Blogracket

Ready For The Laughing Gas

2012-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

I (Tim) would like to introduce a new contributor to Blogracket - Mr. Charles Hodgkins, Brandracket's fearless senior editor, and a wordsmith (and music fanatic) of the highest order. You can look forward to periodic postings from The Hodge (as I affectionately call him), each equally insightful and humorous. We're honored by his presence. First up: a rumination on U2's ground-breaking album Achtung Baby, which recently got the 20th anniversary reissue treatment from our friends at Island/Universal Music. Take it away Charles...

I wish I could make some sort of hopelessly melodramatic statement about the first time I heard 'The Fly,' the lead single from U2's 1991 masterwork Achtung Baby. The truth, however, is a hell of a lot less sexy.

As a moderately (at most) adventurous 19-year-old -- with the somewhat tentative taste in music to match -- I kind of didn't know what to make of the new sonic territory U2 was suddenly mining in our great season of Nevermind, a.k.a. late '91. I knew I liked Adam Clayton's bouncy bass line on 'The Fly,' though. And I thought the song's video was pretty fun in all its let's-rock-it simplicity. (Still do, in fact.)

The '80s were deep in the rear view mirror by this point, and with them went U2's suffocating pomposity. Good riddance. The band's 1988 documentary Rattle And Hum, full as it was of epic concert sequences, didn't exactly portray the group as a bunch of down-to-earth lads, nor did it do much to dispel the increasingly popular view of Bono as rock's most insufferably humor-deficient frontman. U2's ardent earnestness had painted them into a corner.

What's a superstar band to do once it's:

Laid down a long day's drive worth of bulletproof songs over the past decade...
Iconically waved a white flag at a bunch of skiers amid a Rocky Mountain rainstorm...
Had the 'Rock's Hottest Ticket' tag slapped on it by that old tastemaker, Time...
Taken self-seriousness to new depths?

There was really only one true path for the band to follow:

Set the most exciting batch of songs of its career to tape...
Give the resulting album a jokey name to mask all its darkly unsettling music...
Don sunglasses and leather...
Finally act like they're having a good time.

I still pick up a lot of records, but few are nostalgic acquisitions. Writing and editing for Brandracket plays right into my ongoing inclination to seek out young bands worth my time (and what remains of my hearing). I'm talking about the Yucks, Weekends, and Creepoids of the world, and while we're at it, the Big Troubles, Horse Marriages, and Lightouts. Not exactly household names (yet). Then again, nobody outside of Dublin in 1979 had heard of this band with a two-character name that reminded some of a German submarine.

So, I went all-in for the so-called Super Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition of Achtung Baby a couple months ago -- an indulgent gift to myself for my recent 40th birthday. In this case, I am the target demographic.

Few artistic reinventions have been as successful as U2's between 1989-91. Their leap from frowny-faced, black-and-white-portrayed galvanizers of strident high school and college kids the world over, to funtime-loving, color-portrayed messengers of groove with a fusillade of televisions backing them up...it was all a calculated risk. But it completely worked.

The main reason it completely worked, of course, is the fact that Achtung Baby quickly became one of the monster records of its era. And this new big-ass monument of a boxed set -- six CDs, four DVDs, a 12”x12” hardback book full of essays and striking Anton Corbijn photography; all that's missing is one of those Achtung Baby condoms sold at the merch booth on the ensuing Zoo TV tour -- reinforces this in spades. Achtung Baby has aged better and sounds fresher than anything else from the near-endless smorgasbord of early '90s rock. It's still a monster record -- of any era.

Achtung Baby was the first U2 record you could dance to. Achtung Baby was the first U2 record you could have sex to. (Unless you've ever been able to properly get busy to 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' or 'Bullet The Bullet Sky.' Then you are a very special individual indeed. Kudos.) Hell, there are enough oral sex and masturbation references in Bono's early '90s lyrics to make you think he was quietly working on spec for some North Hollywood porn studio.

But those are just the cheap thrills. Beyond Clayton and Larry Mullen's buoyant rhythms, beyond Edge's insistent guitar work -- industrial-inspired riffs here ('Zoo Station,' 'The Fly'), menacing leads there ('Until The End Of The World,' 'Acrobat'), brilliance everywhere -- and even beyond the album's true X-factor of Daniel Lanois' genius production, it's the songs themselves on Achtung Baby that have kept it in regular rotation for me over the last 20 years.

Sometimes it's also the album's song cycle. As opening salvos go, it's tough to top 'Zoo Station.' Any record that begins with (what's always sounded to me like) an oncoming subway train and an opening lyric as heroically intrepid as 'I'm ready for the laughing gas' has my attention right off the bat.

On the heels of 'Zoo Station,' 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' suckers you into thinking you're in for a 12-track dance party. Not so fast, John Q. Ibiza.

I've probably heard 'One' a thousand times by now (perhaps you have as well), and it never goes out of style. Interpret it however you want -- it's about a failed relationship; it's about a broken family; it's about world peace; it's about the AIDS pandemic; it's about dressing up in drag to drive around snowy Berlin in a Trabant -- but it's the song that basically saved U2's life when they were flailing in the earliest days of recording what eventually became Achtung Baby.

If one of U2's swiftest moves in the '90s was learning how to write phenomenal songs that weren't anthems, there's no sharper example than 'Until The End Of The World.' Linked with 'Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses' -- the opening chords of which sound as if they were recorded amid a Yellowstone blizzard; this is a good thing -- and the slow-creeping betrayal of 'So Cruel,' the song is the linchpin of the first of Achtung Baby's pair of notoriously bleak segments. Of course, this is bleakness you can nod your head to (or even shake your ass to, if you're the ass-shaking sort): Edge's riff on 'Until' in particular is a rhythmic force of nature.

Things lighten up a spell once 'The Fly,' one of U2's most unfairly brushed-aside songs, crashes in to begin the album's second half. What do you get when you meld a completely rad guitar riff, a touch of baggy Madchester in the backbeat, and 'Every artist is a cannibal / Every poet is a thief / All kill their inspiration / And sing about the grief'? Probably my favorite U2 song of all. (Isn't that funny? I don't think so. But if you do, you're not the first.)

The good-time head-fakes continue with dancetacular 'Mysterious Ways' through 'Ultra Violet (Light My Way),' with the alluringly lazy 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World' wedged in between (perhaps the song on the record that's best-served by Lanois' deft production). 'Ultra Violet,' meanwhile, is Achtung Baby's last best hopeful moment, all the way down to Bono's uncharacteristic flurry of 'baby baby baby's in the third verse. It's that old uplifting U2 magic all over again...only nobody ever misinterpreted this one to be a rebel song.

In fact, if you were to quit now, you might even have yourself a kind of happy ending. But such a tidy little wrap-up isn't Achtung Baby's aspiration, something that's abundantly clear with the twinkill darkhorse shithammer of 'Acrobat' and 'Love Is Blindness' that closes the album, each featuring searing guitar by Edge. The first is a formidable ode to the wonders of hypocrisy; the second, a meditation on love as a disability not to be lived without. Not exactly lullaby material.

Perhaps the U2 of the '90s -- disco balls, belly dancers, crank-calling the White House from the stadium stage every night, whatever all that silly PopMart business was about -- wasn't so zany after all?

Here's to acting like you're having a good time. ~ Charles Hodgkins

Stuck In Reverse

2011-11-10T09:33:00.001-08:00

Came across an awesome article by English critic Gary Wolstenholme about how our culture, and particularly music culture, has essentially stalled out amidst our collective obsession with the past. Dig it:

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4143982-the-insider--the-stone-roses-amp-the-resurrection-blues

Key snippets (bolding is mine):

"The ability of new ideas to break through to the general public is stifled by endless waves of shallow nostalgia polluted by financial imperatives and waved through by a compliant and toothless set of critics and commentators who either want the world to stop so they can pretend to be 20 for eternity or are part of the marketing team and thus totally unable to pass any kind of meaningful comment on what is happening."

"The likes of Pulp but, to a lesser extent, even Shed Seven and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin have shown that a well scheduled ‘all mates together’ tour can be a lucrative money spinner for bands who were heading nowhere on their demise. That, in itself, is not a problem. When such things are regarded as being of primary cultural significance it is. We are very close to drawing a line under the progression of mainstream progressive music. That is not just bad news for music, it is bad news for culture as a whole and leads to a greyer and less dynamic future for all."

I'm actually a huge Stone Roses fan, but I have no desire to see them. I'm talking about their comeback but also about actually seeing them. I mean, they look like death warmed over. Yikes.

