from thefeatures.com blog:
“This past week was one of the most difficult ever for us as a band. We had to make an incredibly hard decision that has a direct effect on our future. Earlier this week our record label offered us a chance to record a cover song for a large corporation to be used in a commercial. In addition to using the song in the commercial they wanted us to put it on our record and potentially use it as a single. We turned down the offer(knowing the probable consequences), and our record label dropped us. Needless to say, this came at a bad time since we were a week away from recording our next record. At the moment we are weighing all of our options and still plan on recording next month. We will release another record, we just are not sure with what record label. We promise to keep you up to date with new information and as always check back here for new show dates and content. “
27 Comments
I know that I don’t know all the ins-and-outs of this decision, but am I the only one who would have liked to see them go through with this? In my opinion, getting that kind of exposure is a rare opportunity, and if you’re good enough (and we all know The Features are), you use it to your advantage as a launching pad.
Curious to hear what other fans think.
Tue May 2, 2006 at 9:40 amI hope the guys will bounce back from this and just keep making great music.
Tue May 2, 2006 at 9:42 amthe way i feel about this is just cos they signed to a major, it doesn’t mean that they are trying to be U2 or something… i can’t imagine wanting something i’d recorded to be used for a commercial for any product that i didn’t use and love (which would mean i’d only work for sprite, hard drug commercials, and whores) or unless the money was unbelievable and that’s what i wanted to get from it. and that’s only if something i did was licensed for usage…
now, having my record label tell me “you need to record this song so we can use it in a credit card commercial and then we’ll put it on your album, probably making it the leadoff single…”, that just seems fucked up to me. of course, their A&R person has the history attached to her name to do this as they used to pick out the songs and production for artists… but that was a different industry almost entirely, so long ago.
now we come to the cover thing… i think my love of the beatles keeps me interested when good artists choose to cover their songs but even putting a cover of a beatles song on your album seems stupid to me. that’s like compilation and b-side stuff to me, cos it’s a goddamn cover and any band like the features has enough good songs of their own to flesh out their own record. the thought of them covering all you need is love and it being in a credit card commercial makes me cringe. now, if it was for an agency that supported peace or some sort of forward-thinking political action, maybe that could work… maybe… but a credit card? love? what the fuck? i’m glad they turned it down, if only cos i agree with them that it’s shit. sure, the exposure would be great and all that but come on!
to me, them not being with universal (other than the financial support) seems like a good thing. they’ve had a great band like the features on their lineup for a few years now and they haven’t done a goddamn thing for them to make their music fall into the places it should be right now. and, like my roommate jay said when i spoke with him about this, i think they could easily ‘pull a spoon’ and end up on a better label and be way more successful than they already are.
and no, i’m not completely against majors or their practices… but i am for results and making your money count.
Tue May 2, 2006 at 3:01 pmit takes a lot of balls, but i think the Features made the best choice possible in their situation. it’s what my psychology professor calls “post-formal conflict resolution”
Tue May 2, 2006 at 3:07 pmOh geez.. I totally agree with battletapes. I had no idea what the commercial was for, or what the song was, until I read that post. Sure play a Beatles song live at a show, but you DO NOT cover the Beatles for a goddamned credit card commercial, and you MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT put it on your record and make it the first single. More power to them for turning it down! I don’t give a rat’s ass how much exposure it would have gotten them, covering the Beatles for a credit card commercial and then putting it on your record is rock and roll blasphemy.
Tue May 2, 2006 at 5:23 pmyeah, that’s true. having track 1 be a beatles cover is a good way to get the press to hate your record, too.
Tue May 2, 2006 at 5:40 pmNo one said it had to be track 1 to be a lead off single.
Wed May 3, 2006 at 10:41 pmthe way i understood it is that the label did want the cover to be the first single.
Wed May 3, 2006 at 11:59 pmAlas, the rumor mill is churning with all sorts of craziness. I think everyone should just chill and not read into things too much, and take everything with a grain of salt, at least until things settle down. I’m not going to pass too much judgement on anyone or anything until I really truly know the facts, not just rumors.
Thu May 4, 2006 at 9:47 amwhat about side 2 band 2? still as bad?
Thu May 4, 2006 at 10:30 amSometime, I think my iTunes like to fuck with me. It happens when set to shuffle. Tonight, it decided I needed to hear “All You Need is Love”. Then, in its infinite wisdom, followed with “Someway, Somehow”.
The thing is, I can kinda hear them doing an amazing version of it. Too bad it’s a Beatles song. Someone (Luke? B.Patton?) has said on a number occasions that they’d like to hear them do “Savoy Truffle”. Maybe they could do that for a Whitman’s Sampler commercial instead.
Fri May 5, 2006 at 5:36 amThe b-side to the first single would’ve been choice, but the gawddamnmutherfuckin’ industry has forgotten how to put out a fuckin first-rate motherfuckin’ single…errrrgggghhhh.
Fri May 5, 2006 at 9:24 pmyeah, i would’ve liked that, actually. putting beatles on the b-side is pretty much rock’n’roll blasphemy, too, though.
Fri May 5, 2006 at 9:35 pman album single is track 3.
Sat May 6, 2006 at 12:11 ami think thats true statistically.
single b-sides are always pretty dreamy.
Waylon Jennings did it, and he could kick your ass. He’s so rock ‘n roll he’s country.
Sat May 6, 2006 at 10:04 amm@, if that is your real name, i dont know if you know who your talking to.. but im a world champion cage fighter and id make Waylon lick my sweaty balls before that fighting match was over.
Sun May 7, 2006 at 5:04 pmIt’s kinda like a hip hop artist getting shot, right?
Mon May 8, 2006 at 10:23 pm????????????
Wed May 24, 2006 at 12:54 amSee/hear the commercial/song here:
http://www.choosechase.com/#
Thu June 15, 2006 at 8:53 amThe new commercial is out. Does anyone know who eventually did the song?
http://www.choosechase.com/#
Thu June 15, 2006 at 9:52 amI’ve only seen the NemesisBoy version.
Thu June 15, 2006 at 9:58 amthe nemesisboy version is REAL funny.
Thu June 15, 2006 at 11:30 ami dont know, but beatles fans are pretty pissed about it.
Thu June 15, 2006 at 1:21 pmThe Nemesisboy commercial IS great, but his Pink Spiders commercial is even better!!
Thu June 15, 2006 at 4:22 pmya gotta point there.
Thu June 15, 2006 at 6:12 pmSomeone posted on the Features blog that the band playing in the commercial is Nada Surf. They were right! You can hear the whole thing on their Myspace page.
Mon June 19, 2006 at 2:59 pmThu June 22, 2006 at 1:07 pm