I've been too busy working to post new work, like this pair of radio stories I did about outside-the-box country act Little Big Town. Sadly they didn't win either of the two Grammys for which they were nominated on Sunday night. But they've got to like the year they had in 2006. A platinum album. Three hit singles. And the most priceless thing of all, the restoration of their career and their respect in the music community. The stories here offer two takes on Little Big Town's journey from major label flame-out to indie label success. Click HERE to listen to the local piece from WPLN. Click HERE to check out the national piece that ran on All Things Considered last week.
Even though both stories are to some degree about major label nonsense and bad judgement, one bit of music industry BS didn't make it into either story, so here it is:
Equity Records boss Mike Kraski told me that Little Big Town has been under constant pressure, first from Sony (the label that supervised and imaged them to near death) and now from radio programmers to quit being a vocal quartet and pick a lead singer. The dunderheads who program based on obsessive and flawed audience research keep telling LBT that the audience gets confused when Karen Fairchild sings the step-out vocal on one single and Phillip Sweet does on another. Of course they're wrong. LBT has refused to take that advice and has earned three hits with three different lead singers. It's one of most glaring examples I've seen of how thoroughly country's gatekeepers patronize their audience while pretending to serve them. It's just sorry beyond words.
Do you think they invent this research? If so, what purpose would they have to invent research about lead vocalists? Third, aren't these the same dunderheads who've given this act three hits in a row? Inquiring dunderheads want to know.
Posted by: George | February 20, 2007 at 08:56 PM
thanks for this post. great group, great music.
Posted by: John | March 21, 2007 at 12:28 PM