It's no secret that 2002 was a disaster for the music industry, with sales plummeting by 9% in the US when compared to 2001. The music industry is quick to blame P2P file sharing and CD burning as the primary culprits, but the real reasons are far more complex; a soft economy, high CD prices, the popularity of DVDs, and the simultaneous decline of two fads which had been serious cash cows for the industry over the past few years: teen pop and nü metal. Although it remains to be seen what the industry can do about its other ills, the New York Times has this article today on this week's spotlight of several punk/punk-influenced bands on MTV's popular Total Request Live; the Donnas, the Used, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte. Since TRL has long been a fairly reliable barometer of American youth culture, it's not hard to reach the conclusion that MTV execs think punk has a shot as the savior of the music industry. According to the article, "[I]t's hard to dismiss the reductive logic behind the network's gambit. Like the pop acts that came before, these bands are known for straightforward tunes, energetic performances and teen-friendly lyrics. The band members generally seem friendlier than rappers, more wholesome than R&B singers, hipper than country stars, more fun than divas and more cheerful than their heavy-metal counterparts. If some of these bands score smash hits and if MTV stays supportive, punk rock just might become the new teen pop."
us with the following commentary on the state of music right now. Take a read.
It's no secret that 2002 was a disaster for the music industry, with sales plummeting by 9% in the US when compared to 2001. The music industry is quick to blame P2P file sharing and CD burning as the primary culprits, but the real reasons are far more complex; a soft economy, high CD prices, the popularity of DVDs, and the simultaneous decline of two fads which had been serious cash cows for the industry over the past few years: teen pop and nü metal. Although it remains to be seen what the industry can do about its other ills, the New York Times has this article today on this week's spotlight of several punk/punk-influenced bands on MTV's popular Total Request Live; the Donnas, the Used, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte. Since TRL has long been a fairly reliable barometer of American youth culture, it's not hard to reach the conclusion that MTV execs think punk has a shot as the savior of the music industry. According to the article, "[I]t's hard to dismiss the reductive logic behind the network's gambit. Like the pop acts that came before, these bands are known for straightforward tunes, energetic performances and teen-friendly lyrics. The band members generally seem friendlier than rappers, more wholesome than R&B singers, hipper than country stars, more fun than divas and more cheerful than their heavy-metal counterparts. If some of these bands score smash hits and if MTV stays supportive, punk rock just might become the new teen pop." Rants! (245 comments)
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maverick (scott) (January 16, 2003)
"Some of the bands on "TRL" this week play punk rock at its blandest." The New York Times is now my favorite newspaper of all time. -Scott
Tiny (January 16, 2003)
is there a punk rock points site where i can cash my points in now and get that rad switch blade that ive heard about so i can slice my wrists and bleed all over carson daily
Tiny (January 16, 2003)
haha i just thought of something funny can you imagine Steve Whale, DRI,Ben Weasle or Joe Queer co-hosting TRL for a day???
Someone (January 16, 2003)
i should start a punk rock band, quick i need money and i cant play really guitar. so does anyone want to join me? or do you have tips, what can make me more punk?
Someone (January 16, 2003)
It's funny how this new generation of music only consists Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, Simple Plan, and The Used. I wonder where this is headed......
Someone (January 16, 2003)
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......this is hilarious. To me, it doesn't seem any different than before. Shitty pop boy bands are being replaced by shitty pop boy bands with guitars that they play poorly.....tell me what the difference is?! There is none. Hopefully this trend will fall as well and MTV will go bankrupt. Then hopefully Sony/interscope/virgin/mca will cave in on themselves , Britney will dive into drug and alcohal binges to overcome the pain, Kid Rock and Fred durst will become more of a joke than Vanilla Ice (well, that kind of already has happened!), and....when the dust settles and big music industry giants are extinct...out will crawl the survivors- bands that make music!!!
