Two Thousand Eight

As 2008 approaches its inevitable fate, “best of” lists and video montages, nothing is certain and returning control to artists remains a distant possibility. We presume RethinkPopMusic is on track to reinvent the music industry and change the album sales profit model to one of integrated marketing and creative business opportunities, but let’s not kid ourselves.

As RethinkPopMusic pursues innovation, record labels further monopolize. Indie labels… are you fucking kidding me? That’s the biggest crock of shit of 2008. Is there one “indie” label that wouldn’t sell the rights to an artist to the highest bidder? How about after a success EP? The whole concept of indie labels makes me vomit in my mouth, which angers me, which turns me to Uncle Jack. Fuck it.    

2008 also blessed us with the proliferation of 360 record deals, the staple of greed and backward thinking.   As the monetary value of a song plummets with the dollar, our elders scramble like they would for a BOGO bingo night in Palm Beach. You sign a deal and the label juggernaut controls the rights to your music, your band and YOU. Yes, they own you. Your name, association with the band and any and all alias thereof. You, are no longer you, but were you ever?

It’s just like an arranged  congical visit in prison (from what I hear). You needed some and had no other option. At first, it appeared to be the only plausible satisfaction without “getting gay.” Unfortunately, once it arrived, you realized that it’s just a dude with a pretty wig. And guess what, you’re still in prison. You are there for life because you are OWNED. Analogy complete and now for Bob’s “Best Of”

Videos:

The BPA featuring David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal – “Toejam”

Wild Beasts – “Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants”

Gnarls Barkley – “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”

Justice – “Stress”

Albums:

Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke

K’Naan – The Dusty Foot Philosopher

Lykki Li – Youth Novels

Girl Talk – Feed the Animals

Neon Neon –Stainless Steel

Black Mountain – In the Future

Kings of Leon – Only by the Night

Songs:

Radiohead – “In Rainbows”

Cold War Kids – “Golden Gate Jumpers”

Kings of Leon – “Cold Dessert” “Use Somebody”

Sigur Ros – “Gobbledigook”

Friendly Fires – “Jump in the Pool”

Fires of Rome – “Dawn Lament”

Bear Hands – “Vietnam”

EPs:

Passion Pit – “Chunk of Change”

Fires of Rome – “Set in Stone”

Bear Hands – “Golden”

EP’s  turned into Albums that needed no additional production:

Ra Ra Riot – “The Rhumb Line”

MGMT – “Time to Pretend”

Shows:

The Cazals and Fires of Rome @ Hiro

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson @ Cake Shop after Siren

Walter Meego @ CMJ

Kings of Leon and The Whigs @ Webster Hall

Paper Route @ Bowery Ballroom

Bear Hands, Deathset and Matt and Kim @ Hugs

Albums getting no love:

Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty

Bands of 2009:

Bear Hands

Paper Route

Eastkoast

Fires of Rome