As cool and hip as I claim to be, at core I’m still a geeky political nerd. I follow the elections, make damn sure I vote, and I even pay attention to state and local races. I love having a voice, and I truly believe that my vote counts. Lately though, negative campaigning, baseless posturing, and hateful attacks are becoming the norm. What absolutely fries me though is that the general public seems to accept this type of behavior and at times encourages it.
We’ve got this little Presidential Election going on, and most of what our candidates say is reduced to sound bites and personal attacks so repugnant that they defy logic. And at best, the statements made by all of the candidates make only occasional sense. Finally, it seems, people are starting to get a little angry about it all, and if the polls are any type of true indicator, quite possibly the election will trend towards someone who may actually reform the system. Aside from his policies, I applaud Barack Obama for simply doing his best to stay above the fray. Whether it’s PR or not, he just seems to be a genuine guy who runs a campaign with honor. Can’t say the same for McCain campaign – they seem to thrive (or try to) on rumor-mongering, negative ads, and stereotypes. It’s shameful, really …
But this is a music blog. And the music industry is run by equally shady characters, no doubt. So many itinerate hucksters out for a buck. They run from conference to conference, and blog to blog, telling you that their platform is totally unique, their product will change the way musicians do business, and quite possibly that they’re the only “real” music discovery/free download/gig-getting/magic bullet you need to survive in today’s changing musical landscape.
Said it before, but it’s worth repeating: That’s all bullshit.
The only way to become President, or a platinum artist, is simply to both be good at what you do and work hard at it. That comes from God-given talents, but also the determination and tenacity to work at your craft. I have no doubt that Obama has put in long hours both writing, researching, campaigning. I can’t begin to think that Gov. Palin has done the same.
On the music side of things, there’s no single website that will make you rich, famous, or much of anything if you don’t already have the talent. But those same hucksters just want you to create that profile, upload your tracks, and give them a little slice of the pie that you’re not getting much out of.
And as this slope descends more and more, the cries of discontent are beginning to rise louder and louder. Musicians who once somewhat expected to get screwed (Breakage, today!?) are finally speaking up against scam sites and companies who over-promise and dramatically under deliver. Case in point: Does anyone think MySpace music will EVER succeed?
So as election day gets closer and closer, simply look for the honest musician, music site, and/or candidate. Odds are, if they sound/sing too good to be true, they are.
I recently got mixed up in an overlap between music and politics up here in Canada. After months of debate and dare I say a small bit of progress, a much needed amendment to our copyright act was put to death when our wise Prime Minister decided to call an election.
While there was a great deal of work left to do, we were getting somewhere. The tree stump that calls himself my representative in our nation’s capital tells me it probably won’t get tabled again for another 2 years.
Lobbyists, Fear Mongers and Yes Men, Oh my!