Jon_the_Skafather (January 16, 2003)
*caps* *sarcasm*WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! PUNK RAWK IS THE NEXT TEEEN POP!! ELEVATED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MUSICIANSHIP AND INTEGRITY WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!*/caps* */sarcasm*
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Exactly. The reason 2002 was a disaster for the music business is because of all the bands that suck big dogs cocks shoved down everyone's throats by the likes of Sony, MTV and the friggin rest. Get a clue. I was at a local punk show the other day and this kid I kinda knew before goes to me, "Hey I never knew you were punk - after all, you don't have a wallet chain/bangles/piercings/baggy pants etc etc"
eyeball_kid (January 16, 2003)
Finally all my dreams have come true. Punk will become one big sandwich and eat itself.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Hipper than country, they should get Hank 3 to play some of his music on Mtv and see how they like it, preferably some of his harder music but even his country songs are funny as hell. This is pretty sad, but it was expected to happen sooner or latter. It will all be gone in a year or two and all the bands that are on there now will be replaced with either more rap or a new form of metal with polka influence or something......
CallingLondon (January 16, 2003)
"People may make the argument that it's punk-lite or that it's punk for girls," he said. "But in reality, people are gravitating towards it because these are great pop songs." right....which would mean this is punk-lite, just like you said in the first place you fucking retard. it's pathetic that punk has come to a point where the punk rockers (you know, the people who have evolved from Johnny Rotten and Mike Ness) now seem more wholesome than R&B singers and friendlier than rappers. if you put a young Mike Ness up against Jay-Z you'd probably get a good fight. if you put fucking Benji up against Jay-Z, Jay-Z would kick the shit out of him. The last thing punk is supposed to be is wholesome and friendly. THAT'S WHY THE "FASHION" IS BLACK LEATHER, SPIKES, CHAINS, AND FUCKED UP HAIR. it's not supposed to be nice music.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
How is it that people consider this punk. They are just boy bands that play insturments and try and look punk. I dont care if this gets popular i just dont what people refering to these bands as punk. This is what makes me ashamed to say i listen to punk.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Meh, I'm not too worried about this observation. Every style of music has its ups and downs in popularity. This may be the best thing that has ever happened to punk rock, because after the surge of popularity most of these 'corporate punk' acts will just fizzle out. This will result in the superior punk bands being left to carry the scene, which will eventually stabalize the scene and strengthen it. Remember, punk rock is too old to just fizzle out and die.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
"these bands are known for straightforward tunes, energetic performances and teen-friendly lyrics. The band members generally seem friendlier than rappers, more wholesome than R&B singers, hipper than country stars, more fun than divas and more cheerful than their heavy-metal counterparts." So this is what punk rock has become (atleast to the "industry"). This quote sums up all that is unholy! They are more wholesome than Brittnay and Christina A. now! Wow, I knew this was coming, but when it's put into these words by the media it's still a bit of a shock. I imagine 20 years from now someone's mom will be like, "Oh, I used to listen to punk rock! It was fun and unoffensive!" and "My mom approved of it, that's for sure!" Hey, there's nothing wrong with Mtv, right guys?
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Wow, I've got a band... we've even got a girl lead singer!! A girl playing in a punk rock band? I smell superstardom! I smell $$$$
Someone (January 16, 2003)
It's a good thing thatr punk is going totally mainstream. Cos afterwards it'll go underground again like it did with Black Flag and Minor Threat in the 80s after the mainstream punk of the late 70s.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
But then the blood brothers are going to change music again and it might suck to a certain extent but for the most part it will be a good thing.
