The website itself is made up of great, thought-provoking videos about the plights of various musicians to develop their craft, such as this one, focussing on Sigur Ros:

While I think the concept is a great one, like many others, I’m not entirely convinced that a few quirky YouTube videos and a trademark are enough to shift a generation back to valuing music.  This will be a long haul and one which needs as close to every musician behind it as it can get.  Less than 50% of the British population paid for music in 2008, a figure which truly disturbs me as there is no way I believe that less than 50% of British people listened to music in the same year.  While I’ve always been open-minded on the downloading issues, services such as Spotify make it practically impossible to argue for torrents. While I accept that there are some artists who aren’t available on the service, the more successful it becomes, the harder it is going to be for artists to justify ignoring it, particularly in terms of their marketing. With demand for the service on some days already being greater than the entire internet demand in all of Sweden put together, it’s surprising that anyone can fail to see the huge impact it is having on the industry.  I, for one, have never been more varied in my listening habits than I am now, with the help of Spotify.

But, there is still a problem with all of this.  Music DOES matter, of course but what people seem to be forgetting is that it matters more than in the digital realm. I know people are claiming that that the CD is dead but there are plenty of studies to suggest this simply is not the case.  Plenty of people continue to want to buy a product when they hand over their money and I’ll fully confess, I’m one of them. But  when I recieved two greatly anticipated new releases through the post from Amazon today, I was dismayed to find them in the most flimsy of cardboard sleeves, with no inlay booklet and limited artwork.  Call me a traditionalist but I feel totally unsatisfied with what I just spent my £7.99 on.  While it might be the slightly greener option, what we are supposed to be concerned about is value. And quite frankly, I struggle to see what is being done to ensure the product of recorded music retains any value in the commercial world when in its physical form.  The overall value of music and buying music goes beyond simply the experience of listening…why do you think vinyls keep going through such fierce revivals?  People want an experience of purchasing that you simply don’t get with a digital download, which is also a reason that the idea of digital inlays fell flat on its face.

If the record labels want us to truly believe that music matters then they need to avoid cutting costs in the places where value attitudes show the most.  Value is complex and it doesn’t always follow logical patterns.  It may well be cheaper for labels to limit their releases to digital formats only but we have to decide where priorities lie.  It’s all well and good launching a campaign that is based almost entirely on ethics and value but if you don’t follow that through in all of your business, the campaign is almost certain to fail.  Times might be hard but if even hardcore CD collectors like myself start being put off what the value is in purchasing the product, then what hope is there left?

http://www.whymusicmatters.org/

It seems that industry insiders believe a shift has already happened with plenty of talk of an ‘investment gulf’ from the major labels who have been choosing to pile these vast sums of money they speak of into a small number of acts in order to guarantee a high success rate.   It was brought up at the UK festivals conference last year that bookers and promoters have been starting to back new artists, on the promise of a performance at their event, simply to ensure the steady flow of talent through the industry, where major record labels have been failing.  While Alison Wenham, chairman of the indie label network WIN, makes a perfectly valid point in stating that ‘artists generally prefer to leave the complex administration…to someone else,’ who that someone is depends entirely on how adventurous you want to be.

Some of the most obvious shows of alternative funding and management models can be seen through schemes such as Slice of the Pie and Pledge Music , where fans choose to pay towards an artist’s release.  While the collapse of Sellaband (albeit apparently temporary) has certainly dented buyer confidence in these models, what is impossible to ignore is the fact that the power is shifting away from the record labels and into the hands of those who will be buying the music.  The latest Facebook trend, the group ‘Storm the Charts,’ coupled with the recent Christmas number 1 uprising suggests that music fans aren’t willing to do what the established protocols tell them they will anymore.   This isn’t a new thing; pop has been very separate from other types of music for a good while now.  But what is different is the phenomenal rise in internet use for well, everything, has meant that they finally have the right platforms to make their voices heard, and on a seriously large scale. As user engagement online becomes increasingly impossible to escape, so too does the concept that anyone involved in the music industry can ignore the views of the consumer and carry on regardless.  Consumers expect more, they expect to have a say and they expect to be involved but what’s more, in many cases, they are more than happy to pay towards the privilege.  They might not be willing to pay for a traditional album in a jewel case but once they are engaged, tell them their favourite artist needs their support and you’d be surprised at quite how quickly that £7.99 can be found.

I think it may be way too early to say the major labels are counting down to their doomsday although those following the EMI situation may beg to differ.  However, the model itself is shifting…no longer can a label spot a band playing in a bar and thrust them off into stardom.  Labels expect more; they want an already engaged fanbase, they want to know what they are getting themselves into- they simply can’t afford to take the huge risks needed to throw that $1 billion behind someone who might end up in the bargin bin two years down the line.  With any of the models, record label or not, fan engagement is going to be the key to success. Like it or loathe it, social networking; twittering, buzzing and commenting, cannot be underestimated.  If you want to be fan funded, you need the fans.  Record label funded? You need to prove that the fans want you and will line the increasingly empty pockets of the major labels.

