Sell Outs

If there’s one thing that just makes us mad it’s claiming some band is a “sell out.” It’s a favorite of music snobs all over the country. You discover them in some disgusting bar or off-the-beaten-path coffeehouse and love them. A few years later they sign with a big label and are all over the place – MTV, VH1, your mom’s iPod. But here’s the thing, we fully understand when you decide you don’t like the new direction they took with their music, but we can’t understand when you don’t like them because they’re sell outs.

Isn’t that the point? Isn’t that why people toil and starve – so one day they’ll be discovered and unlock riches unimaginable? Why do we hold these artists to a higher level? You’re telling me that if you were playing in some shit hole town after years taking a sick van from college town to college town and some exec comes up to you and says, “Here is 50 million dollars. You’re going to be huge.” You’re not going to take it?

You are. You’d be an idiot not to. Selling out is the most American thing you can do. If I was a musician or an artist or anything and had a chance to sell out I would do it immediately. I wouldn’t even read the contract. “Sure” I’d say. Let’s do it. I’ll sponsor that furniture line at Wal-Mart, I’ll do appearances at Target, I’ll be on ESPN.

See, the problem is that it’s become automatic.

“Hey, you like this band?”

“No. Sell outs”

Trust me, if you ask the band do you think they care about trading 1 of you for like 50 million people who actually BUY their music. For being such a staunch supporter of indie music, you know god damn well you put a lot of effort into getting their music for free. No wonder they have to sell out asshole.

All we’re saying is get off your high horse and leave them alone. Just keep your ears peeled, there will be another band just like them to come along… and, if they play their cards right, they’ll sell out too. Oh, and so would you. You’d sell out faster than Dane Cook.