New Music

What pisses me off about today's music society is the word "sell-out." Every time a lesser known band releases an album that gives them the recognition and respect that they deserve all of their "fans" scream "Sell-out!!" No ignorant people. It is not "selling-out" it is the respect and recognition that they have worked so hard for coming to them. I will use an example:  The band known as The Kings of Leon have been a favorite of mine since early Freshman year of high school and they have releases 4 full length albums and one E.P. They got major label recognition from their E.P. called Holy Roller Novocaine. They got signed to an imprint of Sony Music known as R.C.A. records. They released their first full length album called Youth & Young Manhood in 2003. This album received little notice but the band started touring extensively opening up for acts like Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan. In 2004 they released what I consider to be their best record entitled Aha Shake Heartbreak. This album was met with great reviews in America and the U.K. but still they had nothing more than a small following in America and a huge following in England. In 2006 they released Because of the Times a tongue-in-cheek name that had to do with their less than stellar record sales in America. Lead singer Nathan Followill explained the title as "If the record flops it's because of the times, if it is amazing it's because of the times." Because of the Times received even better reviews than Aha Shake Heartbreak but still did not give the band an American following. This phenomenon was expressed in the song "Fans" off of Because of the Times. the lyrics of one part are: "All of London sing cause England swings the extra love for the tales I bring." In late 2008 their fourth album was released entitled Only by the Night. The first single released off this album was entitled "Sex on Fire" and propelled this band to super stardom finally. They were featured on this month's Rolling Stone cover with the caption touting them as "America's Biggest Band." Only by the Night has achieved platinum status but their older fans cry "sell-out." Why? They have done nothing to their sound they stayed loyal to their roots. They haven't switched record labels or anything like that. Why are they a sell-out? I will tell you why. These people thought they were hip and independent for listening to a band nobody in America had heard of and now that they are popular they feel wrongfully betrayed.