvana, you might’ve heard of them. Then again, maybe not… they don’t have a lot of “mass appeal”… it’s kind of noisy.
How did you end up at a Kings of Leon show, anyhow?
Cris, Kings of Leon chart very well in Europe and they regularly sell out shows across the US. I’ve never seen them play to anything other than a packed house. The fact that 4 people were at the show you attended speaks more to the bubble you live in than their quality or popularity as a band.
Jon, maybe you just don’t get it. NB is the greatest band in history and it’s pretty obvious no one will ever write a better song. The most any musician can hope for is writing the same song. Their fans couldn’t make it any clearer that they will blindly pay for every version of the song, no matter what it’s called or who is singing it or if it’s even done well. If you’re trying to do something else with music then I just feel sorry for you. You will die poor…and with dignity.
AJ – relatively speaking – no one knows who the hell Kings of Leon are. Generally speaking, they haven’t made a dent in the musical landscape and were dubbed a big disappointment after all the hype. Even the hipster mags trashed their record.
Pitchfork on Kings of Leon: Their music is often referred to as Southern Rock, although it doesn’t rock at all– it lacks force, velocity, and power.
Many critics called Kings of Leon a safe band thats afraid to make a wrong turn. Aren’t we talking about safe non-offensive bands here? We sure are!
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/
19172-youth-and-young-manhood
Let Nickelback be Nickelback and Kings of Leon be who they are. I will say it again, the real poseurs are the ones who want to change people. Stop being a dictator and let music freely express itself. Hey, at least Chad took a chance and wrote a spanish/greek rhythmic tune with Carlos Santana!
I love you ONE LESS REASON!
No one’s asking Cris or his band to change. I’m asking the industry to change. Because it’s going down the toilet. And if it doesn’t… alright, fine, don’t change. Keep signing these bullshit modern rock bands. Surely it’s all for the better. Maybe I’ll just start my own damn record label. Maybe there’s someone out there willing to fund a label run by someone who’s actually passionate about music, as opposed to selling songs to people (I have this theory that if you aren’t trying so hard to sell music people actually might wanna buy it).
Pitchfork blows. It’s a bunch of asshats who put Thom Yorke on the same pedestal as Chingy. What do they know about music? Isn’t that the type of journalism people on here constantly chide? How a lot of that shit passes for music journalism is beyond me. Entertaining, sure… eloquent, even. But the only people who take the musical opinions seriously are the ones who are more interested in conforming their taste than expanding it. I guess it’s good to know which albums you’ll be considered uncool for listening to before some catches a glimpse of your iPod.
You wanna know why Kings of Leon were considered a flop? Because they were hyped to the moon (queue Pitchfork’s snobby resentment). You can’t just hype up a rock & roll band in the middle of Nickelback’s reign & expect them to sell 300,000 copies in four weeks. Especially with no airplay. That’s now how it works. But even in spite of very little support, they’ve developed quite well. The new record is killer & they pack the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta (seats close to 5,000). With no promotion! How about that?
This is what I’m talking about… development. At least they didn’t take off & get forced into recording the same record over & over again. The new record is a pretty big departure from the first two & I think it’s brilliant.
You know, the Strokes were considered a flop, too. So were the Arctic Monkeys. And pretty much every band who’s hyped by NME as the next big thing will also be considered a flop. And Pitchfork will probably hate on them. But in the grand scheme of things that shit doesn’t matter. Hell, Guns N Roses’ Appetite For Destruction would be considered a flop these days… it didn’t start selling for 9 months.
I don’t get why everyone has to trash the hell out of other bands to get a point across. I have no problem with bands without a “mainstream” sound being pushed. I just don’t think we should write off bands that have had good results on their own when they start to get attention from labels. From an investor’s perspective…and that’s really what labels are…it’s good to diversify. There’s nothing wrong with signing bands that you know will sell. It’s smart business.
But if you really want to grow a business, it pays to take risks, and that requires taking some chances. So whle you may have some “safe” acts that you know will generate capital, to really grow, you have to push the envelope a little. It seems like that’s where the industry is failing. Seems like the envelope pushing has been based more on a look than a sound. Fashion trends are probably the only things more fickle than music trends, so that’s a pretty dumb way to spend limited funds. People aren’t stupid. When they find out that a band can’t play and they’re nothing more than a look, they will fade to the dustbin of history and the label will be lucky to get their money back. Perhaps if they started by finding some bands that push the limits of mainstream, but do so with a certain level of talent, then just maybe they’ll find the next Nirvana. Seriously, in today’s world, they’d make Kurt get a haircut and some designer jeans! It wouldn’t matter how talented he was.
