Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
by Mark Carras
The Music Industry is more staged than you think
Remember a few years ago when Nine Inch Nails And Radiohead both came up with very similar innovative ideas to get their music out? NIN made tons of money by giving the cd away and selling several limited editions. Radiohead sold their cd for “Whatever you want” through their website. Ever wonder how they both came up with two ideas that are basically giving away their music? Well, I’m not saying this is for sure the reason, but they (at least at the time) were handled by Nasty Little Man I found that to be a rather interesting coincidence. Remember not too long ago when Taylor Swift had that little incident with Kanye West? They both have the same agent. Coincidence? Maybe.
Now to be clear, I am not saying that either of these are anything other than interesting coincidences. However, they are very interesting coincidences. How much of the music industry is staged? Most of the things that the public thinks of as spontaneous events are actually totally well planned and well staged events. The bigger the artist, the more “handlers” they have. These handlers work very hard to make sure their artists get the most press. Press means cd sales. How much press did Kanye West get out of his “outlandish behavior” at that awards show? There is no such thing as bad press. Remember the fire at that Great White show a few years ago where several fans (and one band member) ended up burned to death? Right after wards the band had better sales than they had in about a decade. Now even I would be shocked if any part of that was planned, but that “bad press” made the band a ton of money. There is no such thing as bad press. So even events where it seems the artist end up with tons of egg on their face are good for them.
What is my point of this article? The bigger the artist, the more fake everything about them is. If you think for a second that the Adam Lambert kiss controversy was a spontaneous decision that he regretted, you are dumber than a rock! It was just the shock that his handlers needed. Him getting kicked off of one morning show was the greatest thing that could have happened. Think about how much more press he got because of it all. The bigger the artist, the more fake and planned out everything they do is. Is Lady Gaga a hermaphrodite? She has said so a few times. Her people have denied it and people close to her have said it is not true. However, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that even I am talking about it! If it’s shocking to the general public, and gets the artist tons of press, it was staged. The music industry is more staged than you think.
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
by Mark Carras
Now this is an interesting topic. There are some that refuse to get the point because they know it makes their music collection look lame. At least that is what I am guessing. They try to split hairs on the subject to avoid the point. You ever hear of the saying “If the shoe fits, where it?” Well that is what I am trying to say here. It’s not my fault you like fake bands. It’s not my fault you are a shallow minded drone who gets their music info from places like Rolling Stones, Spin, Billboard, or MTV. It’s not my fault you shop at Hot Topics. I’m just the messenger.
They will try to debunk the concept of poser bands by giving weak examples. What about David Bowie? Was he a poser when he was acting like an alien? Well if you can’t tell the difference between David Bowie and someone who is a total fake then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you are a poser? What about The Monkees? Well they were not even a real band. They were the product of a tv show. The main focus was not the music. They were using music as a vessel to put on a comedy show.
No, what I am talking about are bands that put looking like a “rockstar” above writing good music. I am talking about the bands that put how they look in their press photo above how meaningful their lyrics are. I am talking about the bands that put celebrity above the art and craft of music. That is a poser. If you are in denial of that then you are a poser in denial. Sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it’s true. Rock n’ Roll ain’t supposed to be safe. It should never be pretty either. Real Rock N’ Roll (in it’s purest form) should be dirty, ugly, and mean. So enjoy your pretty boy rock and I will be listening to Motorhead!
Top Ten ways to tell if your favorite band are posers!
1. Have they ever consulted a fashion expert of any kind?
2. Would you picture them downing a shot of whiskey before a show or a good strong cup of tea?
3. If they saw a chipmunk in the middle of the road while cruising down the highway in their tour bus would they say…
a. Stop that matches my argyle sweater!
b. Floor it!
4. Do they have to steal from real musicians like Joe Satriani
5. Do they look clean cut?
6. Do they use more midi cables than guitars but yet are not in an industrial band
7. Have they ever been seen drunk, caught doing drugs, or done jail time?
8. Have they ever been arrested for fighting?
9. After a show do you think they eat meat and potatoes or a nice salad? Both?
10. Do they put style above substance?
Just for the record, I am NOT saying a band has to fit all of these. I am not saying that if the band fits any of these that they should be dismissed. My point is that if the more of these that fit, the better the chances that they are not down and dirty Rock N’ Roll.
I could name bands by name like Radiohead, Coldplay, Daft Punk, Oasis, or a few others, but I think I’ve pissed off enough people for today. Maybe for another top ten list some other time. Get your hate mail ready!
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