Dot Dot Dash

Over the last couple of weeks, I started to wonder if there was some deeper commentary about the music business to The Next Great American Band. Mostly because they kept forcing these bands to play other people's songs. Finally, last week, they got another shot at an original, but I have to wonder if the ability to actually write good songs got shortchanged early in the process.

Seriously, what difference does it make if you can play a decent version of a Billy Joel or Elton John song if you can't write your way out of a paper bag? America might have voted out the babies with the bathwater. And yes, I'm still upset that Franklin Bridge got the boot so early.

It's also been instructive to watch the one A&R guy on the judges panel, because Dicko, more than anyone else, suggests that these bands conform to some "mainstream" ideal in order to be successful, rather than do what they do as well as they can do it. The backgrounds of the judges have become an interesting sidelight to the show, as John Rzeznik is clearly coming from his mainstream pop-rock place, Sheila E. continues to be all about the musicianship, and Dicko, again, represents most of the worst tendencies of the business.

That being said, I like that they've nudged Sixwire into bringing the rock.

I'm a little surprised that Dot Dot Dot got the boot, because I figured they might pick up the Tres Bien! fans. Now you've got three bands from Nashville and the children of the corn, but the safe money is still on either Sixwire or The Clark Brothers, and I'm on the fence on the rhythm section for the latter. Interesting dynamic, but a little too much of a departure from where they were going previously. Will they get voted off for taking Dicko's advice the way Franklin Bridge did?

As for the other two bands, I have to wonder if there's some sort of network effect. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra have the most band members, and presumably the most friends who can vote for them. Light of Doom may have some element of the San Diego PTA working on their behalf the scenes, and you have to imagine that their parents are pushing pretty hard. Although I think the novelty of little kids playing Iron Maiden has finally worn off, and they'll be gone next week.