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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Beyonce and Jay-Z release first pictures of their fake baby! (4 comments) |
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GRAPHIC PHOTO: Cults lead singer Brian Oblivion suffers severe 3rd degree burns to face (5 comments) |
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NYTimes calls Lana Del Rey 'a skinnier Adele'. Do they h8 fatties? (19 comments) |
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Bon Iver's Justin Vernon apologizes 2 Carles. Has he won the first battle against the Corrupt Indie Machine? (13 comments) |
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I Am Carles Returns with LIMITED EDISH VALENTINE'S DAY shirt. (17 comments) |
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Madonna says M.I.A. ruined her show, is 'a stupid teenager' (8 comments) |
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Alexis Krauss shows off her BANGIN BOD in GQ Magazine. She truly is 'Sexi Lexi.' (18 comments) |
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"BUZZ BANDS" was a category on Jeopardy. Have BUZZ BANDS crossed over 2 the mnstrm? (15 comments) |
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Tyler the Creator spotted bronoodling with 'this nigga' Kanye West. Are Big Thangs Poppin? (11 comments) |
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LANAMANIA hits Los Angeles, frenzied fans begin sobbing in Lana Del Rey's presence (36 comments) |
From what I understand the traditional record industry is 'going down the shitter' because people don't buy records any more. Instead, they use the internet to steal albums, mp3s, and youtubes viddies. Some New York Times article just 'profiled' the state of the modern music industry, and how so many lifestylebrands are trying to appeal to young adults by 'curating mp3s' / funding buzzbands / helping artists 2 'create art.' Really tried to make it seem like they are 'saving the music industry', and helping artists to 'do what they love--create mp3s.'
Do u buy into brands as the new record labels? I thought blogs were the new record labels [via the opinion of a pseudo-progressive journalist in 2k7]. Might have to start a brand to re-establish my position as a 'tastemaker'/'sharer' of music.
Here is the 'opening' hook, where they tell u that Converse is buying a studio space, and they are going to let bands record in there 2 seem 'kewl' with consumers.
RIGHT now it is just a shell, the peeling remnant of an old dry cleaner on a graffiti-covered block in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. But soon the 5,200-square-foot space will be transformed into a sleek new recording studio in the heart of the underground-rock capital. And in the latest twist in pop’s relationship with Madison Avenue, the struggling bands making music there will already be encountering corporate America: the studio is being built by Converse, which will let them record free.
A shoe company giving away studio time might seem peculiar. But with its new project, Converse — whose sneakers have been worn by generations of bands, from the Ramones to the Strokes — wants to become a patron of the rock arts. The company is not alone: lifestyle brands are becoming the new record labels.
Good think I am in a chillwave, lofi, bedroom-recordings based artist, and Converse can't really help my band.
Wonder if it is 'worth it' to record at Converse studios. Wonder if a 'recording studio' is a good investment by Converse, or if they should just 'open up a new sweatshop' in the same space in Brooklyn.
Seems like brands are just starting to buy the rights to albums instead of wasting money on tv/internet ads. Every time a relevant MP3 is released, a blog is forced to mention the name of the brand. Seems like they are 'winning' even if no1 really cares, the brand doesn't resonate with consumers, and every1 is just picking up some free MP3s.
Looking to infiltrate the lives of their customers on an ever deeper cultural level, they are starting imprints, scouting for talent and writing checks for nearly every line item on a band’s budget. And as the traditional record industry crumbles, plenty of musicians are welcoming these new rock ’n’ roll Medici.
Apparently, real record labels suck/take all of a band's money anyways, so buzzbands would rather just do a 'one and done' deal with a brand that has more money to pay them, and does't view them as some sort of 'golden calf' that they have to keep milking for 5-10 years, stealing money from it on the reg.
Artists and talent managers say that the music deals offered by brands can be fairer and more favorable than traditional label contracts. These days major labels want bands to sign so-called 360 or extended-rights agreements, which give the label a piece of nearly every dollar a band makes, from concerts to merchandise. On the other hand, most brands offer short-term deals with few strings.
Here is Best Coast being all defensive, and saying she hasn't sold out/isn't stupid 4 taking huge dollars from brands.
Ms. Cosentino’s band has existed for barely a year, but she is already a branding vet. Well before she signed a proper record deal, with the small label Mexican Summer, she released a single through a boutique headphone company. And when Converse asked her to collaborate with the rapper Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend on a song that would be given away on its Web site, she didn’t hesitate. “It was an amazing opportunity,” she said by phone recently from a gig in Iowa. “If I said no it would have been stupid.”