Huge commercial success is still going to be measured in the same terms for a long time yet.  But for those who aren’t Lady Gaga or the Kings of Leon, the way forward seems to me to be engage your fans, spread your word.  Whether you choose to embrace the modern and go fan-funded or hope to seek out that ever mystical record deal, the support and numbers will open up these doors to you.  You can offer every Pledge reward in the world but if nobody knows who you are, nobody will care and nobody will buy.

Ready?

So…lists. This is the time of year when every music site, blog, magazine, tv programme and newspaper worth anything and plenty of those who aren’t, are full of lists. Best songs, artists and albums of the year, they are the big ones. But then we have top gigs of the year, top moments of the year, top news stories, gossip and so on. Whatsmore, this year, we have the added bonus of the word decade. So not only do we get the usual onslaught, we also have all of the same but for the last 10 years.  Don’t get me wrong, like nearly every other music geek around, I love a good list. In fact, what has sparked this increased interest in the form in the last few months was a debate amongst friends on Facebook, started by myself, about the top albums of the decade. But what really got my interest, even more than the albums themselves, was the judging criteria we chose to use. Each of us felt that the reasons for putting albums on the list should be different. And this is where the stickler comes with lists…the only absolute is sales figures. The only list that is absolutely indisputable is the number of copies money has been exchanged for and even that isn’t great these days in the Spotify-era. I’ll save the patronising activity of finding said list for this year as I think it’s fair to assume it may not reflect mine, or anyone else reading this blog’s interests. So what other options do we have? Channel 4 claimed to have solved the problem, by using a ‘You Gov’ poll to determine their top 20 songs of the decade but I know I sure wasn’t asked. I also know Chasing Cars most certainly isn’t my song of the decade. Enough said. So, even a sample can’t work.  Music journalists can have a fairly good stab at the ‘defining albums’ of a period of time, in an attempt to reflect the musical moods of the moment but this is as subjective as a list of favourites. We all miss things, every journalist is still a human and there will always be people who feel their favourite has been criminally missed. And no, thank-you Mr McCormick of the Telegraph, it is with no regret I will inform you that ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ did not define my decade in any way shape or form. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/6198897/100-songs-that-defined-the-Noughties.html)

However, as far as I can see, the only genuine way a list such as this can be constructed and be valid, is entirely of personal opinion.  But what use is that? Who really gives much of a toss that I think My Vitriol’s ‘Finelines’ (2001) was the most criminally underrated rock album of the decade? But even then there are issues…is it the albums we like best now? Or the albums we think we might still like in 20 years? How on earth can you know?  I guess, fundamentally, lists are fun.  That might seem like a bit of a cop out of the debate but there is a distinct possibility, as fun as my fascination has been, I’m overthinking the issue. Basically, we like making them, we like reading them, we like going down and ticking off smugly all the albums that you know are sitting on your shelf. It’s also a great excuse to sit with for hours listening to gems that have long been forgotten about or that have been overlooked altogether and attempting to form some sort of critical appraisal of them. Deep down, every music fan wishes they were a critic, that their opinion is valued enough that others read it, believe it and might even buy albums because they trust your opinion so much, they’re willing to spend good money based upon it.

And so, without further ado, my best albums of the year. That is, those I’ve quite simply enjoyed listening to the most.

Roisin’s Top 10 Albums of 2009

10) Editors – InThis Light and OnThis Evening.

A true return to form for the Editors after a mediocre second effort, embracing everything about the 80′s that makes them good and featuring a sublime vocal performance from Tom Smith.

Standout Track: Papillon

9) Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions

I listened to Captain. I was horrified. I listened to the whole album. I changed my mind. These days, they’re making damn good pop-rock music with brilliantly catchy melodies. Their style has changed with their level of success yet somehow they manage to retain the essence of what makes them great.

Standout Track: Booooom, Blast & Ruin.

8 ) Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

This one really had to grow but that’s because it’s got more depth than their previous efforts. Josh Homme may aswell have joined the band, so many of the riffs feel they’ve been lifted from a Queens of the Stone Age album but this album reflects that the boys from Sheffield can’t shout about falling out of clubs and getting a takeaway and remain genuine these days. An album of style and class and a Reading headline performance to match…it really has been this band’s decade.

Standout Track:  My Propeller

7) Placebo – Battle for The Sun

There isn’t masses to say about this album, apart from the fact that it’s Placebo, on great form, with big riffs, big melodies and everything needed to keep you listening to it over and over again.

