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Nic Harcourt on music
Nic Harcourt on the failing recording industry. PLUS: GOOD Video Feature
12.03.06
<strong>The Arctic Monkeys</strong> Probably the best example of internet buzz creating sales for an unknown band. Their debut release, <em>Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not </em>(on Domino records) had the highest first day sales of any British release ever.<strong>Bright Eyes </strong> The band stayed with indy record label Saddle Creek, which lead singer Conor Oberst helped found, even after significant commercial success.<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><strong>Clap Your Hands Say Yeah</strong> A New York-based band whose singer, Alec Ounsworth, has a warble not unlike that of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. Through word of mouth, MP3 trading, college-radio airplay, and positive reviews on hipster blogs, message boards, and websites such as pitchforkmedia.com, the band has sold over 100,000 copies of its eponymous self-released album-most of them packed into padded envelopes and mailed by the band members themselves.<strong>Damien Rice</strong> Irish-born singer, former member of Juniper. Onthe eve of recording their first album for Polygram he quit the band, citing disappointment inthe commercial direction they were heading. He has since emerged as a mainstream artist in his own right.<strong>Jem</strong> Her 2002 demo track ("Finally Woken") became one of the most requested songs at KCRW long before she had a record deal.<strong>Sirius</strong> 4.7 million subscribers; growth strategy focused on recruiting high-profile names like Howard Stern.<strong>South by Southwest </strong> Founded in 1987, one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S.<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><strong>Sandi Thom</strong> This 25-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter spent six years driving her band around the U.K. doing gigs that attracted fewer than 200 people. Her breakthrough came when she invested $100 on a webcam and webcast a concert from her living room in London for 21 consecutive nights. The first night drew an audience of 70; by the second week she was performing for 70,000. She launched her own hit, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)," before somebody smart at RCA/Sony/BMG signed her-the single became a smash in the U.K. and Europe.<strong>Sebastian Clark</strong> His self-released album Songs From A Van was in fact recorded on a portable studio installed in the VW van in which he lives and tours. Reminiscent of the confessional folk singers of the '60s and '70s, Clark has taken the do-it-yourself ethic and turned into a self-sustaining career.<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><strong>XM</strong> 6.9 million subscribers; Bob Dylan has a popular show.<em><strong>-N.H.</strong></em>
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