Makes sense that she took a $500 gift card from Taco Bell [link].
Do bands just not make that much money so it is impossible to 'say no' when some1 just wants to give them money without claiming too much ownership over them? Are companies just 'cooking the books', investing in abstract goods + services to offer buzzbands, and not really doing much to help their brand?
Here is some 'expert' dude saying why brands are doing this record label bullshit.
“Indie-inflected music serves as a kind of Trojan horse,” Mr. Rabinowitz said. “Consumers feel they are discovering something that they believe to be cool and gaining admittance to a more refined social clique.”
Here's something I didn't know, Motel 6 offers free rooms to buzzbands:
Motel 6’s Rock Yourself to Sleep program, for example, gives free rooms to touring groups.
Might 'go on tour' and just show up at random Motel 6 locations, and say to the dude at the front desk, "Hi, I'd like the buzzband room. It is the 1 with the jacuzzi/whirlpool tub."
Seems like life as a buzzband is rlly lucrative.
They interviewed the CEO / CFO / CTO of Pitchfork, and he was all like, "Consumers need to effing question these brands instead of just taking their mp3s for free. So many companies doing shady ass shit, eff em all. U can't blind us with free MP3s."
Chris Kaskie, the president of the music Web site Pitchfork, noted a lack of debate about the implications of bands’ working with brands. When Nike makes a cool mix-tape, he said, there is little comment in the indie-rock world about the company’s labor practices, which have drawn criticism in the past.
“Young bands are growing up in a culture where there’s less off that discussion happening, less of those underlying issues being addressed,” Mr. Kaskie said. “But the experiment that these bands are doing is important to see where it goes.”
From what I understand, Mountain Dew, Converse, Nike, and Taco Bell are all created in sweatshops and hire 3rd world labor to create their products.
Are lifestyle brands saving the music industry?
Do consumers really 'respond' to this type of marketing?
Have u bought Converse / Mountain Dew / Taco Bell since they teamed up with ur favourite buzzbands?
Is this the type of thing that just 'gets the name of ur product written on a blog' and makes brands feel 'young' even though they are sorta just running in place?
Are buzzbands 'abusing' brands that have large budgets?
Is 'music' even supposed 2 make money?
Are brands 'saving' the music industry, or is this just some marketing fad that they will realize has lost them too much money/didn't return any finite results?
Should all these brands just buy a commercial during the Super Bowl instead of this buzzband bloggy crap?
Do yall h8 the blogosphere?
Should all blogs boycott mp3s that are commissioned by brands?
What brand will be the next to launch a 'record label' 2 appeal 2 alts?
Should HIPSTER RUNOFF hire a buzzband to write an mp3 just to get 'mad coverage' from other blogs?
Should BP release the next Vampire Weekend/AnCo album to 'get on the good side' of the blogosphere and re-brand after the oil spill?
Should I buy a Scion, wear my Converse, and wash down my Taco Bell with some Mountain Dew 2 prove I <3 buzzbands?
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
WAVVES recently 'scammed' Mountain Dew's record label out of a crap load of money by letting them 'release' one of his songs to help Mountain Dew get more buzz for their products [link]. Many have questioned the purity of these brand based record labels and made snark-based tweet blogposts abt how they are ruining the blogosphere + the 'credibility' of artists we are supposed to take seriously. Others are 'just happy that indie bros are getting paid, since no1 is gonna buy their albums n e way.'
It seems like WAVVES and his band drink Mountain Dew on the reg. They went into a Walmart just to find multiple Mountain Dew flavors to drink them in the tour van and turn their pee green / code red. Maybe this was just a sponsored twitpic. So confused. Not sure what's real and what's marketing any more. Just want a 'pure' meme again. Tired of man-made strategic buzz memes. Not sure who 2 trust.
Not sure if WAVVES is one bro, or an entire band. I think this guy is the guitarist/drummer in the band or something. Maybe I had WAVVES all wrong--maybe he is actually a Mountain Dew bro. Saw this vid of them playing live, and sorta wish they'd mix in a synth player, some bleepy bloops [via Passion Pit / Owl City], and maybe a couple of wavves of chill.
Is WAVVES a 'band' or a '1 man sound project'?
Do yall like Mountain Dew?
Does WAVVES make authentic music?
Who will be the next artist 2 sign 2 Mountain Dew?
Have yall ever gone to a Wal Mart mad high and walked out with a ton of stoner munchie wave grub?
Can Yellow-5 shrink ur balls?
