What's Wrong With The Music Business?, David Crosby nails it.

PBS interviews David Crosby

Enlightening, thought provoking and a little scary. Some quotes:

"The people who run record companies now wouldn't know a song if it flew up their nose and died. They haven't a clue, and they don't care."

"Crosby's rule number one, axiom: the bigger a company gets, the less it gives a damn about you."

"The current ethos in the United States of America is all to do with surface and nothing to do with substance. It doesn't matter that Britney Spears has nothing to say and is about as deep as a birdbath. It matters that she has cute t*ts, and that's all that matters."

Country music is a bit different. Yeah, there is some fluff, but there is a tremendous amount of substance as well. I'd pit Toby Keith against Ricky Martin any day.

BTW: How does a guy from Puerto Rico end up with an Irish surname?

I agree, Todd, but the article is less about the fluff and more about how lawyers and businessmen run and ruin the business. Here's another quote:

"I think one of the most glaring examples of what they do wrong is they cheat as a matter of policy on paying, because they know that you'll have to, first, hire an accountant and audit them. Then, when you get the audit figure, and they owe you $486,000, they'll offer you 30 percent, 30 cents on the dollar in settlement, knowing full well that you'll ask for 100 percent and that you'll settle somewhere around 50. The other 50 percent is free money. They knew it going in. They intended to do it from the beginning, so that they could get the other 50 percent for free. Hence, just a little bonus thing, thank you very much, and it's from heaven. And they do it, and it's totally dishonest. And they all do it. And they do it as a matter of policy. They know they're going to cheat, going in. ?"

It's a lot like the insurance business.

The biggest trouble with the music industrial complex is that the primary thing that the people running the show are good at is getting jobs with record companies.

The reason you do not see a variety of new and different music popping up is not because there is not a good supply of quality product or because the people running the record industry are conservative. It's because the only thing that they know to look for is what is already out there.

That is why in new pop all you see right now is Brittany and Beyonce clones, plus boy bands of every variety. If the artist is over 24 or doesn't fit one of these molds they are just not interested. They talk of it being a business but if the rest of the business world operated in this fashion they would be bankrupt. OH yeah I forgot 9 out of 10 acts they sign looses money for the label, that should tell them right there that they need to do something different.

They blame their woes on the internet and people downloading MP3's and I say the people driving the boat don't know how to read a map!!!!!

Raven,

How does this affect your band? Are you actually with a label? Does the same thing go on in the Celtic music world? If there's anyone on the board qualified to talk about this it would be you.

The Celtic world as far as I have seen is a bit more accessable than the pop scene.

Number one it has a much larger independant label presence due to the nich nature of the music.

My band is on it's own independant label which is probably the most common scenareo.

The rip off thing that David Crosby talks about on the macro level is common on all levels of the music business (just like corruption in government) I've certainly had my share of dealings with crooked agents etc...

It's more than a little discouraging to see great talent on a regular basis that goes totally unnoticed or is rejected in favor of substandard acts that just happen to have friends in high places

I saw a great band this week that plays the instruments that I sell to stores at my day job. These kids all moved to Nashville to get discovered and have a small reputable mgmt company that they are signed with but their chances of getting picked up by a major and having all that push that comes from the money and power that comes with a major is pretty small. They would be better off buying lottery tickets every week and hoping to win and do it themselves.

THese kids fit all of the criteria that the labels say they are looking for in pop except they are not like someone who is already on the radio.

(sigh) steps off of soap box

It really is too bad. I've long lamented that every song that comes out on pop radio is basically the same lyrics wrapped in slightly different music. Nothing innovative. No one taking risks. About the only ones I've seen in pop that are any good are Cheryl Crow and Nelly Fertado. Nelly puts a lot of her Portugese culture in her music, which is refreshing. Oh, and I think, and I know I'm probably going out on a limb here, that Avril Levigne is an excellent vocalist.

Yet another reason not to listen to commercial radio And why CRN is so much better. The artists played here do more than just look good, they sound good too! And they're unique as well

Of the commercial music, however, Country does tend to sound more original between artists. I guess because more of the people in it were around when originality still ment something

I think the country audience is a little older, more mature. They're less interested in looks than in the music. Of course, that doesn't stop the big labels who keep trying to reinvent Faith and Tim, Garth, and Shania. They gave up trying to reinvent Johnny and June.

Same applies to Celtic (and Cowboy). More knowledgable audience = less fluff.

Fiona Apple is a bit on the different side also there are a few exceptions that squeek through. But like Aaedi said that is one of the great things about CR.N

I personally think that as far as live performance and showmanship Country music is the best because of the reasons you sighted and the fact that they are better funded as a rule than the other more mature markets like Celtic that are more niches. I always like seeing Brooks and Dunn they are great entertainers.