Rant of the Week

Messianic Complex

 

I have no respect for anyone working for any major label in any capacity whatsoever in the executive.  They're all liars.  They're all mediocre people with no talent.  They don't know talent.  They don't understand music in any way whatsoever. 
Genesis P'orridge , Psychic TV

Anton started using heroin heavily....    Dig!

You can learn almost anything important there is to know about the music industry by watching the film "Dig!", about Anton Newcomb and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, his band, and Courtney Taylor and the Dandy Warhols.

The Dandy Warhols, having deeply impressed the A & R department, was signed by Capitol Records who put up $400,000 to film a video for one of their songs.  Their concept for the video was a bit weird and, after spending the $400 K, they didn't sound too sure they even liked it. 

The Video

Is the video about Anton Newcomb?  He may have thought so.  After the Warhols  produced an album called "Not if you Were the Last Junkie on Earth", Newcomb produced an album called "Not if you Were the last Dandy on Earth". 

The Brian Jonestown Massacre received money to record an album.  Anton Newcomb took the money and built a home studio with it instead, so they could do a lot of recording at minimal cost.  Then he failed to produce an album because he "started using heroin heavily". 

Anton Newcomb has "issues".  He screams at band-mates during gigs and sometimes assaults them.  He informs staff at the record label that he is going to make them a lot of money-- a LOT of money.  He seems obsessively jealous of any attention given to the Dandy Warhols. 

The Warhols sold a song to cell phone company in Europe which turned the song into a hit which made the Warhols very successful, in Europe.  They had some difficulty translating that success into America. 

 

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