Are our music fans any different than other countries?
What do other countries fans think when a foreign band attempts to come to the states?
What do other countries fans think when a foreign band attempts to come to the states?
Is America a crappy place to promote music?
- Thread starter MetalManCPA
- Start date
Duvall
Ia!
Well, I can look at this from a Canadian perspective. And the best example I can think of is the Barenaked Ladies.
Their first.. 3 or 4 albums did very well in Canada, but with a population of only 30 million, even 1 million records is a big deal. That means one in every 30 people has your album. But anyway, they did well in Canada.
They released Stunt, and about 4 of their songs end up on some really popular movies one summer, and they go HUGE. They become this big thing. They made shitloads of money, no doubt.. so America still must seem like an untapped market to a lot of foreign bands. If you can make it there, you'll do alright for yourself, I suppose.
This could be totally wrong. I'm not that smart and I'm halfway to becoming inebriated now
Their first.. 3 or 4 albums did very well in Canada, but with a population of only 30 million, even 1 million records is a big deal. That means one in every 30 people has your album. But anyway, they did well in Canada.
They released Stunt, and about 4 of their songs end up on some really popular movies one summer, and they go HUGE. They become this big thing. They made shitloads of money, no doubt.. so America still must seem like an untapped market to a lot of foreign bands. If you can make it there, you'll do alright for yourself, I suppose.
This could be totally wrong. I'm not that smart and I'm halfway to becoming inebriated now
The American market is saturated by garbage, so trying to get a foothold here is not the easiest thing to do, but there is a market for music like Opeth. I feel the internet has helped many bands like Opeth gain sales in America, which would otherwise be next to impossible.
America combines a decent sized population, with a high buying power per person. Because of that, Americans spend more on entertainment (movies, music, so on..) then any other country, though maybe not per person, but definitely more overall. A big movie will do almost half its total gross in America alone, and the top selling albums of all time will also do about half their sales in America.
Because of this, there is a lot of interest to get a foothold in America. The problem is the record industries here, who have radio and MTV/VH1 wrapped around their fingers. A band like Opeth has little chance to get the exposure that a boy-band might. Still I know there are still many untapped people in America who would eat up music like Opeth if they were exposed to it.
America combines a decent sized population, with a high buying power per person. Because of that, Americans spend more on entertainment (movies, music, so on..) then any other country, though maybe not per person, but definitely more overall. A big movie will do almost half its total gross in America alone, and the top selling albums of all time will also do about half their sales in America.
Because of this, there is a lot of interest to get a foothold in America. The problem is the record industries here, who have radio and MTV/VH1 wrapped around their fingers. A band like Opeth has little chance to get the exposure that a boy-band might. Still I know there are still many untapped people in America who would eat up music like Opeth if they were exposed to it.
HoserHellspawn
Pixel Manipulator
Similarly, Duvall, I'd like to see what happens with the Matthew Good Band. They released their first record, got pushed by Vancouver rock station CFOX, made a video for MuchMusic, released the second album, got pushed heavily by CFOX, the "Apparitions" video (great video) crawled up to #1 on MM, then I believe their third record entered the Canadian charts at the #1 spot. But they're not really that big in the States at all... what'll it take to break through? It'll be interesting to see if they do.
As for the notion of America being saturated with crap, there's no doubt. That nation is really the breeding grounds of commercialism, and while it simultaneously spreads out to the rest of the world, foreign stuff with "commercial potential" has to go to America to have that realized in any kind of big way.
As for the notion of America being saturated with crap, there's no doubt. That nation is really the breeding grounds of commercialism, and while it simultaneously spreads out to the rest of the world, foreign stuff with "commercial potential" has to go to America to have that realized in any kind of big way.
And not to just bash America, there are other places that good music stays small, while crap sells. I guess the best example is Hong Kong. While some good music filters in there, most of it is pop-commercial crap. If you are a movie star, you make an album, and the other way around as well. If you are popular, they will give you some pop music, record you, fix your voice a bit, and sell you. Japan is also this way, with commercial girl-pop selling in the millions, but you do find a good size portion of Japanese into good underground.
Russell
__
Yeah, I would have thought there was a lot more competition in America than in other places, so its harder to get a foothold. That would mean more underground music tho, which I think is probably a good thing
The Internet is the only reason I know of Opeth. I've ordered all my CD's from online since too, and I think to date I've only seen one Opeth CD in a music store (MAYH) around here. I don't have a really great place to buy good metal at. Anyone from around here (RI) have any suggestions that don't involve going into Providence? Fuck that.
Lynn
Duvall
Ia!
Hoser: I agree with the Matthew Good thing. I think that the general populace would get them mixed up with Dave Matthews, though. (isn't there a Matthew Sweet band too?)
MM's videos are generally pretty good.. well, Apparitions was.. Strange Days wasn't awful. Wait.. Hello Time Bomb and Load Me Up weren't tha interesting. nevermind. They've HAD some good videos
It IS interesting to think that while walking down the street, one out of every 30 people you pass owns Bryan Adams' Waking up the Neighbours or OLP's Clumsy.
MM's videos are generally pretty good.. well, Apparitions was.. Strange Days wasn't awful. Wait.. Hello Time Bomb and Load Me Up weren't tha interesting. nevermind. They've HAD some good videos
It IS interesting to think that while walking down the street, one out of every 30 people you pass owns Bryan Adams' Waking up the Neighbours or OLP's Clumsy.
Demonspell
cheating the polygraph
America is the most ass-backwards country in the world when it comes to musical tastes, and if not for promotion over the Internet (without which I would know not of prog metal, melodic death, artistic black, etc.) and the efforts of companies like CM it would be a complete wasteland.
And even though I have no firsthand experience of it, Canadian content sounds like the most horrible thing on earth... until you realize that we in the States have even less tolerance for foreign acts. Damn this trend infested mentally void country.
And even though I have no firsthand experience of it, Canadian content sounds like the most horrible thing on earth... until you realize that we in the States have even less tolerance for foreign acts. Damn this trend infested mentally void country.
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