Chapter Three: TV is the new Radio
I apologize for all the moping in the last post there. But it brings up an interesting idea: there’s tons of music getting played on TV all the time that the radio wouldn’t touch. The first time I noticed it, MTV was playing the bassline of Ben Folds Five’s “Uncle Walter” during transitional scenes of “The Real World.” I was incensed, because at the time, I couldn’t believe that someone at MTV clearly had a copy of the first Ben Folds Five album, and yet I was stuck watching tons of stuff on MTV that either wasn’t videos at all, or was crappy videos. I’ve gotten over it since then, but the trend has become more and more prevalent.
Recently it’s been staggering. Since this semester started, I’ve seen The Postal Service, Wilco, Jeff Buckley. The Long Winters and a whole lot of other great bands on regular, mainstream TV shows. Just like MTV back in the day, it’s not just singles that the record company is looking to bolster. It’s actual great music that punctuates the scene it’s in. Oh yeah, and there was that Ash song on VH1’s 100 Hottest Bodies countdown. I even saw “Good Feeling”, the best Violent Femmes song ever. At least the best one that’s not about murder. You want to know where I saw that? A really touching scene on Jack and Bobby.
It’s odd: I’ve been hearing the best music in the world on what I’ve always been led to believe was the worst TV. Last night, the new Star Wars: Episode III trailer was on Fox, and it was going to be on during The O.C. Now, I like trashy TV. But that, to me, was a bit far. I did watch it, though, and I was astounded by the music. Not only did they play the “So new I’ve barely file-shared it” Beck single, Guero, in the background of one scene. But even more astounding was the thirty-or-so seconds where they played “True Love Will Find You in the End,” another Beck song, but even more obscure. That one came from “The Late Great Daniel Johnston,” a tribute to the still more obscure guy of the same name. Wow.
What I’m thinking is, there have to be “higher-ups” all over at TV networks and other places that have perfectly good taste in music. Heck, good taste in everything. Watch Scrubs, and check out how the actors wear funny shirts from this website Or how Rory was wearing a supercool “Reading is Sexy Shirt” on Gilmore Girls the other day, which I found for Jaci (and Holy Crap—when I went back for the link to that shirt just now, the internet was buzzing with people trying to find it. Wow. Lookit this link. Jeebus. My point was, the people writing these shows and programming their music know exactly what’s good in the world. Why can’t radio catch on and play us some hot tunes? I have a really hard time—harder every day now—figuring out how so many people in mainstream media programming can know exactly what’s good and what’s not, and yet you can’t hear good music on them until it’s been out for a year or it’s been…I don’t know, Namechcked by Natalie Portman* or endorsed out loud by Heather Locklear in “Uptown Girls. You can’t hear decent new music on the radio (outside of NPR), you just can’t. But, radio notwithstanding; it’s all over the place. I have no idea why. It’s simultaneously disheartening for the radio and awesome for the TV. And for them internet T-shirt vendors, who stand to make a killing if that keeps up. Anyone want to go in on a professional T-shirt press with me?
*Gilmore Girls, a great show which features awesome music very frequently, also had a Spring Break episode where Rory went into a bar where The Shins—The ACTUAL Shins were playing. And they really played an entire song. Now, I’ve got to go cower for mentioning how much W.B. I watch in this post. At least I didn’t mention Smallville.
posted by Brian at 3:08:00 PM
4 Comments:
You have to figure that somebody somewhere tried to make a good radio station and it failed, and now nobody else wants to risk it. Or maybe the people who listen to good music have given up on the radio, and now just watch TV. Has the 18-40 non-stupid demographic lost all of its clout somehow?
Having said that, I wouldn't listen to the station, but Jill would.
A thought:
There are good radio stations. WMAD out of Madison is a good choice. If I recall correctly, that was the first place that I heard BBF's tune, "Undergroun." I also beleive that it was upon hearing that song on the radio that I then purchased the album and shared it with you*.
and yet another thought:
I also believe that the radio is a medium for selling things. Correct? Now get this: you don't listen to the radio all that much. I could be wrong but for the most part you are usually iTrippin', no? Therefore I will assume that most people our age, or at least between the ages of 18-40, are not listening to the radio in the car and are therefore not apart of the group being marketed to. Furthermore, the people that are listening to the radio like to be told what to like; in so many ways. I am trying to say that those that listen to the radio have a few things in common: they don't have the technology to listen to something they like (i.e. cd, tape, iPod, etc.). So they are then prone to listening to the radio. They are most likely at a job, taking public transportation, or they possibly could be in their crappy blue spectrum of sorts (r.i.p. blu ballz).
If someone is listening to the radio it is most likely against their will. But the people that decide what to play on the radio are usually linked with music execs who want to make sure that their crappy new music gets put out there and that the said music then be easily picked up at your local wal-mart.
Whadda think? Think I'm way off? I don't really know anymore.
But I do know that who ever decides what karaoke songs get put into the catalog over here rocks. Last night I got to sing: Like a Rolling Stone, Should I Stay or Should I Go, Is This Love, With My Own Two Hands, and some other ones. They have hella Ben Folds and Elliot Smith. Wierd.
*: me stating that I turned you onto BBF don't mean doody. You molded and created a much deeper love for their music than I. If you will recall I later traded you their self-titled album for "White Light, White Heat, White Trash," which is a good pick-up for me, but I do beleive that you didn't spill any tears over the lose.
Okay, well I am off.
kazehekane younnni kiotsukette (don't catch a cold, take care).
I'm gonna go ahead and say, based on the ten-or-so minutes of research I just did that WMAD leaves much to be desired as a station. First, they're owned by Clear Channel, which oughtta be enough to let you know they're pretty much broadcasting evil waves.
Second, their website lists some current bands in heavy rotation: Jimmy Eat World, JayZ and Lincoln Park, The Mars Volta, Breaking Benjamin, 3 doors down, The Donnas, Lenny Kravitz, Good Charlotte, Unwritten Law, Jet...the list of suck just keeps going. They're currently playing a new Green Day single, which has followed up songs by Lostprophets and something called Skindred. Suck.
Now, in fairness, they also list The Dresden Dolls and G. Love, neither of which suck. But look at the ratio there: you're way better off watching The O.C. for your music, and that's sad.
I disagree that most of the people who are listening to the radio are doing it against their will, too. That's just not possible--for one, I do listen to the radio about 30-40% of the time I'm in my car, though it's mostly NPR or, in dekalb, The Drive, which is classic rock out of Chicago.
Next, who the heck are these stations marketing to if it's not males between the ages of 18 and 40? Just look at the website for WMAD for further evidence (especially see the bikini contest link)
"the people that decide what to play on the radio are usually linked with music execs who want to make sure that their crappy new music gets put out there and that the said music then be easily picked up at your local wal-mart"
honestly, I don't see how the radio execs are different from the ones programming music on TV. They all have to know what's out there. It's just frustrating, ironic, and funny that the narrow-minded TV folks are doing better than the narrow-minded radio folks. TV and radio are equally advertisment-saturated.
The karaoke sounds bitchin'. Ben, apparently, was super huge in Japan, leading to the japanese version of Song for the Dumped. And, also, FYI, I downloaded that Social D album a few weeks ago. There are some excellent songs there.
please look at my blogger for my response. I didn't want to take up all of the space over here. Thanks.
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