Orson Across The Ocean: Reverse British Invasion

(image courtesy of MySpace.com/Orson)

"We don't have a record deal in America. We are not even signed to an indie label there. We are basically a band on My Space in America and we are fairly happy with that." -Jason Pebworth, Orson

It's hard to believe that Orson, a pop-rock band from Hollywood, California, is essentially foreign to the American audience. How does an award-winning, critically-acclaimed band like Orson not make it big in its home country? As Pebworth, lead vocalist of Orson explains, the band's stateside fans appreciate and enjoy Orson's music via websites such as MySpace. The use of the Internet and Web 2.0 has revolutionized the way bands develop their marketing tactics and the way fans connect and interact with each other (O'Donnell, 2006). Some bands, for various reasons, use Web 2.0 to superficially enter a market, especially when the focus of the marketing team is not in that region. Why do Americans choose to be Orson fans if the band itself isn't interested in promoting itself in America? Why does the band merely rely on a site like MySpace to connect to fans in the United States?

(image courtesy of Zimbio.com)

Web 2.0 and MySpace

Web 2.0 is a development that, in regards to music, allows bands and fans to upload and share material with others on webpages like MySpace (Baym, 2006). On Orson’s Myspace page, fans are able to access blog posts from the band, music videos,

videos from concert tours,

and streaming songs.

A page like this is more accessible to fans due to its free-of-charge nature; going on iTunes or buying a CD from Amazon.com doesn’t allow fans to listen to full songs without a fee. One of the concepts of Web 2.0 is its “support for niche markets and interests which aggregate globally,” (Knowles, 2007) which results in the ability of Orson fans in America to maintain their interest and continue being up-to-date with the band. Many bands and record labels have taken advantage of the Web 2.0 set-up “due to the low cost of distribution and the absence of physical overhead costs.”(Knowles, 2007) This allows for bands to dabble in riskier music markets such as the United States without suffering from potential marketing losses. Also, it provides insight into the fan base’s interests in the band; from here, music marketing teams can strategize future tactics or depend on fans to voluntarily promote musicians.

Unofficial Orson, a MySpace page created by Orson fans, grants fans access to band member biographies, pictures, and blog updates. Dubbed “UNO” by its MySpace friends, the site provides a “personal touch” to the official site and also promotes related acts such as Praying Hands, a band fronted by the lead guitarist of Orson, Kevin Roentgen. Although UNO does not have as many Friends as the official site, there is more fan-to-fan interaction visible on Unofficial Orson’s Comments board, considering that UNO is run by two devoted fans interested in “spreading the gospel that is ORSON.” However, this communication does not compare to what is seen in Orson’s Facebook group pages.

(image courtesy of unofficialorson.co.uk)

(Facebook) Fans

The Orson Facebook group has at least 590 members and grows every day. Here, fans post on the Discussion Board to find out more about each others' interests in Orson. I posted my own discussion topic and managed to get three responses. From here, I was able to gather information on the various ways people from all over were able to catch on to Orson. I found out from members through questionnaires that some found out about Orson after traveling to the UK, while others personally knew the band members before the band officially formed in Hollywood. By examining the available information from all the group members, the majority of them hail from places other than America (mainly the UK and Europe) and tend to be over the age of 25. A fan that I managed to interview, Annie, is 15 years old and discusses her take on Orson's "presence" in America. Unlike the virtual goth scene described by Hodkinson in Music Scenes, the online scene for Orson tends to be less tight-knit (Hodkinson, 2004). This is possibly due to the fact that Orson rarely performs in America (although it appears that Orson performed once in L.A. in 2006) and doesn't allow for American fans to come into contact often enough to build strong face-to-face interpersonal connections.

As an Orson fan myself, I never had the urge to seek out other people who know of the band, but felt comfortable sharing music from Orson and exposing friends to new sounds. I discovered Orson through a London radio stream on CapitalFM.com, and was instantly hooked after hearing "No Tomorrow." If I wasn't an Anglophile, I probably would have never come across Orson. Although Orson performed at the 2007 Concert for Diana, which aired on American public television, its performances were cut, most likely due to time constraints as well as relative American anonymity.