WAVVES is a fuzzy buzzy buzzband that sings about aliens, marijuana and being a failure in life but laughing abt it because u r high.
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>WAVVES is a popular fuzzy buzzy band / sound project of some bro named Nathan Williams. I am not sure if I ever really liked his music, but he seems like an interesting bro because he tweets about dank, has on stage meltdowns, and will get into fights with other bands. Feel like even if he doesn't produce mp3s that I listen to on a regular basis, I sorta appreciate bros who are just down to throw down some memes, doing some outlandish things.
Anyways, Mountain Dew's 'record label' signed him and he released an mp3 with them, so every time u hear the mp3, you are supposed 2 think abt how u want some Mountain Dew. It seems like the song is some sort of 'love song' to his girlfriend Best Coast where he talks about his wants and needs.
Would u comfort me in my time of need?
In my time of need, would u understand
that I'm just having fun
with you...
with u...
Wonder if she appreciates this song. Not sure why it is called "Post Acid." Feel worried that Mountain Dew didn't get a return on investment because the song is only 2 minutes long. Hope they got a '50% discount' or something.
Sorta just want to jam out with the Alien Bro on the 'album cover' [via 'mp3 digital art']. Maybe he will share a blunt with me, then get high with a cat or something. Just weird shit going down, dropping acid, smoking lean blunts, and chillin Cali style with my girl.
Did u 'jam out' hard 2 this song?
Do u think this is an anthem to his girlfriend, Best Coast, a response to
Do u think they are genuinely in love, living the buzz life, being in buzzbands, buying dank, owning pets, getting stoned on weedly mcfeedly?
Do you think he should add more 'lofi reverb' to his song so that he can sound more like his girlfriend?
Are yall getting tired of Best Coast + WAVVES album push?
Do u want to find out more about their relationship?
Does WAVVES' Mountain Dew song sound better than Neon Indian's Mountain Dew song?
Should we all just chill on some Mountain Dew while we listen to buzz MP3s, or would you rather cruise around in a KIA Soul with Washed Out?
R u gonna drink more Mountain Dew because of this mp3?
Wonder if WAVVES is trying to 'steal' the logo from Weezer:
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
WAVVES is a fuzzy buzzy buzzband that sings about aliens, marijuana and being a failure in life but laughing abt it because u r high.
Best Coast is a fuzzy buzzy band that sings abt dank, California, boys, and kitty cats
Read more>>>>
WAVVES is a controversial indie singer because he 'doesn't give a fuck about anything' other than surfing and doing drugs. Mountain Dew started Green Label Sound, a 'record label' that releases mp3s by relevant buzzband. I guess the idea is that every writeup about the buzz band also includes a mention of 'Mountain Dew', the soft drink. Instead of taking out billboards for the Mountain Dew brand, the spinoff brand is meant to appeal to alts like u and me. Every fan who likes WAVVES will now become a chill Mountain Dew fan.
Wonder if it is a good thing for the Mountain Dew brand that the name of the song is POST ACID. Feel like Mountain Dew has always had an extreme brand, but maybe 'a drug beyond LSD' might be a little bit too much.
Green Label Sound today announces the release of their next single "Post Acid" by Southern California garage-pop band, Wavves. The new, original track is the first single off the band's highly anticipated forthcoming full-length King Of The Beach and is the second official single release for Green Label Sound this year. The Wavves album, King Of The Beach is due out August, 3rd 2010 on Fat Possum Records.
Worried that the Mountain Dew brand might be 'too aligned' with drug culture now.
Wonder if Mountain Dew is only interested in male bro demographics. Maybe they should sign a bloggable female to try to get women to drink 'Mountain Dew Zero' or 'Diet Dew' or 'Dew 4 bitches'. (not sure what the female version of MTN DEW is).
Wavves seems to 'get defensive' when explaining his involvement with Mountain Dew.
Wavves lead man, Nathan Williams, had this to say about the Green Label Sound single release, "First off and foremost it's a chance to give away free music. 'Post Acid' was written and recorded as a true pop song to me and in doing so I knew that I would want it to be heard on as wide a scale as possible. Green Label Sound is helping us to do that."
Damn bro. Chill. Ur just a MTNDEWBRO. Nothing wrong with that. Don't get all mad at the brand just cuz they paid u to write an mp3. I'm just a bro on the internet, and any time some1 throws a free mp3 my way, I'm ready 2 download it.
Feel like he should 'chill' and accept the fact that he is a Mountain Dew bro now. Whether he likes it or not, he is a brand ambassador, sorta like Grant Hill and Sprite.
