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By Brom on 02-19-2009

Much like Communism, credit cards, and Calvin Coolidge, supergroups have always sounded great in theory but in practice leave much to be desired. Bringing musicians from big bands together may appear to be a stroke of genius, but it too often descends into money-grabbing conventionalism.

Nevertheless, despite their existence as mammoth cash-cows, supergroups have always oozed "coolness," whether it’s Velvet Revolver’s licks and lovers or A Perfect Circle’s passion and power. The latest group to acquire the ‘super’ prefix is Tinted Windows, which features James Iha and former members of Cheap Trick (Bun E. Carlos), Fountains of Wayne (Adam Schlesinger), and err Hanson (Taylor Hanson). Apparently, the band seems to have decided to forget the music, drop the “cool” pretense, and focus their efforts entirely on making as much money as possible.

At least previous supergroups were made up of musicians who were in vaguely respectable bands. But Hanson? Guys, come on -- when making a supergroup, you need to at least have consumers thinking “Damn that’s cool” (like Slash and Scott Weiland in a band together, for example). People are just going to see ‘Tinted Windows’ and think “Hmmm, where are my Smashing Pumpkins CDs?”

Anyway, the "supergroup" has already recorded an album and will be playing at SXSW -- although, if they value their dignity it would probably be best to avoid Austin completely. I doubt they’ll have too many people rocking out to “MMMBop” with chugging guitar lines.

By Nobodaddy on 02-18-2009

At TMT, we’re all about the jokes. And yes, here in 2009, both the economy and the state of the old-school Record Industry model are ripe for ceremonious and symbolic cage-rattling, irreverent flouting, and semi-satirical marketing exploitation. But come on, people. A band paying the consumer to download their album digitally? Well, that’s just the kind of ridiculous thing that those VH1 I Love Nostalgia shows will devote an entire segment to when the 2009 show comes along (in 2010).

As part of a marketing campaign motivated by, among other things, a seeming desire to finally “get famous,” Philly-based indie rock band Officer Roseland is paying fans $1 to download their new, unfortunately titled, and woefully graphic-designed album, Stimulus Package, from their website MyStimulusPackage.org.

In case you were wondering, the album is being called “satirical” and supposedly skewers the commercialism of the recording industry -- and of American society at large -- “with a warped sense of humor that is the band's signature.” Blah blah blah. Anyway, upon visiting the site, the band offers fans two options: The first, labeled "TAKE," pays YOU $1 to download the album. The second, labeled "GIVE," donates that $1.00 to the charity Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, an organization that donates instruments to music programs that are already in place but lack the funding to maintain their equipment.

Okay, okay... I admit it. That whole donations thing is actually a really reputable thing to do. But come on, do we really have to resort to using the crippled state of the economy as a publicity scheme to sell our new products? And isn’t “giving things away” actually just harmful to the economy’s capitalism-based progress in the long run?? And, hey wait a minute; aren’t we just feeding this marketability anyway by posting a story about it and name-checking the band??? Aww, man. My head hurts; I think I’m going to go lie down for a minute and watch I Love the 90’s for the 16th time.