There's something about the Muse single "Resistance", can't quite think what it is.
Ah, yes - its this
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Charts.
In a world where an A list at Radio One is vital for the success of a manufactured pop act, surely its game over for Girls Can't Catch, who's single "Echo" entered the chart at No. 19, at a time when its supposed to be easy to break into the singles chart.
It was A listed after all, and is in the top 30 airplay chart - so what went wrong, and how will the pluggers explain it away when they try and get support for the next single, if there is a next single.
Speaking of which, notice that despite Christmas rush - The Saturday's album "Wordshaker" has yet to go silver, which means its sold less than 60k copies. Look, this isn't a dig at Fascination, but why try and launch another girl band when the original isn't selling anymore?
Delphic, riding high after their appearance near the top of the BBC list of artists that are cool to like for-this-year-only, aka BBC Sound Poll, must be a bit miffed that the debut album has already dropped to 28 from 8. That's that then.
One last thought. Would you count Florence And The Machine as a guitar band? If not, then there's only ONE guitar band in the UK top 40 this week. Biffy Clyro's (aka Foo Fighters Lite) tear jerking "Many Of Horror" jumping from 38 to 20.
It was A listed after all, and is in the top 30 airplay chart - so what went wrong, and how will the pluggers explain it away when they try and get support for the next single, if there is a next single.
Speaking of which, notice that despite Christmas rush - The Saturday's album "Wordshaker" has yet to go silver, which means its sold less than 60k copies. Look, this isn't a dig at Fascination, but why try and launch another girl band when the original isn't selling anymore?
Delphic, riding high after their appearance near the top of the BBC list of artists that are cool to like for-this-year-only, aka BBC Sound Poll, must be a bit miffed that the debut album has already dropped to 28 from 8. That's that then.
One last thought. Would you count Florence And The Machine as a guitar band? If not, then there's only ONE guitar band in the UK top 40 this week. Biffy Clyro's (aka Foo Fighters Lite) tear jerking "Many Of Horror" jumping from 38 to 20.
The Sun "Re-releasing" A Track, That's Already In The Charts.
Ooh its a confusing time for some isn't it. In the old days, a band would release a record physically - (that means you can pick it up, touch it, and even study the sleeve and lyrics whilst listening to it - ooh imagine) people would buy the single, IN A SHOP and the more that did, the higher up the "hit parade" it would go. Marvellous. By the way, it should be noted that some cheap skates would listen carefully to the music on the radio and copy it on their own cheap musical instruments. Shame on them.
More recently, the music industry discovered that if they took the single to radio stations BEFORE it was released, it would generate more demand when it was released, and the single would chart much higher in the "Top 40" than it would normally. Also, rather than playing live on television, bands could film themselves, or others in a video and people could watch that instead. Radio also moved from AM to FM and music sounded amazing. Ooh shops loved this, not only could they stock the record for a shorter time on the shelves, but along came Compact Discs, and everyone went back to the shops and bought what they already owned on this futuristic new digital format that would last forever, and it was better quality (so they said, and everyone believed them). By the way, some cheap skates would copy this better quality radio onto cassette tapes rather than visit the record shops, and share them with friends. In the post or even face to face in the playground. Some even recorded copies of those tapes to cut out the boring album tracks, and though it sounded rubbish a wide variety of blank cassettes were available, in record shops but they were told off; "Home taping is killing music". Shame on them.
Somewhere along the line, about 10 years ago - someone took the digital format of the music from the compact discs and made a thing called an "MP3". Surprisingly small in size, these "MP3's" could be swapped, by a thing called "email", which meant no visiting record shops, no need to tape off the radio, and no need to swap music just with the people they knew in the playground, it could be literally anyone in the world and the quality didn't change, it was perfect. Music was free.
6 years ago, a thing called iTunes launched here in the UK, and youngsters could buy music down a small telephone wire straight onto their computers for 79p. Record shops closed, or turned into DVD shops, people didn't like the futurist compact disc format anymore, especially for a single, and shops that did sell music, stoppped selling them. Record companies somewhat upset about this, slowly stopped making them. People stopped buying the music they didn't like, just the tracks they heard on the Radio, or the tracks they heard on commercials. The Charts became a bit of a joke, especially around Christmas time when any song that a show off with an average voice blasted out on a reality TV program would chart. Woolworths, once one of the most important shops for selling singles to kids (and blank cassette tapes) went bust.
Which leads to this piece in today's Sun newspaper.
"Florence And The Machine is re-releasing Dog Days Are Over in March after the track shot back up the iTunes chart when it was used in C4's Slumdog Millionaire trailers. The triple Brits nominee will even re-shoot the video, as the original was done on a shoestring"
Couple of points. Why re-release a record that is already out, and already in the charts? Why bother making a new video - does it matter if its cheap? The record remember IS ALREADY IN THE CHARTS. Will spending a huge wedge of cash help sell more records in a months time, or will it just be a case of a record label executive justifying their existence? It is no wonder the music industry is on its arse.
Here's the cheaply made, therefore completely rubbish video, that most people haven't seen, but have heard the track on a few thousand Channel 4 and BBC1 trailers, quite liked it, so downloaded it, making it climb the iTunes chart without a record company executive in sight.
More recently, the music industry discovered that if they took the single to radio stations BEFORE it was released, it would generate more demand when it was released, and the single would chart much higher in the "Top 40" than it would normally. Also, rather than playing live on television, bands could film themselves, or others in a video and people could watch that instead. Radio also moved from AM to FM and music sounded amazing. Ooh shops loved this, not only could they stock the record for a shorter time on the shelves, but along came Compact Discs, and everyone went back to the shops and bought what they already owned on this futuristic new digital format that would last forever, and it was better quality (so they said, and everyone believed them). By the way, some cheap skates would copy this better quality radio onto cassette tapes rather than visit the record shops, and share them with friends. In the post or even face to face in the playground. Some even recorded copies of those tapes to cut out the boring album tracks, and though it sounded rubbish a wide variety of blank cassettes were available, in record shops but they were told off; "Home taping is killing music". Shame on them.