(image courtesy of unofficialorson.co.uk)

Conclusion

If the "music itself" (McClary, 1994) is examined, Orson's sound does not differ much from other bands in the same genre that have become popular in America, such as the Kaiser Chiefs and The Kooks. Their lack of popularity is more due to the band's disinterest in entering the American market at full force rather than its lack of "American-friendly sound." Being satisfied with "MySpace band" status also means that its fans in America mainly show their support of the band through online resources, such as MySpace, Facebook, and other radio-streaming websites. Although some of these sites foster communication between members who share a similar interest in Orson, many fans choose to remain independent from one another and expose their interest with those physically around them and most likely unaware of Orson. Based on the research and observations done for this ethnography, many online American fans of Orson do not seem to have an urge to communicate with those who already know and like Orson. If there is communication, it is usually brief and superficial. Perhaps this is due to Orson fans in America viewing their awareness of the band as a symbol of pride since discovering Orson was not as easy as discovering a band that is on constant play on MTV, VH1, or the radio. Because of this mentality, Orson fans may feel more of a desire to impart their knowledge and music taste to new listeners rather than others who already share the same status that they have. These are topics that allow for further research on Orson fans in America.

(Word Count: 1101)

Works Cited
Baym, Nancy K., 2006. The new shape of online community: The example of Swedish independent music fandom. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press.
Hodkinson 2004 (in Music Scenes)
Knowles, Julian D., 2007. A Survey of Web 2.0 Music Trends and
Some Implications for Tertiary Music Communities. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
McClary 1994
O'Donnell, Patrick W., 2006. Users and the Marketing Efficacy of mp3 Music Blogs. Florida State University.

Marshall 2006-07 Reggaeton Blog Posts

Wayne gives a really in-depth musical analysis of reggaeton, a genre that recognizes itself as extremely culturally scattered. Even though the origins are disputed (Puerto Rico? Panama?), it is clear that reggaeton was quickly becoming very popular in America, which probably has something to do with the genre being classified as "Internet music" (a characteristic also recognized by the author); because this genre developed during a time when the Internet was also gaining influence over more and more individuals, musically inclined people found it much easier to send, receive, and share music with each other by emailing and downloading. This phenomenon allowed for many people to "keep in touch" with home cultures and combine it with new cultures.

Discussion Question: One probable reason why reggaeton is successful is its ability to adapt to a region wherever it is received; when reggaeton arrives in a certain area, that area is able to add (to the already mixed genre) its own attributes. Have we seen this type of transformation of a genre in order to suit listeners' tastes to/and eventually become successful?

Duany 1984

In this reading, Duany discusses the definition of salsa, its roots and formation, as well as its overall characteristics. Duany explains to us that salsa is a mixture of Caribbean folktales, music, and rhythm that is characterized as an extremely multicultural entity in its use of instruments and dance steps. It also represents a new phase in Afro-Hispanic culture, that of the urban-industrial working class. In Puerto Rico, races mixed due to their similar socioeconomic background, resulting in a blended ethnicity and culture. Duany also analyzes songs and points out that these songs express the cultural characteristics of oral tradition, indifference, and collectivity.

Discussion question: Salsa has its roots in African American music and in our other readings so far, we have seen that many music subcultures have been influenced or have roots in previous or other genres (ex. metal and classical music). Through this apparent interconnectivity between multiple genres, it seems that all music subcultures are somewhat similar. What, then, truly differentiates subcultures from each other? Could it be fusions between multiple cultures to create something new? Is it something beyond "the music itself"?

