.... In what world are Sufjan, Damien Rice, Death Cab, or Iron and Wine not mainstream? They may have started out indie, but they got INCREDIBLY mainstream, and maybe it was because of their inclusion on TV soundtracks, but you have to wonder how they got included on things like the OC soundtrack in the first place. For Modest Mouse, at least, it was not that they created music that HAPPENED to get included on the OC. Their music became increasingly commercial (PLEASE contrast songs on This Is a Long Drive... and The Lonesome Crowded West with the songs on Good News.) to the point where the hook from Float On got used in a hip-hop song.
I think, for bands that don't have this broad commercial appeal, that starting the discussion to get music licensed for TV and commercials is incredibly difficult. This sort of discussion isn't impossible, but it does become a lot more difficult. If you don't have the kind of commercial appeal that Iron and Wine or Death Cab had, you HAVE to figure out a different strategy.
Man, I was wondering if Stereogum would do one of these for the Mountain Goats. That was a serious undertaking and it was really well-executed. Thanks!
A thought: a top 10 Radiohead b-sides list. Radiohead has released a number of absolutely ripping b-sides. Anyone here have any particular favorites?
If I wrote such a list I'd definitely include Talk Show Host, Pearly, and Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2).
Similar thing happens when you buy directly from an artist's website (at least some of the time). Also a great strategy if for some reason you can't make it out to shows.
I agree with a lot of the stuff that has been said here, but I think for me the crux of the whole issue is that we all agree the system is broken, but no one sees a viable solution. Toth says it should be one way, and while I agree with him, I also can sympathize with Moore. Because of any number of factors, the system has changed and we need to adapt and figure out a way to make it work for us.
I don't mean this in the sense that people need to shut up and accept that musicians aren't getting properly compensated and have to work eight jobs to support their "lifestyle." Like many people here who have obligations that prevent them from treating music as anything more than an avocation, I chose a career because I need health insurance and a regular paycheck. I may not be in my 30s or interested in starting a family, but my health requires that I have health insurance and an income to pay for medicine and specialist visits. I tried the part-time jobs/internship route (internships are a whooooole other shitty discussion, but suffice to say, I 100% agree with the "entry level opportunities are terrible" sentiments that have been expressed). But for me, staying on my parents' health insurance was vastly impractical. They're several states away and I had to bend over backwards to get referrals for in-network doctors where I live.
The reason I am more inclined to agree with Moore is that I don't see things like streaming or downloading changing any time soon. I would love for there to be a solution that manages to fairly compensate artists for their work and time, and maybe to afford them the security the folks in Grizzly Bear point out they're lacking. However, much like the unpaid internship or the shitty entry level job market, I don't see these things changing unless people propose valid solutions and really try and get them.
Discussions like this one give me hope. A bunch of smart, invested individuals clearly agree that the existing and evolving models are both deeply flawed. Maybe people will start to do something about it.
Thanks!! I'll leave a longer response when I'm not trying to finish my day's work, and GTFO, but I'm glad you elaborated. I was genuinely interested in learning more about the motivations behind what you said because I couldn't tell if it was meant to be incendiary or, as I hoped and as you proved, indicative of a developed, interesting position.
Comments