"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.
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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.
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?
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"?
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.
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?
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?
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…
It was newly New Year’s Day and my sister and I sat on our living room couch watching Jesse McCartney perform on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special.We were shocked to see a drastic change in not only Jesse’s look, but his music as well.After he performed his current hit, Leavin’, on the 2009 show, I finally realized that the blond-haired, green-eyed Zac Efron predecessor had grown up.We had liked him with his shaggy locks and boyish charm, but would his new sound still suit our tastes?He performed two more songs and it was determined: we were back in love with him.
Even though my sister couldn't make it, I went with four friends to see Jesse perform live at the Boston House of Blues in late February.The five of us managed to make it to the venue at approximately 4:40pm.Even though the show was to start at 8pm, there was already a gigantic line formed outside the entrance.
“OH MY GOD!” screamed one of the girls in the party in front of us as we moved behind them in line.She opened her arms and grabbed each of her friends for a hug.Sensing this activity as an opportunity to mock, or rather, “fit in” to the crowd, one of my friends decided to do the same exact thing with our group.Her “OH MY GOD!” was followed by rounds of hugs and laughter.
The girls in front of us were around the age of fifteen and dressed uniformly, yet not; all sported some variation of the denim miniskirt, tights, Ugg boots, t-shirt, and hoodie outfit.Each of the girls seemed to be wearing a different Jesse fan accessory, such as a self-shredded Jesse McCartney t-shirt and a necklace with the letter J on a cross.As a friend and I walked up and down the line to pass the time, we realized that most of the people here to see Jesse were younger teens and mostly female.The first group of girls in line had been waiting since 10 am and was growing impatient to enter the venue.
When we were finally let in, the guards tried their best to prevent a stampede of girls from entering the general admission area.We were packed tightly by the stage, dancing to the standby music playing over the loudspeaker to pass the time while Jesse and his opening act, Anjulie, prepared to sing.No matter how good Anjulie performed that night, the girls in the audience wouldn't care about her until she left the stage because her leaving would signify that the man of their dreams was about to perform. (“Oh my God, is she done yet?Is he coming out yet?”).
During the wait time for Jesse to appear, the standby music came on again and each time one song ended, there was a ten second pause that fooled us into thinking that he would finally come out.To occupy their time, the girls around me began talking to each other about each other, regardless of whether or not they knew each other.There were nasty remarks about other girls’ outfits, other girls’ appearances, and about people not even at the concert (“I love The Hills!” one girl shouted.“F*ck The Hills!” someone replied.).Is this what teen girls did to pass the time?
Jesse finally made his grand entrance with Freaky, a song from his new album, Departure.Sporting a silver suit and aviator glasses, the screams in the House of Blues was deafening.Girls were pushing each other to move closer to the stage in a wavelike motion.I tried to plant my feet firmly to the ground, but to avail; I was getting pushed around by people nearly 10 years younger than me.After performing a couple of new songs off of his new album, he “went back to where it all began” by performing his previous hits, Beautiful Soul and She’s No You.The lyrical content of his songs had changed drastically over the past four years.Before, he seemed to sing about girls from a distance and admire them.Now, he sang about deeper relationship issues such as break-ups and commitment.However, he didn’t sing them in the same pop tone as his previous two albums, Beautiful Soul and Right Where You Want Me.Instead, Departure carried an experimental vibe, with Jesse using hip-hop and electronic beats.His live performances were nearly as good as his recordings, which was refreshing since many artists these days seem to sound completely different (and incompetent) singing in person.
The highlight of the show occurred during the middle of his concert: the Oxygen performance.Every fan knew this was a famous Jesse pastime.At every concert, as can be seen on YouTube, Jesse picks a girl from the audience to go on stage to sit down as he serenades her with Oxygen, a song on the rerelease of his new album to be called Departure Recharged.When the instrumental for Oxygen played in the background, the screams of girls around me increased in intensity.They all wanted to be the one on stage.Jesse walked across the stage, examining each part of the room.
