Come on. I'm just addressing your main idea that bands resort to gimmicks in lieu of talent. You've repeated that in two separate posts about The Lashes. We get it. I'm just saying that if you're ready to condemn The Lashes, you're going to have to bring down Radiohead. Period. That independent release thing they did wasn't a new model for distro. It was a publicity stunt that worked very, very, very well. It might help fans' sense of self-importance to wrap it up as some huge "experiment" or a "revolution," but the bottom line is, if this digital distro method worked so well, and lined the band's pockets with cash, as you so claim, it'd be a very small step for the band to continue this with a physical release. You don't need a label to secure distribution for a release of this magnitude; everyone is going to want it in their stores. You don't need a record label press a pile of albums because, as you mentioned, the band raked in millions upon millions that it doesn't have to share with anyone. And God knows, you don't need a label hyping up this album because, this whole online distro thing got the band attention it can't buy. If this was as remotely successful as everyone wants to think it was -- and remember, last I heard Radiohead was staunchly refusing to reveal how many albums it sent out, let alone its net profits (let me know if this has changed) -- the band would be business morons not to put out the physical album themselves.
As to your "it's only the music that matters" thing, I agree with you, though I don't understand why that didn't apply to your initial tirade against The Lashes that opened up this whole can of worms.
You're free to like Radiohead and hate The Lashes. That's just fine. Everyone has their own taste. But when you start acting like anyone who enjoys The Lashes' music is a brainwashed rube who's inherently stupid enough into getting tricked into liking them, and acting like you're more intelligent because you're into Radiohead, it turns you into the worst kind of indie-rock snob.
Again, if you can explain why Radiohead's unceasing flow of attention-grabbing gimmicks addressed in my last post are any different than The Lashes, I'd love to know why. Making little artsy movies, posting in enigmatic prose, teasing fans with bits and pieces of songs for months on end, wrapping your band in layers and layers of mystery makes it seem to me as if you're putting a lot of effort into getting people to pay attention. And like you said "A band writing good songs wouldn't need to put forth that much effort to get people to pay attention. A band writing good songs wouldn't need to put forth that much effort to get people to pay attention.".
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The Grim said on December 30, 2007:
Come on. I'm just addressing your main idea that bands resort to gimmicks in lieu of talent. You've repeated that in two separate posts about The Lashes. We get it. I'm just saying that if you're ready to condemn The Lashes, you're going to have to bring down Radiohead. Period. That independent release thing they did wasn't a new model for distro. It was a publicity stunt that worked very, very, very well. It might help fans' sense of self-importance to wrap it up as some huge "experiment" or a "revolution," but the bottom line is, if this digital distro method worked so well, and lined the band's pockets with cash, as you so claim, it'd be a very small step for the band to continue this with a physical release. You don't need a label to secure distribution for a release of this magnitude; everyone is going to want it in their stores. You don't need a record label press a pile of albums because, as you mentioned, the band raked in millions upon millions that it doesn't have to share with anyone. And God knows, you don't need a label hyping up this album because, this whole online distro thing got the band attention it can't buy. If this was as remotely successful as everyone wants to think it was -- and remember, last I heard Radiohead was staunchly refusing to reveal how many albums it sent out, let alone its net profits (let me know if this has changed) -- the band would be business morons not to put out the physical album themselves.
As to your "it's only the music that matters" thing, I agree with you, though I don't understand why that didn't apply to your initial tirade against The Lashes that opened up this whole can of worms.
You're free to like Radiohead and hate The Lashes. That's just fine. Everyone has their own taste. But when you start acting like anyone who enjoys The Lashes' music is a brainwashed rube who's inherently stupid enough into getting tricked into liking them, and acting like you're more intelligent because you're into Radiohead, it turns you into the worst kind of indie-rock snob.
Again, if you can explain why Radiohead's unceasing flow of attention-grabbing gimmicks addressed in my last post are any different than The Lashes, I'd love to know why. Making little artsy movies, posting in enigmatic prose, teasing fans with bits and pieces of songs for months on end, wrapping your band in layers and layers of mystery makes it seem to me as if you're putting a lot of effort into getting people to pay attention. And like you said "A band writing good songs wouldn't need to put forth that much effort to get people to pay attention. A band writing good songs wouldn't need to put forth that much effort to get people to pay attention.".