JIM CARROLLon music
The record industry’s navel-gazing continues. This week the chief executive of Universal Music UK, David Joseph, talked about the industry’s ongoing “horror movie” and how 2010 was “a terrible, terrible year for breaking new artists”. Joseph was speaking to Universal workers who had gathered for an informal open-day event at the staff canteen in London.
As reported by Adam Sherwin of Beehivecity.com, Joseph spoke of how only nine UK debut albums sold more than 100,000 copies in 2010. In 2007 the figure was three times that, while 100,000 used to be seen as a fairly modest return for a heavily promoted new act back in the day.
Universal isn’t the only major currently taking stock of a changing landscape. Between EMI’s recent woes and Warner Music’s drop in shares, reported during the week, it’s not a great time to be a major-label executive.
But just as you have to wonder if the Irish economy can be fixed by those who got us in to this mess, are record-label bosses the ones who can steer the ship away from the rocks? After all, they’re the ones who consistently shirked the challenges or picked the wrong battles.
For example, talk of revenues from digital downloads ignores the fact that this sphere is also underperforming for the majors. Look at Virtual Music’s and Compete’s map of the top sites for web-based music consumption in the US in 2010.
Streaming is now the way of the walk, and that, for now, means even less cash in the labels’ tin can.
There will always be a music business, but it remains to be seen what sort of a record business (aside from catalogue pimping) will remain once the dancing is over.
New music
YOUNG MAN
Colin Caulfield first came to notice with his covers on YouTube – Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox was a fan. Now he’s getting kudos for his own shimmering, magical, post-Sufjan songs, such as Up So Fast, which are full of fascinating narratives and progressions. myspace.com/colincaulfield
BOBBY
New Vermont-based outfit starring Mountain Man’s Mollie Sarle, who will tour with Low Anthem in the next few months. Tunes such as Sore Spores sound like a vamped-up MM with a big, bright, trippy hook to snare your ears. Expect lots of ink about them post-SXSW in March. myspace.com/ sickmilk
CAT’S EYES
Ready for a band that connects The Horrors, opera and the Vatican? Cat’s Eyes is Horrors frontman Farris Badwin and Canadian soprano Rachel Zeffira. They played their first ever gig at St Peter’s Basilica in front of a clutch of cardinals and other mere mortals. Debut album coming in May. catseyesmusic.com
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