We're the kids in America, everybody live for the music-go-round

Like many today, I have both a Facebook page, as well as a MySpace page. Facebook is more interesting to me as a method of social networking, but MySpace is pretty cool, and as you probably know, very popular with upcoming bands and musical artists. In fact, I wrote a couple of posts here in November about an artist who got her career going, not with a record company but with MySpace and some good luck.

Here's my first post about Ingrid Michaelson:

You know the song from the Old Navy commercial? You know the one I mean, that you can't get out of your head? It's Ingrid Michaelson singing "The Way I Am".

Here's a live version, stripped to one acoustic guitar and backup singer, and Ingrid. And it's even more stunning than the album version. It proves music doesn't need a big busy production to be wonderful:




This talented woman has no record deal, yet she's had her music played on Gray's Anatomy, has played live on several TV shows, and is currently touring the US. Here's her website and her MySpace page.

We're witnessing the new paradigm for music marketing. Take heed, kids.

So today I got a request to add a friend at MySpace. I checked, it was a young singer/songwriter named Kate Voegele. I thought perhaps she'd seen on my profile that I work in L.A. recording studios, know many producers & engineers. I checked out her actual web site, and her MySpace, listened to some music, and thought she was pretty good.

But then at another site, during an interview, she mentioned the way her record company had contacted and signed her to a deal. And to my surprise and disappointment, that record company was MySpace Records.

I don't hold that against Kate, she's just a talented kid who sought, and got a record deal. But for MySpace to send me an "add friend" request that is actually advertisement, and to not make that clear, is cheating. And it's pretty corporate-record-label cynical.

Bastards.

Here's a mini-documentary about Ingrid Michaelson, that's really nice:



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