WussEmoRock (January 16, 2003)
I still do not see the problem. Sure, now more people will be listening to new found glory, and more girls and guys will dress up like Benji and think they are punk; while posers will be all over the place. SO FUCKING WHAT? You guys all know how you truely feel about this sort of music, and the music you listen to, so it does not matter what the majority of people are doing or what the trend is, it just depends on how you all look and feel about it. In my opinion, I actually watched MTV yesterday and saw TRL and that rock show thing and surprisingly it was the best 2 hours of MTV I have seen in at least 3 years, no rap or boy bands for 2 hours. it was heaven if you ask me. *****Wuss-Emo-Rock*****
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Screw all of this, I'm not gonna listen to anything other than John Coltrane, Mile Davis and a few select other ever again. Well, maybe Strike Anywhere and HWM. Thats it. -sickboi
TenderBransonX (January 16, 2003)
Ok everyone. Calm down. Now go very slowly to your closet and dust off that old guitar. Call your friends over and write a song that punches someone in the face so hard that will never, ever get played on MTV. We can all do this. It's called a movement. You know how your scene sucks? Go invent a new scene. Seriously.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
I say who cares. I listen to punk music. Frankly, as long as the bands I like stay true to the scene, I could not care less what all those fake bands do. Let themselves get so much money and publicity and then watch it all go down the drain once it isn't cool anymore.
Propagheny (January 16, 2003)
I posted this on a different thread, but I think it applies even more here.
MTV is trying to convince the world that this is punkrock and that is the real tragedy. I'm sorry, but most of these bands are nothing but shitty power pop. The Used are the least bad of the five and they suck compared to everyone else who does that emocore thing (like Thursday for instance). I met Benji from Good Charlotte and he seemed cool so I got their self-titled CD. What a mistake!! I'm ashamed to say I bought that. That was the quickest trip I ever took to the used CD store. He is a good guy, but his band doesn't impress me. The Donnas were on lookout so I thought they might be good, but their new song is almost as bad as numetal. And Simple Plan and NFG are boy bands with power chords. At least, when punk broke a decade ago, you had good bands like Green Day and Rancid. Oh well, M show rest of comment
AutumnMystery (January 16, 2003)
gotta get this exposure out here since there's no indication that many people payed attention to it on the front page. that story about 99Anger definitely deserves your attention. the song and video for that are phenomenal.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Really, come on people? "teen-friendly lyrics"? So this is what punk has been about all of these years; the sex pistols were singing about their girlfriends, Black Flag was crying about being outcasts... seriously, there should be some law against such statements. The article just clouded the past of punk rock, a kid reading that article today would seriously think punk rock has always been teen friendly pop music... a scary thought.
waste_elite (January 16, 2003)
it's a sad day when punk is considered 'wholesome', 'friendly', and 'hip'. let MTV rape the hell out of those shitty bands, the trend will be over within a year. "execs think punk has a shot as the savior of the music industry" that statement made me sick
Someone (January 16, 2003)
What??? What is wrong with this? Why does punk have to be the in thing now? This is disgusting beyond words. Already it's bad enough that mall punk exists--we don't need a bunch punk rockers posing for Bop magazine.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
What we have to remember is that with every trend there are a couple of decent bands left over after the trend dies out. Remember the smashing pumpkins? Grunge died in like 1995, and they kept going putting out new and interesting music for a few years after.
YellowTrash (January 16, 2003)
WANTED: Three or four hot friendly guys who want to start a pop punk band and make a lot of money at it. Must know lots of bands by memory.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Alright, maybe MTV will bring back hair metal as well!! I'm gonna start growing a mullet!
Someone (January 16, 2003)
im starting a hip hop group- so we can catch the next wave sometime next year... the friendly rappers. interested parties must have mic skillz- good freestylin' ability.. charm and a decent look. write back if yer interested...
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Country is the next PUNK music. Think of it: when you ask a general music listener what they listen to, they'll usually say "I listen to everything except country." Like, no one likes country, except the real cowboys out there. Is it more punk to like country music nowadays? Cause everyone hates you, and the music you listen to? Speed_of_Mind
Someone (January 16, 2003)
You know theres a show in Chicagoland called JBTV its one great hour of Punk and other types of music you DIDNT used to see on TRL. There is where you will find the new Dropkick,Bouncing souls,FATA,Thursday and other music that you dont see on TRL yet...Its hosted by this old guy who looks like jerry Garcia and its a bad ass show Wednesday nights at 10 on Channel 62 if you dont have cable if you do then check your local listings.
