(Apologies for bad image alignment and placement in this post. I’m learning…)
I recently discovered this amazing musician, That 1 Guy (aka Mike Silverman). He’s got everything that I look for in a good musical act – good range, his music doesn’t all sound the same, he’s willing to tour Australia (because let’s face it, there’s not a lot of money for lesser-known acts in Aus), he’s weird-lookin’, and he’s created some fantastically bizarre all-in-one musical instrument called the ‘magic pipe’ that he plays on-stage – but he’s definitely NOT in the top 40.
When I trawled the net for articles posted in Australia about That 1 Guy, it’s fair to say that I found a few newspaper reviews of upcoming shows and tours (The Age and Sydney Morning Herald had good articles) but nothing in comparison to the likes of U2 or any number of those hugely popular pretty girl and boy bands, who seem to receive loads of coverage both in the press and in music journalism. While famous in the alternative music scene, when it comes to mainstream journalism, That 1 Guy tends to be more of a passing flight of fancy who gathers interest when he’s in town, but is soon forgotten once he rolls on out.
Now, it can be said that the majority of music journalism (not all, but the majority) is based around or focused on musicians in the ‘top 40′ – mainstream music. This is, after all, the music deemed most popular by the world at large. So, what do the mainstream artists have that That 1 Guy doesn’t?
***DISCLAIMER: The following is the opinion of the author, and may or may not be extremely biased, rife with generalities, and lacking objectivity.***
1. Mainstream artists are marketable - They’ve got something that appeals to the mainstream audience. Thirsty Merc has a lead singer with a weird name – Rai Thistlethwaite?? What’s going on there? – and dashing good looks, Ronan Keating is a sensitive new age guy, Christina Aguilera boasts a tiny body and huge voice. Talent is preferred but not essential. But how do you market a classically-trained double bassist who is just plain weird? Not to mention the crazy self-created instrument that comes into the deal.
2. Their music suits the biggest venues in town – Whereas That 1 Guy’s is definitely suited to smaller venues, being that he is a one-man-band, and his music would definitely not improve with the addition of backing vocalists and a combination dance/percussion ensemble. Perhaps it would create more problems if he were to become a mainstream success?
3. The content of their music is generally about love, heartbreak, enjoying life, themes everyone can relate to – They also have titles such as “Lift”, “Shine” (both Shannon Noll). For Mike Silverman, however, music is about weasel potpie, slapping ‘beotches’ and the raining down of meat. His themes are a little skewed from the norm…and it’s easier for a music journo to write about themes that we all understand, than muse on the meaning of a song that’s titled “Buttmachine”.
4. Mainstream artists are preeettty – That 1 Guy is not.
5. Their music sounds best on the radio, where all the money is – Mike Silverman, however, has created a sound that just can’t be truly recaptured on a recording. You just don’t get the full experience. For music to make the top 40 it really needs to be ‘listenable’ (note: new word, creator caitlinjudith), and That 1 Guy doesn’t quite cut it on this front. So it’s highly unlikely that he will ever achieve more than a cult following.
While it’s understandable that music journalists are more likely to write about the top 40 because of its popularity and accessibility to the masses, there is still an under-representation of non-mainstream artists such as That 1 Guy, and that’s not good enough! The world (or top 40) could be a better place if there were more magic pipes and buttmachines…
**Watch this space for (perhaps) more on this subject in later posts***
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