I’m sometimes forgiving when indie bands sell music to companies to be used in advertising. Like when Jaguar used a Spoon song last year in a car commercial. It was pretty cool, and whatever, they probably got enough dough to record their album.
However, when I am laying on the bed with the cats, spacing out, and suddenly hear “Cabezon” by Red House Painters and look up to see a Wal-Mart commercial… well.
Sad now.
Though this is not the first time RHP have sold their recordings for use in an ad. They did it in 1998 or 1999 when “All Mixed Up” (a Cars cover) was sold to Gap for use in a holiday commercial.
And now I can’t help wondering about the employees in Wal-Mart’s marketing division, and which one brought the Ocean Beach CD into a meeting to pitch it for a TV spot. Weird.
Curious and wrong… Now I wil be watching for said advertisement.
Hey there is blue sky out there (for te moment), I ordered it for ya -to remind you tis not always raining here ( :
Band of Horses also just sold one of their songs (“the Funeral”) to Wal*Mart for a creepy “better living through savings” website. It made me feel a little sick. And also wonder who brought that CD to a meeting and convinced the ad wizards that a song with lyrics like “At every occasion I’m ready for the funeral” was a good fit for their brand image. (it’s almost as bad as when McDonald’s ever-so-briefly used the Shins’s “New Slang” with it’s “dirt in your fries” lyrics for a commercial about a baby’s first french fry as developmental milestone).
I, too, don’t begrudge bands to sell their music for money. It’s just that Wal*Mart is so despicable in almost every possible way — including their only stocking of “family friendly” music and magazines — that it’s hard to forgive them.
Exactly. I don’t give money to Wal-Mart, I don’t even want to be inside the place. My dad’s wife asked if we would be going to Wal-Mart while we were living here, and I said “no.” When they asked why, I just said, “there are other places I can go.”
Anyway I am sorta hoping maybe RHP and Band of Horses got stuck in some shitty contract with some clause that says the label can sell their music to corporations. I mean, that’s possible, right?