It's One of Those Days in the Music Business
I have been surprised with three big announcements today (April 14) in the record label biz. First thing this morning, I saw that Rounder Records -- the independent label that's been a lifelong home to Alison Krauss & Union Station -- has been purchased by Concord Music Group. Didn't see that coming. The three Rounder founders seem pleased about it, and as long as they keep issuing interesting music, I wish them the best. And just before lunch, I read that Joe Galante is leaving his top post at Sony Music Nashville, the label home to Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, among many others. Galante has been with the company in one way or another for nearly 40 years and will stick around until a successor is named. And this afternoon, the Wall Street Journal reported that Lyric Street Records will be phased out by its parent company, Disney. Rascal Flatts, who spent a decade on the label, will be transferred to the roster of another Disney imprint, while a bare-bones promotion staff will continue to work the label's current records. As Jerry Lee Lewis once sang, there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
Kaye says:
I am not in the music industry, but over the years I have watched so many music documentaries and biographies of especially country music folks and many Joe Galante has been part and parcel of……WOW, he sure earned my respect…hard to believe 40 YEARS he has put in…..well got no clue if it means a hill of beans or not for a non-industry person to say them gonna be HUGE SHOES TO FILL, the man certainly has THE MOXY, THE SMARTS, THE PULSE of this industry…..HUGE THING….I don’t often reply to these blogs anymore, but to say I think Joe Galante is THE BEST, I couldn’t turn away from that.
Rovi AKA rovimediamusic says:
I love the way people can move from one group of love to the other. I wish them the best
Always Right says:
Music Row needs an enema anyway.
Here’s hoping they get people there that know what country is.
K says:
I’m honestly not surprised to see that Lyric Street folded. They didn’t seem to promote their artists very well, and Rascal Flatts seemed to be the only act with monster success, which probably had a large part in keeping them afloat for so long. They’ve also been a small label (I read they were classifed as an idependent label), so it wouldn’t be surprising if they didn’t have the money or resources to keep going.
Sarah Buxton, Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin, Phill Stacey, Shedaisy, Trent Tomlinson, Aaron Tippin, and several others seem to suffer career lows when they signed with Lyric Street. It’s too bad that they didn’t bother to promote their artists (except for Rascal Flatts), but that’s not their fault. Hopefully these artists will be signed to labels that care about success but want to promote them as well.
Not every artist can be successful, but every signed artist should be worthy of promotion and proper help running their careers by their own label. If these labels cared to sign artists, it would be odd if their talent wasn’t good enough to be promoted by their own labels.
It has been confirmed that Rascal Flatts will be moved to another label within the Disney branch (Hollywood Records), but all the other artists have uncertain futures.
Ken says:
I have just two words “STAY TUNED”!!! I think until these people in Nashville figure out that pushing out crap to the country audience will reduce their bottom line, more will soon learn that they will either change or be out of a job.
D Trotter says:
I’m not particularly concerned about Lyric Street, but that news about Rounder makes me nervous.
Long before the Indies phenomenon, Rounder was a bastion of integrity in an industry too often driven by commercialism. The label often served as the sole guardian of important artists and musical treasures which otherwise might have slipped into oblivion.
Sure hope that doesn’t change.
Kate says:
To K:
In the sports world, the most successful athletes get the promotion, the endorsements, the perks..these athletes come in with great potential and the minute they start to pay off their backers with wins..they get even more lucrative deals…that’s the way it goes….the one’s who need it the least get it the most…bottom line, the biggest promotion an artist has is him/herself and their talent…music execs gamble on their ability to recognize talent..they take a risk but when the artists’ endeavors don’t allow them to break even…the support dwindles because it is not financially sound.
I thought I read somewhere that for a company to break even with an artist’s first album the album needs to sell half a mil. So when that doesn’t happen they cut their costs and either let the artist go, or cut down on other expenses like promotion etc. It’s a business first and foremost.
LiveTexasMusicMap.com says:
I for one am ready for the demise of the current music industry. There is so much good music out there that most people never get to hear. Music that actually means something. Yet the artist doesn’t look like Tim McGraw so they aren’t worthy of radio play. I listen to the radio with my ears, not eyes, so their looks don’t affect me as much. We NEED regime change in Nashville!
Kaye says:
I’m hoping THE OLD (LOL 3-6 months back RUMOR) that JOE GALANTE will be an American Idol judge replacing Simon Cowell (who is in his last judging season) WILL TURN OUT TRUE. HE WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THAT JUDGING POSITION…..and wanna make sure to wish him the best whatever he does sans Sony Nashville.
mahalai says:
First Tim Mcgraw does not get big airplay on radio so why bring him into the conservation. Its more like the Carrie’s, Taylor’s, Brad’s and Kenny’s that are hogging radio airplay. Second if you took time to listen to Tim’s lastest album Southern Voice it is filled with excellent, real country music about life. Not that garbage that is being played over and over like Hillybilly Bone.
www.musicfixx.com says:
Galante is one of the last giant music men. A new industry will emerge soon, one where music is what matters.
Shadow says:
Rounder will be fine. The Execs are fast approaching retirement age, and have just handed the keys to a similiarly minded label. They’ll still be a big part of the operation for at least three more years.
And yes, music fix(who will probably have their post deleted for spanning), a new industry has already started to emerge. The average mainline music fan just hasn’t caught on yet.