AI is in the "so bad that it's good" category. The band version will be the same. It's nothing to take seriously.
Studdard, Fantasia and Underwood are in a different category from the rest for the simple reason that they are outside of the mainstream pop music industry. In country, R&B and gospel, you can do very well without the need to look great. However, Studdard has been a critical and monetary flop. Fantasia has done well in the soul world, but has had no crossover success. Underwood has real talent and she's in a business (country) that LOVES pretty girls who can sang with twang. She'll do fine, but she'll have to go some to approach crossover successes like Shania and Faith Hill. Clay Aiken has NOT been successful in the traditional sense. There is a question whether or not he'll be able to make another record and, if he does, it will likely be covers of popular songs. If anything, he'll end up in Branson with Andy Williams. Clarkson was very successful but it was COMPLETELY because she told the producers to screw off when they demanded she make a pop record. She instead went and made a rock record and had some hits. Unfortunately, that likely won't continue as Clive Davis has taken the reins again and refused to release her latest CD and has sent her back to the drawing board to make a new one from scratch. Her career is most certainly in jeopoardy and a great deal of that is because she is beholden to Davis and the AI producers with whom she was required to sign as part of the show agreement. Pickler has done nothing but get a boob job, but she's also a country artist who's pretty. She'll probably have some success, but she doesn't have the appeal or the talent of Underwood. As for Daughtrey, that is a very unique situation. Davis literally manufactured that record. He replaced Daughtrey's entire band who Daughtrey subsequently dropped because he hated them and brought in guys he knew to tour. There is a fight brewing about material on the next one because he's angling to do something different. --- I should state that I have NO problem with people who want to go on AI, but there is a big difference between discovering talent and finding the next great artist. This music industry - as it is today - is not interested in making great art. They want to make lots of money and they'll put out anything that will do that - the very reason why their biggest target demographic recently has been children with stuff like Hanna Montana. No one would ever consider that quality art or infulential, but it makes the little 10-year-olds go nuts and sells a ****load of records, just like all toys in cereal boxes have kids screaming at their parents to buy in when they are in the grocery store. It is really important to understand that the mainstream music industry is hellbent on pushing things like AI as a legitimate alternative to discovering talent as it always has been - through the hard work of the A&R department. But, those budgets are being slashed and new artists can't get development deals to help improve their craft. What AI does, ultimately, is devalue popular music because it presents itself as the delivery method for new "stars" in music. Nevermind that they rarely make it past their first record and their sales trail off dramatically after the sensation wears off. I am under no illusion that this show helps to find new talent, but a LOT of America is. And for every cheesy, future Vegas singer that makes it to the top 12 on AI, there are 10 artists with REAL talent who don't fit well enough inside the mainstream to be noticed by the AI producers as saleable. Some of the greatest American songwriters and singers would likely have been rejected on the first audition. Some may have made it in front of the judges and been laughed off the set - Janice Joplin immediately springs to mind. THAT is why I don't consider AI relevant to music as a whole. It may produce the latest pop culture icon, but TMZ and PerezHilton can do the same thing and they don't even need to audition anyone to do it.
I thought I heard on the radio this past week that Clarkson balked at the label and Davis' demand and that her album is still coming out on time just as she recorded it. ima is right, AI isn't a virus, it's a symptom of the disease. BTW, I've been trying to find some new bands to listen to since I was sitting in my car and it felt like I hadn't found anything new in over a year. What do you guys think of the Novaks? I heard about them on the Underground Garage and just picked up the album. This song isn't even 2 minutes and it's title is kind of relevant to this thread, it's called Goodbye Rock n' Roll Band: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FspQYXaO360"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FspQYXaO360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> http://www.myspace.com/thenovaks http://www.thenovaksband.com/main.htm
There used to be some cover band show about 5 years ago. Bands would play the same song (switching between bands mid song) and the crowd would pick the winner. I loved Bands on the Run. I think it was on when I was in one of my first bands so it held my attention (dreaming of going out on the road). The all chick goth band sucked major ass, but the drummer was super hot.
Honestly, I hope she wins that fight and the label actually promotes the CD instead of leaving her swinging in the wind. Good find on The Novaks. Cool stuff.
