HAIM Fire Their Booking Agent • Page 4

I can't see how it'd be either of those fests if there was talk of getting airplay somehow. I'm thinking it might have been this event: https://www.axs.com/alt-98-7-summer-camp-2017-foster-the-people-the-head-and-the-heart-and-118402

 

I believe it's shorthand for acts that don't come up the natural way (playing local shows, getting noticed/signed) and instead are signed and "developed" by a slew of lawyers, talent coaches, etc. There are plenty of acts regularly reported about on this site that could potentially fall into that category.

 

If it really was that and it was Foster the People who got paid 10x more, that is truly absurd in a way I can barely fathom.

 

Yeah that....doesn't seem realistic but it's the only one I could come across where radio airplay would come into the equation. Rock In Rio and Coachella are huge festivals but they aren't associated with radio stations in any way to the best of my knowledge.

 

here's my thoughts on the matter. please feel free to disagree. that Clario article has been something I've thought about for a long, long time.

you gotta be a little naïve to think that "the industry" doesn't try to build artists fast through a network of social media, artificial grassroots efforts, ala Lana Del Rey or even Lorde, maybe even Grimes. some artists are "found" and some are "made" for our consumption. chasing that indie buzzzzzz is quite lucrative and a smart way to introduce an artist without an all out media blitz. hipster runoff was making fun of this back in 2011 even and he had a valid point. it's artificial and takes attention away from real independent artists. Paramore comes to mind when I think of it being applied to the "emopunkmall" scene bands. they clearly were built around HW and her hired guns. the fact they were actually her friends made it work in my eyes, but it still was what is was, a band created to sell Hayley Williams. but this isn't new at all. it's been happening since the grunge days as far as I can tell. the difference between Alanis Morissette and Liz Phair was huge in 1995 in terms of cred. now it seems negligible.

but why is that sexist? well I can see it being that because I can see it being labeled to women exclusively. it's hard to see that label applied to men because I can't honestly think of an equivalent. I love CRJ, but if she was introduced with a false narrative of some indie darling ala Angel Olsen, I would be turned off. it would be a lame way to create some false authenticity. there's a part of me that sees the sexism there and that POV is also created to silence dissenters, but where does distorting the truth become relevant?

 

Interesting points. It does seem that the label is applied to women more often than men. The only example I can think of a male being an "industry plant" is probably Vanilla Ice. His label wrote a fake biography in order to enhance his "street cred". Either way, he became a walking cartoon within a few years and has been ever since. In recent years, I think most listeners have placed less of an emphasis on authenticity but there is still a slight divide when it concerns tastemakers.

 

I agree that pay discrepancies are a thing, but could it be because it’s Haim? This band sucks. Shitty bands should get shitty pay.

 

VI was such a clusterfuck. I was probably 3 when he came out, so my own interpretation of him is probably skewed that nobody ever took him seriously. But yes, he was built to be this street wise-rap heartthrob hybrid. But more importantly to sell rap to white audiences.

 

I find it to be sexist because when men have connections that get them places and end up getting opportunities due to nepotism or whatever, it's hardly ever commented on. It seems, to me, like another way of discrediting the work and artistry of women to place their entire success on the people around them, completely neglecting the hard work they do. What is "authenticity" anyway? Struggling and starving until you maybe get a few dollars? Shouldn't we be happy that there are artists who are talented and get recognized and compensated for that right off the bat? I admit I don't really have a comment on "fake indie" because again, I think the fact that we think integrity must equal suffering is so off base.

On a personal note, I wouldn't even say that Hayley Williams is an applicable example here- she was a teenager with a dream that her parents supported. They met with labels who decided to sign her and develop her career. She fought tooth and nail every step of the way to keep her friends at her side and be recognized for her talent.

 

Examples of male "plants":

Post Malone
Khalid
Bryson Tiller
Torey Lanez
6lack

Its usually more prevelant in non-rock genres, however not entirely.

 

Yeah, but they pretended she was on FBR (she was, technically) but really was just to sell her to audiences. She was always on major. That's what I'm referring to.

Edit, also none of the male members were signed. She only was.

 

You forgot Robert Plant.

 

Your Favorite Indie Rapper is Secretly Signed to a Major Label

 

I don't know enough about the other ones, but you seem to forget that Post Malone has hordes of teenage fangirls.

Edit: Forget it, I read your comment a little too fast.

 

1. I'm not sure you understand how the gender pay gap works.

2. This has been addressed and discussed in this thread many times already.

 

as far as I know, FBR in that iteration was always a subsidiary of Atlantic. Therefore I don't see why it was "pretending" anything.

 

A) What on earth does that have to do with the discussion at hand
B) Not even an accurate description of Post's fanbase it's really just about every 20-25 year old right now, male or female

 

Foster the People should pay to play.

 

I don't dislike them or anything, but it is kind of wild how far they have dropped off since Pumped Up Kicks.

 

My bad, I totally misread what he wrote and thought he meant that these artists catered to male audiences. I guess I lost track of the order of comments.

 

"Sit Next To Me" is actually still moving up the Top 40 charts.

 

Oh I see how you thought that haha yea this whole convo is a mess so I don't blame you

 

It hasn't. She was/is signed to Atlantic and went with FBR for the authentic independent clout. They pretended (as a band that wasn't actually signed) to be on Fueled By Ramen.

For instance FOB was on FBR but also signed to Island. Island is part of Universal. Atlantic is part of Warner.

 

What kind of got you is this like are we undermining the authenticity of Paramore because of choices that were made by a label for them when they were 15/16? This is exactly what people are talking about, no one ever talks about FOB like this there's never any dicussion about them being a plant

 

I don't think anyone is undermining Paramore, just pointing out that they weren't a "band" before getting signed really which, at this point, really shouldn't matter. As for why people never call out Fall Out Boy for being an industry plant, it's because there's been plenty of documentation of them forming from other bands and releasing a fairly horrific first EP which they've all but disowned. No "industry plant" would have been allowed to put something that scrappy out.