Another symptom of our rampant cultural grave-robbing: Hollywood remaking every movie that's ever been made, including a film (and an inevitable companion McDonald's Happy Meal) about every last superhero ever conceived. When will we as a culture stop looking backward and actually create something new? Somehow our forefathers and foremothers were able to keep the culture moving in a linear fashion - blues > jazz > rock > punk > hip-hop > electronic music. Now what? Rehash???

We've created a truly post-post-post modern culture in which forward progression has slowly morphed into circular motion. And that's boring, uninspiring and troubling on many levels.

I don't begrudge any band to reunite, whether it's for money or love of what they do (and I respect bands like The Sex Pistols and Cream for admitting it's all about the money). But as Wolstenholme so eloquently points out, when such reunions and wallowing in the past define our current culture, we've got a big problem. ~ Tim

We'll Take Manhattan

2011-09-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Brandracketeers Chris Parker, Mark Willett and myself (Tim Scanlin) were in NYC September 6 through 10 for the world premier of The Art Of Flight snowboarding film, which we music supervised for the stellar folks at Brain Farm Digital Cinema. The premier was held at the legendary Beacon Theater in the heart of uptown Manhattan. The sold out show was attended by 3,500 industry folks, boarders, and assorted celebrities (wassup, Justin Timberlake?!). Artists featured in the film include Sigur Ros, The Naked & Famous, Deadmau5, Black Angels, M83 and others. What can we say about it? It's mind-blowing, and exceeded all expectations. Thanks to director Curt Morgan and his incredible team for creating a truly landmark film, and for allowing us to be a part of it.

In addition to the Flight premier we also took the train out to Long Island to see the first Quiksilver Pro NYC, taking place in scenic Long Beach. It's one thing to sit in our comfy chairs all day working on Quik and Roxy projects, but it's another thing entirely to get out on the sand and actually watch stuff go down in front of you. Congrats to all the Quik and Roxy folks who worked so diligently to pull this thing off after the event was almost scrubbed due to a hurricane the week prior. Y'all kicked butt.

Most days were spent traversing Manhattan, meeting with assorted label folks, without whom we wouldn't have a business. Thanks to everyone who took time out to have a chat or drink a beer with us. Brandracket hearts you.

Finished off the trip with a stellar meal at Ma Peche, then headed home, totally beat, but rejunivated by all the cool and inspiring people we met. Can't wait for next time. Here's a few shots...

The scene outside The Art Of Flight premier @ The Beacon Theater the night of September 7th. 3500 people in attendance.

The Art Of Flight director Curt Morgan (red baseball cap) introduces the Brain Farm team before the lights go down.

The Quiksilver Beach House, Quik Pro NYC, Long Beach, Long Island

So You Want To Buy A House...

2011-08-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

...You knock on the door and say to the owner, "Good day, I'd like to buy this house!" The person at the door says, "Oh, wonderful. You can have the first floor for $200,000, but you'll need to talk to the person who owns the second floor about buying their half." You think to yourself, "Okaaaaay, that's weird." But you really like the house. So you say, "Where can I find the person who owns the second floor?" And the person at the door says, "I have no idea."

Eventually you manage to locate the person who owns the second floor of the house. You say to them, "Hi. The person that owns the first floor of the house says I can buy it for $200,000. So here's your $200,000 for the second floor." "Oh, no," says the owner of the second floor. "I'll need at least $400,000 for my half of the house." And what's worse, now the guy who owns the first floor is saying, "Well, if he's getting $400,000, then I want $400,000!" By this time, you're really PO'd. All you want is a freaking house, and there are lots of other houses, many of which are just as nice but much cheaper and easier to buy. So you go to the equally nice house next door. This time, the entire house is owned by one guy, and he's very excited about selling it to you for $100,000 total. In fact, he really appreciates that fact that you want to buy it, and goes out of his way to accommodate your request for new fixtures in the bathroom and a fresh coat of paint.

Some "houses" are really easy to buy, and some are a nightmare. Rightsholders: are you doing everything you can to make it easy for people to license your music (like, for instance, knowing who the other rightsholders are for the tracks you rep, and quoting fees that are line with going rates)? If not, you're shooting yourself in the foot. It's a buyer's market out there; make sure your houses are in order. We thank you for it. ~ Tim

Running Shoes: Punk As F#@!

2011-05-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Saw Buffalo Tom last night at the Troubadour here in LA. They completely smoked it.

I needed that, coming at a time when I'm so freaking busy that I've damn near lost sight of why I loved music in the first place. You can have too much of a good thing, and musical burnout is a very real occupational hazard in our line of work. The show last night reminded me of why I've devoted my life to this stuff.

I've seen the 'Tom, like, 15 times (I'm no spring chick, in case that hasn't been established by now). And every time I see them, I'm struck by how completely ordinary they are in every way except their musical talent. Bill, Tom and Chris looked exactly like your 3 pals that showed up on Sunday afternoon to help you move your couch. Jeans, button down shirts off the rack from Target (these are working men, with families to feed) and running shoes (?!). There was no hipster irony in these threads, no sartorial snarkiness. It was simply three dudes who've always had, and continue to have, their priorities straight: an incredible workman-like devotion to writing and playing godhead songs with a feverish intensity...and then fashion somewhere down around the 7th or 8th rung. (In fairness, Bill was wearing a rather sporty fedora that looked great on him.)

Contrast this to the many hipsters that I encounter at my fave Eagle Rock lunch spot, The Coffee Table (so tasty!). I suspect that many of these people are in bands, and I also suspect that many of them are mediocre to lousy. Because most people who put that much time and effort into looking the way these people look are not spending nearly enough time and effort writing and recording godhead songs. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, and some people -- The White Stripes, Joy Division, The Velvet Underground, Bowie, Nick Cave, Tim Rogers from You Am I, my Eagle Rock homegirl Best Coast -- are able to achieve the magnificent feat of looking incredibly cool and writing godhead songs.

The Buffalo Tom dudes are not among this group, or else they would be significantly more famous and well-off than they are now. But I get the feeling they don't care, and that's part of why I love them. They put the music first, and discerning listeners and show-goers like myself don't give a hoot if they're not wearing v-necks and rolled-up jeans. In fact, I'm REALLY glad they're not.

Another reason why I heart Buffalo Tom? Because Bill Janovitz has blazed a major trail in the straight world, just as I'm attempting to do. Dude has a very healthy real estate career in full swing. Guess what, kids? It's possible to write classics like "I'm Allowed", "Velvet Roof" and "Sunday Night" and go on to have a respectable career that your mother-in-law can be proud of. Who knew??

As someone who's followed the exact same path as these guys (albeit one of much less renown) -- band dude for years, then "real career", wife, mortgage, kids -- I'm really in awe of what they've achieved. In short, these guys are badasses. They can wear whatever the hell they want on stage -- even running shoes. They're allowed. ~ Tim

Roxy Chicken Jam 2011

2011-04-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

So instead of ranting and raving this month, I thought I'd spare you and just go with some photos of our recent trip to Mammoth, California to help out with Roxy's biggest event of the year: Chicken Jam.

We booked Grammy winner La Roux to perform and were generally responsible for making sure she and her party of 8 arrived safely from the UK and were well taken care of during their stay.

After a last minute road closure that required the band to stay in Reno for the night, they made it to Mammoth in one piece and proceeded to tear up the slopes almost immediately upon exiting their vehicles. A very nice group and we got along swimmingly.

Due to blizzard-like conditions, the concert was moved from the outdoor plaza at The Village to the Canyon Lodge. Hats off to Roxy and XL5 Productions for making a drab cafeteria into a kick-ass, 1500-capacity club by showtime. The free gig was packed within minutes and went off, with Elly (aka La Roux) proclaiming it one of the best they've ever done. Smiles all around, and then it was off to Hyde Lounge for the after party. After shutting the place down we ended up back in our suite for a fairly epic after after party that ended at 5:00am with me and Mickey, La Roux's hilarious keyboard player, discussing our mutual love for Ian Brown. I think the fact that we watched Hot Tub Time Machine, like, 5 times during our stay inspired us to do a little snow-bound raging of our own. That movie rules (and better it than The Shining...).

Congrats to Roxy for an awesome event, and thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. We love the snow and all, but next year let's do it in Maui. :)

A few pics for your perusal...

The view from our suite the morning after arrival. Lots and lots of snow. The La Roux show was supposed to take place in that plaza down there. Not so much.

Setting up for the show.

La Roux dressing room, adorned with a sign hand-crafted by our very own Mark Willett.

La Roux going off. Yes, she played "Bulletproof" and yes, it was awesome, including the story about how she told Jimmy Iovine to stick it for telling her that it wasn't a single. You go, girl.

Unnamed Brandracket staffer sleeping off the after party. The drive home was a bit...rough.