“Is she on this side of the room?” he said as he stood towards the right.The girls in that area screamed even louder.“Or is she in the middle of the room?” he said next.On cue, the girls in the middle pushed forward and screamed.He even looked towards the balcony, giving them a chance to believe they could be the one.After about ten minutes, he finally chose a girl form the far end of the area, a girl who had long wavy hair and was wearing a Jesse McCartney t-shirt and jeans.The height of the show also happened to be the height of the cattiness amongst the girls.Even though Jesse had announced to the crowd, “Everyone be nice to Mikayla,” the girls couldn’t help themselves but criticize.
“Oh my God, she’s so ugly!”
“She’s wearing a stupid Jesse McCartney t-shirt!”
“She’s not excited AT ALL!”
Everyone wanted to be the Oxygen girl, but did they know it also meant constant badmouthing from every jealous girl in the audience, as well as on YouTube after the video of the performance would be posted for all the world to see?I was growing weary of being surrounded by malicious teen girls and was ready to leave after Jesse closed the show with his hit, Leavin’.About one-third of the crowd trickled out after Leavin’, but the rest of the audience (including me) stayed for the encore performance of Body Language, a new song to be featured on the album rerelease.At the end of performing the encore, he threw a white towel he had used to wipe the sweat off of his face into the crowd.The girls who were in range to catch the towel tugged at it from every direction, eventually ripping it to claim a little chunk of it for themselves.
On my way out, I was tired, sweaty, and ready to get outside to breathe in some air. Even though I had a good time, it had been too many catty girls in too small of an area.My friends and I finally reunited by the wall by coat check to avoid getting caught up in the wave of people leaving. We asked the girls standing nearby to take a group picture for us. They wore bright green self-decorated t-shirts and high ponytails as if it were the 80s. Two of them gladly came to assist us while the rest of their group also got ready to leave. Our photo op kept getting interrupted by drunk people at the bar in the venue cutting between the camera and us. The other girls nearby us noticed this and were outraged.
"Excuse me! We're trying to take a picture here!" one of them yelled.The rest of the group linked arms and blocked anyone else from ruining the picture.
So teenage girls could be nice.We thanked them for helping us out and with that, the evening came to a close for me with a more positive impression of teen girls.In the end, we were all really just there for a good time.
(1395 words [with prior permission to exceed limit])
I'm starting off my research by examining the availability of Orson's music for purchase on sites such as Amazon.com and iTunes. My thoughts and comments on the information I gathered are typed beneath the information in green.
Basic Orson Information:
Band consists of: Jason Pebworth (vocals), George Astasio (guitar), Kevin Roentgen (guitar and vocals), Johnny Lonely (bass), Chris Cano (drums)
Formed: 1999 in Hollywood, CA
Albums:
Bright Idea (released May 29, 2006, went platinum, #1 on UK Albums Chart, June 4-10, 2006);
Culture Vultures (released October 22, 2007; peaked on UK Albums Chart at #25 debut week) [both albums released in UK]
Singles:
No Tomorrow (released February 27, 2006, #1 on UK Singles Chart, Mar 19-26, 2006, #1 on UK Download Chart; previously released as free download on UK iTunes and eventually became the most downloaded single of the week);
Bright Idea (released May 15, 2006);
Happiness (released August 7, 2006);
Already Over (released November 13, 2006);
Ain’t No Party (released October 15, 2007)
[Most of Orson's singles have placed on the UK charts, but No Tomorrow has been the most successful single to date.]
bebo profile not updated ("LA rockers" but London UK listed as hometown, profile created Aug 2006, prof. views 424669 times, 65508 fans, last blog post 440 days ago, last comment 61 weeks ago)
Orson official forum very up-to-date (multiple categories, but all having to deal with computer questions, not band questions)
Unofficial website updated Dec. 2007
MySpace up-to-date, but I can't message them for some reason
[The band's official website is gone! I tried going on orsonband.com multiple times. At first, I was met with a page that said something like, "This page no longer exists." Now, a page pops up that says that the site address, orsonband.com, expired on February 6, 2009, and "is pending renewal or deletion." Even though the band currently does not have an official website, they seem to be working off of their MySpace page instead. In regards to MySpace, I kept trying to message the people in charge of the band's page, but I am still as of now unsuccessful.]
