(PR) Lots of mail to answer today. Great Music Lasts, While Trends Die
Clamesha sent us these compelling thoughts about our story on AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Radiohead and Nirvana CDs still selling big numbers while the star Clive Davis took credit from his employee for finding hasn't really passed the test of time. Clamesha writes: Whitney is not cheasy. She is way bettar thin the noisy bands you say are bettar. She can sign.
Response: Wow, we didn't know she could sign. So she wasn't just using her prerogative to give Bobby the finger? But you are right. Her brand of vocal masturbation and screeching is annoying, yet mostly dairy free. She's still no Aretha or Diana, two women that could do far more with one note then a dozen extraneous ones used to cover up the lack of a truly great voice. Then again, she should be given credit for opening the door for a wealth of mediocre singers that copied that style, thus destroying the once proud tradition of Motown and R&B as American Idol has shown us.
On the same story Danny writes: I think the reason that these old cds sell so well still is that they are great cds from start to finish instead of the one or two good songs we now seem to get from bands. I agree with your point about labels not taking chances anymore on different types of music and instead forcing a bunch of copycats on us. What can we do to change this?
Response: Sadly Danny there is very little we the record buying public can do to change the practice of the major labels foisting copycats on us and not offering new and exciting bands that can change the direct of music. The next Nirvana, Guns N' Roses if you will. Some how the notion of supply and demand goes over the swelled heads of most big label execs. That being said, we can continue to ignore the inferior clones and maybe someday before they are out of a job they will wake up to the fact that people don't want it. Even more important, you should keep your ears open to the artists on the smaller labels and support any band that you love. Turn your friends on to them and do your part to help them succeed. Believe it or not, that CAN really help and if an indie band succeeds on that level it will get the attention of the big labels. Remember Nirvana didn't sign directly to Geffen, they went the indie route first. There are a lot of places to find great independent releases; in fact, not to toot our own horn but about 70-80% of 100 or so CDs we review here each month are from indie bands and labels. Also Mark Hensch has a great series called Hensch's Hometown Heroes dedicated to underground bands, he covers a new CD each Wednesday. Try other sites that also cover indie music and troll Myspace, look at bands you like, click on their friends and check out other bands listed there. Most will be leeching crap, but you'd be surprised at the great music you can find. Hecklerspray runs a regular feature on their site where they cover bands they discover on Myspace and that's just the tip of the iceberg on using the web to find new music. Great music is out there, you just have to work at discovering it.
She Like Didn't Like Steal Like Songs Like For Sure
This next person didn't leave a name but we'll call him/her Debating Champ since he/she appears to be a student of the Al Franken school of debate and offers up this amazing irrefutable defense of Avril and the SECOND songwriting theft accusation. (Of a song Avril herself reportedly listed as one of her favorites. ooooopppps). Debating Champ writes: they are lieing
We have no response to this, as this argument was clear, concise and misspelled.
Not All LA Residents are McDorks
Nikki want to set the record straight about a comment in a Rooney article about the cancelled teen soap "The O.C.". Nikki writes: I live in L.A. and we never call Orange County "The OC". We may call it the orange curtain but never "The OC". I never heard anyone call it that but that stupid tv show.
Response: All we can say Nikki is that you must not be a McDork, that's who we called out for using that ubber lame term for the ubber lame soap. We should used the term THE McDork, sorry. We used to headquartered in OC but had to leave after the shame that show brought us. No, the real reason is we couldn't understand the new language and got tired of people peeing in our yard, but that's another story for another show.