The Post Where Mistress Rants About The Music Industry AGAIN!

Talking about Indie artists yesterday made me think about how unfair the music industry is to signed, established artists.

If you are an artist that say had a decent career in your twenties...like say...erm...The Moody Blues....or Elvis Costello...or Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits...or even Duran Duran, why can't you get a new album released.

In some instances its the artists fault. Its easy to capitalize on 12 hit songs or so and go on touring and playing those, but what of the artists that still want to write music? The industry giants make it rough for them. Once you hit a certain age, they seem to think most musicians etc have nothing viable to say, unless you're Madonna (and really has she ever had anything to say worth hearing?), U2 (Sometimes I wish they would shut up) or Paul McCartney.

For the most part once an established artist hits the 40 to 50 range in age, the record companies conveniently forget to promote their material. How can people buy something when they don't know its out or coming out?

What if the listener isn't a crazy internet geek like yours truly, who combs Amazon's new releases page at least twice weekly?

There's no way to know! Especially with the state of stores like FYE that only seem to stock what's current. You can get no instant gratification if you want something like Gordon Lightfoot's Dream Street Rose or Old Dan's Records. That has to be ordered online or downloaded.

So for an established artist, it becomes difficult to sell your old albums because they aren't stocked, if they are in print, and being able to release new material is difficult because the industry believes only kids buy music. Uh no, they don't. And the industry seems to think fans only want 30 more greatest hits compilations. NO. WE. DON'T!

So its a lose/lose situation. Unless you are 20, and an American Idol Winner or were found by talent scouts because new bands are hard to find and if you live in a big city someone might hear you. Oh and if you are female you must prance about scantily clad and your vocal talents only have to be questionable.

GAH!

This, my friends, is why I like Indie Music and why my favorite established artists can't seem to put a record out. (Well except for Elvis Costello)