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Something to Write Home About by the Get Up Kids is one of my "life changing" records. I remember the first time I heard it - In a friend's car, and a third friend had just bought it and put it in the stereo. The life, emotion, FEELING of the album had me completely engrossed, enraptured. I couldn't stop listening. The very next day, I took off down to HMV (the only record store out here in the 'burbs). Of course, it's not there. I gotta make a trip to one of the "indie" record stores apparently, down in the city. So I do. And I listened to the record day and night for 2 months. To this day, listening to "I'm a Loner Dottie; a rebel brings up strong reminder of the feeling I got when I first heard the song.
Are we Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?? By .moneen. is another. On a bus on the way to school, stopping at HMV (again) to pick up the record on a friend's recommendation. And it held my complete attention for the better part of an hour. Never before had I heard such a combination of powerful rock with these crazy melodies and harmonies, not to mention the SHOTS! Shots everywhere! Where had .moneen. been all my life?
So lets hear it - what are your life-changing records? What records give you that feeling that only music can do - make you sit up and take notice, give you goosebumps?
What is it about pitchfork that everyone seems to love? I'd say I disagree with 85% of what they say. Why is it so revered? WHY?
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free mp3s. that's what keeps it my homepage. along with random music news updates, too.
Some may have heard of the recent closing of V2 records, as well as the major reorganization at EMI. Both of these developments are victims of the current state of the industry, although I have little (none) sympathy for record labels - they had their 30 years in the sun while they milked music lovers for every penny they have. More importantly though, this could be a sign that the industry has finally reached the "tipping point" that insiders have been ranting about for the last 2-3 years.
Don't think for a second that these label issues are small - V2 was the label home for the Alkaline Trio, Deus, Elbow, Grandaddy, Josh Ritter, Moby, Stereophonics, Raconteurs, and the White Stripes (too name a few).
In my opinion (and this is my opinion), this is an example of the obsolesence of the Record Label in today's musical landscape. The intangibles that used to make a label so powerful were simple - Distribution, and Promotion. They had the infrastructure to get your record in stores. and they had the means to get it heard on radio/tv/whatever.
Now? Musical acts are broken more and more frequently with online presence and touring. As everyone here probably agrees, radio is dead. And when was the last time you happened to turn on MTV and saw a (heaven forbid) music video?
And distribution? The internet killed that label stronghold. A good band with a good manager can be just as successful as when a major label is involved, often because the manager will be more devoted to the act, will put more time in. And, both parties are thenn splitting 100% of revenues instead of giving the label the first 90%, and trying to make a living off the remaining 10% - but only after paying out for all of the costs of the production, marketing, and any other cost the label wants to charge to the artist. The artist doesn't see ANY revenues until all these costs are paid out of their 10%. The label has recouped 9 times over before they claim that the artist has fully "recouped." Now I'm ranting - I'm sure many of you know about this already. It just angers me as a musician, and music listener; but I digress.
This brings up an interesting side note - if you truly want the artists you love to survive - hope for the death of the label. No joke - artists marginal revenues are 5 to 10 times HIGHER without a label than with one.
But back to the point at hand; is this a case of mis-management? A once strong label unable to control costs in the face of diminished sales and increased consumer power/control? Or is this an inevitable occurance that is going to occur with increasing frequency over the next few years? Or both?
Thoughts?
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i totally agree with you. and no, i dont think it was mis-management, the music landscape is just transitioning right now, its happening in different genres, so you cant just blame it on one tactic.
Big labels will never die, i think some will adapt with the times... sink or swim
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oh man. the get up kids. one of my top bands of all time. they hold a place in my heart..i saw a video of hellogoodbye performing "action action" with james and matt pryor and i seriously flipped out [james-ie reggie and the full effect- were touring with hgb and they stopped in lawrence, so matt showed up..] i was like a 12 year old girl it just made me giddy..that's one band i'm really sad i'll never get to see live [unless they pull a Lifetime, which i dunno if i'd like]. i just really wanna meet matt pryor.
anyways. yeah.
life changing records...BT's "movement in still life" represents a chunk of high school for me and is one of the best records ever made, in my mind [it's in my top 10 of all time] and Incubus' "Make Yourself" was the first real rock record i bought....not that i really listen to it a lot lately, but it was the "gateway drug", you could say...then it was good charlotte. haha.
have a great one!
Great album by the Get Up Kids... some of my life changing albums:
Brand New - Deja Entendu The Rocket Summer - Calendar Days Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlantascism
that is totally in my list of life changing albums as well. it's tied into when I saw them life (honest-to-goodness life changing event for me). some others:
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Jeff Buckley - Grace Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American The Libertines - s/t Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cold Roses