Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Catnip polarises America!

The hubris of my last post is worthy of a Greek tragedy. After reading the frankly hilarious Catnip video reviews on iTunes US, I have started to wonder whether I really meant what I said. How could anyone get so angry about something as harmless and fun as Catnip? I can't help but think that the more vitriolic reviews say more about the reviewer than the video itself.

But all this did set me thinking. Don't the reviews make for an interesting snapshot of America? They could even be seen as a microcosm of a completely polarised country evinced in the November 4th presidential election (which is also my birthday weirdly enough).

I'm not suggesting that everyone who got hot under the collar is a McCain supporter, or that all the wonderful and beautiful people who valiantly defended my work are Obamaheads, after all many of the reviewers are probably not old enough to vote. But the reaction to Catnip has shown in an unusual and unexpected way 2 sides of an amazing and bewildering country, and make me realise why I both love and fear the United States.

I spend a fair amount of time there, and literally everyone I have encountered in any meaningful way is both open minded and intelligent. I think Stephen Fry puts it excellently in his podcast (Episode 2 - Bored Of The Dance) where he rails against the rampant anti Americanism that is rife here in Europe. Especially the ridiculous and offensive idea that Americans have no sense of irony. But whilst in the US, I do spend all my time in the cities, particularly San Francisco, which I know can't be viewed as representative. But can any single place or point of view be representative of such a multi-faceted country, especially one as divided as the USA?

Anyway, despite these ruminations I am left a little shellshocked, and have kept sane remembering (and completely twisting) the words of an early eminent American president:

"You can't please all of the people all of the time, or please some of the people all of the time or even please all of the people some of the time. You can however please yourself."

Saturday, October 18, 2008

This is probably an unfashionable thing to say but...

As someone who's been writing and releasing music for nearly 14 years (crikey!), these are exciting times indeed. Not particularly good times, but most definitely exciting. The way that music is now distributed has fundamentally changed and there are many unforseen consequences and opportunities as a result of this seismic shift, some good some bad.

The digital behemoth that is iTunes is too often seen as simply a necessary evil by artists and labels, but given that someone was going to do it, I am broadly pretty positive about the way iTunes operates.

I'm not going to rehearse the familiar arguments about how much they pay the artists/labels for the music, how they are a virtual monopoly on digital music, or about how they're hastening the end of the album as a format for releasing music. But in my experience so far they have a healthy regard for music which isn't necessarily the most commercial (my music video Catnip has been chosen as the music video of the week for the front page of iTunes US and available for a free download - plug plug), and what's more on a personal level its the details about the site that I'm starting to dig.

The user reviews are something both frightening and exhilarating for me as an artist, as until now no one has really been able to tell me what the genuine punter - who isn't my mum - thinks about my work. Journo reviews are one thing, but reading these early customer reviews of Songs Without Words on iTunes USA (I particularly love the "strange and retarded" one - isn't that a compliment?) has given me an invaluable insight into what Joe Plumber thinks of my work. This can only be a good thing for me as an artist.

Ok, user reviews are not just as iTunes idea, but the way they are so front and centre of the iTunes shopping experience is excellent. Power to the people! Or to Steve Jobs! Or just maybe both.


Friday, October 17, 2008

Look what I saw in HMV on Oxford Street today


Made my week - especially as there was only 1 copy left! Can'y help thinking that was more to do with the amazing Drunkpark artwork though...

If you want to see whether you agree with HMV you check it on iTunes here!