Selling Out?
 

So recently, a number of bands I really like have been appearing in commercials. Mates of State, Feist, Flaming Lips, Metric, and a few others have been prominently featured (Mates of State and Feist) or the background music (Flaming Lips and Metric) for products ranging from phones to Dell computers to...Grey's Anatomy.

Now, I think that it's great when an indie band is prominently featured in a commercial. They get some money, anybody who enjoys the little snippet of tunage gets introduced to a good band, and the company's commercial overall is a little more tolerable. But, I'm also aware that other fans leverage the same amount of love towards this practice that they'd normally give to necrophilial bestiality.

So what do you guys think? Is handing over a song to a faceless corporation tantamount to a giant middle finger to the fans, or is just a way to make some extra cash? Are there limits to the practice?

Like I said, I'm perfectly fine for songs used as background, but when the company starts to switch around the words, I find that a bit crass. You have announcers and text to available to you for explaining your product, the song you bought doesn't have to be hacked to pieces to overstress your message.

Also, I'm pretty much always good with bands I like being part of the soundtrack in T.V. or movies. As long as the song is used properly, it adds to the show and allows me to go "Hey, I know that band!" And if used really well, I can't hear the song/see the movie or show without thinking of the other (I know that Half Nelson was about ten times better because it used Broken Social Scene so well).

So yeah, your thoughts?

There are definely limits to the practice. The corporation can only liscense to use your song in that one commercial/episode. They have to sign more deals or a more comprehensive deal that would allow them to use the song. The corporation, can't claim the song thier own or make any money off said song. All they can do is give it air time on whatever medium their using.

Also, when a company switches around the words, that has to be agreed upon in the contract that the company is allowed to switch around words.

In all, I think this works out better for the bands because it gives them a wider audience that they can reach without giving up the rights to the song AND make a little extra money.

I meant more "What do you think the limits should be", not necessarily "What are the actual" limits out there.

I've heard people complain about a band's song being used for car and gas companies, but not caring about video games or cell phones for example.

Oh jeez. I just don't care. My bands (the ones I like) can give the music they made to whoever.

Okay, like, if they had one song called "Hey Ford Automotive Company, Calm The Fuck Down," and then gave another song to Ford, or wrote a song called "Buy Our Damned Cars", then okay, maybe, yeah, that's a little weird. But if it's like, letting your song be used on Scrubs to add to the emotional impact, then no big.

Those who cry that someone is a sellout more or less simply has nothing worth buying.

I'm not going to even try and figure out the complexity of the rest of the term.

I can't hear "Where is My Mind?" without thinking of Fight Club.

One thing I totally hate though is KFC using "Sweet Home Alabama" in all their commercials. It's KENTUCKY Fried Chicken! Not ALABAMA Fried Chicken!

When I was writing my response I was actually thining of Scrubs, particularily when they used "How To Save a Life" by The Fray (Sp?)

Yeah Scrubs is awesome!

Ahem.

I think that today, selling out really doesn't actually exist. If you are part of almost any label you've already "sold out" in terms of what it was originally about. Now music isn't as much of a rebellion as it once was... The envelope has really just been pushed in terms of what can be called making a statement with your music. Statements are made in the message of the song, and people want their message heard so they go to the people with the money and influence to make that happen.

Or they're Indies and I could really care less, that whole crowd makes my head hurt, if it's something I enjoy I'll listen to it, I don't really care who made it.

Well, there are lots of different interpretations of the term. There are many who believe that, once you make even a penny on your music, that you've compromised your artistic integrity for the sake of filling your greedy little pockets.

These people are idiots.

Personally, my interpretation is when you start making changes in your music or simply writing songs with the intent of going along with what's popular so as to increase record sales. Gwen Stefani's probably the best example I can think of, in this case.

But eh, whatever. Tool's "Hooker With A Penis" has probably the most reasonable view on the usage of the term, despite the name of the song itself.