See ya next year! ~ Tim

To Sir (Geldof) With Love

2011-03-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

I'm definitely not missing being at the circus that is SXSW this week. Like others, I contend that it's largely a waste of time (and I've lived the fantasy/nightmare enough for several lifetimes, thank you very much). But based on this report, I am bummed to have missed Sir Bob Geldof's keynote speech, in which he apparently echoed what I've been lamenting for a long, long time: that nobody is saying anything worth hearing, and that there's a distinct lack of, as he puts it, "disgust" in the proceedings of this thing we call popular music. Here's a choice quote (bolding is mine):

“What’s music got to say about it? I don’t hear it. Maybe I can’t hear it. Maybe this hyper democracy of the Web simply gives an illusion of talent. You can download a studio. Download any instrument. You can pick up any instrument for nothing. You can make, cut and paste to create fab artwork to make your CD. Everybody has got the means to say anything they want, but nobody has anything to say. We need to talk about it."

Glad to see that I'm not alone in my concern and my desire to hear someone shake things up. And again, I ask that if you know of an artist that's "disgusted" (as defined above), please let me know. I'd love to hear them. ~ Tim

The Death of the Scene

2011-02-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

Awesome story here on The Drive-By Truckers and how they're essentially completely ignored by the Indie Rock Cognoscenti.

I've spent years proclaiming this band the best American rock outfit and, while it's clear that thousands of rabid fans agree with me, it's nice to see someone articulate it so well and convincingly.

I must confess to not having really sunk my teeth into the band's new album Go-Go Boots, but I've watched a few of the video vignettes that they've created to help promote it, and they're a fantastic glimpse into the inner workings, history and general awesomeness of this uniquely American crew.

And they've got me lamenting the fact that regional scenes -- groups of artists and the sounds they create as defined by their geographical surroundings and proximate peers -- are largely a thing of the past.

Ultimately I blame the internet. Yeah, seriously. Because (no) thanks to the internet, some kid in the farthest reaches of God Knows Where can be exposed to every musical trend that's occurring in the world. And that is both awesome and horrible. It's awesome because The Kid can be exposed to all kinds of music. And it's horrible because The Kid can be exposed to all kinds of music. That is, instead of creating his own sounds and songs with limited outside influence, where he's forced to mostly figure it out for himself and create something original, he can just mimic something he sees on YouTube or MTV.com or Pitchfork. Meanwhile, thousands of kids are doing the same thing. The result: homogeneity. Everyone sounding (and wearing and saying) the same. Nobody doing anything that's truly unique or out there.

Yes, there are plenty of instances where exposure to outside musical forces resulted in a new, exciting composite. Keith Richards discovering Chuck Berry, The Clash discovering Jamaican rock steady, M.I.A. blending bleeding edge production techniques with Sri Lankan folk music, Vampire Weekend using African Highlife guitar techniques. In the case of the latter, were they exposed to it in their Columbia dorm rooms via the internet? Quite possibly. Was that a good thing? Absolutely. But these instances are unique in that 1) these artists were fundamentally more talented most of their peers and 2) they took something new and melded it with something else that was their own to create an exciting amalgam. Unfortunately, most artists are not sophisticated enough to do this; they simply internalize what they see and hear and regurgitate the exact same thing.

Of course, this issue of the influence of outside forces on the artist's creativity has existed since the first time someone painted something in a cave however many millennia ago. Someone else saw it and it affected them and their art. But we've never seen it on the totally pervasive, inescapable level that it exists now. There's influence, and there's total saturation.

I'm old enough to remember when different parts of the country sounded, well, different. There actually was a Seattle sound at one point. Ditto for LA, Minneapolis, Athens, NYC, Memphis, San Diego, Gainesville - the list goes on. You could often predict a band's sound by their ZIP code. Not so much anymore, and I miss that. "Why??" someone might ask. "Exposure to new types of music makes things more interesting, more...21st century." But is it better? I'm tired of people talking about how the globalization of music is unequivocally a good thing. Certainly some aspects of it are, but there's also a price to pay, most importantly the loss of truly homegrown music, whether it comes from Senegal or Detroit. Don't forget, regional and homegrown scenes have historically been romanticized and fetishized by listeners (Japanese kids in love with rockabilly; American kids dressing like mods) every bit as much as "global" sounds. Do we really want a world in which everyone sounds like everyone?

I think this helps explain my love for Drive-By Truckers. Because in addition to writing incredible songs, they sound like their surroundings. They're not ashamed of where they come from, nor do they try to hide it or water it down or homogenize it. Instead they embrace it and cultivate it and indeed revel in it. (Another shining example of this that I was recently reminded of is The Libertines, the short-lived and utterly kick-ass unit of Carl Barat and arch fuckup Pete Doherty. These guys celebrated their Englishness and their thoroughly soused way of life in the same way as Blur and Oasis, but on a much more debased, shambolic and sinister level. You could just tell they were drunk English kids happy to be drunk and English, and it made their awesome songs even more awesome.)

I could -- and very well may, some day -- write a book on why the Internet has not always been great for music. (And yes, I completely grasp the irony of saying that as the CEO of a company that would not exist without music on the internet. I clearly have some reconciling to do.) High up the list of reasons will be its deleterious effect on regional scenes as I and thousands of other music fans knew them.

I'll probably be listening to Drive-By Truckers as I write it.

In Control

2010-11-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a typical scenario that we here at Brandracket HQ see on an almost daily basis. The chronology goes something like this:

Artist's music is pitched to us by a promotions company - we'll call them The Provider - who, despite being the official rep for the artist during the current album cycle, does not know (or care to ask at the time they're hired) who controls the rights to the actual music.
We listen to the Artist and realize that they're a perfect match with one of our clients, Brand X. So we pitch it to them.
Sure enough, Brand X really likes Song Z and would like to license it for inclusion in Promotion Y. The all-in fee isn't huge by any stretch - $250 - but Brand X is massive, and the Artist will be credited prominently on-screen and featured on Brand X's blog, thereby exposing them to potentially thousands of life-long fans, some of whom will at some point pay to see the Artist, buy their merchandise and maybe - just maybe - purchase their music through a legal download store (or stream it on Rdio, Grooveshark, Mog, etc). Not to mention, other industry professionals like us may discover the Artist via the Brand X promotion, and offer them additional paid opportunities.
We hit up The Provider about licensing the track. Sorry, they say, you need to talk to the label directly. So we hit up the label. They're stoked, as is the band. But there's a problem: the band signed a publishing deal recently and while we might have been able to get the song for $250 a couple months ago, the price has now quadrupled.
Sorry, we say, Brand X only has $250. We move on to the next band in line, the one that controls 100% of their masters and publishing. They sign the licenses electronically in our BrandsForBands system in literally 2 minutes, and they're up on Brand X's web site two days later being listened to by thousands of kids, most of whom are hearing them for the first time. Love is in the air.

The moral of this story is NOT that big publishers and record labels are evil. We have many, many friends at both, and they are fine, upstanding members of society.

No, the moral of this story is that if you're going to relinquish control of your music, you better be damned sure that you know what you're doing, and that you've been well compensated in the deal. Because it might be the only money that you see for a long time.

Whenever you license, sell or otherwise transfer the rights to your songs or recordings to a third party, you are ceding a great deal of control. You are also ensuring that you will miss certain opportunities (see above).

Now, a person from one of the aforementioned third parties would be quick to argue that by partnering with a large publisher or record label you will be offered opportunities that are sexier, higher profile and more lucrative than those available to you as a free agent. On the cusp of 2011 this is highly debatable. But one thing is certain: you may be held hostage by your shiny new deal. This is not an exaggeration; we see it happen all the time (again, see above).

As we all know, it's a new world out there. There are opportunities galore for artists willing to hustle. But what's the point of working so hard if you're not able to make the final decision as to where/when/how your music is used, and at what price? By retaining control of your music you're the boss, able to cut deals and place your music on literally a moment's notice. And that's good. 'Cause companies like ours and the people we work for usually only have a moment (or less).

If you're savvy, willing to work your ass off to get your music in front of the right people, and - I cannot stress this enough - you have AMAZING SONGS - you will find that the smaller opportunities - the "micro gigs" - will present themselves. And they'll add up to real money over the long haul.

I'm walking proof of this. I was in a band for 15 years. For the longest time I wanted a publishing deal, and I was bummed when we didn't get one. But at the end of our run, when I added up all the license fees and PRO checks that I'd received - for bigger uses like TV shows and shoe commercials, but also a bunch of smaller placements that a big publisher wouldn't sneeze at - they significantly exceeded whatever advance we would've been offered (and most likely never recouped, because we would've been one of 500 artists on the roster).

