If you look around at the music news, there’s nada. Yesterday, pundit/wonk types were talking about whether or not Jessica Simpson was being dropped by Sony Nashville. And, the story there is; it no longer works to take a beautiful person who actually can sing in tune, that is already in the pop culture lexicon and plug her in to the machine, put her with with the best writers and production people. You can’t manufacture a career with all those ingredients.
Stuff like that, mile markers to the end of the mainstream are everywhere you look.
But the thing is, the mainstream is already over. And, when the mainstream is gone there’s nothing to react to, nothing to get snarky about, nothing to “rebel” against.
There is no host body, you see?
Now is the time for substance. If you can back your play with substance, there is going to be a place for you. And you know, for years now, I’ve been on the fact that it’s music business first-all other creative content based businesses to follow and that always applies.
The music fan/journalist has a golden opportunity right now. The music fan/journalist is in a position to be the steward of substance. It’s going to take some eggs though because, it’s not as easy as just reacting to the mainstream. You have to seek out substance and put your stamp of approval on it. You have have to be willing to say; “I believe in this” rather than; “This sucks”.
You have to seek substance, take a stand, and back your play with your own substance as a writer. If you can do this music fan/journalist, now is your time; seize the day.
I don’t know that there is a more thankless job in the music biz than that of the lowly song plugger.
From Topix.
Pop star turned country singer Jessica Simpson told a crowd during her Grand Ole Opry debut that she burst into tears the first times she heard the song “Remember That” and knew God wanted her to sing it.
Good to see the The Almighty has thrown his hat in to the ring.
O.K., I know you guys are going to think I must be slipping something into my coffee as this is the second time in a week that I’m writing about American Idol. It’s not the case, I subscribed to Billboard Biz a while ago and last night the omniscient Google Reader recommended that I get Billboard News as well. This article was surprising to me.
Season seven “American Idol” champion David Cook will set a record for debut entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Digital Songs tomorrow as 11 titles enter the former, while 14 songs jump on the download tally. The onslaught is led by a No. 3 Hot 100 start for his original recording “The Time of My Life,” which shifts 236,000 downloads to easily take the No. 1 spot on Hot Digital Songs.
It’s impressive that Cook had that many songs enter the charts even though the Hot 100 is principally based on voodoo or, as Billboard puts it, a chart “in which we try to mingle sales numbers with radio data”. But, the real impressive number is 236,000 downloads. That is a big number for downloads. And, that’s for an artist with no physical CD release.
Lefsetz says Cook’s success is because we have to have a “center” and; “We live in a rock nation.”
I’ll buy that Bob, because I want to believe it but, it doesn’t explain why 236,000 people paid to download a can of sappy ballad.
Now, 236,000 paid downloads isn’t a number that’s going to save the music biz but, the fact this much of a buzz exists around Cook is a good sign.
Oh yeah, remember when I was busting on ZZ Top for appearing on stage with David Cook?
Well….that was before someone pointed me to this picture.
By the way, Jessica Simpson is releasing a country album. Apparently, Papa Joe is the only manager in the game that isn’t reading Lefsetz. We live in a rock nation, Joe.
Recent Comments