I'm a huge iTunes user. I love it because: A) Artists should be paid for their work, and B) I rely on the references, reviews and recommendations on the site. No matter what mood I'm in, I can always find new music that keeps my inspired.
However, after all these years, there are some artists who are not up there yet. Led Zepplin is posting iTunes music for the first time on Tuesday. Pretty exciting. There are other epic "hold outs." Among them: The Beatles, Tool and Bob Segar. Furthermore, some artists, such as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, took forever to get their stuff up there. In this world of access and inclusion, this hold out is a tad bit annoying, and comes across as kind of arrogant. (However, I do love the a-typical way Radiohead, another iTunes hold out, is selling their entire album.)
I don't really understand holding out on iTunes, but, no matter how much I want to download the artists above, be sure of one thing: I'll wait. And once they finally decide to get up there, I'll buy just as much tomorrow as I'd buy today. No more, no less.
I'll wait because there's so much new stuff out there to explore that I'm completely satisfied musically. And the longer these artists wait, the more I find myself digging around and discovering new greatness.
Off the top of my head, some recent stuff I've stumbled upon, or artists who have been recommended to me personally, include: Band of Horses, We Start Fires, Silversun Pickups, Augustana, and Mandi Perkins. Any more? I'm always searching.
One of the great joys about today is that hard work and guts can pay off. It reminds me of a great quote used by, of all places, Turnbull Wines: "Fortune Favors the Bold." ...The hungry and the talented can rise with boldness and hard work.
So, while I'd like to download 15 Beatles songs, if they're not going to join the rest of us, I'm just as happy with 3 great songs from 5 up-and-coming artists.
Going through this process led me to adopt the following thought:
The denial of one leads us to find the talents of many.
I think this is true in music, advertising, film and life. There is so much talent out there... and it's becoming easier and easier to find. Because of this, those who elect to deny access only pave the way for rest of us to succeed.
now you're speaking a language i can hear.
Tool does not like to post any of their stuff on i-tunes, or with Verizon for ringtones. not sure why, just the way they are. Maynard has been changing the last few years, and with his newest incarnation, Puscifer (puscifer.com), they post all kinds of songs to listen to, but not download. its a step in the right direction.
horses is great. silversun quickly became a musical crush of mine. and i agree with your overall statement. let the big name bands "hold out". i already have all the albums on my-pod anyway.
which leads me to this. there are phenominal "undiscovered" bands that litter my-pod. some have dissentigrated, but they have made way for a fresh new sounds. example: The Black Moods... now Let Go, and Violet Wild. all have myspace pages.
these guys work their butts off for that chance they will end up on a recommend list somewhere and make their dreams come true.
we may have just done that.
Posted by: luke | November 14, 2007 at 04:23 AM