Sometimes I wonder how ‘mainstream’ a formerly independent artist can go. I feel like there are ‘levels of going mainstream’ which inspire an escalating amount of resentment/’backlash’ against u, depending on how mainstream your music/personal brand goes. I think it is ‘important for a band to try to go mainstream’ so that they can setup college funds for their kids. But when a band/artist ‘goes mainstream’, we can’t help but feel a lil bit like ‘h8 u.’

Here is a list of escalating microevents which make u feel like ‘fuck… they r going mainstream’:

• Having ur music used in a commercial
• Getting a mainstream record deal where u have 2 make 6 albums and only get like 3% of sales
• Your CDs are in a mainstream store like Best Buy
• Playing live at a Late Show
• Playing live on a Late Show
• Being played in the background of an MTV show/promo spot
• Having ur song be the theme song to ‘The Hills’
• A legacy ‘artist’ like David Byrne saying that ‘ur music is rlly authentic.’
• Some free spirited cunt saying that she ‘listens 2 ur band all the time’ in a magazine interview (like Natalie Portman in her prime)
• One of those authentic male actors ’saying that ur music is good’ and ‘being in attendance at ur concert’  (like Ryan Gosling showing up at a Grizzly Bear concert, then getting blurbed about being there)
• U r ‘blurbed about’ as ‘the next big thing’ in some notable magazine that will go out of business next year
• Having a rapper sing over ur catchiest song
• Kanye West nonsensically raps over ur song just cuz it is ’so kewl’
• Being nominated for a Grammy but losing to a pop star/rap star
• Winning a grammy
• Ur music is used by a political campaign since the message is so generic and welcoming, and the song is pretty catchy/uplifting
• Lindsay Lohan going 2 ur concert/DJ Set
• A ‘very famous’ like Bono/Thom Yorke saying that ‘ur band is rlly good.’
• Getting ur picture taken with Oprah
• Barry Obama lists u as an artist on his iPod
• Marrying some1 richer/famouser/more influential than u
• You play in some shitty ‘live collab’ where u sing an old song with an old artist, like singing “Brown Eyed Girl” in some shitty duet with Van Morrison
• Having Oprah ‘perform a sexual favor’ on u
• God puts ur music on his playlist in his iTunes library

Can yall think of any other events within the alternative artist product lifecycle where u ‘find urself cringing’ and saying ‘fuck… we lost them…. think they are mainstream now’? Has there ever been a particular artist that u stopped liking after they ‘fucking sold out’ by being involved in one of the above circumstances? R u worried about M.I.A.’s next album, and the ‘hype backlash’?

Sort of wish Oprah would use her massive platform to ‘do something good’ instead of just being snarky and causing health scares across the nation. Tired of her being some1 who ‘tells middle america’ about emerging trends/weight loss techniques/technologies. Wish we could build them a ‘website 4 stupid people’ or something.

Who do yall think will be ‘big in 2k9′? Kinda like a girl that ‘every1 wants 2 tug 2.’ Yall know what I mean.

I have a feeling that Natalie Portman might ‘get famous’ in 2k9. She was in popular movies like the Garden States, and I think she played Keanu Reeves’ lovemate in The Matrix.

Another up and coming singer is the Katy Perrys. This is a picture of her before she ‘rebranded’ into a semi-attainable moderately alt broad with ‘breasts that u can make love to.’ This makes her attractive to men without isolating her from female markets.

I have also heard of this new mainstream band called Lady Gaga. She seems like she is taking ‘electro’ to the mainstream. She seems really unique, fashionable, and talented. Think she really ‘gets’ what life/dance music is all about.

I am not sure if I like her zany personal brand, or if she should have stuck with her ‘Sexie New Jerseyian’ brand.

Another person who I think will be big in 2k9 is The Jessica Simpsons. She used to be a reality star, but now she is starting to sing country music. She has a beautiful voice and is very talented. She invented ‘mom jeans’ in the early 00s.

Another band 2 watch is The Girl Talks. Now that they have officially ‘become popular’ and ‘mainstream’, we have 2 see if they are going to slip down in2 a spiral of ___________. R yall worried? What happens to ex-authentic alts when they become commoditized + mainstream?

Another band 2 watch is The Ches. They are a communist anti-establishment rock group. They sing about ideas like ‘communism’ and ‘fascism’ and ‘hipsterism’ and ‘war’ and ‘death’ and other stuff that sounds like Linkin Park.

N e ways… just wanted 2 let yall know what’s going on in ‘mainstream world’ since sometimes we forget that there’s all of these other people out there who like stuff that’s less interesting than ‘us.’

h8 mainstreamers, but u kinda have 2 follow it a little bit so that you make sure that you’re still alt, and not ‘becoming one of them.’

Who do yall think will be big/go mainstream in 2k9? What do yall know about these bands/acts/people that I don’t know about? Need yalls help so that I can keep my blog ‘modern.’

Thanks Pretty Much Amazing (Blog Link).

Can you believe she even has a new album coming out? I thought she was focusing on the ‘being famous’/'living in LA’ part of her career. It’s the promotional demo, but still worth a listen. It’s pretty less than mediocre, as expected. At least she’ll have some CLUB HITS.

You can’t help but wonder if the album was named after that famous party in New Orleans, LA.

The only thing 2007 has taught is us that when Perez Hilton and Britney Spears die, they will live in hell together, eating Jack N The Box tacos in a 1 bedroom apartment. Do you ever

MP3: Britney Spears – Gimme More

Buy the real Blackout At Amazon