Second Fieldnotes

Article on How Pandora Works: Levine, Mike Music Business Insider: Q&A: Tim Westergren - hitPandora Maps the Musical Genome
Electronic Musician p. 76, 78
Mike Levine is an EM senior editor.
(Copyright 2007 by Penton Media, INC. All rights reserved.)
Key Points in Article:
This website is an opportunity for obscure bands to be played alongside already known bands. An automatic promotional tool.
"Seventy percent of our artists are not affiliated with a major record label."
Personal Experience:
Plug in Orson and a result comes out; even though Pandora is an American site, it does feature artists that are not necessarily well known in America or are signed to major record labels; have the option of submitting your own music
Came across The Feeling on the Orson station -- British trend?
Other bands that popped up: Cartel, Finn's Motel, Pete Yorn
You have the option to click on other users who also like Orson ("Find other Fans of this Artist")
"Why Was This Song Selected?" (on Orson): Based on what you've told us so far, we're playing this track because it features electric rock instrumentation, a subtle use of vocal harmony, major key tonality, a vocal-centric esthetic, and electric rhythm guitars.
Option to buy music you're listening to: links to iTunes and Amazon CD (iTunes only has Orson's first album)
Songs that follow on the station have slightly different qualities (usually from the list of qualities featured for the main artist, variation of 1 or 2 characteristics)
Is this a tool that serves to open up music tastes, too?

*Orson opened for Duran Duran -- launch of European success

Web 2.0 Article
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/9747/1/9747.pdf

"support for niche markets and interests which aggregate globally" (one of the concepts of Web 2.0)
"New large-scale web services have emerged which link music producers to consumers via artist similarity, taste profiling and recommendation data as well as linking listeners with shared tastes and interests. These include Last.fm, MySpace, Pandora.com, and a range of other social media and networking sites."
Also, influence of blogs: people will post music they like, review it, recommend it, attract a readership and spread the word
"Due to the low cost of distribution, and the absence of physical overhead costs, online services can now carry an 'infinitely large' catalogue and increasingly, the business models of online distribution are predicated on such a principle. As a result, a massive array of niche genres and out-of-print catalogue is available via online services and file sharing networks."
Many bands seem satisfied with Internet success
Less expenses - advertise online, people who want to listen will, spend only what you have to, no wasting of resources on advertisements
MySpace is a major force for bands; music, blog entries, videos, fan interaction
Pandora features Orson and shows the band's rhizomatic relationship to other bands that American listeners may have heard of before
In a video, they say, "We are famous for our fish and chips." --> they see themselves as British

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hefdniJdp6I&feature=PlayList&p=E60D1CB4C7A7592F&index=6: Interview with the band
THEY ARE SO SERIOUS! Kind of boring when they talk?
They're very simple and straight-forward
Prepared album in Hollywood, ready to go to Arizona to promote the music, but got a call to go to the UK to perform
If the UK wanted them, that's where they were going to be
British humor? American accents
Japan: Queen, Cheap Trick, KISS ... Japanese audience reception
Performed at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, 2006; International music festival

http://www.last.fm/music/Orson?autostart
Orson labels
Similar artists mostly British
Fan interaction here
Rhizome relationships
lots of information on main page; fans, groups, discussions, tour dates, videos, music, etc.

My progress so far: I've been able to talk to a couple of Orson fans as well as see their interaction on sites such as Facebook where they can join an Orson fan group and write on the group profile's wall. The fans tend to be in their upper 20s to lower 30s, although there are plenty of college-aged fans as well. I'm starting to notice that Orson's success is not due to mass media publicity.

Back 1996, Part 1

The first half of this article was meant to expand our view on black music and in order to aid us towards this mindset, Back used many new terms, such as rhizome and outernational, and established that we need to examine more than just "the music itself" when it comes to black music. Due to their social situation, blacks were forced to seek other avenues for leisure and began to own their own clubs, which became microcosms of their society where they were able to control and create music that expressed themselves and make their views and opinions on local events known by using music. In the "Technology and sound system performance" section of the article, Back goes on to talk about the machinery used and the people involved with the equipment and music. The relationship between the MC and the crowd as he chooses which music gets played by determining the mood of the people present is comparable to the relationship between the DJ and the b-boy/b-girl in the Schloss article.

Discussion Question: How much of a role did England play in the development of the black music and dance discussed in the article? Would this development have been able to occur in other countries during the same time? Why or why not?