Do u think WAVVES will be in any commercials?
Will WAVVES 'get backlashed' for being part of the Green Label Sound marketing project?
Is WAVVES trying to 'ride in the wake' of Neon Indian's commercialized chill wave?
Is WAVVES a good brand ambassador, or is this a 'questionable decision'?
Who should be the next Green Label Sound band / artist / sound project?
Do yall wanna go drink some Mountain Dew?
Can we start calling Mountain Dew 'post acid'?
This post has theoretically been made possibly by the Mountain Dew: a chill ass cola soda pop for bros who just wanna do rad shit.
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
WAVVES is a fuzzy buzzy buzzband that sings about aliens, marijuana and being a failure in life but laughing abt it because u r high.
I have been browsing the alt internet, and noticed a lot of ads for Neon Indian's Green Label Sound single "Sleep Paralysist." It seems like Mountain Dew / Green Label Sound has a 'huge' advertising budget, taking over 2 of the largest music sites in the world, Pitchfork Media and Stereogum.
Wonder if any1 got 'tricked' and thought the banner ad was part of Pitchfork content.
Just trying to read a blog but Neon Indian bro keeps looking at me, telling me to download his single even though I already downloaded it on the day it came out.
Is Neon Indian a tier 1 alt band? Does Neon Indian really need branding / exposure on music blogs since they basically depend on him to create bloggable memes?
Does it make sense to take out huge advertisements on sites that will already blog about your product?
I am all about overexposure and creating memes / getting attention for your personal brand, but u can't help but wonder if this was like 'paying rent on a house that you already own' or some equivalent analogy.
Is a blog blogging about your project in their content stream better than any banner advertisements?
Should they have focused on mainstream gossip and tech blogs to reach new markets of fans?
Is Green Label Sound the future of internet music?
If you owned a soda pop company and ur soda pop company started a record label, how would u advertise?
What is the point of banner ads on websites: to get people to click, to 'brand' or to just annoy readers?
Will there be a backlash against Mountain Dew / Neon Indian?
Should Mountain Dew just give more money 2 Neon Indian Bro for 'making art' instead of making 'huge' advertising purchases?
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
Neon Indian is a chillwave buzzband from 2k9 that rode chillwaves
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The monetization of chillwave artists has become one of the most fascinating topics in the post-indie blogosphere. After Neon Indian released a single through Green Label Sound, a record label that is actually an advertising gimmick since it is funded by Mountain Dew, a new chillwave artist has signed with a soda-inspired record label.
Washed Out has signed a 5 album deal with Fuzz Buzz Cola Records, which is underwritten by Sierra Mist, the lemon-lime soda created by Pepsi in order to compete with Coca Cola's "Sprite" brand. In addition, Sierra Mist will sponsor his live tours for the next 2 years, providing him with a luxury tour bus loaded with Pepsi and Anheuser Busch products.
According to a press release:
Fuzz Buzz Cola is excited to bring you five awesome Washed Out records. We're looking to bring indie music fans some of the best music possible, and have a lot of other artists lined up to release albums and singles through our eCommerce portal. Follow us on twitter and be our fan on facebook to get the latest Fuzz Buzz news. We're a Buzzworthy Cola Bringing you the Warm and Fuzzy sounds of today.
Seems like Washed Out bro is chilling in a Sierra Mist
Washed Out pairing with Sierra Mist makes sense. Sierra Mist is a crisp drink, but still lets you chill when you drink it. Mountain Dew is more of an 'extreme' brand. It is tough to tell if Sierra Mist will become the choice drink of alt music fans, but there is certainly a long way to go in order to take over Sprite, since they have cornered the minority market thru NBA advertisements.
Does this signing make Sierra Mist the most authentic lemon-lime soda? Or does it have a ways to go before even topping 7up?
Is Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound 'pissed' that Sierra Mist copied their idea?
Will Washed Out regret this decision?
Did Washed out get a 7 figure deal?
Does this prove that Ernest Greene is the #1 chillwave band?
Is Fuzz Buzz Cola Records the best/worst name for a record label brand?
Washed Out is the hit chillwave project of indie hunk Ernest Greene.
Read more>>>>
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
Mountain Dew's Green Label sound purchased a billboard in the heart of downtown during SXSW in Austin. The billboard gave 'prime placement' to Alan Palomo's face, the lead singer of Neon Indian. As opposed to slapping the logo of their soda on a billboard, it was their goal to 'co-brand' their product with some sweet buzzband tunes.
