Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

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Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Christian LeBlanc » Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:58 am

"Ben Folds, Damian Kulash, Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman to Write, Record Eight Songs in Eight Hours"(link)

The point they're trying to make seems to be how the recording industry is unnecessary in generating buzz and distributing music to the audience. My problems with this project:

1) None of the above artists would have the capacity to generate buzz on their own if their respective industries hadn't helped make them famous first;

2) the 'big bad' recording industry is going to end up looking pretty good if these big names in music combine their talents and end up with a rushed, mediocre-sounding product. There's a potential for a very large negative impact on smaller, independent artists.

I do like that they seem interested in discussing 'virtual busking' and 'patronage,' which seem to be emerging trends in music these days (see Freezepop's creepy $5,000 offer to fans here...just scroll to the bottom of the page).

Anyway, that's my first impression of it all. I reserve the right to change my mind, of course, especially after any discussion about it we may have here.
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Crimson Chameleon » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:20 am

This might sound petty, Christian, but I do have to disagree with your statement #1.

You claim:
1) None of the above artists would have the capacity to generate buzz on their own if their respective industries hadn't helped make them famous first

I agree with the fact that yes all these artists are currently "famous" thanks to their respective industries, however, there is no way that I know of, unless you have some super-natural power to observe alternate versions of reality, that you can claim that these artist would NOT have had the capacity to do this if they hadn't already been involved in the "industry."

In such an alternate world where these artists never worked within the industry perhaps they created fame through independent means. Just saying. It's like when people argue that if Hitler had have been aborted in the womb we wouldn't have had the holocaust. And I argue that someone else would have probably done it instead. We just can't know.

As it is right now, we have no way of knowing whether or not these artists could have generated such buzz on their own.

But I'm getting picky and my difference of opinion does not change the point I think you are trying to get across.
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Christian LeBlanc » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:57 am

Not petty, just picky :) So let me rephrase:

1) All of these artists are currently famous due in some degree to their involvement they have had with their respective industries; being in that position, it makes it somewhat more difficult for them to deny the importance of the recording industry today. Examples of mainstream popular musical success outside of the music industry have been largely viral and accidental so far (Rebecca Black, Antoine Dodson, etc).

However, none of this denies the potential for musicians to succeed with new business models, nor is it meant to imply that any of the mentioned artists have not earned their success, or could not have found comparable levels of success through alternate channels. (please refer to subsection C, paragraph xxiii for further clarification)

Also, I can't believe you invoked Godwin's Law this quickly ;-)
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:04 am

I disagree with the statement that these people are famous.

PS - Ben Folds is a genious and I have no doubt he can pull it off and do it well. But I strongly disagree that the outcome of this experiment is something the "industry" is concerned about and I really don't think that the outcome will change anything in the slightest bit. Also I don't think it will change their own status in the industry either way.
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Christian LeBlanc » Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:02 pm

I guess I just mis-understand the point they're trying to make. Are they saying that anyone can generate buzz by doing something unique, or just artists that already have fan followings? (Just to be silly: for comparable levels of fame, Ben Folds has 243,715 Twitter followers, Neil Gaiman 1,544,103; I'll totally grant you, these are nothing compared to Charlie Sheen's 3,509,474).

You make a very good point about the effects of such a project, though, and I think I'll reserve further judgement until I've heard what they can come up with together.
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:19 pm

If they are trying to make any point I think it's silly. They should just make music because they want to, not because of anyone's reactions to the music.
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Re: Christian gets cynical about the latest song project

Postby Cryptowen » Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:14 pm

Christian LeBlanc wrote:I guess I just mis-understand the point they're trying to make. Are they saying that anyone can generate buzz by doing something unique, or just artists that already have fan followings?

Anyone can be a star
Just ask Chocolate Rain
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