Walser 1993

The introduction breaks down what will be discussed in the book and the general themes coincide with those that were featured in Sam Dunn's film, "A Headbanger's Journey"; stereotypes regarding dress and style, race and socioeconomic background, links to classical and American blues music, as well as the reasoning behind band names and the use of the power chord are topics mentioned straight from the beginning. Although metal music has unifying features, such as sound distortion, many metal fans love one band yet may hate another band, even though it is within the same genre. Because of this characteristic of metal fans, the Monster of Rock concert of 1988 was a unsuccessful because the organizers failed to recognize this quality. Walser also goes on to discuss the wide variety of metal bands and how some of these bands infused aspects of other genres which allowed them to have appeal to a greater audience.

Discussion question: Which of the bands or songs mentioned in Walser's text did you not expect to see considered as metal music and why?

Interview Excerpt

Nina: So what is it about Orson that makes you a fan of the band?
Annie: Well, I think that Orson is a very unique band compared to other bands ..
Nina: How so?
Annie: Well, the typical rock band in America is so-called “emo” or alternative, but you can’t really understand what they’re saying and it all sounds the same, whereas with Orson, they sound different and their songs sound different also. And you can actually understand what they’re saying, too. And the instrument … the music in the back by the instruments are very good.
Nina: So you mentioned before the “typical American band”. So what do you think of Orson? Since Orson actually started in America, they are American, but they’re in England now … so do you consider them American or British?
Annie: Well, I consider Orson American, but since they’re not typical and what the typical person would enjoy here, then they had to move out there, which is okay with me ‘cause I can still listen to them. I think they’re good.
Nina: So why is it that the typical American fan here wouldn’t want to listen to Orson?
Annie: Well, I don’t think that they wouldn’t wanna listen to them, but it’s because they’re not, umm … they’re not exposed to that kind of music, but if they were, then they would enjoy it. And maybe ‘cause they’re a bit older, too. They’re not young teens or in their 20’s.
Nina: You mean the band members?
Annie: Yeah, the band members. Yeah.
Nina: So do you think it’s Orson’s marketing team that’s not doing a good job or just, like, the current trend in music right now in America that’s stopping Orson from getting into the American music market?
Annie: Well, I think … both because there are bands that are older, such as Coldplay … they’re not, like, young, but they’re also doing … they’re very popular here, so I think they’d also … Orson would do very well in America if their marketing was better and if they advertise more and try to get on radio stations a bit more ‘cause now they’ve got a lot of popularity in the UK, so they can make it over here, too.
Nina: Okay. Umm, so because Orson isn’t really promoted in America, do you find it hard to gain access to Orson music? Like, would you know where to find it or how do you listen to Orson music?
Annie: Uhh, I listen to Orson music through MySpace, umm, websites such as that. Other music websites, like, umm, such as Pandora, or umm, I dunno, like, HypeMachine, or umm, sites like that. But mostly from their MySpace page. Or from downloads, from iTunes or places where I can buy their album.
Nina: Okay. So have you tried to promote Orson to your friends or have them listen to the band’s music?
Annie: Uhh, yes I have before. And they’ve enjoyed it, too, because it’s upbeat and it sets a fun tone.
Nina: So did they wonder why they didn’t hear more of this?
Annie: Umm, well, they’ve asked me where I’ve heard of it from and I told them that I found them from the Internet because that’s how you get access to that .. from bands from other countries. Umm, no. They didn’t ask why they weren’t advertised here or promoted here, but they enjoyed it.
Nina: Do you think that it’s possible that you and maybe other American fans of Orson really like the band because it’s something that nobody else in America is exposed to, so it’s kind of like, a special band in your heart, because you know that you have come across a rare band or not a popular band, so it holds more value to you?
Annie: Umm, yeah, I definitely feel that way because it’s like, something special. In that sense they’re unique and different and not the usual. And I feel that a lot of times when bands are underground at first and become famous all of a sudden once they become famous, they lose what they had originally, which was their really good raw style. But once they become famous, they start changing to become more popular to try to fit in with everyone else and their fans so they start to lose themselves. So if they stay rare and different, I think they’ll keep the sound that they have that I really enjoy…