I was surprised the other day to hear Nickelback's "Rockstar" at a restaurant. While I always thought it was one of the most clever tracks on that album, I also figured it was the least commercially viable (if you were to ask a record exec, anyway), and put on the album just to keep the band happy. Oh, and did I mention that album is f'ing two years old?
The truth is that I've grown to loath the band and even spent a lot of time questioning the value of their music. I've never been all that much of an alterna-snob, mostly not, but when a band gets that much exposure and that many people are into it, I admit that it makes me feel a little dirty. Not like Britney Spears dirty, but definitely unclean.
This is, in part, because of the assloads of shit that the recording industry has been serving up for the better part of the last six or seven years. Maybe they're not selling as much because they're putting out shit no one wants to pay for. There's a crazy notion... produce things people actually want to buy! Even the American auto industry is starting to catch to that concept.
Anyway, the video makes me laugh.
"because of the assloads of shit that the recording industry has been serving up for the better part of the last six or seven years"
Some (like me) would argue that this has been going on for much longer than six or seven years. The recording industry has peddled shit since day one. For every talented singer songwriter with a message (personal, political, or simply entertaining) there are dozens of hacks whose sole purpose is to make money.
Sure, there is the occasional talent that actually makes the "mad cash", but in most cases, these folks are relegated to the C list.
Did I see Tawny Kitaen in there? At least Wayne Gretsky and Chuck Liddell can make fun of themselves in that video.
Anyway, it's hard to find GOOD new bands. It's especially hard when you listen over several genres. I'm not sure how quirky you like your music, but I'm a HUGE fan of The Streets, Gnarls Barkley, Thunderbirds Are Now!, and I've been digging the latest Nine Inch Nails. TV on the Radio and Kings of Leon have been rocking my iPod lately too.