By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

The music industry’s root canal

Madonna has been called a lot of things during her career. Now she can add “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member” to the list.

(Editor’s note: The following is a guest commentary from Kenny Love, president of MuBiz.com, a promotion and publicity firm providing services for musicians, recording artists, authors, and filmmakers.)

“Root Canal” (noun): a treatment or procedure involving the opening, cleaning, filling, etc.

Although I have never experienced a root canal firsthand, I am familiar with enough people who have experienced one (or several) enough for me to go kicking and screaming should my dentist ever meet me at his door with two 300-pound orderlies after his review of my horrific dental x-rays.

And, being afforded descriptions of root canals from my several friends who have been unfortunate victims of this procedure, closely regarded as “oral circumcision,” I must say that it appears that certain entities within the music industry are experiencing their own versions of root canals.

In fact, I received innumerable Google music industry alerts over the past several weeks that revealed how the long-time powerful major record labels are exhibiting desperation through their attempts to present “new” old methods, i.e., boxed music sets of enormous content that have long been abandoned in the interest of industry progress. Obviously, it is safe to say that the majors are now out of “fresh” ideas (as if they ever had any fresh ideas to begin with).

In fact last week, I felt almost saddened for the major labels (certainly, a bout of temporary insanity) to the point of allowing one tear to symbolically fall halfway down my cheek (much like flying a flag at half-staff in response and respect to a political death)...that is, until I abruptly recalled how these desperate “beggars” are the same entities that have manipulated every level of the commercial music industry for the past 40-odd years.

And, admittedly, it is interesting, even fun (you know you like it too), to watch these former corporate behemoths now struggle (belatedly) in an effort to establish a foothold where none exists while in denial that the industry is consistently ever changing, and almost daily at this point.  The majors are now struggling to win harder than a 400-pound runner on a cross country track meet.

This is perhaps the most poignant example of a paradox in this day and age...a perfect simile of a drowning person desperately reaching for a disconnected floating tree branch while fifty yards from the shore.

Imagine being able to harness and bottle the sheer collective energy of unsigned musicians who have received numerous rejection letters through the history of the music industry from every major and major owned record label for each of their music releases. At what price could such a bottle sell for as a revolutionary new energy source, indeed? What would be its Wall Street stock/share value?

Alas, not only the major record labels, but also the equally guilty traditional retail distributors and broadcast radio stations who have historically contributed to shutting out most independent artists from the upper echelons of the commercial Music industry never envisioned this day descending on them.

And, they are aptly and best described, as a patient that is now halfway through a most painful root canal whose dentist has just been notified that the patient’s dental insurance just expired. — Kenny Love

Scene notes

Last Wednesday, the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation board approved funding for a $50,000 grant and an additional $50,000 matching grant to benefit the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s 80/35 festival scheduled to be held July 4-5 in downtown Des Moines at Gateway West Park. In a written statement issued by the DMMC, Johnny Danos, president of the Foundation said, “We are pleased to support 80/35. An annual music festival of this magnitude will be a signature event that will raise the cultural profile of Des Moines.” DMMC officials said they are investigating several national, regional and local acts to fill multiple stages, noting the event “goes beyond the boundaries of corporate radio and MTV,” and that “it’s an event for true fans of live music, regardless of genre.” The DMMC said it anticipates raising at least $250,000 to fund the fest by seeking donations from private and public entities and sponsorships. … In other DMMC news, the non-profit group reports that 750 attended the Nov. 10 Little Big Fest held at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Eleven bands performed on two stages. … Officials with the Iowa Crossroads Conference and Showcase held Dec. 5 in downtown Des Moines said on the event’s Web site that more than 600 people attended the showcase featuring a handful of local bands that night at People’s Court, and that seminars held during the day drew between 15 and 40 people each. … Congratulations to The Soul Searchers, one of 10 bands to advance to the semi-finals of the Best Self-Produced CD contest for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Their self-titled debut album is among those to be judged for a second round early next year with the winner announced Feb. 2 at the IBCs. Last year, another local blues album, Matt Woods’ “If I Was A Fish,” reached the finals. … Speaking of local blues folks getting some national recognition, Sagebrush Productions played a part in legendary blues pianist Pinetop Perkins’ Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album, “Pinetop Perkins On the 88’s: Live in Chicago.” Sagebrush, owned by Chip Eagle, whose Visionation company in West Des Moines publishes Blues Revue magazine and BluesWax.com, co-produced a video bio of the 94-year-old pianist titled “Born in the Honey — The Pinetop Perkins Story,” which spawned the CD that was nominated for the Grammy. The documentary is the first release by Sagebrush, which also produced a video bio on another unsung hero of the blues, Son Seals. … Activities including workshops and a meeting with legislators are planned by the Iowa Cultural Coalition for the annual Cultural Advocacy Day to be held Feb. 18. Visit www.iowaculturalcoalition.org. National Arts Advocacy Day will be held March 31-April 1 in Washington D.C. … Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John Mellencamp and The Ventures will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10 in New York City. Blues harmonica legend Little Walter will be inducted into the sideman category and R&B songwriters and record label owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff won the newly named “Ahmet Ertegun Award” (formerly the non-performer category). The induction ceremony will air live on VH1. … Henry Rollins brings his spoken-word act to the Val Air Ballroom on March 13. … In case you’re keeping score (admit it, you are): Arnel Pineda is the new singer for the soft-rock band Journey. Pineda replaces Jeff Scott Soto, who parted ways with Journey earlier this year after stepping in for Steve Augeri, who left the band in 2006 for medical reasons. Journey found Pineda after watching a video of him singing “Faithfully” on YouTube. Somewhere, Steve Perry is having a good laugh. … The French are finally taking a stand on something… well, kind of… against copyright infringers. The French government, Internet service providers and entertainment industry created the “Memorandum of Understanding,” which calls for those suspected of film, TV or music piracy to receive a warning message about their illegal actions. If the recipients ignore the warnings, Pollstar reports, they could have their Internet access cut off. The warning system is different from the actions of most record companies who sue first, ask questions later, Pollstar said. The pact also calls for entertainment companies to make a greater effort in putting their works online and finding ways to make copyrighted material more compatible. CV — Michael Swanger

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