Bryan Adams sees independence as future of music

[Dennis Willis]

And while we're on the subject...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080503/media_nm/adams_dc;_ylt=AkZXIzpo...

[Oni Monk]

Where's Barry Gordy when you need him? Time to tether in these roustabouts and remind them who got the ball rolling in the first place. OK... seriously, in this day and age of corporate mergers (sorry Microsoft) and anti-trust litigation it's refreshing to see the pendulum swing the other way. The abundant and overflowing success of the pre-digital era led to a growing complacency among the corporate entities and encouraged exploitative practices. Not only did the burgeoning musicians suffer but the unsuspecting consumers as well. In the long run, regardless of which way the silicon dust settles it us only we who stand to gain.

PS-Help! Can any of you Waveniks out there clue me in on how to use this font/hyperlink system? Much appreciated.

[Dennis Willis]

I am completely in favor of artists selling directly to their flock without the intervention of labels. It's the 21st century, for F's sake -- and the internet makes the world that much smaller. Because of these mergers, do you realize there are only five music labels? FIVE! And underneath those corporate umbrellas are a hundred labels with thousands of artists looking to sell some widgets. To all the artists (both established and newbies) who can chart their own course and can sell their own music through their own websites, I say Bravo!

These days, chain stores need to subscribe to the very services that compile and report sales data to Billboard. So basically, the "charts" that Casey Kasem used to count down every week are now compiled of companies that PAY to be counted. So when Starbucks (who does not pay) sells five million copies of a given CD, it does not count toward the charts. When the global rules to the game change that much, I say we're not in Kansas anymore.

[Cabernet]

I'm sorry, all I retained from that article was "Walmart", isn't that like the evil empire?!!! I'm not impressed by artistic freedom if it's basically being sold by the Christian-Fundamentalist-keep-underpaid-and/or-minorities-as-far-down-as-possible alliance. Now maybe if Brain, or whomever launched to only independent record stores, or what the hell, you can only buy them at the Goodwill (in Brian's case we could just skip the middleman this way!) then I could get excited about it. And, sure, I get that 5 companies are way too close to the Fox takeover of the news media modal... And I get that I'm a bit of an idealist, but that's my two cents!

[Dennis Willis]

Well said, Miss Cabernet! But the hard truth is that artists wanna sell their music, and whether it's through their own companies or the necessary evil of an exclusive deal with a big chain store, that is their choice. The flip side, of course, is true. If you, as the consumer, want to support artists that are as cool and socially-conscience as you are, that is your choice as well.

Radio is a shambles. There is no artist development anymore. Nobody buys CDs anymore. If you are an artist who wants to sell some music, it's a hard choice.
Hell, Prince gave away his latest CD with the freakin' Sunday newspaper because he knew it would directly translate into concert ticket sales, which is where these guys really make their money.

And don't get me started about Fox News...

[Cabernet]

Oh, I think you should get started about Fox news!!!

[Steven Kirk]

Even in this day and age where independent artists sell their good out of their trunk or at a gig, there's ALWAYS going to be those artists who won't think they've "made it" until they're with a "major label".

It's going to take nothing less that a major, wholesale boycott of artists signing with the big guns to knock them off the mound...but that's not going to happen for a while...

Better bet, more major artist take up their own cause and distribute their wares online, set up their own microbrew labels and take on the new cats.

That way, the old lions still have an avenue for their own goods, as well as giving the new artists a place to hang their hat for a much smaller piece of the pie than the major labels would take.

And maybe, while dragging fans of the new music to the indie label, artists like the Eagles might pick up some new fans and start moving more of their own stuff as well.

Artists old and new win, and the labels take a shot in the pills.

Groovy, baby!