Our
View: ‘No labels’ craze
detrimental to music
While perusing the local record shop, it has become increasingly difficult to
locate a specific album or record. Should one look under classic rock or pop?
Would this album be considered organic funk or contemporary jazz? The confusion
can be overwhelming.
Too often music lovers leave music stores empty handed and frustrated. Rather
than engage in this pretentious, self-serving game where artists refuse to label
themselves, record labels should feel an obligation to their audiences to make
their music readily available and uncomplicated.
This “no labels” craze has become so prevalent throughout the current
music scene that when music fans are researching a band or talking about music
with friends, it has become impossible to accurately describe a band without
leaving out some quality crucial to understanding the band’s sound. Even
the ever-popular MySpace.com, designed to give the budding artist a chance to
be heard, features bands who have mile-long genre titles.
The truth is, few contemporary bands want to label themselves as any one kind
of music for fear their music will be pigeonholed. Many musicians think their
artistic creativity will be stifled and their ability to move freely throughout
the different genres will be hindered.
Instead of trapping a band to certain expectations from potential listeners,
bands should label themselves by the genre they most closely associate themselves.
Then when they incorporate different styles into their music they bring a unique,
refreshing approach to a musical group otherwise devoid of variety.
But, some musicians prefer to forgo labels, not because they are being true to
their art or any other higher purpose, but because they simply want to appeal
to a larger audience and ultimately make more money. By calling themselves one
thing, these artists alienate a whole population of potential consumers. If these
non-label, money-craving bands really want to make good money they should perfect
their craft. If they have true talent, people of all musical walks of life will
hear about their music and seek them out.
The most contemptuous of reasons to go without labels is the self-righteous attitude
that an artist’s music is too good for any one word to capture their band’s
magnitude. This pompous outlook is both shameful and disappointing. These artists
are putting their egos before their art and their audiences.
Music should be about the messages being sent to the listeners. Getting caught
up in a band’s image detracts from the group’s music. It’s
hard trying to take a band seriously when it can’t even determine what
kind of music it’s playing.
Although oversimplifying a band is a likely solution to this label sensitive
trend, it can detract from a musician’s quality the same way convoluted
classifications can. Groups need to find a simple word or phrase that accurately
conveys the band’s style.
The current method of tacking on any genre that
might be applicable is confusing and unnecessarily complicated. Bands need to
move away from this image conscious milieu and allow their music to speak for
itself.
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