My advice to young artists is this: if someone offers you serious money for the rights to your songs or recordings - consider taking it, and if you do, spend it wisely. Because as mentioned above, it may be all the money you'll see from that deal 1) ever or 2) for a very long time. However, if someone offers you a small advance, think twice and three times. Is a new van or gear for the band worth forfeiting the control, the opportunities you'll miss and the money you can earn on your own? There are other ways to raise capital, ones that don't involve relinquishing control of your biggest asset - and indeed the whole reason you do what you do: your music. ~ Tim

The Hard Sell

2010-09-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Went to an industry shindig here in LA the other night and all the free drinks and booze on offer couldn't eclipse the fact that many of the people in that room are doomed...or at least their jobs are.

This was a small group of highly intelligent music industry veterans - people from every corner of the business, including label reps, artist managers, publishers, social media honchos and press. The conversation was candid and free-flowing, with opinions galore. But one fact kept coming up: if you're in the business of selling digital media - whether it be music, video, books - you've got a very tough road ahead, one that I and many others believe could eventually end at a cliff if you refuse to accept the reality of what's happening around you.

I often appreciate the fact that we here at Brandracket are not in the business of selling content. We're essentially a broker; we facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between rightsholders and companies who want to license content for both paid and promotional uses. As long as copyrights exist, we'll have a business, though it will surely have its ups and downs.

But what about record labels, film studios, music and book publishers, and others who are in the business of bankrolling content, then charging for it? Will they have sustainable businesses 10 years from now, when technology has made pirating content almost telekinetic, and bands, filmmakers and authors no longer need a traditional infrastructure to distribute, promote and place their works? (This is already the case, actually.)

I think the answer is yes - for those who understand the space and where things are headed. Because while I do think that the traditional label/studio/publishing house model is on its way out, artists will always have a need for someone to help them distribute and promote their works to the world at large. I think there's a huge opportunity for well-organized, smart and experienced people to position themselves as mid-wives to these artists.

There was one gentleman at this industry confab who was quite vocal in his belief that the path to a sustainable future for rightsholders lies in 1) monetizing absolutely every shred of content and 2) selling more of it for less. It's all about micro-payments this guy was saying; forget about selling an album for $9.99 on iTunes - knock the price down to $3 and sell a lot more. That sounds to me like one helluva gamble for rightsholders (and a tough pill to swallow for artists), but he might be right. In the Age Of Free, rightsholders might need to take prices way down if they want any hope of people buying.

One thing is certain: any rightsholder standing still hoping that the problem of his dwindling sales will magically go away is on a collision course with extinction. Content owners: you are at DEFCON 1 ("Cocked Pistol" in the parlance of NORAD), a truly adapt-or-die situation. I would encourage you to experiment with different models, take some chances, make some mistakes (or victories) and learn. But whatever you do, do something. You can start here. ~ Tim

Now Sounds

2010-07-28T17:49:00.001-07:00

Apologies to the 7 people who read this blog for not posting anything recently. We've been busy, real busy.

Reading over my previous post, I realize that I may come off as a bit of a curmudgeon who's fixated on music from the past. Well, just to prove that we do in fact listen to (and love) current artists and bands, here's a quick round-up (in no particular order) of stuff that's floating my boat, circa now:

Groove Armada - I'm loving Black Light, the band's recently released full-length on SF's esteemed Om Records. Stand outs are "Shameless", featuring Bryan Ferry at his croony best, and "Just For Tonight", a moody acoustic rocker with some excellent electronic flourishes.

One For The Team - Discovered this band via our friends at Afternoon Records (one of my favorite labels - their roster is consistently excellent). Great male-female vox and top-shelf songwriting. What more could you ask for? Check out their excellent new album Ghosts, which includes the stand-outs "Best Supporting Actress" and "Hard For You".

Deluka - A lot of people think this Brooklyn-via-Birmingham, England quartet is gonna blow up upon the release of its debut full-length this fall, and I must agree. Singer-guitarist Ellie Innocenti has some pipes for the ages and songs like "Cascade" and "OMFG" are winners. Think Elastica updated for the new millennium.

Admiral Radley - New indie-pop supergroup featuring Jason Lytle and Aaron Burtch from Grandaddy and Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray from Earlimart. 'Nuff said. The little geo-specific music bites at the end of "Sunburn Kids" are both brilliant and hilarious. I love a band with a sense of humor. Check their debut, I Heart California.

Autolux - This LA noise-rock band features ex-Failure bassist Greg Edwards, along with fellow '90s alt-rock vets Eugene Goreshter and Carla Azar. Though they owe a heavy debt to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, they manage to carve out a sound all their own, and new album Transit Transit is a real winner. Check out "Audience No. 2", "Supertoys" and the epic closer, "The Science of Imaginary Solutions".

Bad Rabbits - Do yourself a favor and seek out "Can't Back Down" from their late '09 album Stick Up Kids. The best Prince song that Prince didn't actually write. I'd really love to see these guys.

See? We do listen to stuff from this century. Hooray. ~ Tim

Speak Up, Please

2010-03-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

I had lunch today with a guy who's pretty high up on the foodchain at one of the biggest indie labels in the world, and we both agree: a lot of independent rock music in 2010 sucks, or is at least not terribly interesting or engaging. So much of it is just milktoast, neutered...meh. No one is saying anything anymore. I call it the sissification of indie rock.

For me, the real issue is vocals and lyrics, specifically how both have increasingly taken a backseat to the music over the last decade. These days it's like we're trapped in some gauzy, mush-mouthed, non-committal, thumb-sucking version of what independent rock used to be.

The aforementioned label rep and I were reminiscing about The Minutemen. Now, this was a band comprised of three dorks (there's really no better description for D. Boon, Mike Watt and George Hurley, and they would most likely agree with that estimation). The Minutemen were not cool in any traditional sense of the word. But they didn't need to be. Because their music was so good and so compelling that it negated any need for additional trappings. And perhaps the thing that made the Minutemen one of the greatest bands of all time - other than their kick-ass art-funk/punk - was D. Boon's lyrics, sung loud and clear, usually with very little margin for interpretation. D. Boon sang about stuff like the legacy of Vietnam ("Vietnam"), the role of advertising in American culture ("Shit From An Old Notebook") and the tyranny of working for minimum wage ("This Ain't No Picnic"). He made statements - insightful, powerful, often humorous statements, communicated in straightforward language that everyone could understand.

There are of course legions of other bands that have done the same throughout the history of this music we call indie. Some of my faves:

X - John Doe & Exene's rock poetry was half Bukowski, half George Jones & Tammy Wynette, and all brilliant
Concrete Blonde - Johnette Napolitano was a master at communicating literal thoughts in an engaging, poetic way
The Replacements - The first and best emo band. What real heartache and desperation sounds like.
Archers Of Loaf - With songs like "Harnessed In Slums" and "Greatest Of All Time" Eric Bachman positioned himself as a master of angst articulation
Sebadoh - Lou Barlow is one neurotic mofo, but he's also a lyrical genius
The Hold Steady - I have contended since about 1995 that Craig Finn is the American Elvis Costello, from a lyrical perspective. And though it's my opinion that THS has essentially become an E Street Band tribute act at this point, I'm still grateful that Craig is carrying the torch for real lyrics, sung unironically.
Drive-By Truckers - Some of the best lyrics of the last decade about topics ranging from the war in Iraq to Vegas-bound grifters to the murder of a friend
Ted Leo - A great writer, not afraid to articulate exactly what he's thinking

The list goes on and on and on. But it starts getting very thin around the turn of the millennium. Why? Why do so many of today's young musicians eschew literal lyrics and prominently mixed vocals in favor of non-committal mumbling? Are they embarrassed to speak their minds? Do they not have anything to say? Have they been lulled into complacency by video games and Sidekicks and Facebook?

Now you 20-somethings out there, before you write me off as some nostalgic old codger, understand this: I listen to new music every day, all day. And it's very rare that I hear a band or artist that writes powerful lyrics (about something other than their own personal concerns) and sings them in a well-articulated manner. So I'm sincerely asking you: where are the bands that have something to say?

All I know is that if I see one more innocuous indie band or artist sheepishly approach the mic while staring at the ground I'm gonna hurl. Message to young musicians everywhere: please grow some balls/ovaries, write some real lyrics and turn them up in the mix. We live in an insane world; there is so much to talk about. Some of us would really like to hear what you have to say. ~ Tim

Ding Dong The Witch Is Dying

2010-02-22T19:37:00.001-08:00

Saw this article in Digital Music News today. For those too lazy to click, here's the gist:

"US-based terrestrial radio stations suffered an absolutely brutal decline in 2009, according to data released Friday by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Across various revenue-generators - on-air, off-air, digital - revenues slumped 18 percent to roughly $16 billion. Of that, local stations suffered a 20 percent decline to $10.8 billion, and national stations slipped 19 percent to $2.4 billion."

