The conspiracy of like: the logic of the BBC Sound Of 2010 long list

brokenbottleboy:

The BBC Sound Of 2010 long list has limped out into the world today like a cat that’s escaped from a breeder’s lightless basement. It’s voted for by a variety of industry insiders, editors and “tastemakers” and represents nothing more than that. It’s the fourteen acts that everyone could just about agree on – the middle ground opinions.

It’s not that there aren’t any good acts in the list – Marina and The Diamonds, Ellie Goulding, The Drums and Stornoway are all worthwhile in their own way. It’s just that the whole concept of the list is flawed. Watch closely as every music mag delivers some variation on it over the next month or so. Ellie Goulding will be on every list. So will Marina.

The problem with the Sound Of 2010 and most of the “big in 2010” lists is that they put pressure on acts before they’ve even developed while also making it appear as if they’ve popped up organically. Little Boots who topped last year’s poll worked tirelessly to get their with a previous stint in indie group Dead Disco. Her PR campaign had been going for 18 months before she ‘suddenly’ appeared.

Marina & The Diamonds and Ellie Goulding are the same. Under The Sheets popped up on the mp3 blogs yonks ago and remixes have been gently drip fed out ever since. I worked on a biog for Marina & The Diamonds in March 2009. It’s not to say that either of those acts aren’t deserving of attention it’s just that placing on the Sound Of 2010 list is a triumph of consistent PR effort as much as it is of songwriting.

PR people are just doing their jobs and it’s gratifying when the acts they’re pushing actually have some great songs and an interesting story to go along with them. Giggs is an interesting character, as are The Drums while at 16-years-old Daisy Dares You is preternaturally industry savvy. But the way that the Sound Of 2010 list is cannibalised by the rest of the media is worrying.

We need more music journalists to leave their offices and get out to gigs. Mainstream magazines are too often led by what gets fed to them. Plenty of great acts could make it big but simply aren’t lucky enough to find the PR representation they need to rise above the herd.

It’s strange that all this music has been around the internet, especially Joy Orbison who’s been rinising it for a while now.