Industry Problems: Exhibit A

I've been having a very difficult time getting myself back into blogging. Reviews are becoming increasingly difficult to write, because honestly, there are only so many adjectives in the English language to describe music. In order to ease myself back into the groove of things, I figured I would just write what comes to mind - the misconception that today's musicians lack talent.

Several months ago I argued that Rock was alive, and going strong. I haven't veered from that original opinion, but just because I think there is a litany of quality music out there, doesn't necessarily mean that music industry is healthy, nor is the society that digests it.

The biggest issue plaguing the music industry today is the fact that consumers have turned to this childish mentality of instant gratification and labels are catering to Wall Street before fans. Bands are signed to short term deals, and if things don't pan out after their first record, or if lucky their second, they are dropped and required to pick up the tab for all debts accrued from recording costs - signing a deal is an extremely risky venture. Bands don't have the ability to grow and find themselves through years of touring and recording like once before. If today's industry standards applied twenty or thirty years ago, would bands who didn't charge out of the gates with enormous success be dropped before they were ever able to shine? Bruce Springsteen, who is one of the most iconic figures in rock history, may be roaming the streets of Asbury Park, NJ with a tin can in his hands if it weren't for his opportunity to grow as an artist.

It's not the artists who are flawed, but instead, the industry, the critics, and even the listeners. Musicians are kept on a short leash now and days, and the five or so labels which dominate the industry are looking for immediate success and anything short of a Billboard landing album is as good as dirt. Growth and experience have become archaic ideas, and its all about cashing in immediately. Certainly there are more problems than just this in the industry - don't even get me started on Clear Channel - but this is one of the most high ranking issues in my mind. Today's musicians aren't untalented or uncreative, their abilities are parallel to those who we hold in such high esteem, the problem is these talents aren't cultivated. Given a little time, the results are endless.