For music-lovers and artists of my generation who grew up under the tyranny of terrestrial radio, this trend is fantastic news. No longer do behemoth's like KROQ in LA or K-ROCK in NYC control which bands and artists we're exposed to. Instead there are thousands of music sites, blogs, and services like Slacker, Pandora and La La, each one of them pointing us to scores of artists that heretofore would've gone undiscovered amidst commercial radio's iron fist hegemony.

These days, when I'm driving the freeways of LA and I dare to tune into KROQ (usually to giggle at how bad "modern rock" radio has become), I will inevitably hear a deep voice remind me that I'm listening to "The World Famous KROQ." News flash: you may be famous to the remaining 4 people who turn to you to discover new music, but to most music fans that I know you're a has-been, a totally obsolete relic. I mean, seriously: who listens to commercial modern rock radio anymore? I think the answer is 15 year olds who are discovering Nirvana for the first time, or people stuck in their cars, desperate for something to break the silence. As for me, if I never hear "Come As You Are," "Longview" or any song by the Foo Fighters ever again it will be too soon. At this point I have an almost Pavlovian reaction to hearing that stuff. I literally can't stand it. That's sad, and it is totally commercial radio's fault.

So here's to the continued decline of Big Radio. One thing for which I'm eternally grateful is that I've lived to see its power and influence totally eroded. Good riddance. ~ Tim

5 Steps to Greatness

2009-12-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

I see and hear a lot of bands these days that are totally interchangeable. So many of them sound alike, which I attribute directly to the internet and the fact that artists and bands no longer develop on their own, away from outside pressures and forces (think about pre-internet instances such Nirvana toiling in Aberdeen, Washington, or REM in Athens, GA, or Prince in Minneapolis, or NWA in Compton, or pretty much all of the amazing bands to come out of Dunedin, a small town on the South Island of New Zealand).

The incredible homogeneity among today's scene has gotten me thinking about all of the truly unique artists and bands that have come along, and the factors that contributed to their greatness and staying power. And though this post is kinda tongue-in-cheek, I really do think that if a band follows these steps, they'll have a much better shot at god-like status. So kids, here's some advice from an old guy (by rock standards) who's seen a lot:

1. Dial in a unique tone on your instrument. Think Peter Hook's bass sound in Joy Division/New Order, or Steve Albini's guitar tone in Big Black, or John Bonham's drums on pretty much everything.

2. Write some incredibly good songs.

3. Find a visionary producer. Someone who can elicit amazing performances from you and your bandmates. Listen to what he/she says. Be clay in their hands.

4. Cultivate an image. Even if it's a non-image (see: Grunge) - and dress to the nines.

5. Strike a pose. Find someone - Anton Corbijn or Charles Peterson would be good - to take lots of black and white photos of you in accidentally iconic poses (see: The Velvet Underground, The Smiths, Bob Dylan, et al). These will look really good as posters on dorm room walls and the inevitable coffee table books about you.

Then what? Well, the rest is luck, timing, who-you-know and a bunch of random variables that you have no control over. You're either destined to be a legend or you're not. But if you follow my 5-step plan, you just might make it. Bon chance, mes amis. ~ Tim

Favorite things, ca. now

2009-12-07T17:56:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's been an absurdly long time since we posted a blog entry here. Just in case you were afraid Brandracket had become some kind of music agency ghost ship, drifting listlessly upon the sea, never fear, we are indeed extant. In fact, we'll be announcing a couple really cool things shortly. Meanwhile, here's a list of 10 things that I really love right now, in no particular order:

1. Dr. Rockso. Still.
2. "Pizza Guy", You Am I
3. Rain in California...at long last.
4. Playing live rock 'n' roll music and in doing so, being reminded why I've devoted my life to this stuff.
5. "Hurtin' Crew", The Descendents. Is Green Day paying this band monthly royalties? Because they're pretty much the architects of GD's sound (at least until a couple albums ago), one which they've taken to the bank, many, many times. To Billy Joe's credit, he's probably the first person to admit this.
6. Having a home for the holidays when so many do not.
7. Gingerbread cookies. (In fact, cookies of all kinds. Any cookie. Seriously.)
8. Revisiting the brilliance of Scooby Doo on a daily basis with my 4 year old.
9. "Silver" by Echo & The Bunnymen. Is there a guitar band that's this good today? Seriously. I'm not some out-to-lunch, over-the-hill dad that listens exclusively to the Collective Soul cassette that's stuck in my car's stereo. I'm immersed in new music 24 hours a day, listening very keenly. And I'm pretty sure there isn't a rock band anywhere near as good as Echo & The Bunnymen when they made Ocean Rain in 1984. I welcome any suggestions to the contrary.
10. Jawbox reunion on Fallon, 12/8.

Happy Holidays, everyone. ~ Tim

The Rock Star Myth

2009-08-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

I was walking around my local mall with the wife and kids on Saturday and noticed the increasing fascination with what I'll call The Rock Star Myth. Everywhere I go, I see people of all ages with shirts that say "Rock Star", or they're trying to look like rock stars - the ones they see on TV, in movies, and in video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Remember that show called Rock Star, where the guy got chosen to be the new singer for INXS? It was truly hilarious/horrific in the way that it reinforced middle-America's idea of what a rock musician is. It was all leather pants, died black hair, 27 bangles on each wrist and Les Pauls scraping the stage. You could almost picture the manicured network suits in their corporate conference room, sipping their lattes and talking about how they wanted the show to be "edgy", when in fact it was Appetite For Destruction scrubbed clean and served up for a polite studio audience.

Now, to anyone who's ever actually been in a working, touring rock band (cough, cough) this stuff is hilarious. Because we know how far from reality all of this lame posturing and imaging really is. Yes, there are many people in bands who look like the animated characters in Guitar Hero, but their reality is sordid, I can assure you, no matter how big of a legend they are in their own mind. Sleeping on floors, all night drives, crappy food, in-fighting, poorly attended shows, indignities at every turn - it's just the tip of the iceberg when describing what a real rock, uh, "star" endures on a daily basis.

Ultimately, shows like Rock Star, tween-focused movies like Band Slam, and games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero just propagate an entirely BS notion of what being a working musician isn't. Now, don't get me wrong. I love the rock. I'm all for youthful enthusiasm and chasing the dream, and I sincerely hope that the kids at the mall someday get to experience what it's really like to be in a living, breathing rock band. But once confronted with that cold, hard reality, I suspect many of them will retreat to their Xboxes before they even make it onto a stage. ~ Tim

Never Trust A Ho (Especially If It's The Media)

2009-07-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

If there is a shining, definitive example of the hypocrisy and craven lack of integrity inherent in 99% of today's media outlets, the coverage of Michael Jackson's death is it.

In the eyes of The Media, Michael Jackson was a walking freakshow the morning of June 25th. Someone to be ridiculed, made fun of, attacked, investigated - you name it. And then, in the time it took his last, shallow breath to pass over his (we can only assume) painted lips, he magically reverted to Michael Jackson, The Greatest Entertainer Of All Time. Someone to be celebrated, lionized and worshipped like it was 1983 all over again.

It's amazing what a short memory we have as a culture. Celebrities are crucified and resurrected in a matter of months. And why not? Otherwise there wouldn't be any celebrities to worship. But Michael was the exception, being pretty much under siege for the last 2 decades (granted, usually due to his own bizarre/suspect actions).

Ultimately I just feel sorry for MJ. A clearly sweet kid who had his brain warped at an early age by external forces (his dad, fame) that he couldn't control. I'm actually kind of glad that it's over, 'cause I'm scared to think about the state he'd be in at 70. So RIP, Michael. If there is a Heaven, I'm sure you moonwalked straight through the Pearly Gates. ~ Tim

Yeah...What He Said

2009-05-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot recently released a book entitled Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music, in which he offers some keen insights into to the creation of the new digital music landscape.

In this recent interview with Time magazine, he perfectly articulates something that we here at Brandracket tell artists and labels all the time: people can't pay you if they don't know who you are. Here's the choice quote (I've done some bolding for emphasis):

"The biggest problem a band has is getting its music heard. For years, the music industry was confined to four multinational corporations that dominated the revenue stream of 70% of the music coming in, and four or five radio conglomerates that controlled what music was going out. Now all that has been broken up into millions and millions of little pieces and subcultures and niches that are serving small, really dedicated communities of music lovers. Listeners may not necessarily pay for that one song or the one album, but if they're intrigued enough, they're going to start following an artist or band. They show up at the gig or buy the merchandise or buy the next CD or the vinyl version of the MP3 they just downloaded. If you're a good band and making quality music, your fans are going to want every piece of what you put out. Once an audience is there, there are all sort of money-making opportunities."