Maybe I live in a dream world, but it seems like there’s room for everyone. I just don’t think it’s smart to write off hard working bands that have achieved something because some don’t think they’re creative enough. For everyone here that says OLR doesn’t have any “substance,” I can point to several comments on their myspace page from people stating how one of OLR’s songs has changed their lives in some positive way. Isn’t that ultimately what music is about? Tell those people that the band isn’t relevent.
There’s arrogance on both sides of the divide. You have some that just won’t give a mainstream band any credit at all, regardless of what the numbers say. And there are some that think mainstream is the only way. I think that there is probably a market both ways, but I think the best way to actually run a business is to have a mix. Labels should always be on the lookout for the next “special” artist, but there’s nothing wrong with having some sure things to make sure they stay in business long enough to find them.
Well…I won’t deny that there is a place for bands like Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys, but I’ll be totally honest…I wouldn’t listen to their stuff if you gave it to me. I just don’t like it. I don’t care how artistic people think they are, I don’t care how talented they are as musicians, it’s just not my thing. Color me close-minded I guess. I’ll listen to anything once, but give me The Fray over those bands anyday. I’d much rather listen to Nickelback and I suspect that most anyone that’s into Daughtry or Nickelback, or Carrie Underwood for that matter, would not get past the first 30 seconds of one of their songs.
That’s not to say that those bands don’t deserve to be heard. Obviously there is a market for them. I just don’t think it includes followers of mainstream rock/pop/top 40 or whatever the heck we’re calling it these days. I’m not a big Dave Matthews fan either, but that is a spectacular collection of musicians and as a drummer, I’m in awe of Carter Beuford. And you certainly can’t deny their mass appeal. So I would never suggest that they don’t belong. But I also can’t get over how people that talk about how the industry is in the shitter keep pointing to the one band that’s selling more than anyone else as the reason for its demise. I think the reality is that the majority of people are going to gravitate toward the NB’s of the world, no matter how much airplay Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon get. Those bands obviously have appeal to a sizeable portion of the population…just probably not the same portion that’s into NB and the like.
All that points to is that there is a bigger music market out there to tap into. How to capitalize on it all…well, if only I had all the answers!! Honestly, if they played K of L or AM on my radio stations more, the only thing it would do is make me change the station, but I do that a lot anyway. So maybe the answer is less corporate radio, and some more indy radio for those that are into those types of bands. Good luck with that I know…
I guess the lesson is a better understanding of the markets. Know what works, where. As a “mainstream” musician, I know there are places where my band just doesn’t fit, but I also know where my solid markets are and I wouldn’t ask Kings of Leon to open for my band there…I know my audience would not like them. Then again, their audience probably wouldn’t like us much either. One thing though, it appears that NB’s demographic buys A LOT of CD’s. Bands that have more appeal to the college crowd probably aren’t going to see their kind of sales ever…see endless lawsuits for illegal downloading by college students.
I guess it’s just getting a better understanding of who you’re trying to sell to. You just can’t market all bands the same way, because different bands appeal to different demographics. If you market the bands correctly, you’ll give everyone the best chance of success…and ultimately, the really good ones will rise to the top on their own.
There’s definitely a place for bands that I, personally, think are shitty. The big problem comes when we take a band that’s engineered to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the least amount of listens & to offend the least amount of people possible and we use them as the single blueprint for all music. That’s my argument.
By putting immediate appeal at the top of our list, we’re missing out on a lot of albums that could potentially make a huge impact. We certainly would’ve missed out on many albums that not only sold incredibly well, but built the industry we have today.
But the playing fields also need to be leveled. We’ve done so much, whether it’s in the mixing process, the imaging process, whether it’s go to do with radio or whatever, to generate this immediate tug, to grab this first week number, that it makes it almost impossible for a band that traditionally would’ve been hugely successful to even get heard. That’s a BIG problem. Ask anyone who’s been fired in the last 7 years.
Every band has a myspace, sure. But that’s the point. How do you get anyone to your myspace when everyone has a myspace? Especially when most bands on myspace suck ass?