entropy

wow, even i wouldn't sink that low for an icecream. calling el tweedo a nazi is one thing, but seriously...

I think it's safe to say he's kidding...

Unless you're kidding too.

Internet killed sarcasm.

Does anyone happen to have a version of the Political Science cover they could hook me up with?

Oh man. I didn't know until just now this existed (Thanks Earl)

Who's that?

Goddammit.

This must be filmed immediately. Someone call Bennet.

with your gentle and inoffensive nature, I think maybe you should handle it

That was hilarious. Seriously. Coffee, on the wall.

We are all agreeing and disagreeing!

Michael Phillip-Wojewoda.

RIP Rheostatics.

I hate Wilco

I heard he was in rehab.

This is a lot like the time I started drinking Diet Coke and smoking when IATTBYH came out. Also, getting migraines. Also, taking painkillers.

You'll be happy to know though, since getting out of rehab I've gotten a lot closer to my friends, and lately I'm just focusing on making something that sounds really beautiful.

If you had a new Motorolla phone, you could browse the internet and learn about how the music industry functioned before capitalism from the palm of your hand.

You'd probably be a lot more open to the submarine if you had embraced the magic of Tivo. You can record all your favorite shows and watch them later!

Yeah... where did you hear about 9 other songs?

You guys should put your differences aside and wash down that resentment with a delicious, ice cold Pepsi product.

If I wasn't so comfortable sitting here in my stain-guard, wrinkle resistant pair of Dockers khakis, I'd be a lot grumpier too.

If you look in the archives, you'll probably come across a thread or two.

Yeah, I probably should have taken a look. Anyway, there are about a million things I could have been doing in the time I spent reading and replying to this, things that might actually have an impact on people's opinions or perspectives. I'm going to give up arguing on the internet.

Wilco has opted to put their art in the context of a car commercial, it doesn't make much sense to me, so I'm thinking they wanted some money. That's okay by me.

One of my favorite bands from when I was younger, The Suicide Machines, who were as anti-establishment as possible had a song sold to Disney, which ended up in a Mary Kate and Ashley movie. Knowing the band somewhat personally, and what I'd describe as quite well artistically, I look at liscenced songs in a very different light.

Wilco might have negotiated a contract years ago, with the thought that no one would ever even approach them with the kind of music they were making.

Also, where was this anger when California Stars was in a commercial?

As someone who worked in marketing for five years, I'm a bit upset that people still consider it an 'artform.'

Some very artistic, asthetically pleasing things can come from marketing, but in terms of the "soul" it posesses... I just have a very difficult time relating to something that was created with the purpose of pushing a product-- having art appropriated by those who would do that is a different matter, but I think it's a bit hasty to judge the creator of that art without fully understanding the decision making process undertaken.

To be perfectly fair, I think there's a lot of ambiguity thrown up here in attributing the use of an opening riff as manufacturing and 'buying into' marketing. Money and arguing and everything aside, granting someone permission to use a song shouldn't be treated as something that's as bad as perparing the campaign and establishing the "lifestyle marketing plan" and all that.

To be perfectly honest, the most likely thing that happened was VW's agency said "Ohh, this is a catchy sounding song, let's see if we can get the studio version from the band, otherwise we'll just get someone to lamely alter it just enough to avoid being sued."

It's also important to recognize, that with the degree of freedom Wilco is given in how they choose to release and expose their music, to the point that the label allowed the band to leak their own record two months early, that they'd have to bend and compromise on some issues, such as, if Nonesuch hypothetically approached them about allowing part of a song to be used. Saying "Yeah, I suppose, we do have it pretty easy and may have to give a little to get all this badass freedom we're already given," is entirely different than "Let's see if we can sell this song and make more money."

This is, of course, without me ever having seen the commercial, so I'm really not in the best place to comment anyway.

selloutz!!!

Reading this thread is worse than listening to the drone.

edit: lol post #69 omg wtfbbq lol!!!1

Hey Everyone,

Sorry to ressurect this thread, but if anyoen has any extra invites kicking around, I'd hugely appreciate it. I don't have much in terms of things to trade for them, but I can figure something out. I'll write you a story, or a song. Or take some photos, or something.

Thanks!

It's about how you left a fairly ambiguous message, which, left completely unexplained leaves us very confused, and a little worried.

I had a dream that Randy Newman was opening for Arcade Fire last night. I'm sorry, as much as I can't stand him, "Political Science" is an awesome song.

Thanks for these!

So have you ever rewritten a song? How many swigs of whiskey did you take afterwards?

Constantly.

And I don't know. But a lot.

I know exactly what he was thinking.