It's simple kids: think of a free MP3 as a sample piece of chocolate fudge sitting on a confectionary counter. Give people a taste and they'll want more. Don't give them a taste and they'll never know how delicious you really are. Free (in moderation) does not equal giving away the farm. It equals awareness, which is the first step to cash in your pocket and food on your table. Learn it, love it, live it. ~ Tim

Thank you, Children

2009-04-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Went to Aidan and Sean's daycare the other day to play some music on the acoustic guitar. It was your standard stuff - "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Wheels On The Bus", "War Pigs" (just kidding). And truth be told, it was the best audience I've had in years. I mean, who would you rather play for: 1) drunk, stinky, cooler-than-thou hipsters or 2) rapt, bright-eyed, unbelievably cute 3 and 4 year olds?

The thing that struck me was just how excited these kids were to hear the songs and see someone playing music in their classroom. For a brief, fleeting moment, I was bigger than Barney.

I read somewhere that drug addiction is the #1 occupational hazard of anaesthesiologists. I think the #1 hazard for those of us who toil in music is becoming totally, hopelessly jaded about it, and art in general. Stick around long enough in this racket and you will eventually start to take the music - the thing that attracted you in the first place - for granted. It happens to all of us, and we must be ever vigilant against losing our passion for awesome tuneage.

Whenever it happens to me, I know it's time to go to a show, pound 3 beers, and stand right in front of the stage. Or simply listen to one of the many seminal songs or albums that inspired me to devote my life to this stuff.

Seeing these kids at school, and the absolute wonder in their eyes as I strummed "I'm A Little Teacup", it just reminded me of the transcendent power of music. We must never forget, people. Never forget. ~ Tim

Silversun Pickups - "Swoon"

2009-04-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

I received an advance of the new Silversun Pickups record, “Swoon”, over the weekend. I’m happy to report that it lives up to the high hopes I had for their sophomore release…no sophomore slump for SSPU’s! This record is sure to put a smile on the face of anyone that enjoys stomping on a Fuzzface or Big Muff π.

Chris

TMI

2009-03-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

I read an interview with Tom Morello in the LA Times this past weekend. Here's an excerpt:

LAT: People are so desperate to sell records that they think they have to do anything.

TM: One of the things I enjoyed about bands growing up was there was a sense of mystique about them. I didn't know what they were eating in catering at their gig every day as they Twittered it to me. Maybe there's something to be said about that.

I think there is something to be said about that: it sucks.

What happened to staring at album covers and band photos for hours on end imagining what incredible, debauched lives our favorite rock stars led? What happened to the mystery?

I really don't want to know what Jimmy Page or Morrissey or Pete Buck are having for lunch, or how much they love CSI: Miami. I want them to exist the way that I envision them - as removed, untouchable, above it all, outside of the pedantic boredom of every day life. Yet thanks to the miracle/curse of modern technology, we can now keep up with our idols' every move. Every boring detail is now available for us to savor while we wait for the next tidbit of useless information about their everyday lives. That is so not rock 'n' roll.

My response: no thanks.

And Twitter is only the latest nail in the coffin of rock mystique. Things really started to go to hell when Ozzy was put on display - in a track suit, no less - in the Osbournes' reality show. I want to think of Ozzy as growing old in a darkly-lit mansion in Birmingham somewhere, not hanging out with Pat Boone by the pool.

So rock stars, I beseach you: resist the urge to tell us everything about yourselves on a minute-by-minute basis. We're already so constricted in this world - at least let our imaginations run free. Even if you are wearing a track suit. ~ Tim

Negative Reinforcement

2009-03-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

NOTE: this is not a stab at urban music. There's a lot of awesome hip-hop and R&B that's being created as I type, by a lot of folks who are true artists. But this Ciara clip? It's just wrong on so many levels.

Let's start with the tune itself, which is built around the melody of Gamble & Huff's "If You Don't Know Me By Now". Note to Ciara's songwriters: write your own melody.

Then there's the laser focus on bling and material possessions. At the beginning of the clip you've got Ciara's girlfriends basically saying: "If the guy's not loaded, he's not worth being with." That's a great message to send to the legions of 14 year old girls watching the video. Then you've got Young Jeezy waving around wads of cash. I mean, it's 2009. Is this not the most clichéd, lame video construct ever at this point? We get it, man: you're loaded. Now get back in your stretch Hummer.

Speaking of getting it, it's made abundantly clear that Ciara is attractive. But how sad is it that her label reps/management/people in charge feel that we need to see her looking like a stripper in order to appreciate (and buy?) her music. Our culture's fixation on physical beauty and the major label recording industry's full-scale embracing of looks-over-talent marketing continues to be a huge bummer.

And finally, what's the deal with the reel-to-reel tape machine rolling throughout the clip? I'd wager a huge amount of money that Ciara has no idea what that contraption is or why it's in her video. Random and annoying.

Yes, I know: this is pop. It's designed to be escapist and disposable to take our minds off of our Real Problems. But the culture that created this video is a Real Problem. It's a culture that reinforces the perceived importance of material wealth and physical beauty above all else. And that affects you and me and our kids because we have to live with the people who buy into that crap.

Ultimately, it's just sad to see so many resources and so much energy going toward reinforcing notions that are truly harmful to our society and our culture at large. And this issue is by no means limited to urban music. In fact, modern country music is one of the worst offenders when it comes to reinforcing clichés that perpetuate a warped, bogus view of the real world.

I just hope that the kids watching this stuff can distinguish between what's real and what's faux. ~ Tim

Doers vs. Talkers

2009-02-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

I was talking with a fellow "industry professional" today about how there are soooo many people in our line of work who love to spend HOURS at panel discussions pontificating (or listening to others pontificate) about "the future of music." You know what the future of music is? Continued massive upheaval and disruption. Now get back to work.

Seriously, do you think we as a company have time to wring our hands about where music is headed? No, because we're in the trenches every day trying to do work, chase down clients, respond to 18,000 emails and generally do all of the things that people who run businesses need to do. I don't have time to sit around in an ivory tower wondering where the Industry will go. If all of the people at these panel discussions devoted more of their time to actually working, they might arrive at a sustainable model, instead of lamenting that fact that they don't have one.

Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy lively discussion as much as the next guy. And I also know firsthand that lively discussion leads to great ideas, which is how we progress, both as a society and an industry. So far be it from me to poo-poo creative thought and intellectual discourse. But there comes a time when you need to stop talking and start working. And for many of these folks, that time is way overdue.

With the music business, the only thing that's certain is uncertainty. Yes, there will be pivotal individuals (Steve Jobs, the MySpace dudes) that will change our way of thinking and steer things in new directions. But we cannot all be those people, at least not all the time (even Jobs has to answer his email at some point).

Ironically, Chris and I have been working on our own potentially game-affecting concept. It's called BrandsForBands and it'll launch soon. But even though it's required hundreds of hours of discussion over the last 2 years, we still managed to increase our company revenues by 10% last year. In other words, we talked about The Big Picture - and are poised to contribute to it significantly with B4B - but not at the expense of getting our everyday work done.

So, fellow music professionals, I beseech you to spend more time on your work and less time worrying - and talking - about where things are headed. That's important, but it don't pay the mortgage. Less talk, more rock. ~ Tim

The D-Process

2009-02-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

If you’re at all like me, you’re trying desperately to make sense of the sh*tstorm that we call our nation’s economy. I found this recent interview with Ray Dalio in Barron’s (by Sandra Ward) to be very enlightening:

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB123396545910358867.html

Mr. Dalio is the Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewater Associates, one of the larger hedge funds out there. He was one the earliest people to sound the alarm about “the dangers of excessive financial leverage.” He does a great job describing the deleveraging and deflationary process that has been happening around the world…what he calls the “D-Process”. Batten down the hatches everyone…we’re in for a fun ride over the next couple of years. ~ Chris

Suddenly, Everything Is Right In The World...

2009-02-04T11:17:00.001-08:00

Well, maybe not everything. But the Doves just posted "Jetstream," a new track from their forthcoming album, Kingdom Of Rust, and I'm pleased to report that it's excellent and, as with most music by the band, keeps getting more excellent (excellenter?) with each listen. Download it for yourself.

I'm an absolutely massive Doves fan, and I don't quite know why. I guess it's something intangible that just hits me right here. They're just three dudes from Manchester, but the sum is infinitely more than the parts. I was telling someone yesterday that Doves may be the only band that I would follow around like a Deadhead. Something tells me that that scene would be a little less, shall we say, colorful than the one fostered by JerBear & Company. I can see it now: a bunch of record store clerks in hoodies standing around mumbling about B-sides and bonus tracks, not making eye contact. [shiver] Now that I think about it, I think seeing Doves in LA will be sufficient.

