> In the US, virtually all of the pop music press (other than industry rags
> like Billboard) publishes on a monthly schedule. The average fan on the
> street sees a change in who's "in the news" and who's "climbing the charts"
> twelve times a year. Of course the different mags have different features,
Great theories, all of you.
But did anyone factor in geography?
The United States is a large, spread-out country. Music, specifically any
kind of underground music, is strictly regionalized and like it or not,
the only sure-fire way to give it a broad, nationwide audience, is to
commercialize it (i.e. have it on a major label). I mean, look at Hoochie
and the Blowjob - they're household names today, but for years they were
only known in the Carolinas.
In the UK, you have, what, about half a dozen large cities, each
representing music centers (okay, music 'centres' :)) - London, Bristol,
Manchester, Liverpool, et al; in the US,
practically every city is a music center in some regard or another, even
small college towns.
That itself is sort of a problem; that's the reason why semi-popular
British
/European acts don't really tour the US - it just costs too damn much.
The tourbus, the road crew, the trucks. I heard that James Taylor Quartet
BADLY wanted to tour the US ever since the start - but no one could
afford it. (Thankfull, they're making enough bank to do it now!)
-30-
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Elson Trinidad, Los Angeles, CA * elson@westworld.com
http://www.westworld.com/~elson
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JIBE - Get on up - let the rhythm put you out of control
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