SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST:
DAY TWO
Ah yes, equilibrium achieved.
After Ray Davies', uh, inspiring keynote address, the first panel was titled "The View From The Helm," featuring MCA Nashville President Tony Brown, Ark 21 President Miles Copeland III, Mercury Records/Lost Highway President Luke Lewis, Mammoth Records President Rob Seidenberg and Hannibal Records President Joe Boyd. The quintet expounded on the virtues and vices of chasing hits, with and without corporate parents. Promotional budgets were compared, with Lewis catching Copeland off-guard by divulging that the company spent at least $1.6 million on a Shania Twain single. Copeland was able to put that into perspective by noting that Jaguar spent $17.8 million on the TV commercials that featured Sting's "Desert Rose."
The highlights were provided by firebrand Copeland's anti-Napster podium-pounding, where he called upon record labels to show some balls and tackle intellectual property issues, and Brown divulging that neither he nor any other Country president listen to Country radio. Lewis' grizzled charm extended to noting that his kids were pro-Napster, until they wanted a new car. The general theme was that artists need to be realistic in their expectations of what a label can do for them and be willing to work much harder, rather than relying on labels to break them. Duh.
Then it was off to "Digital Music Business Models—Version 2.0." Zzzz, snort, huh? Oh, yeah. Moderator/Jupiter Media Metrix Analyst Aram Sinnreich led a panel through the paces of why digital music distribution didn't destroy record labels. The moral? Just because you put MP3s on the web doesn't mean that people will download them. Also, just because Inside's Michael Hirschorn, Myplay's David Pakman and Music 33.com's Anthony Wilson are on the list of panelists, doesn't mean that they'll be there. Of course, no one from Napster is attending SXSW either. And, let's not forget, artists should not expect so much from the web and be willing to work much harder.
And my final panel of the day was "Common Goals: Indie Labels And Artists." Uh, yeah. The lesson there was…artists should be willing to work harder and expect less from indie labels. Guess they're in touch with culture after all.
Hit the Virgin Records listening party for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club debut album. It's a very good record, in the Jesus and Mary Chain/Ride vein, without being unapproachable. Free food and free beer. Nice. Then it was off to the Columbia Records party where Pete Yorn performed and the schmoozing hit mid-to-high levels. For instance, Warner Bros. publicist Rick Gershon told Marc Pollack that yours truly was the second hardest working man in show business. (Rick, your check's in the mail. Please call Pollack when he's doing my review.) More importantly, Yorn's record is a staff favorite, and he lived up to the hype with a short set. More free food and free beer. Very nice.
But despite all of the biz talk and expense account meals and drinks, the heart of SXSW is the bands. You do remember bands don't you?
Tonight it was a bit of indie rock (Portastatic), a little multi-cultural funk (Ozomatli), some hip-hop (Black Eyed Peas), some more indie rock (The Glands) and the peculiar genius that is the Ass Ponys—if they aren't the most underrated band in America, they're certainly the most underappreciated. At the Cincinnati band's show tonight, I was reminded of what it is to be a fan of a group, hanging on every note, singing along to choruses, not caring that the woman behind me kept hitting me with her elbow.
Tomorrow, it's up early for Madame President Karen Glauber's 11 a.m. panel on "What To Expect When You're Expecting: Preparing Your Release For Radio," which features Peter Yorn, WNNX Atlanta PD Leslie Fram, Universal SVP Promotions Steve Leeds and Dr. Benjamin Spock.
Let's just hope my liver forgives me.