Anyway, back to "Jetstream." It's a bit of departure for the band, with more of an electronic influence, but it's still classically Doves. If the rest of the album is this good, it's gonna be a corker.

This was supposed to the year that I went to England with some friends, including a pilgrimage to Manchester, the home of a great many of my favorite bands. Sadly, the economic apocalypse has thrown a wet blanket over that idea. But at least I'll have a new Doves album in April. Hell, that + a few pints of Guinness and I can just pretend I'm in Blighty. It'll have to do for now. And I'm OK with that. Kinda. ~ Tim

Glasvegas!

2009-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

Call me a sucker for a thick Scottish accent, a female drummer and gratuitous use of reverb, but I just can’t seem to get enough of the new Glasvegas recording. Dylan aside, it’s the best thing to come out on Columbia in quite some time. You can check out the band here…http://www.glasvegas.net/us/frontpage - Chris

Oh, 9!

2009-01-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

"This place, is coming like a ghost town
No job to be found in this country
Can't go on no more
The people getting angry
This town, is coming like a ghost town"

Those words were sung by The Specials in 1981. The band was lamenting the depressed state of their native England, deep in the throes of Thatcherism with nothing but darkness on the horizon. But those words (soon to be sung again at the band's reunion shows) do an excellent job of describing the current situation we Americans find ourselves in.

And speaking of ghost towns, we were in Vegas earlier this month for the Consumer Electronics Show. The place was (relatively) deserted, with half-built hotels flanking The Strip. It was eerie.

As you may have read, attendance at CES was down about 25% which, despite being a bummer for the CEA, actually made the show a much more pleasant experience for attendees. The usual cattle call was replaced by something resembling a dignified gathering of CE professionals and various hangers on (ahem). We were able to park with ease in the Hilton garage (score!) and experienced very few lines. What struck us though was that every single person we met with said the same thing: "I hate Vegas." Seriously. Everybody. Now, Brandracket's disregard for Sin City is well established, but I always figured that most people liked it. Turns out that's not the case. Frankly, I think the whole "adult Disneyland / 'what happens in Vegas...'" schtick is played out. Do I need to go to Vegas to get drunk or cheat on my wife (hi, honey!)? Not really. I can get thoroughly debauched in my own zip code. So why go? Gambling? Yeah, right. The shows? No thanks. In fact, it's been really entertaining reading the positively brutal reviews of Criss Angel's Believe show.

So, yeah, I don't really know why anyone would want to go to Vegas. And I sincerely hope that the CEA will consider moving it to a different locale. Like one where I don't feel like I need to take a shower just by being there.

In other news, I'm finding it hard to contain my excitement at the fact that the Oval Office is now occupied by a smart, articulate, exceedingly competent human being who claims to like Wilco. Finally, I feel like the POTUS may actually be the smartest guy in the room. Here's hoping that our man lives up to his potential. My gut feeling is that he could be one of the greatest ever, but only time will tell.

Now please excuse me, I'm stimulating the economy. Are you?? ~ Tim

Oh Joy!

2008-12-09T23:28:00.001-08:00

New Doves record coming in spring '09!! Rejoice!

Here Comes The Fear...Again

2008-12-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

A lot is being made of the current "economic downturn", but those of us toiling in the music sector have been witness to a slow-motion apocalypse for nearly a decade now. The phrases "job security" and "career in music" are rarely uttered in the same sentence, but lately things seem to be getting a lot worse, a lot faster. It's kinda like when a ship sinks - once the stern is vertical, you know you'll be wet soon.

Just today Viacom announced the down-sizing of 850 people, including a number of cuts in the NYC office of the Rhapsody music service. As someone who's actually been down-sized by Viacom (back in '01), I can attest to the fact that getting laid off really sucks, and my heart goes out to those folks.

The thing that really interests me is the number of "music professionals" that are / will soon be out on the street trying to find jobs in music. Frankly, I don't think our industry - which is relatively small and insular - can sustain them, and I suspect that many people who've spent their entire professional lives parked at the intersection of Music and Business will soon be exploring new career avenues.

That's a tough pill to swallow. What if you were a pastry chef and suddenly someone told you, "That's it - out of the kitchen!" Yet, that's what's happening. The technological disruption occurring in the music space - and the resultant file-sharing - is unprecedented and it's making a lot of people either 1) unnecessary or 2) redundant or 3) unemployable.

We here at Brandracket take some comfort in the fact that we don't pay our rent selling music. We're essentially a service business - helping brands find and license music for a variety of purposes. Lucky for us, brands will always respect copyrights (thanks to the armies of lawyers they employee...), and they will always need someone to help them navigate the musical waters.

But that said, don't think for instant that we're not battening down the hatches over here. The looming economic storm is gonna rain on everyone's parade, including ours. So we're doing everything we can to keep existing clients and aggressively (but nicely!) go after new ones. Ultimately, that's really all we can do.

And if it doesn't work, we'll just ask for a bailout. :)

Enough hand-wringing. Last time I checked, none of us are in a Turkish prison, so let's keep things in perspective. (Apologies to anyone who actually is in a Turkish prison. Keep digging.) If I don't get around to writing something here before the end of the year, we wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season. See you in '09! ~ Tim

OMG: DBT

2008-11-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

I contend that Drive-By Truckers is currently the best band in America. Over the last two decades, this Alabama-by-way-of-Athens, GA outfit has honed its songwriting chops to a knife's edge, as witnessed by its latest platter, Brighter Than Creation's Dark. Yeah, I know, the album came out in January, but I'm still listening. It's good, people.

There's no musical slight of hand occurring here, and no incredible production job. There is simply a group of super-gifted songsmiths with an uncanny knack for putting just the right words to just the right music.

DBT represent the melding of Skynnrd-inspired Southern Rock with a northern/western/eastern indie rock sensibility. But where they depart from current indie rock - and where they earn the title of Best Band In America - is with their lyrics. DBT do not traffic in irony, or witty turns of phrase. Their lyrics are literal; you know exactly what they're talking about. It's this ability to articulate their thoughts in a down home, funny, poignant and more than anything human manner that puts them far ahead of their peers.

I challenge anyone to read this horrifying story about the murder of ex-House Of Freaks singer Bryan Harvey and his family, then listen to "Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife" from Brighter Than Creation's Dark, and not shed a tear. Of course, the story itself is an unfathomably sad tragedy, but the way in which Patterson Hood answers the event - not with righteous anger or calls for blood, but with a heartbreaking vision of Harvey and his family - is truly poetic.

Two other songs on BTCD deal with the emotional and mental cost of the war in Iraq, a topic that most American bands seem to avoid like the plague. "That Man I Shot" is a harrowing first person account (with an awesome Afghan Whigs-inspired riff) of the enduring horrors of war, while "The Home Front" is a Springsteenian portrait of a wife and mom struggling to keep it together in the face of her husband's deployment. In both cases, Hood paints detailed portraits of lives torn asunder by a morally ambiguous war. [NOTE: for another heartbreaking commentary on the Iraq conflict and its aftermath, check out "Dress Blues" from ex-DBT Jason Isbell's album Sirens Of The Ditch. It's one of my favorite records of the year.]

I could go on with my praise for DBT and try to convince you of their greatness, but it's late and I gotta work in the morning (I'm sure Patterson could write a great song about that). The band is currently headed to the West Coast with another lyrically gifted American band, The Hold Steady. Do yourself and favor and check 'em out. ~ Tim

No Drummer Jokes

2008-10-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

Last night, Chris and I attended the launch party for Fallout 3, the third installment of Bethesda Softworks' massively popular Fallout video game franchise. We music supervised the game, including licensing a great collection of classic vocal jazz from the 40s and 50s. (Full disclosure: Chris did pretty much all the work on this one. Nice job, buddy.) Set against the post-apocalyptic carnage of the game, the music comes off as super spooky.

Anyway, the launch party was at LA Center Studios and it was pretty much off the chain. We're talking red carpet, tons of paparazzi, 15 open bars, and about 1500 mostly beautiful people, many of whom looked like they were trying desperately to get a part on The Hills. Oh, and the Foo Fighters played.

Now, I give Dave Grohl mad, insanely huge props. Not only is he one of the greatest rock musicians of all time, but if you want to zoom out a bit, he's also the living embodiment of the American Dream. The guy grew up poor with a single mom in Virginia, joined a punk band called Scream, spent years on the road, joined another band called Nirvana, buried his singer, then parlayed his fame and immense talent into a whole second career. Which brings us to the present, where Grohl and his fellow Foos are headlining Wembley Arena. Basically, they're one of the biggest bands in the world. Which makes me sad that I don't really like their music anymore.