Somewhere along the line, about 10 years ago - someone took the digital format of the music from the compact discs and made a thing called an "MP3". Surprisingly small in size, these "MP3's" could be swapped, by a thing called "email", which meant no visiting record shops, no need to tape off the radio, and no need to swap music just with the people they knew in the playground, it could be literally anyone in the world and the quality didn't change, it was perfect. Music was free.
6 years ago, a thing called iTunes launched here in the UK, and youngsters could buy music down a small telephone wire straight onto their computers for 79p. Record shops closed, or turned into DVD shops, people didn't like the futurist compact disc format anymore, especially for a single, and shops that did sell music, stoppped selling them. Record companies somewhat upset about this, slowly stopped making them. People stopped buying the music they didn't like, just the tracks they heard on the Radio, or the tracks they heard on commercials. The Charts became a bit of a joke, especially around Christmas time when any song that a show off with an average voice blasted out on a reality TV program would chart. Woolworths, once one of the most important shops for selling singles to kids (and blank cassette tapes) went bust.
Which leads to this piece in today's Sun newspaper.
"Florence And The Machine is re-releasing Dog Days Are Over in March after the track shot back up the iTunes chart when it was used in C4's Slumdog Millionaire trailers. The triple Brits nominee will even re-shoot the video, as the original was done on a shoestring"
Couple of points. Why re-release a record that is already out, and already in the charts? Why bother making a new video - does it matter if its cheap? The record remember IS ALREADY IN THE CHARTS. Will spending a huge wedge of cash help sell more records in a months time, or will it just be a case of a record label executive justifying their existence? It is no wonder the music industry is on its arse.
Here's the cheaply made, therefore completely rubbish video, that most people haven't seen, but have heard the track on a few thousand Channel 4 and BBC1 trailers, quite liked it, so downloaded it, making it climb the iTunes chart without a record company executive in sight.
A+R The Movie Part 1
I'm so glad the smug idiots that work in A&R departments are getting a kicking at the moment. This is painfully accurate, infact the guy in question looks like someone in our building, but I don't think the twat has actually signed anything since he's been here.
Friday, November 20, 2009
NME's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade.
Intrigued by the impact X Factor has on the charts at the moment, we wondered if the NME's much publicised "Top 50 Albums Of The Decade" would also have an influence, so studied the charts from last week, to the midweeks today.
Out of the 50 albums we looked at, we could only get information on 4 of them. The rest aren't in the top 200 at the moment (you need to sell just over 500 copies to make the top 200). There's always next week.
Anyway, the four are:
Arctic Monkeys "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"
NME 4 - Last Week 171 - This Week 164 - That's up 15.4%
Elbow "Asleep At The Back"
NME 30 - Last Week 200+ - This Week 180 - That's up 50.8%
Muse "Absolution"
NME 49 - Last Week 155 - This Week 170 - That's up 6.7%
Amy Winehouse "Back To Black"
NME 27 - Last Week 165 - This Week 177 - That's down 0.4%
Woo. Is the NME really responsible for this charge on the album charts? Not really. It's probably down to HMV, the Uk's only high street music retailer, who've got an "Up To 80% Off" their "Autumn Specials". All the above albums can be purchased on CD, and you'll get £1.04 change from a £20 note.
Did you know The NME now has a readership of just under 41k? If no one is buying the magazine, and no one is buying the records they recommend, why did the media go overboard when the NME's published this list?
And who has a copy of The Shins record? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Meh.
Out of the 50 albums we looked at, we could only get information on 4 of them. The rest aren't in the top 200 at the moment (you need to sell just over 500 copies to make the top 200). There's always next week.
Anyway, the four are:
Arctic Monkeys "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"
NME 4 - Last Week 171 - This Week 164 - That's up 15.4%
Elbow "Asleep At The Back"
NME 30 - Last Week 200+ - This Week 180 - That's up 50.8%
Muse "Absolution"
NME 49 - Last Week 155 - This Week 170 - That's up 6.7%
Amy Winehouse "Back To Black"
NME 27 - Last Week 165 - This Week 177 - That's down 0.4%
Woo. Is the NME really responsible for this charge on the album charts? Not really. It's probably down to HMV, the Uk's only high street music retailer, who've got an "Up To 80% Off" their "Autumn Specials". All the above albums can be purchased on CD, and you'll get £1.04 change from a £20 note.
Did you know The NME now has a readership of just under 41k? If no one is buying the magazine, and no one is buying the records they recommend, why did the media go overboard when the NME's published this list?
And who has a copy of The Shins record? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Meh.
Haven't We Heard This One Before : Part 2
Well, there's only a certain amount of notes to go around
Muse "Undisclosed Desires"
U2 "Beautiful Day"
A-Ha "The Sun Always Shines On TV"
Muse "Undisclosed Desires"
U2 "Beautiful Day"
A-Ha "The Sun Always Shines On TV"
Monday, November 9, 2009
Competition Winners
Here's two normal looking blokes. Know who they are? They're part of a huge band, a four piece - one that has sold millions of records - one that has an album in the charts RIGHT NOW - one that has appeared across UK media in the last two weeks - including Later With Jools, to promote that album, but! If they were replaced - would anyone notice or care? Have they done this deliberately so they can remain virtually invisible to the general public, or are they actually competition winners?
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