You'd consider Wilco sell-outs when....

[Chinese Apple]

Having recently defended the use of Wilco's music in VW ads (by comparing them to Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Mozart who all had wealthy patrons) -- I was musing to myself at which point I would consider Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to be sell-outs.

 

Three points of no return might be:

 

1) Jeff Tweedy (or any of the band members) launching a "celebrity scent."

 

2) Any of the band members being a guest judge on American Idol. (Although, depending on their judging styles I would likely forgive this.)

 

3) Any of them starring in an MTV reality show. ("Meet the Miller-Tweedys," a la the Osbournes.)

 

I'm NOT saying that any of these wouldn't be commercially viable, of course...

 

I'm curious to see where everyone else draws the line. (Or whether that line was crossed long ago, but you still love Wilco anyway.)

[fatheadfred]

Having recently defended the use of Wilco's music in VW ads (by comparing them to Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Mozart who all had wealthy patrons) -- I was musing to myself at which point I would consider Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to be sell-outs.

 

Three points of no return might be:

 

1) Jeff Tweedy (or any of the band members) launching a "celebrity scent."

 

2) Any of the band members being a guest judge on American Idol. (Although, depending on their judging styles I would likely forgive this.)

 

3) Any of them starring in an MTV reality show. ("Meet the Miller-Tweedys," a la the Osbournes.)

 

I'm NOT saying that any of these wouldn't be commercially viable, of course...

 

I'm curious to see where everyone else draws the line. (Or whether that line was crossed long ago, but you still love Wilco anyway.)

 

None of the above and would still listen to their tunes even if someone casts the stone.

[Winston Legthigh]

"A sell out is when you announce a show, people buy the tickets, and all of the tickets are sold." - Mick Jones.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

I don't care if they "sell out" so long as they keep making great music and playing great shows. I don't draw the line anywhere. If Jeff came out with a celebrity sent, I'd make fun of it, but wouldn't ultimately care.

 

Now if they start murdering people or diddling kids, then I'll stop listening. But that's crossing a whole other line.

[caliber66]

I would consider Wilco sellouts when I decide I care enough about what that word means to define it.

[suites]

Having recently defended the use of Wilco's music in VW ads (by comparing them to Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Mozart who all had wealthy patrons) -- I was musing to myself at which point I would consider Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to be sell-outs.

 

Three points of no return might be:

 

1) Jeff Tweedy (or any of the band members) launching a "celebrity scent."

 

2) Any of the band members being a guest judge on American Idol. (Although, depending on their judging styles I would likely forgive this.)

 

3) Any of them starring in an MTV reality show. ("Meet the Miller-Tweedys," a la the Osbournes.)

 

I'm NOT saying that any of these wouldn't be commercially viable, of course...

 

I'm curious to see where everyone else draws the line. (Or whether that line was crossed long ago, but you still love Wilco anyway.)

 

 

4) Wilco has a comic book and it is printed with their won blood (ala KISS)

[spongebob]

When they get name dropped in a Judd Apatow film.

[Beltmann]

Wilco would have to stop making music they care about, and make instead music they don't care about merely to sell more records.

 

I think a celebrity scent, a TV show, a commercial, and a comic book are all silly. But all of those things are merely selling, not selling out.

[IATTBYB]

What Mick Jones said and Winston Legthigh quoted.

[Chinese Apple]

None of the above and would still listen to their tunes even if someone casts the stone.

 

Actually, I would too. Except when other people cast stones about the above, I know I wouldn't be able to come up with any counter arguments, except to sigh and say, "The heart wants what it wants."

[The High Heat]

I'd only consider Wilco to be sell-outs when they become regular contributors to Via Chicago.

[barbkm]

Having recently defended the use of Wilco's music in VW ads (by comparing them to Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Mozart who all had wealthy patrons) -- I was musing to myself at which point I would consider Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to be sell-outs.

 

Three points of no return might be:

 

1) Jeff Tweedy (or any of the band members) launching a "celebrity scent."

 

 

 

For some reason, I imagine a Tweedy scent smelling like either Downey or friend foods. But hey, as long as it doesn't smell like cigarettes, I'd buy it.

[u2roolz]

When they start using Side With The Seeds for a lawn care/landscaping company I'm out.

[JohnO]

When they start using Side With The Seeds for a lawn care/landscaping company I'm out.

 

or a McDonald's commercial

[Scalzunfield]

I was thinking more along the lines of when one or more of their songs are used in a Volkswagen commercial. Does that not just SCREAM "sell outs!" or is it just me?

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I was thinking more along the lines of when one or more of their songs are used in a Volkswagen commercial. Does that not just SCREAM "sell outs!" or is it just me?

 

I'm sorry, but that is a stupid argument. Alway has been and even moreso in today's world.

 

So...I guess the following artists are 'sellouts'(their music and/or acutal performances have appeared in commercials...each and every one of the following artists.)

Before this tired, old argument is trotted out again remember that this is only a partial list of "Sell Outs".