By all accounts Grohl is an absolute sweetheart. Every person I've met who's had an interaction with him says the same thing: "Man, he was so nice and cool!!" And his musical prowess has been well established (the dude is one of the greatest drummers E-V-E-R). But I gotta say, I think Grohl and the Foos are done. I think they've reached the terminus of what they're capable of. It's all starting to sound the same to me and I kinda wish they'd stop.

And what's up with Dave looking like Lemmy these days? Dude has long stringy hair, a beard & 'stache, prominent tats and a little cross medallion/choker thing...just like Lemmy. My theory is that Dave really wants to be seen as part of the Continuum of Rock, a big dot in the straight line that goes from Pete Townshend to Jimmy Page to Ritchie Blackmore to Lemmy and on and on. And that's fine - part of the allure of rock 'n' roll is the ability to reinvent yourself. I just think he might be trying a little too hard.

But in Dave's defense, it's gotta be kinda tough to maintain your edge if you're him. I mean, what's left to accomplish? What's left to kick against? Courtney Love? I think that battle has been fought and won. It just seems like Dave is kinda treading water. I think he'd be much more creative if he was put into a situation where he can contribute, but he's not running the show (like playing drums for Queens of the Stone Age, which he did).

Anyway, something tells me Dave doesn't really care what I think (probably 'cause he'll never know I exist...[sob]). I still respect the hell outta the guy, and wish him nothing but the best.

I kinda hope some 14-year old Foos obsessive stumbles upon this post and lambasts me in the comments section. Have at it, kiddies. ~ Tim

The Kid Is Alright

2008-09-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

My 3 year old son Aidan is bonkers for a book/cartoon series called The Magic School Bus, wherein a teacher named Ms. Frizzle takes her class on crazy field trips to the stone age, outer space - you name it. Aidan is now convinced that "Magic Bus" by The Who is about The Magic School Bus, and he insists on hearing it on the way to daycare every morning.

Now, The Who is my favorite band of all time. Actually, let me clarify: the Who between the years 1964 and 1973 is my favorite band of all time. For me, there is no other band that has so perfectly combined epic song craft with unhinged rock power (haters: watch this in its entirety and then let's talk). So the fact that my son is now a Who fan? Worse things could happen. I just pray that we can get through the teenage years without him embracing godawful music (i.e. whatever his generation's version of Korn is). For now, I will appreciate the fact we get to listen to cool music in the car. It's better than Barney. Much, much better. ~ Tim

He Lost Control

2008-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

With 2 boys aged 3 months and 3 years running us ragged, there's precious little down time around the Scanlin household. But last Saturday night, after the jammies/teeth-brush/bed time stories routine was completed, I managed to stay awake long enough to check out the Ian Curtis biopic "Control". Being a massively huge Joy Division and New Order fan, I've wanted to see the movie ever since it came out.

The verdict: it was just OK.

Much has been made about director Anton Corbijn's decision to film the movie in black and white. I'm a fan of Corbijn's iconic shots of bands like U2 and REM (and Joy Division) as much as the next guy, but the reason those shots are so powerful is that they're moments captured in time. They're iconic. But there's nothing iconic or powerful about a guy waiting for the bus, or brushing his teeth. In other words, it's difficult/impossible to sustain Corbijn's dramatic aesthetic over the course of a 2 hour, live action feature film. It really just ends up looking like any other black and white movie.

The film's star, Sam Riley, bears an incredible resemblance to Ian Curtis, and his acting was proficient if not revelatory. His singing on the other hand was awesome. The guy does an almost spot-on Curtis. But that's not enough to save the film.

I think director Michael Winterbottom did a much better job of contextualizing and portraying Curtis and Joy Division in his kick-ass film 24 Hour Party People. That movie contained versions of all the pivotal scenes portrayed in Control (Ian's first seizure, Ian's confrontation with Tony Wilson at the club, Ian's last moments), but dealt with them in a much more compelling way. And while Winterbottom was at it, he managed to chronicle two decades of Manchester music - no small feat. (I think the coolest scene in Party People is when we see the newly christened New Order, still mourning Curtis's death, fumbling their way through an embryonic version of "Blue Monday" in their dank practice space. The song would go on to become the biggest selling single in UK chart history.)

So now, some random thoughts about Joy Division and "Control":

- It's awesome that Corbijn references Curtis's love of The Doors early in the film. By his own admission, Curtis owes a tremendous debt to Jim Morrison, and the snarky music fanatic (and unabashed Doors fan) in me thinks it's awesome that Corbijn acknowledges this in his film.

- Joy Division were so fucking cool it's kinda ridiculous. Their dark hooks continue to be pretty much irresistible to generations of angst-ridden kids, while their unrelentingly linear sound has been massively influential (we must also credit production genius Martin Hannett here). And their look! In the annals of rock history, you will find only a handful of bands that so effortlessly looked as cool as Joy Division. It's like their clothes were the perfect compliment to their sound. Yes, you can say that about a lot of bands in this day and age, but it's always contrived. Joy Division's fashion sense looked as if it literally seeped out of their amp cabinets and onto their bodies.

- If my boys ever endeavor to be in rock bands (and I pray that they do), I will sit them down and play for them choice cuts by JD. At the end of this little listening session, I will enumerate the lessons learned: 1) You need to have a sound that is your own. 2) Less is more. Listen to the sparseness of this music. Listen to what is not there. Listen to how powerful simple bass, drums, guitar and vocals can be. 3) You need to look cool. 4) Be mysterious - the world does not need to know everything about you, or what you had for breakfast. To which they will of course reply: "Whatever, dad. We wanna hear that Poison record - the one with 'Talk Dirty To Me.'"

- Ian Curtis was kind of a narcissistic dick. If you were going to kill yourself, why would you hang yourself in your living room, knowing that your loved ones would find you and be scarred for life by the image of it? David Foster Wallace just did this exact thing. WTF, people? If you must shuffle yourself off this mortal coil, please have the decency and foresight to do it some place where a complete stranger will find you, instead of the people who really care about you. I mean, c'mon. It's just rude.

I'm off to listen to Unknown Pleasures for the 14th time this week. Toodles! ~ Tim

Taillights Fade...

2008-09-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

Great article in Advertising Age this week about how major labels - with the help of the RIAA - are slowly digging their own graves. Check it out here:

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=130766

And it's pretty much true: majors are so fixated on making money the old school way that they can't - or won't - embrace new technologies and the new playing field that has unfolded before them. In a way, you can't blame them. These are massive machines that support thousands and thousands of people (except for those who are getting laid off...). It's like trying to turn around an air craft carrier: it's gonna take a few days, only in this instance, a few days equals a few decades in major label years. And by then, it'll be way, way too late.

This is why we love to work with independent labels. Because they are quick and nimble and open-minded and they get it. They understand the awareness = new fans = revenue equation. And they have (in most cases) the lean infrastructure to be able to adapt to change. One of the key differences between indies and majors is that indies (and particularly artists) have been able to use disruptive technology to their advantage, whereas majors - having sunk billions over the years into establishing slow, lumbering machines - have been caught completely offguard.

It's sad and frustrating watching the majors try to wring every last drop of blood from their once fruitful stone. For me, the most telling "we're completely hosed" moment was when they started charging media outlets blanket fees to stream their music videos, seeing as how videos were totally promotional for, oh, about 40 years.

I could go on and on (just ask my fellow Brandrackateers...), but you get the point. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Whatever you do, Jack, don't be a major label in 2008. ~ Tim

News Flash: People Like Free Music

2008-09-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Wired:

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/02/free-music-boos.html

It talks about how Last.fm's traffic went up 58% after they added free, ad-supported music to the site. Hmmm...kinda like what we've been doing for our clients over the last 3 years, in a much cooler, less-obtrusive way (if you ask me).

Yes, it's true: people like free music. They especially like free music with no strings attached. They get the music, they share it with their friends. This leads to more fans for participating artists and labels, resulting in more cash in their pockets via the sale of music, concert tickets, DVDs, merchandise, ringtones, and whatever else they want to sell. Meanwhile, the site on which people find the music gets more traffic because people are telling their friends about it.

This is not rocket science, people. Free music is good for everyone. Learn it. Love it. Live it. ~ Tim

Well, hello there...

2008-08-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Aloha and welcome to the Brandracket blog. In the coming days, months and hopefully years we will use this space to pontificate, explain, implore, inform, rant, rock, roll, laugh and cry (among other things).

If you haven't already, please visit our web site at www.brandracket.com to learn about who we are and what we do.

We look forward to getting our blog on...and reading your insightful, thought-provoking comments.

Yers,

Tim Scanlin