Wonder if 'billboards' / pedestrian traffic is more authentic than 'purchasing banner ads on relevant alt/mainstream websites.'
It seemed like they were trying to tell the world that Neon Indian Bro is 'the God' of buzzbands. Like he was the ultimate buzzbro, looking over all of the SXSW bros who were trying 2 be relevant. Like he is the 'face of God' in terms of buzz / mp3s / commerce / life.
Wonder if they purchased this billboard because they knew it would 'be blogged about' on the internet.
Is Green Label Sound the future of music / advertising / marketing?
Neon Indian is a chillwave buzzband from 2k9 that rode chillwaves
Read more>>>>
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>On March 9, 2010, MGMT released an MP3 called "Flash Delirium" to promote their upcoming album. Many fans didn't 'get' it, and have grown wary of riding the MGMT bandwagon into the future. In what must be a strategic response to try to steal some of their fan base, Neon Indian has released a new MP3 called "Sleep Paralasyst."
The song was released by Green Label Sound, which is Mountain Dew's "record label." Basically, instead of buying ads, they are looking to be attached to authentic new mp3s by relevant bands so that Neon Indian fans will drink MTN DEW. Chromeo participated in this same project, and I'm sure 5-20 more buzzbands will go through the same process in the next 2 years. Wonder if Mountain Dew can effectively measure their 'return on investment' with Green Label Sound.
If/when MGMT's album flops, it seems like many fans might 'jump ship' and become Neon Indian fans. MGMT performed this same audience hijack from Of Montreal. Wonder if Neon Indian is the next Vampire Weekend. Wonder if their next album will be their 'pop' album.
I will copy and paste the whole 'press release' just because it is funny to read how some marketing bro figured
Neon Indian is Alan Palomo, the Mexican-born, Texas-raised, brilliantly lucid 21-year-old synth-wizard who learned his production chops as part of Ghosthustler and honed them as VEGA. In October 2009 Neon Indian released his critically heralded debut album, Psychic Chasms, nearly anonymously and drew wild speculation for months. As Neon Indian, Palomo has made an art of leaving out the details and letting the world draw its own conclusions… which is very much the case with the lyrics to his new Green Label Sound single, “Sleep Paralysist.” Neon Indian kicks off 2010 by teaming up with Green Label Sound to release the psychedelic blip-pop song “Sleep Paralysist.” This is the first new original Neon Indian material since 2009.
Neon Indian formed from a batch of off-the-cuff recordings that weren’t quite right as VEGA songs. It turned into something much larger than the sum of its parts. The name itself was invented by Palomo’s former band-mate and high-school friend who, in a round-about way, was the inspiration behind the project's first track “Should Have Taken Acid With You” on Psychic Chasms. Not long after the music was released, Gorilla Vs. Bear blogged about it, Grizzly Bear tweeted their fan-dom, and Pitchfork sealed the deal when they bestowed “Deadbeat Summer,” and Psychic Chasms with their Best New Music honor. “The project really finds its groove,” wrote Pitchfork, “nailing perfectly the essence of woozily nostalgic synth pop.” Neon Indian was outted and all of a sudden what started as a careless outlet for ideas too offbeat to fit the VEGA mold, had gone and defined a genre.
Neon Indian’s sound is as Palomo describes it, “Childhood re-contextualized through a psychedelic, lo-fi filter. The idea of memory before you were old enough to have memories.” Psychic Chasms intentionally captures the sound of records stored in sunlight and played to the breaking point. The album is a melting pot of hazy, lo-fi, sun kissed, electro-pop sounds that come together to form a kaleidoscopic collection of esoteric and inspiring songs.
“Sleep Paralysist” was written by Palomo, then recorded and produced in collaboration with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear in Brooklyn at his elusive musical dungeon, Terrible Studios. Much like the music of Neon Indian’s debut album, the new single embodies the feeling of a dream had while taking a nap under the summer sun: warm, emotive, and toned by hazy light seeping through closed eyelids.
Wonder if some1 should make that the wikipedia entry for Neon Indian.
Did Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear produce this track well, or does it sound 2 much like Grizzly Bear?
Is this song as good as any song from Psychic Chasms?
R u worried/excited for the next Neon Indian album in 2k11?
Will VEGA's new album be able to compete with LCD Soundsystem's latest release?
Is Green Label Sound authentic?
Should Mountain Dew stuff Neon Indian CDs into 12 packs of Mountain Dew?
Should more beverage companies start record labels?
Neon Indian is a chillwave buzzband from 2k9 that rode chillwaves
Read more>>>>
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