Standout Track:  Kitty Litter

6) Maximo Park – Quicken The Heart

Another unsteady starter but this album just keeps growing. Without Paul Smith, Maximo Park would be nothing. With him, they are probably the best indie band around at the moment, releasing intelligent albums one after the other that come with passion and energy bursting out of every track.

Standout Track:  Let’s Get Clinical

5) Paramore – Brand New Eyes

It really has been Paramore’s year. Yes, they’ve played the game well and had some lucky breaks but this album shows why they deserve every bit of success they’re getting lately. Hayley Williams is a serious force to be reckoned with and while this album might not be the ‘coolest’ on the list, it packs a punch from the first track through to the last but also shows a band maturing in the slower tracks such as ‘Misguided Ghosts.’

Standout Track: Brick by Boring Brick

4) Florence and the Machine – Lungs

I know this is hyped but it really is a great debut.  Florence Welch has so much talent and class and this album just oozes with raw energy and passion. It may have been one of the most popular albums of the year but it’s quite obvious to see why.

Standout Track: Howl

3) Imogen Heap – Ellipse

I’d like to point out, for the top 3, we step into a different league however. The following 3 albums have really been the gems of the year. This is a truly stunning album, beautifully crafted by one of the most gifted songwriters working at the moment and so lovingly produced that every second is sublime.

Standout Track: 2-1

2) Mew – No More Stories…

A highly anticipated release from Denmark’s finest. This album offers the unusual combination of musical creativity and beauty all at once. Despite the sections of dischord, the harmonies always take over and soar above whatever is underneath and some of the melodies are as catchy as they come. Their best yet; the album I’ve been waiting for to come from Mew, beautiful, catchy and clever all at once.

Standout Track:  Hawaii

1) Pure Reason Revolution – Amor Vincit Omnia

They don’t get more exciting than this for me. Despite a complete change in direction, Pure Reason Revolution have retained everything that was brilliant about their debut and mapped it onto something new, showing exactly how bands would develop in my ideal world. Despite the sway towards electronica, once again, it’s the harmonies that make this album what it is but tracks like ‘Deus Ex Machina’ and ‘Les Malheurs’ aren’t lacking in rock energy and the absolute beauty of AVO is something else. Realistically, I could blog on about this album for a week so I’ll rein myself in and just say: brilliant.

Standout Tracks: Deus Ex Machina & AVO

But where does that leave us? OK, so there’s an argument to say this generation has producer a few headliner size bands, Kings of Leon, for example, who proved last year at the Reading Festival that stage presence isn’t really their ‘thing’ and apparently, The Killers. Enough said. But compared to the undeniable legends that have existed in the past, our pickings are slim.  Don’t get me wrong, we have a mass of bands capable of owning the Other Stage, or other similar sized slots, but the state of the music industry is dictating that perhaps it might be time to start moving on from this traditional notion of ‘the headliner’: unless you genuinely believe we can spend the next 40 years watching Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy age, not necessarily gracefully, year on year.

In recent surveys, its been proven that although the headliners are still considered important, they are not the most important factor when deciding which festivals to go to. Then, in comes that lovely, indefinable, key word: ‘atmosphere.’  This obviously isn’t a new concept: everyone’s been harping on about the ‘Glastonbury spirit, man’ for years.  However, what is new is the concept that it might entirely replace the role of these household name bands that, until now, have had the status of Gods. With the download culture and record industry in catasrophic decline, the only superstars that are being created are those of the pop world, of the reality TV breed. Rock superstars aren’t necessary anymore…we don’t need to unite in the love of these stars, because now we have the freedom of choice to truly embrace the things we actually love and not just those that it is cool to like. As subcultures become the core of culture in general, it becomes harder and harder to book bands that aren’t going to cause backlash because people are becoming so much more idosyncratic in their consumption of music. You like hardcore, electro, gothic-metal trance? Thats fine. In fact, you’re probably less likely to be sneered at than somebody who, god forbid, openly admits to liking Coldplay’s latest album. Without these rock superstars, the sense of hysteria diminishes (it’d be easy to start a whole extra point about blogging and the internet and celebrity culture there…but I’ll spare you…) and therefore, headliners no longer thrive, as the buzz of excitement that used to surround their performances no longer exists.

So while we debate whether we can tolerate the general irritation that is Bono long enough to witness 80,000 singing ‘One’ by the Pyramid, a moment that will, undoubtedly, be ‘classic Glastonbury,’ maybe we should stop whinging about the bookings that festival organisers are practically bankrupting their festivals to secure and instead focus on everything else that the festivals have to offer. Who knows what this could mean for festivals such as Reading and Leeds, who have little else to offer bar the line-up. The days of the headliner are numbered, mark my words.