Week of February 23rd:
(Reviews from 2006-2008) Amazon.com – Bright Idea (Red version) reviews (4), average rating: 4/5
The Netherlands: energetic, cites Beatles and XTC as possible influences
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: compares Orson to Hard-Fi, The Go-Betweens, The Beautiful South, recent Red Hot Chili Peppers
Winnipeg, MB: very 90s, for people who like Snow Patrol and Bloc Party
UK reviewer: bad review, thinks it’s overplayed on the radio
[I thought it was interesting that a UK reviewer would write a blurb about Orson on the American Amazon.com page and not necessarily on the Amazon.co.uk page. I'm thinking that it's possible that Orson's appeal to people in the Americas or other countries besides the UK is due to the fact that the band is obscure. As of now, Orson has not been overplayed on radio stations. Is this why there is an Orson following in the U.S. and Canada? Maybe it seems "cooler" to like Orson when not everyone else knows about the band.]
Bright Idea (Blue version) reviews (5), average rating: 4.5/5
Johannesburg, South Africa: bad review, only liked hit single, but was influenced by the “hot girl” in the video
New York, NY: saw them on Diana tribute concert airing and ordered the CD, loves it, considers himself an older listener
Atlanta, GA: saw them perform in L.A. before their move or possibly at the beginning of their move to London; feels the band is more “musically evolved” than Green Day and Foo Fighters
NJ: happy music
Snellville, GA: predicts the band will be huge in America
[I remember when the Diana tribute concert aired on t.v., I was excited to see British artists unknown in America perform because at that point, I had been mainly listening to a London radio station streaming online and knew of the bands/singers performing. Unfortunately on NBC, the concert was cut so that American viewers only saw artists that Americans would know (Elton John, etc.). I'm guessing that on cable networks, the concert in its entirety was shown, allowing American audiences to listen in on what has been popular across the Atlantic.]
Culture Vultures (2008); 1 review, 5 stars
LA: “LA to Orson, phone home”
11 albums sold on Amazon.com
Price range: $2.99 (for two songs), $9.49 (for three songs) to $30.99 (thirteen songs including one bonus track)
All imports, which means the CD cost is already higher than non-import CDs
[Universal UK was the one who manufactured the import albums available on Amazon.com. With people these days already finding it hard to pay at all for music, the appeal of buying a full album at around $30 is low. Luckily, online sites such as youtube.com and music streaming websites help fans listen for free.]
Amazon.co.uk reviews: much more than on US site, still mostly positive reviews as well
Price of full albums (current and past) is equivalent to $7.24 (much cheaper in UK!)
iTunes: Bright Idea available (43 reviews!)
Average review: 4.5/5 (extremely impressive)
Most Recent Review: Feb. 20, 2009!!!!!
tried to sort reviews by most recent to see when the latest review was posted, but can’t get exact date (looks to be extremely recent though, 2008 and possibly 2009)
gist: really great reviews, many asking for iTunes to offer latest album, Culture Vultures; want Orson to come back to America to “show us what we’ve been missing;” mostly 5-star reviews, some say they got hooked to Orson while going to one of their concerts while abroad (Ireland) or listening to them on Virgin Radio
[This information surprised me the most. I couldn't believe over 40 people reviewed Bright Idea. Not only that, but most of the reviews (except for about 3 of them) were 4-starred or above. Equally surprising was the date of the most recent review post (just a few days ago). So many of the reviewers expressed their wish to have Orson come back to the United States and be promoted here, but would it work? Would it make it in a currently hip-hop/R&B-pop dominated market here?