 

The Buzzcocks

The Minuteman

The Clash

The Breeders

Blur

Wayne Newton

Iggy Pop

David Bowie

The Jackson 5

The Kinks

Mos Def

Johnny Cash

Bob Seger

Shaggy

Marvin Gaye

Ben E. King

Lit

Smash mouth

Deep Purple

Seal

The Faces

Quincy Jones

Fleetwood Mac

The New Radicals

Bare Naked Ladies

Gomez

The Beatles

The Who

Stereolab

Eric Clapton

Lenny Kravitz

Elton John

Edith Piaf

Leon Russell

Feist

The Doobie Brothers

Sun vs. Moon

Steppenwolf

U2

Phoenix

Ray Lamontagne

Harry Nilsson

The Hollies

Nick Drake

The Roots

M.I.A.

Jet

Steve Miller Band

Shiny Toy Guns

Cat Stevens

Badly Drawn Boy

The Dandy Warhols

Louis Prima

Cornershop

Devo

The Monkees

The Troggs

Diana Krall

The Zombies

Status Quo

Wolfmother

Paul McCartney

The Ting Tings

Coldplay

Franz Ferdinand

Bob Dylan

The Vines

The Inkspots

Sara Vaughn

Massive Attack

Fatboy Slim

Chemical Brothers

EMF

The Corrs

Moby

The Rolling Stones

Daft Punk

Fats Domino

Spencer Davis Group

Garland fucking Jeffries!

Soup Dragons

The Lemonheads

Jimi Hendrix

The Beach Boys

The Lovin' Spoonful

Nina Simone

Janis Joplin

Roseanne Cash

Edgar Winter

Hot Chocolate

 

\

[Calexico]

I don't get the bashing for bands who let their songs be used in commercials. I mean, as long as it isn't for Kalashnikov or the Republican party or Fox News then all power to them.

[Dude]

They'll only be true sellouts when they have their own Saturday morning cartoon show, The Wilco Kids™.

 

 

The Wilco Kids™ will feature a half hour of zany comedy and musical interludes. Young versions of our favorite Wilco members hang out in the neigborhood, come up with solutions to problems, make new friends, solve mysteries, and play songs at the end of each episode. They all congregate in a treehouse with the words "teh LoFt" painted on the side. Each of the Wilco Kids™ also happens to have a superpower. Nels, for example, can shred any object into a pulp with his bare hands.

 

They'll also perform songs such as this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Oyjjnda-Y&feature=related

[Scalzunfield]

I'm sorry, but that is a stupid argument. Alway has been and even moreso in today's world.

 

\

 

Hmmm, how can I make it more obvious that I was being sarcastic since Wilco songs have been used already in VW commercials...

 

Relax. Just...relax.

[Chinese Apple]

4) Wilco has a comic book and it is printed with their won blood (ala KISS)

 

That is TOO funny! Did that really happen? Sick, but I like!

 

I was thinking more along the lines of when one or more of their songs are used in a Volkswagen commercial. Does that not just SCREAM "sell outs!" or is it just me?

 

Maybe it's just you? Taking from the rich (corporations) and then giving out downloads like "The Jolly Banker" to The People rather screams "Robin Hood."

 

(Let's discuss new, interesting ways for Wilco to sell out, rather than flog the VW dead horse.)

[Basil II]

 

 

 

-Robert

[Chinese Apple]

 

The Wilco Kids™ will feature a half hour of zany comedy and musical interludes. Young versions of our favorite Wilco members hang out in the neigborhood, come up with solutions to problems, make new friends, solve mysteries, and play songs at the end of each episode. They all congregate in a treehouse with the words "teh LoFt" painted on the side. Each of the Wilco Kids™ also happens to have a superpower. Nels, for example, can shred any object into a pulp with his bare hands.

 

 

Love it! You ought to copyright that idea and then get an animator to put together a pilot episode. When I was little and living the Philippines during the sunset of the Marcos regime in the early 80s, I used to watch "Beatles" cartoons on Saturday mornings. (Apparently, Imelda Marcos was a fan and once coerced the Beatles to meet with her by sending armed guards to "escort" them at gun point to her palace!) I knew all the lyrics to every Beatles song by age 9. Serious!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gSed1ZyGs4

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Hmmm, how can I make it more obvious that I was being sarcastic since Wilco songs have been used already in VW commercials...

 

Relax. Just...relax.

 

 

sorry for going nuclear on ya (was gonna say going ss on ya), but after the bruhaha back in the day, I swat that argument as quick and as hard as I can.

[barbkm]

Love it! You ought to copyright that idea and then get an animator to put together a pilot episode. When I was little and living the Philippines during the sunset of the Marcos regime in the early 80s, I used to watch "Beatles" cartoons on Saturday mornings. (Apparently, Imelda Marcos was a fan and once coerced the Beatles to meet with her by sending armed guards to "escort" them at gun point to her palace!) I knew all the lyrics to every Beatles song by age 9. Serious!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gSed1ZyGs4

[barbkm]

I meant to add this link, but it did not work. Speaking of Wilco cartoons -- one of my proudest moments was the creation of this thread. Is that sad or what??

 

http://forums.viachicago.org/topic/36933-wilco-cartoon/page__p__1196656__hl__cartoon__fromsearch__1entry1196656