Fight for Better Music

Sorry for the lack of posts of late.
It seems weird to be adding a follow up to my Juno boobee post
two weeks after the Junos.
But alas, April is essay month so other things in my life take a backseat.
My blog doesn't seem as disappointed in me as some of the other people in my life that I have been ignoring.
That may be an indication that you, my loyal blog audience are tolerant and understanding people. It may also mean that you, my loyal blog audience, is in actuality, no one.

Back to the Junos. After Broken Social Scene's performance, the lead singer, Kevin Drew, screamed "fight for better music" into the mic. When asked why, he replied:"I feel really sorry for those kids in Canadian Idol because they're going absolutely nowhere. It's a trick . . . It's a Canadian music industry downfall because in three years no one is going to remember them." The arguement is that idols are propelled into popularity, but don't actually have the experience (hard won through tours, shows, dirty clubs etc...) to cut it in the real music industry.

In some respects, I hope he is right. I would be content if the idols ended up on some MTV reality show where they each have to eat a sub for 1 million dollars, but everyone is allergic the toppings. But, as much as I love Drew and his collective the music industry is about as much about brands as it is about music. Candian Idol is not about the music, but about building the brand of the eventual winner. When Idols get off the show, they have an intimate connection with thousands of fans before they've even sung a note of their own music. They've been pre-marketed in a way that most artists can only dream of. Whether they can back it up with decent music is a whole other story.

Luckily, there's many ways to build a brand. Drew and crew have built their brand through hard work, smart marketing care of Arts and Crafts and the crazy ass idea that 6 guitars on stage at once just might work. Idols, on the other hand, get their brands built for them by marketers looking to make a quick profit. But don't be surprised if some of those brands actually succeed. Kelly Clarkson, after all, is still with us.

More on Kevin Drew's comments Here
Better Music found by listening to ibi dreams of pavement (a better day)