Interesting Music Stats Video

Aped this off of the Music Playground feed . . . 

Buzzfeed: 12 Extremely Disappointing Facts About Popular Music

Click to see it here.

Music Spotlight: Soy Milk Momma

This is one of three spots all using the same arc and all very funny.

The music track selection perfectly misdirects for the initial moments and the rest of the spot speaks for itself.  Great set-up and love the music bookend as well bringing this spot full circle.  

Home run.  Enjoy.  

OMG: Word Up or Simply Word WTF?

Just scratching my head. . . and the British accent VO at the end doesn't wash over the fact that this one is just an oddball.

I am sure somewhere this spot is going to win an award - maybe in the category of "Most Money Wasted on a Music License" . . . but pretty sure no one I know will be running out to buy V05 hair pomade any time soon after watching "The Pliktisijiteur Pageant."

The music license and re-arrangement of Cameo's "Word Up" is unimaginative.  The spot is itself shot and lit well - kudos to the cinematographer.  The costumes and set design brilliant . . . and it sure looks big . . .

. . . but such a rich visual spot and high concept is quickly deflated by the underpowered music bed.  Especially without a voice over or any dialogue here, the music and sound design's role is so critical to succesfully telling the story and it simply falls short as a piece of brand communication (not even sure what it says about the brand that is flattering).  The spot might have worked with an underscore that made sense, and with such a unique visual context there were so many creative directions that could have delivered, but instead we are left pulling out our hair instead of slicking it back with V05.  

Ergh.  

(p.s. a second alternate version of the music is equally tough to digest . . . )

20 Questions With Mike Thompson, Music Supervisor

Name:  Mike Thompson
Title:   Senior Music Supervisor 
Libraries:  The Diner

1. Song I Wish I Synch: D-PE0065 Light Up The Stars (Vocal) is such an emotional and beautiful track with a killer chorus... it's one of those final-triumphant-scene-in-a-movie home runs.

2. Favorite Music Placement: It's got to be the Kia Optima "Blake Griffin Dunk"... we took an existing Diner track, totally customized it, and now it's the soundtrack for Blake Griffin dunking a ball while jumping over a

Kia!

3. Most Requested Creative Direction: It is (and will probably always be) upbeat, uplifting, optimistic acoustic pop.

4. New/Emerging Artist/Bands I Am Listening To: Mitten, Talk Normal, Tame Impala, and Dirty Beaches, to name a few...

5. Last Concert I Attended: Michael Daves & Chris Thile at the Bell House in Brooklyn. They tore it up!

6. My Favorite Online Music Web Site: You mean, besides thedinermusic.com?... I've got to say, Spotify is winning me over.

7. My Favorite Mobile Music App: At the end of the day, it's still iTunes.

8. Number of Music Tracks I List To Everyday: I probably listen to at least a hundred or so Diner tracks every day, and maybe 3 or 4 albums.

9. My Favorite Music Synch Curveballs: I generally don't believe in just throwing curveballs... instead I focus on giving the client what they ask for.  But if I'm feeling audacious, I'll throw in D-PE0062 Red Rollerskates which is one of my favorite tracks in the Diner--so quirky and catchy!

10. Favorite Cliche Movie Trailer Music Track: D-SC0186 Gothic Wonder--full orchestra, total drama and dark, brooding mystery.

11. Favorite Cliche Action Sports Music Track: D-SN0007 Prime Time Sports

12. Music Track Least Likely To Be Used Mom/Daughter Movie of The Week: D-RC0070 You Don't Know

13. Music Track Most Likely To Be Used in a Pharma Commercial: A tossup between D-TE0020 Feeling So Much Better and D-TE0085 Brand Strategy. Honestly, it could go either way...

14. Instruments I Play: Guitar, mandolin, banjolin, ukulele, and various other stringed instruments.

15. Radio Station I Listen To Most: On the airwaves: WFMU! Online, it's probably Jolio's Party, a French station that plays mostly rockabilly and R&B from the '50s.

16. Favorite 80's Song: Give it up for "Spirits in the Material World" by the Police. 

17.  Most Un-Licensable Track Ever:  I'm not gonna call out any Diner tracks by name on this (there might be one or two!), so I'll just say "I Don't Like Your Face" by Furious Pig.  Which I'd LOVE to hear on a commercial, by the way.  

18.  Biggest Licensing WTF Ever By A Major Artist:  "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" by the Pogues... to sell SUVs? Does... not... compute.

19. Desert Island iPod Mix: Any 5 albums on Yazoo Records, any 5 albums on Ocora Records, any 5 albums on Harmonia Mundi, and any 5 albums on Numero Group records.  Seriously, any 5.  

20. Desert Island Film Soundtrack:  "La Planete Sauvage" (Alain Goraguer), "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (Ennio Morricone), "Arthur, Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire" (The Kinks--does it count if the film never got made?), "Repo Man" (Various Artists), "Clockwork Orange," and so many others...

Pick of Day: Music Playground's Eric Hillebrecht Picks

This is sick!