Jim Carrollon music
Tori Amos has become the latest artist to abandon the major label ship.
The singer-songwriter, who was in the headlines late last year when she evicted some fans from a show in San Diego for talking through the boring bits in one of her songs, announced this week that she was splitting from Sony's Epic imprint and heading for the indie hills.
In a comment posted on her website, Amos counselled other artists to consider adopting a similar strategy. "It is time for us as artists to stop being dependent, dependent on any system that has become undependable," she wrote. "Only then can we help to create a new system that propagates and secures independence for each creator."
Amos has spent most of her career to date on major labels, putting in nearly a decade with Warner Music's Atlantic label before releasing three albums for Epic. Her first indie record will be released in spring 2009.
Amos was never one of Sony's big commercial hitters - her last album, American Doll Posse,sold about 152,000 copies in the US in the 12 months since it went on release. However, her departure highlights the growing trend of acts with established fanbases choosing to move away from major labels.
Some acts, however, will remain loyal to the labels that have contributed to their success. Coldplay, for instance, have shown faith in EMI, despite the company's much publicised troubles.
But just as some footballers like to keep everyone guessing about their intentions for the next season, acts who are out of contract or about to go out of contract may well follow Amos and go it alone.
One act yet to declare their future plans in this regard are Oasis, who are currently out of contract with Sony, but are planning to release an album this summer.
While it's easy to understand why acts are attracted to a bigger cheque elsewhere, it will be interesting to see how labels react to this exodus.
Some, after all, will not be content to merely wave goodbye to their cash- cows and put out a greatest hits collection.
Leading musical light
Time to turn on the Darklight. This month's digital art, film and technology festival has copious opportunities for chin-stroking in public places, with seminars, workshops, performances, screenings and exhibitions.
The festival menu features some interesting music flicks. There's a welcome airing of John T Davis's seminal Shellshock Rock, his look at the Northern Ireland punk scene of the late 1970s.
Documentaries from Darragh McCarthy and Stephen Rennicks focus on the capital's music scene from nearly a decade ago. McCarthy's The Stars Are Undergroundremembers the DIY scene of the late 1990s through the eyes of some of the participants, while Rennicks's Last Night of the Funneldocuments the final, frantic night at that seminal venue.
Darklight runs from June 26th to 29th. More information at www.darklight.ie.
Lend me your Deaf ears
This year's Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (Deaf) sees the introduction of two new music awards.
The Varese Award will be given for contemporary music composition in the field of ambient music, while the Diffusion Electro-acoustic Music Prize will be awarded for a new electro-acoustic work.
Deaf is also planning a double-CD to showcase the work of new Irish electronic music producers and is currently seeking contributions.
Full information on how to enter for the awards or submit material for the CD is at www.deafireland.com.
Deaf runs from October 22nd to 27th.
Quote of the Week
"We have not reversed the troubles of the music industry - but at least the dinosaurs are no longer running the show" -U2 manager Paul McGuinness on the current state of the business
ETC
• Surf's up. Travis, Supergrass, The Zutons, Seasick Steve, Cathy Davey and more play the Cois Fharraige fest in Kilkee, Co Clare from September 5th to 7th.
• Now that you can buy Radiohead tracks individually on iTunes, the only superstars still saying "no thanks" to Apple are The Beatles, AC/DC and Garth Brooks.
• If you're on the road to Barcelona and spot an earnest man with an acoustic guitar, it's probably Damien Rice. He announced this week that he's planning to record a new album on his current road-trip to Catalonia.
