BLOGS: Opinions are like......

I read something interesting on HITS by Rodel Delfin, called 'Love Dem Blogs' that I had to really agree with for the most part. I love my blog, it's great after all, and I love the whole idea of blogging and I love reading other people's blogs. They are great scouts, people actually on the scene in various cities, boasting about their local favorites, bands they like, and more than anything keeping new information on bands and artists fresh from the likes of the Spin/Rolling Stone/etc crap. However, the hype on them by a majority of A&R types has been overblown, and I've been frustrated by people jumping on the bandwagon each week, in fear of missing out on the next ARCADE FIRE or CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH. It's actually become a disease. Desperation to prove you were the first to blog about a band, so that all the blogs have to reference you every time they get turned onto the same band, but have to feel lame for being slow on the draw, or the post. My favorite blogs are the ones written by freakish music junkies, people that just love to talk music, listen to music, go see live music, and write about bands they actually know and like. I visit some blogs that seem to get tons of traffic, and they just stick up new bands every day, bands that suck, or are just average at best, and then make sure they are the FIRST to have posted it. It's like the classic A&R fish story, where everyone told their bosses to sign FRANZ FERDINAND but their boss passed, but they were there first. I remember with THE KILLERS, so many reps passed, saying there was no star power in Brandon, no songs, etc, only to later chase the tail when it heated up. No new tale to tell there right, but it really cracks me up. The perfect example is that band, TAPES 'N TAPES, I mean, has anyone had that much blog action about a group that, no matter how many times I've listened to those tracks, are just average?? I looked at the new soundscan (which doesn't measure quality by any means) and I see 2,000 records sold. Hmmm, wow!

Anyway, here's Rodel's story:

WHEELS & DEALS: LOVE DEM BLOGS
Being a Weasel in the Modern World Is Tricky Enough Without Having to Figure Out What’s Real and What’s Virtual Hype

September 7, 2006

By Rodel Delfin

As much as we enjoy reading some of the music/A&R blogs, although it seems like hundreds of new ones pop up every day, there appears to be a growing dislike for them in A&R circles. Several label execs shared with us that the blog hype for bands is blurring what’s real and what’s not. It has obviously helped initiate the buzz for acts like Tapes ’N Tapes and the Cold War Kids. And hey, we understand what spreading the buzz is all about—this space has been winding up deals for years. That said, the gripe we’re hearing is that a blog band of the month may end up packing the Mercury Lounge on their third show ever, but a few months later, after all the bloggery has gone away, they can barely fill half the room. In other words, as one senior label rep put it, blog hype for a band tends to create an artificial following. Said weasel further added that a lot of these bands are L.A. or N.Y. phenomena only and would probably not appeal to the rest of the country, let alone sell enough records to justify being signed to a major. Be that as it may, music blogs have become another tool in today’s brave new A&R world and, just as MySpace has become an important information source, the blogs shouldn’t be dismissed altogether…