What I find more interesting than the above story, is checking my favorite pundits over at Gawker, and hitting up the regular list of music blogs.

It’s interesting having worked in digital music, and understanding the net rollout and how “overnight” successes can be made, solely by using the Internet connection in your own parents’ basement, I genuinely enjoy reading stories of this nature. Hell, Vampire Weekend recorded part of their debut album in their parents’ basements.

That being said, there’s a reason why I choose to get my music news from blogs rather than sources like the New York Times. Because this article is atrocious. I remember really liking Postal Service back in the day, and when I checked out Owl City, I thought they were a tired, terrible rip off of them almost instantaneously. This Adam dude’s pull quote as to his comparisons? Blew my mind. I don’t think OWL CITY is here to serve that purpose.

As someone who has worked in the industry, I get the debate of major vs. indie label. I like to see what artists like Devandra Banhart, who have been represented by both, have to say about the treatment. But Gawker, in this situation, is absolutely right. If you look at any of the Best of 2009 record lists that are coming out as this gets written, or if you look at the Pitchfork Best of the Decade list, or check the Brooklyn bands listed in NY Mag the other week, you see a ton of indie, innovative, inventive and downright quality music, many of whom are not signed to major labels. There’s the perks of being represented by one, and certainly in working for one, but I’ve been realizing that my musical test has a huge bend toward bands signed to indie labels. And this really hits it on the head: in a troubled industry, A&R guys at the majors are seeing this indie trend sweeping music, and to keep their jobs and to keep their companies afloat, they need to get something new. And unfortunately “new” seems to be “ripped off.”

Check out Gawker’s story here.

Check out Prefix Mag’s story here.

For the record, I don’t like Owl City.