Hits

Haven’t we had just about enough of Tony Brummel?

I mean the guy runs an indie rock label, most of whose signings learn to hate him, yet we have to be subjected to his inane rantings and ravings CONSTANTLY!

So, he found a few rock bands.  That have sold word of mouth.  Does that make him an EXPERT on everything having to do with music?

The guy is almost IMPOSSIBLE to deal with.  Just ask anybody at RED!  He constantly e-mails Lyor Cohen and any other label head as if he’s going to make some kind of deal and then never does.  He’s starting to appear a tempest in a teapot.  Can’t the industry IGNORE Tony Brummel and be done with it?

I mean Q Prime is more successful than Tony Brummel ever will be, but is Cliff Burnstein constantly sending e-mail to everybody in the industry saying how fucking great his company is?  Shit, even IRVING AZOFF doesn’t do this.  He knows it’s first and foremost about the clients.  I think with Tony, it’s first and foremost about him.  And getting in bed with "Hits", isn’t this positively OLD SCHOOL?

Let’s look at Tony’s iTunes points:

1.  A percentage of iPod revenue.  Hey Tony, are you also behind ISPs charging content providers a premium for use of their bandwidth?  Do you think General Motors should get a percentage of Exxon’s revenue?  Or vice versa?  I mean where’s the logic here?  If I make a deal wearing Ralph Lauren clothing should Ralph get a cut?  iPods are not stealing music.  Not whatsoever.  People have a RIGHT to transfer their music from their CDs to their iPods.  Under the LAW!  Or does the law not apply to YOU Tony?

2. And you say you’re a renegade, a revolutionary.  Do you want to make it so you have to buy all the "Pink Panther" movies at once?  There’s been EVOLUTION!  The track has been disengaged from the album.  Started when people used to drop the needle on a record and return it to hear the same track again.  Then we had cassettes, with everybody making mix tapes.  So, digital makes the process of disintermediating an album easier so we should BAN IT?  Maybe it’s not about albums, but a body of work.  Or maybe you have to release a collection so good from beginning to end that people want it.  But to deny the customer choice, one he’s inured to, THAT’S progress.  No Tony, if you were truly a thinker, you’d find a way to PIGGYBACK on the new paradigm, not abhor it.

3. Focusing on traditional retail is like investing in Smith-Corona in 1982.  Hell, most people reading this probably don’t even know Smith-Corona made typewriters, may not have even SEEN a typewriter.  Why don’t we abolish DVDs so people have to go to the movie theatre?  Why don’t we outlaw online distribution of movies so Blockbuster won’t be hurt?  Mark my words, VERY soon, CD sales are going to TANK!  People will ONLY want files.  It’s not five years off, more like two or three on the OUTSIDE!  Could happen as early as a year from now, with iPod penetration after Christmas 2006.  I’d say prepare for this inevitability, don’t bury your head in the sand.  CDs are already retro and will soon be history.  If not, why are so many retailers shutting their doors or going bankrupt?  Why are CD sales off LAST YEAR’S anemic pace?  This is so ignorant as to make one want to ignore EVERYTHING Mr. Brummel ever says.

As for non-negotiable deals.  That’s what we need more of.  Transparent accounting.  Silicon Valley isn’t like the music business.  Where there are side deals, where you screw people.  I say pay EVERYBODY the same.  Indies should make as much as majors at the iTunes Music Store.  But with the amount of music released EACH WEEK if each deal were separate…  We’d have the situation with music publishing, where nobody will negotiate a fair price for a digital track and music can’t be cheap enough.

The iTunes Music Store is a sideshow.  We need legalized P2P.  We need more people owning more music at a lower aliquot price.

But the reason Tony Brummel is so pissed is that unlike those in the music industry, Apple won’t bend over backward to be fucked in the ass and manipulated by him.  Apple won’t waste its time being harassed by Tony, to no fruitful result.  Yup, the real story is Tony wants Steve Jobs to come to Chicago and wine and dine him so Tony can then reject his offer.  If you don’t know this is true, you  just don’t know Tony.

Tony.  Get psychotherapy.  Know that you’re just a punter with a successful indie label.  You don’t rule the world.  And, you’ve got less insight than those at major labels.  If you’d just do your job instead of constantly ranting and raving people might respect you.