I was happy to see at least Bright Idea offered on the U.S. version of iTunes, although many reviewers wanted to see Culture Vultures available for download, too. I remember when No Tomorrow first hit the British radio airwaves in 2006, I tried to see if Bright Idea was available for download and it wasn't. The only song available for download from Orson at that time was the single, No Tomorrow, and nothing else. I can't recall if I tried to request Orson to be on iTunes (you can send a message to the iTunes store to request music you can't currently find available), but it's possible that enough people requested it. Now that I think about it, I think I requested The Hoosiers instead...]
iTunes Orson Biography:
genre label as “Rock, Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative”
named after Orson Welles, the director (although Wikipedia says the band was named after the sandwich which was named after the director)
perform in vintage suits and fedoras
Bright Idea got some notice in fall 2005 (in America)
British music press liked them when Orson toured in UK, opening for Duran Duran
Got relatively bigger fan base in Europe
2006, relocated to London after signing to Mercury and reissuing first album
iTunes labels Orson’s contemporaries as The Kooks, The Strokes, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys
Orson, a pop-rock band originally from Hollywood, California, is fairly unknown in their home country of America, but over in the United Kingdom, they have chart-topping hits as well as records that go by unheard in the States. What is it about Orson's sound that makes it attractive to British but not American ears? Because of their successes in England, the band relocated to London and rarely, if ever, play at American venues anymore.
For my research project, I wish to examine Orson's American following and the ways in which the band still has fans on this side of the Atlantic. Through online sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and last.fm, I am hoping to see how Americans who listen to Orson were first introduced to the band's music and how they are able to remain active fans since the Orson material available in the United States (other than via Internet) is rare.
Other questions to be answered: *What other artists - British or American - do Orson fans listen to? Do these fans consider Orson an American or British band? *Where are these Orson fans mostly located? What is their age range? *Do these fans want Orson to become more popular in America? Or is their fondness of Orson music due to the fact that it is relatively unknown here? *Do American listeners of Orson try to connect with each other?
Followers of the goth scene seem connected to each other, no matter in what region of the world they live. The goth community establishes and maintains these connections by use of traveling (to celebrations such as the Whitby Gothic Weekend), commerce, and media (especially with the Internet). According to Hodkinson, people in the goth scene are able to tell who else is like them, even without judging solely on appearances, causing us to infer that there is a sense of shared attitude and outlook on life or something beyond having similar fashion and music tastes.
Discussion Question: What other subcultures experience a similar connection followers of the goth scene have?
In "Ethnography and popular music studies," Cohen stresses the importance for people to study music using a holistic approach, examining music and how it plays a part in people's lives, cultures, and societies. Ethnographic study goes beyond textbook learning and studying theory and requires fieldwork: coming into direct contact with the people being studied, their interactions with each other, their attitudes and perspectives. Cohen cites Ruth Finnegan's use of the word "pathways" as a better term to describe the overlapping, fuzzy boundaries of music worlds, stressing more the flow of musical processes rather than different types of music being unrelated to each other.
Discussion Question: What are ways to ensure that an ethnographer holistically examines a music culture? How should setbacks be handled?
"Exploring the Meaning of the Mainstream" discusses the various definitions of "mainstream" and its meaning to cultural youth groups that wish to dissociate from it. Some believe mainstream to be a term that describes a dominant culture, while others tend to think it describes a mass culture. In order to organize youth cultures, clubbers often use preferences in music, dance styles, and fashion among others as markers for who is one of "us" and who is one of "them." Because of the multiple ways to determine what constitutes mainstream, ethnomusicologists use a variety of terms, such as independent vs. commercial or masculine vs. feminine, to describe what mainstream is and is not.
Discussion Question: How does "alternative" (not mainstream) music retain its identity now that current technology provides many opportunities for wide-scale popularity?
In "Same as it Ever Was," McClary discusses how music has had a reputation for being an enabler of seemingly inappropriate and unacceptable behavior, whether it be sensual, emasculate, or rebellious. Nevertheless, music has had a major impact not only on the body, but on culture as well. Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" is a song that exemplifies the effect of music on our culture in rhythmic and physical ways. It marked a liberation not only for African-American styles, but for the perception of music as well.
Discussion Question: Are there any current songs that you believe have the same effect "In the Midnight Hour" had when it was released? If there are, what are they and why? If there aren't, why do you think that is?
(image courtesy of MySpace.com/Orson)
(image courtesy of Zimbio.com)
t 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.