On too the MTV TRL shit yeah Ive been watching this Spankin new crap week and like some other guy said havent all the bands been around for years ? Shit I remember when the Donna's were still wearing a traning bra on stage.
I used too escape the bullshit of pop punk at local shows and Chicago had some good ones but even those have gone straight too hell with bands like The Dog and Everything and Penny and the loafers.
You go too a local show rest of comment
BostonMusicGuy (January 16, 2003)
I dont know if anybody has said this yet but... who cares. In a year or 2 they will be gone anyway.-BostonMusicGuy
Someone (January 16, 2003)
Why was this even posted? Its not news. It seems like its soul purpose is just to piss people off. Pointless.
CactusSac (January 16, 2003)
I dont have too much to say about these bands... because anything i have to say has already been said.. one thing that still needs to be said: so long as this produces more of those ridiculously hot 17 year old girls that play dress up and look ridiculously hot at shows (a la avril)... i wont mind too much :D
Someone (January 16, 2003)
honeslty who cares. if you hate mtv so much, why do you watch it, there are other tv stations like the food network
Sticky_Floor (January 16, 2003)
wow, 5 shitty bands in one week. Good job MTV. This isn't a time when punk rock takes over MTV, its a time when punk-influenced bands take over. When thrice is all over it, then it will be punked, but i don't se this happening. And this also shows how little the MTV exects know about the music industry. Like the article's author pointed out, The donnas are no where near "spankin' new." "SPend the Night" is new, but lets not forget, these lovely ladies had 4 previous albums, courtesy of Lookout! Records. I am glad i do my homework while TRL is on. I don't want to waste my time.
Tahoejeff (January 16, 2003)
What the fuck!?? So I walk into the living room yesterday and TRL is on the TV.. I dont know why I even watched but the new Good Charlotte video for Anthem was on. Every time I see these fucking posers it pisses me off just a little bit more. This band fucking disgusts me. Now, I dont usually judge bands for what they wear but GC give me a fucking break!! Who the hell do they think they're fooling with their tatted up arms, their "Hardcore" clothes, and their pretty make up? These guys are about as punk rock as Michael Bolton. First off the song...whats that line...fuck...oh "this is another anthem for the losers".. or something like that..I couldnt have said it better myself. This song sucks ass. Second, the video what the fuck is with the lowriders? Is this supposed to be a punk video or Ice cube? And again..that dude with the sad make up...Cheer up sunshine, you are not show rest of comment
WussEmoRock (January 16, 2003)
I'm watching NFG right now on this TRL show. Personally, I like it, and it is cool seeing a band getting big now when you use to see them play for 30 people. I'm happy for them, but I guess all of you are against success and all of that good stuff, I'm sure you all did well in your economic classes haha *****Wuss-Emo-Rock*****
Someone (January 16, 2003)
You know what's worse than any of that is that anyone even likes punk in the first place. We're all a bunch of sellouts. If a band gets any more exposure that the four walls of their garage, then they've sold right the hell out. The fact that we each have a home to house and feed ourselves, let alone access to a computer is totally outta countrol! Anyone who ever heard of punk stopped being cool two minutes before they adknowledged that they liked it. Punk's not dead, it never existed.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
The only bad thing i can see from this is the ppl that you used to tell about these bands until you were blue in the face about, that would never give them a chance will have there fuckin t-shirt on the next time you see them. Now that MTV has it on its ok, hopefully this will be ppl's window into punk and the will start to realize that shit is bogus.
