Anyone who’s given some thought to the question of popular musicians licensing their music to advertising should read this fascinating Q&A with Bethany Klein, the Philadelphia-born media industries lecturer at the University of Leeds whose book, As Heard on TV: Popular Music in Advertising, comes out in April. Klein delves into the examples of Moby’s Play and Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon.” I have one minor quibble, though. Klein’s statement that, “Historically, if you look at the terms of constructed authenticity in popular music, you’ll find that Moby gets out of certain aspects of it because it is electronic music; it’s not rock ’n’ roll. It doesn’t have the same stakes in the art-vs.-commerce debate that rock ’n’ roll might,” overlooks the fact that dance-music aficionados tend to define “authenticity” in terms every bit as stringent as rock fans–maybe more so, since dance fans tend to be, as a relatively tiny subculture, more protective of their music.
In yet another open letter to a hegemonic media power–in this case, EMI–electronic artist Moby decries the reticence of his corporate masters toward selling music to people who both want it, and are willing to pay for it.
If nothing else, the recent chart ascents of M.I.A.’s Kala and “Paper Planes” are fascinating for the parallels they evoke with… Moby. More »
If any Idolator readers are still confused as to what constitutes a “sellout” in 2007, the Washington Post has come to your aid with what they’ve described, with typical timeliness, as “the Moby Quotient,” a mathematical formula “that could be used to determine just how much of a sellout is a particular artist.”
– Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden may be having a child with Nicole Richie. It’s like Knocked Up, but with more [DRUG REDACTED] and Rancid jokes. [Page Six] – Moby has just signed a deal with Mute Records for his next album, though he’s mum on exactly when it will be released to general apathy. More »
Yesterday, Billboard.com reported that the White Stripes were ready to sign a “long-term, multi-million dollar deal” with Warner Bros., effectively ending the band members’ brief stints as free agents (they were most recently on V2 Records, which divested itself last month). So now that Jack and Meg White have a new home, what on-the-market acts can expect to be courted in the upcoming months? After the click-through, our 100% speculative guide for wannabe label managers.
– Moby compares Courtney Love’s new material to “old Bob Dylan.” Shouldn’t he be busy not being on the Internet or something? More »
