music industry

Hey gang,

Forgive the cross-post from my other unpaid blogging gig at WIMN's Voices, but I thought you dudes might have an interesting take on this story. And because you are smart, I want to hear it!

heart,
aem

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Yesterday's WSJ cover story—a paper owned by NewsCorp now, remember—details the story of Marie Digby, a 24-year-old recording artist on Disney's Hollywood Records, "urged" to self-promote her work virally, through an online video-posting site, for several months before the company would release her album. Lucky for her, it worked. Proclaimed a self-made success by podcasters and DJs across the country, she's proof, many thought, that the internet is making our media a meritocracy again. Except for, oh yeah, she's been working under Disney on this "self-made success" project for two years.

Hey all, I wrote a story in the political monthly IN THESE TIMES about He Who Corrupts, Inc., and even though they took out the copious naked references, you might still find something enjoyable about it. Then again, you might not: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3141/our_profit_margin_could_be_your...

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Paul McCartney hasn't just signed on to create an album for Starbucks -- it appears he left Capitol Records after 43 years to do so.

Full story here: http://adage.com/article?article_id=115688

Looking at the latest issue of Music Week, I note that The Kooks are still hanging around the top 20 album chart, with whatever their pissweak excuse for a record is called. Don’t this unpleasant bunch of stage school brats sum up everything wrong with the term “indie” in 2006? A world where multinational lager companies sponsor alternative rock festivals, emo has somehow traveled from Rites Of Spring and Texas Is The Reason to Panic (and no, I’m not putting the exclamation mark in, you tossers) At The Fucking Disco and any bad metal band with their fingernails painted black, while the NME is doing advertorial spreads with Topman? Oh yes, the NME. Where to start? Their relentless quest to persuade the readership that New Rave means anything outside of a few East London art school students seized with an ironic nostalgia for Altern8? The Klaxons are the musical equivalent of sitting around the sixth form common room talking about the TV programmes you used to watch when you were a kid, and don’t you forget it. Listen, mate, I’ve been round the block a few times, I remember Romo, and Fraggle for that matter. You’re not fooling anyone. Or how about the championing of a –what is it? third, fourth, fifth generation? – Cramps tribute act?* Or the whoring out of reviews to whatever’s got a good promo plot this week? Nine out of the ten for the Kasabian album? It’s okay, but it’s not all that, is it? I’m not sure if this your actual editorial interference from record companies with big advertising budgets to withhold, or just the writers being scared of missing the boat as spectacularly as they did with the second Oasis album, which received lukewarm reviews all round, only to be declared Best Thing Ever when everyone in the UK went and bought 37 copies each. Of course, this trend started with the third Oasis album, which was greeted more rapturously than a busload of orphans taking a wrong turn into the Catholic Priests’ Country Awayday Weekend, but was actually one long evil burst of cocaine flatulence. I am aware that criticising the NME as an act of cultural subversion is about on a par with saying that racism is bad, but these things all need to be said.

Kill Rock Stars Founder Jumps To Nonesuch

"Kill Rock Stars founder Slim Moon is leaving the label for an A&R role at Warner Music Group imprint Nonesuch Records, a spokesperson for Kill Rock Stars confirms. The indie label will be moving its headquarters from Olympia, Wash.-to New York, where Nonesuch is based. The day-to-day functions of Kill Rock Stars will be handed over to Moon’s wife, Portia Sabin."

Here is the short version on Billboard.

Here is the long version on Pitchfork.

I'm not a music business executive, but I read Billboard as much as I can to see how record labels and entertainment-based companies are shifting their business models to stay in business. Today, I read a short article about how Ben Lee did a deal with Aerie, a sub-brand from American Eagle. The long and short of the deal as I understood it was that a couple of his songs are exclusively featured on the American Eagle site, they will sell limited edition CD's including his music at retail locations, and his songs will get played mucho in the AE stores. Ten years ago, I would have dismissed him as "sell out". No question. But in today's music industry climate, should we still be that harsh (or furthermore, are we still that harsh)??