Someone (January 16, 2003)
dudes, what's with the simple plan backlash? (and no "cause they suck" responses, cause thats just stupid and cliched.) i enjoy simple plan. they put on a good live show. they're nice guys, and you don't have to think about what deep message they're trying to convey with their lyrics. they're just FUN. i know they aren't punk, i have never considered them to be punk, and i certainly don't consider myself to be punk for listening to them. i don't know, i don't really understand why you're all freaking out about a bunch of pop rock bands. they will inevitably fade out, until then, go listen to whatever it is true punks like yourselves listen to, and keep on judging people who are checking out new music, cause that's what it's all about now isn't it.
spork (January 17, 2003)
ya know what all these damn bands are starting to look the same..nevermind they also sound the same but its just weird how they are morphing into one band. On thursday charolett will take back sunday and her simple plan will be the sum of all evil.
Someone (January 17, 2003)
and one day the clash and the ramones will come from a big bright light from above and "rock the cashbah" god didn't Jello already tell "mtv to get off the air" this current MUSIC scene is pretty fucked up. I like Vanessa Carlton. laugh at me and I do like classical music. but i also like the dead kennedys and the clash and most local rockers that you guys don't know. The Used has always been a horrible band, I know because my band played with them here in utah probably a year or so ago and they were jerks and most people booed them. but now they are treated like gods here in utah. I can't imagine what its like for people in Florida or New Jersey who gets a couple "big" bands that were "small" bands and have to deal with it. I buy Vinyl because they are cheaper then CDs. but whatever. i wish i had my audio galaxy back. and a simple plan can suck on seether's dick show rest of comment
Someone (January 17, 2003)
ITs funny how everyone hates MTV because they never play anything "good". By good, people mean bands that they like. When MTV finally plays something from a band that was good, people jump and call them sell outs. So heres what we have, people bitching that they dont play good music on the tele, than when good music gets played, those same people chastise said bands and turn on the band, so in effect there can't ever possibly be good music on T.V,, right? Personally, i don't care what they play. It's just as easy to change the channel as it was too get it there. TheNick
el_provocateur (January 17, 2003)
Ya, I fucking hope so. Then that way when people say the word "punk" more people will think, "oh, stupid dork punks like Simple Plan and Good Charlotte that wanna get laid like in those American Pie movies." People will forget about real punk, like the Cirle Jerks or Minor Threat or the Descendents. Punk spawned countless imitators that get shittier and wussier every generation. That means we're doomed. It's like when you photocopy an original thing, and then copy that copy, and copy that one (see a pattern here)... Eventually you get a fucking inferior product with less detail, less originality.
Someone (January 19, 2003)
ok, mtv basicly has complete control of what the majority of teens listen to. Kids see rap or pop on mtv and they think its cool because its on mtv. Now that their playing "pop punk" thats what people listen to. Mtv could play country or bluegrass or jazz , or any genre and people will listen to it because its on mtv.
tofu (September 5, 2003)
hello, please check out salt the earth's new song "treading water" off their upcoming release "process of breaking" on anxiety records. go to www.mp3.com/salttheearth thankyou. comments? criticism?
Someone (February 2, 2004)
dude none of you idiots are punk...punk is just a genre of music with other sub-genres branching off of it. You losers should stop trying to define yourselves by what music you listen to...its really gay. I listen to Hardcore, emo, whatever...its all music and all good. Stop being faggots and arguing over whats punk rock and not punk rock, move the fuck on...hoes
Someone (February 15, 2004)
hell yea punk rock and indie rock is fuckin awsome!!!! so i guess it should be the next big thing. der. and the greatest band is simple plan they r so sweet cuz ive seen em twice and they r soo nice and.... yea im goin off topic. just any1 whose in2 rap hiphop pop etc... ur a waste of life. and any rap fans "u cant spell crap without RAP!!" fuck ur moms bye!!!
Someone (February 23, 2004)
fuck i shure hope it wuoldnt be,,,,,,,,,,,,,,punk rock is supposed to be undergruond. What imm saying is, if it is the next big thing there are gonna be real ones that are hiding from the medial ones it will start a new breed.if it becomes popular , it will die |
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