Did I seriously just see....

Parksy

....

A commercial for an insurance company using Ben Harper's "Amen Omen" in it???

I did. I really did.

:(

what a shameful day. :(

Attaway77

Ben's proved his skills long enough, nothing wrong with a little xtra cash. I don't know why that is such a huge thing for people, even the whole PJ and Target thing, who gives a shit... It's music first and foremost, isn't that what we listen to? Who cares what they do, just rock out and enjoy the ride.. Would you not want to make an xtra nice chunk of change for your talents?

LoveBoatAdmiral

At least Ben Harper didn't do this for an insurance company.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaaHevyxvvA

RYEzupSF

As much as Ray LaMontagne melts my heart, this one broke my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7bGBUlx2M

12345AGNST1

Who cares?

Everytime I watch a commercial and its playing a song I like, I say to myself "oh cool, atleast theres a good song playing."

UpSideDown

I dunno.......I don't get that worked up when I see somebody else's music on a commercial or whatever....

Don't think I would ever do it myself though. Then again my music isnt in that high of demand.

letsongsprotest

I admit, Im not the biggest fan of artists that i like putting their songs into commercials. But, its a different time in music.

You cant put out a great album and expect to make alot of money off of album sales anymore. Gotta do what you gotta do.


Ten years ago i would have been pissed, but all of the commercials with Black Keys songs in them, for instance, doesnt bother me at all. I find myself saying good for them. Theyve been making great music for years and years. Finally getting some deserved recognition and $$.

Travelar

I believe he is going through a divorce.... time to rake in a little more income.

nuffingman

Did the insurance company want to send viewers to sleep?

gabers

It's annoying but more annoying is when they get some lame ass band to cover great songs and make them more family friendly. The Ray Lamontagne one really caught me by surprise. I understand artists struggling to keep their integrity while trying to make an extra buck though. There are very few artists (if any) who make good music who haven't "sold out" in some way or another by now.

Parksy

I can understand that the music industry today is hurting..

The Black Keys are selling out like MoFo's but I don't mind so much because they are a newer band. They need the exposure, they need the coin.

I don't think Ben Harper does.

And "Amen Omen" such a beautiful song with a lot of meaning... mixed together with an Insurance Company?!?!?! Doesn't add up.

goldrush

12345AGNST1 wrote:

Who cares?
Everytime I watch a commercial and its playing a song I like, I say to myself "oh cool, at least theres a good song playing."

Exactly. I'd rather hear a song by someone like Ben Harper than the rest of the crap that's used on TV these days

Heisenberg

I thought Dan Auerbach had an interesting comment about this type of thing and I totally agree with him. If allowing companies to use your music in commercials allows you to stay afloat and do a bigger and better live show or an awesome video like "Howling For You" then I say the means justify the end.

From Cleveland.com
"The record business has changed," Auerbach said.

"Nobody buys records anymore. We had a No. 1 single on the radio for weeks, and our record only now has gone gold. Ten years ago, if you had a No. 1 single, you'd already sold a million records, at least.

"We want to go out on the road . . . and make the shows as good as they can be, and that costs money.

"In terms of doing commercials, I've never had a problem with it, because I never felt any kinship with that whole Pitchfork world -- that snobby indie-rock world. Pat was more freaked out by that whole 'selling out' thing."

Years ago, Carney told me that the Black Keys turned down an offer to have the title track of their 2003 album "thickfreakness" used in a TV spot for a European brand of mayonnaise.

He's more comfortable with such deals these days.

"Early on, we were scared there would be some sort of backlash," Carney said.

"We weren't selling that many records. We figured if we made a wrong move, we would totally [expletive] up the whole band.

"We slowly eased into it. . . . If it weren't for the licensing and the touring, we wouldn't be making any money. The licensing became an integral part of keeping us afloat."

All the same, the Black Keys don't accept every offer that comes their way.

They just turned down an opportunity to have "Tighten Up" sung by Gwyneth Paltrow in an upcoming episode of the ultra-popular TV series "Glee," Carney said.

"To be honest, we've never seen the show," he said.

"We just didn't want that type of exposure. The thing that was really worrisome about it was that this is our first time having a single that some people know, outside our fan base. If they re-record it, you don't get any creative control over it. At least when we do an ad, we can decide whether it looks right or not."

peacegirl

letsongsprotest wrote:

I admit, Im not the biggest fan of artists that i like putting their songs into commercials. But, its a different time in music.

You cant put out a great album and expect to make alot of money off of album sales anymore. Gotta do what you gotta do.


Ten years ago i would have been pissed, but all of the commercials with Black Keys songs in them, for instance, doesnt bother me at all. I find myself saying good for them. Theyve been making great music for years and years. Finally getting some deserved recognition and $$.

This is exactly how I feel.

musicismylife78

i think one of the more interesting aspects of modern music, is the fact that people like the black keys and ben harper are no longer looked at as sellouts. as recently as in mid to late 90's, bands who did commercials or who had music in movies and all that, they would be considered sellouts and no longer cool and they would see a decline in fans and an increase in bad press. the bands would be considered "not cool".

nowadays in 2011, you have all the cool and hip bands like vampire weekend, and sleigh bells, the national, black keys, arcade fire. these are huge bands at the moment. bands like these are uberhip. yet all of them have had songs on tv, or in movies. And none of them have been called sellouts.

I just think stuff like this is normal. The way people hear of new bands is through commercials like this.

gabers

It seems like Moby was the first critically acclaimed and popular artist to really give free license to his music for commercials. I want to say I saw an interview with him where he said every song from "Play" had been licensed for ad use. And then he took that ad money and donated it to his favorite causes. Good for him I say.

musicismylife78

gabers wrote:

It seems like Moby was the first critically acclaimed and popular artist to really give free license to his music for commercials. I want to say I saw an interview with him where he said every song from "Play" had been licensed for ad use. And then he took that ad money and donated it to his favorite causes. Good for him I say.

very accurate. while i view the fugazi and minor threat way of doing things as very important, and those guys are probably the only band that never sold out, ever at any time. but i also think times have changed. back in the day, people would hear about new bands by hearing songs on the radio, or via Rolling Stone or Spin. Nowadays, I dont really know anyone who hears about bands via that method. I certainly don't find bands that way.

I cant tell you how many bands I have heard and looked into, because their song was used on a tv show, or a commercial, or in a film.

And the proof is in the pudding. How many bands have gone massive after getting radio play or being mentioned in the pages of spin or rolling stone in the last 10 years? 5 years? 2 years? You could count those bands on one hand, maybe even on 1 or 2 fingers.

Conversely, the bands that have blown up as a result of Grey's Anatomy or Scrubs using them in some emotional scene, or being used in Garden State's soundtrack, even soundtracking a commercial for a product (m and m's, mcdonalds, cars), the number of bands discovered this way is astounding.

this is the result of filesharing. bands dont make money on physical cd's anymore. they need to get income in some way, and this is a good way to do it

randallanddarcy

peacegirl wrote:

letsongsprotest wrote:

I admit, Im not the biggest fan of artists that i like putting their songs into commercials. But, its a different time in music.

You cant put out a great album and expect to make alot of money off of album sales anymore. Gotta do what you gotta do.


Ten years ago i would have been pissed, but all of the commercials with Black Keys songs in them, for instance, doesnt bother me at all. I find myself saying good for them. Theyve been making great music for years and years. Finally getting some deserved recognition and $$.

This is exactly how I feel.

This 'bout hits the nail on the head.

cincybearcat

Anyone that complains about artists having songs in commercials, tv shows, etc. and then goes online to illegally download their new album is an ignorant idiot that has created the situation that they bitch about.