Is Bon Iver's Success Proof of Democratic Music Industry?
Just last week, we reported that 85 percent of the albums offered for sale online in 2008 never sold a single copy.
This week, though, Techdirt -- going off a piece from the Wall Street Journal -- reports that, at least in the case of one Great Lakes songwriter, the Internet's offerings are more boon than bust.
When Justin Vernon cloistered himself in a northern Wisconsin cabin to record his rustic, acoustic compositions, he probably didn't foresee those sessions culminating in a proper record, let alone a hit record. But, with the aid of substantial buzz on MySpace and key blogs, that album -- 'For Emma, Forever Ago' -- has sold 87,000 copies, certainly a hit by most artists' standards.
That buzz -- perpetuated by such blogging heavyweights as My Old Kentucky Blog, Brooklyn Vegan and Pitchfork -- facilitated a contract with renowned indie label Jagjaguwar and has verily made Vernon's band Bon Iver a household name. (Or, hipper households, at least).
Truly, Techdirt and the Journal's assessments of Bon Iver's success have merit; the Internet and more independent media outlets undoubtedly can, and do, help bands and artists that major labels and publications wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Still, though, we're hesitant to proclaim this the Egalitarian Age of Music. While Pitchfork isn't Rolling Stone, it is a major publication in its own right, and one of the sort whose blessing seems to be a prerequisite for success the measure of Bon Iver's. [From: Wall Street Journal via Techdirt]
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